Hi
I' am looking at this online listing: http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used-...ting=118790820

Is CarGurus a reputable dealer? Will them ship to Miami FL? What has been your experience with CarGurus so far?

Thanks

Mario

 

Car gurus is not the dealer. They are the marketing tool a dealship uses to advertise their autos. I really like the car gurus website. But if you are looking to purchase the vehicle and get it shipped, you do all those thing directly through contacting the dealership. No through the car gurus website.

 

Thanks. So do they work with reputable dealers only?

 

I wouldn't count on it. Instead, research the dealer's reputation using sources such as the Better Business Bureau and Yelp. You can also ask about a specific dealer here in case a Club Lexus member has used them.

One thing I don't care for on Cargurus is that the dealer name for the listing is often excluded. You can just see location information. If Cargurus has reviews for the dealer, often at least one reviewer mentions the dealer by name. You can also use Google, supplying the listing's description of the car, such as model, model year, city, price, and miles to find out the dealer name.

While not guaranteed, Catgurus listings are also found on other third-party sites such as Autotrader and cars.com. It's a good idea to use all three sites to find cars.

 

What I like about cargurus is that they list the price increase/drops.

 

Except in Texas for some reason. I like the feature too. I'm not inclined to trust Carguru's estimated market price feature, since I don't know the underlying methodology.

 

I used cargurus.com to find my LS, negotiated directly with the dealer and have them ship it.

 

After months of searching, I just purchased a 2013 LS460 with 16k miles on it. Car Gurus (Internet Data Base) said it was a "good deal" and after looking at some of the turds that were "Car Guru great deals" I say: BUYER BEWARE! Go see the car in person prior to purchase AND consider a CPO for peace of mind 3 year/100k miles driving.
CG's go by price and mileage along with Car Fox ratings...... Low Book + Low miles = Great Deal.
Saw a CPO LS on a lot in NJ that had "zero accidents" as per car fox and the rear quarter panel had body work done to it....... I suggest using CG's as a research tool along with NADA, Cars.com, Auto Trader and Car Fox.
I did my homework (Internet surfing) on "LS460's for sale" and feel I got a great deal on a CPO LS460 ......I am happy!!
Keep in mind a CPO will go for about $3k more than a LS without a warranty. This car was my third car I purchased from the Auto Trader web based "data base"..... The Internet is a wonderful tool for your research.
BTW! Most of the same cars are on all the data banks like CG's, A.T, C.com at the same time. The more people that will see it the more likely it will sell faster......... Basic marketing principles.

 

2012 is a good yr for the 460s. I have really enjoyed mine so far. Another excellent resource is the Lexus service website: https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lex...-lexus/home.do. Register and you pretty much have unlimited access to any Lexus car. Simply put in the VIN number and it will show you the service intervals, even pick up accidents that were repaired off the books. This was my biggest asset when buying a Lexus.

Also, have a look at my older thread, pretty much on what to look out for on '11-12 AWD 460s. I had some great helpful input from many of the members on this forum: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...-look-for.html

My personal rule of thumb is try to buy from a Lexus dealer with CPO (though you still can't make too many assumptions), or a big reputable dealership like an Audi (where I found my car incidentally)/Merc/BMW dealer. I try to avoid the 3rd party ones b/c while prices may be attractive, i also feel there's a reason for that and in the world of luxury cars you get what you pay for. Just my .02

 

Thanks to all for your great answers.

 

Dealers pay a fee to sites like car guru to promote their vehicles. The site does the marketing so the dealer doesn't have to. There is no guarantee the dealer or seller is reputable just because they place the listing. Always look for dealer feedback on line. You'll end up negotiating with the sales person so sharpen your pencil. Good luck.

 

Long back I was looking for a vehicle at one of the Lexus dealer. Picked one vehicle and inquired about it. Sales guy said that they are pulling the car from the lot and sending to auction due to transmission issue. He went onto say that the vehicle was a trade-in and at that time they didn't know or find out about transmission issue. He said that they can't sell the vehicle as is and sending to an auction.

As CarGuy said go with reputable dealers - Audi / BWM / Benz etc. Found my LS on Car gurus, purchased from a reputable dealer and it was a pleasant transaction. In my case, I didn't even see / test drive the car. But did all the investigation including verifying with Lexus Corp.

BTW, if one wants the window sticker that normally be on new cars, can be requested by calling Lexus. They will send a PDF copy of the same. It takes time to receive it, but good to have it and compare with car listing.

 

CarGurus "good deal" feature is based purely on numbers: year, mileage, price. It doesn't tell you anything about the condition of the car.

There's no substitute for careful examination of the car. CarGurus would probably tell me I overpaid for my '08, but then again it looks like new and spent its whole life before I bought it in California.

 

X2 ^^^^ I have seen some real (in the flesh) "Great/Good" cars from CarGurus over the last three months that I ran away from.
Use CG as a car locator and check out the car in person because there are reasons the car is a "Great Deal" with low miles. I Highly suggest checking out CPO cars and pay a little more money for a lux car with a DEALER warranty.