Greetings!
New member here. Long time user but first time poster on LS forum (1st post was on GX forum earlier this year when I was considering GX, now I am leaning towards LS.

What do you guys think of the below two LS?

One is at Carmax: 2016 LS 460L listed for $43k with 38,000 miles. Silver/Black

Pros: Has Sport/Sport+ mode along with add-on listed below. Service records are clean on Lexus Driver portal.
Cons: Two owners, second owner sold within 6 months of purchase. Haven't checked the car in-person. Might test drive this weekend.
Link: https://www.carmax.com/car/17710170

Another at Lexus dealer: L/Certified 2016 LS 460 listed for $47k with 31,000 miles. Eminent Whitel/Light Grey

Pros: Local trade, clean inside-out. Test drove and love the ride. Clean service records. New tires.
Cons: Service records indicate windshield chip repaired, bumper refinished/repainted. Dealer says its normal CPO process. Front brakes at 6mm which is at CPO standard according to dealer.

Both cars are RWD with below options:

• COMFORT PACKAGE
• Heated Wood Steering Wheel w/Leather Center Pad
• Blind Spot Monitor w/Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Semi-Aniline Leather Trim Int/Alcantara Headliner
• ALL WEATHER PACKAGE
• ML
• WHEELS: 19"
• LED Headlamps w/intelligent high-beams & washers
• Pre-Collision/All-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Crtl

Carmax LS460L in addition has: Adaptive Variable Air Suspension w/Variable Gear Ratio Steering, Comfort & SportS+ Drive Modes

Questions: I know Carmax is generally higher and no haggle. What do you guys think about the price? I would like to offer $45 to Lexus dealer... Would I be over paying? How to check if LS is equipped with Air suspension? Does SportS+ mode really turns "the boat" into a GS like joy ride?

I would appreciate your input. BTW, I have a young family and would be hitting 40 in a year. I like refined products with precision craftsmanship and value ride over NFS (need for speed).

 

I would say get the L. I had the short wheelbase and always wish I had the L to benefit the rest of my family in the back. Bonus on the Carmax 460L is that you don't have the reclining rear seats and, therefore, have a larger trunk for family gear. I had the reclining rear seats, heated/cooled rear seats, and second rear AC with chill box but, in the two years we had it, those features were seldom used (but having the powered side sunshades was nice as part of the package). Having extra rear seat legroom with the L is used/useful everyday.

The Sport+ tightens things up but the LS will not transform into a GS. I actually couldn't stand the ride quality on Sport+ full-time. If you value ride quality, make sure you put quality tires on the LS, such as the highly regarded Pirelli Cinturato P7 Plus (don't get the non-PLUS version). The P7 Plus is very popular in this forum and I had them on both an LS 430 and LS 460 and loved the tires even more so than Michelins. I am intrigued by the Yokohama AVID Ascend GT -- supposedly TireRack rates them even higher than the impressive P7 Plus. Good luck and let us know which car you ultimately go with.

 

Hi I am sorry for jumping in to your post but i am a new member here looking for instructions on how to use this site.I cant find anything at all pointing me to any NEW MEMBERS section and how to do posts,welcome etc etc and your post is the closest the search came up with for NEW MEMBERS. Please if you are able to would you point me in the right direction for NEW MEMBERS or ask one of the admin team to email me with some help.Many thanks for this and Kind regards............
Roy.

 

Hi Spartan,
I second everything that FatherTo1 said above. Having owned both a SWB and LWB 460 when my kids were growing, you will definitely appreciate the extra space in the LWB. My kids love the reclining and massaging rear seats and controls (and the window shades are used all the time), so the tradeoff of a smaller trunk is worth it for my family.

To know whether a car has air suspension, check the buttons around the **** below the shift lever. If you see a Height High button, the car has air suspension.

Check the retail prices on KBB, Edmunds, and NADA for a car with the same specs and mileage as the ones you are considering. Most likely, the quoted prices are in the same range, but you will get a sense whether the price is on the higher or lower side of the range, and what the trade-in value may have been. The most useful number is the Mannheim MMR price, namely what the dealer would have paid for the car in an auction, and show how much negotiation room you have. You can PM DedBirdDog, an CLer with MMR access, for these numbers, or maybe he will respond on this thread.

Good luck with the purchase. You will love the car!

 

Hello RoyStoy, Welcome to CL!
The link below will take you to the FAQ page with information for New Members and some temporary restrictions on posting privileges.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/faq.php

 

Hi..Thank you very much for your prompt reply and your help with the correct location for new members,it is very much appreciated.

Many Thanks & Kind Regards....Roy

 

Welcome to the forum, Roy! You'll find this forum to be one of the absolute best of its kind, with a huge number of regular contributors from a wide cross-section of the country. You can get advice on anything LS460/600hL related here, so jump in with both feet!

 

Bear in mind that (when equipped the same) LWB cars originally listed for quite a bit more than the SWB variety and so bring more money used.

CarMax has a reputation of being over-priced, but here their number seems OK. If you haven't done so, find out the first in-service date to determine just how much time is left on the factory warranty.

The Lexus dealer is high, but that happens with CPO cars - there should be some wiggle room. I would not be troubled by work they did before resale.

Since you are concerned about ride quality, you simply must drive an air suspension car to compare with non-air.

 

If you need the extra 5" of length consider the L. Based on comments about bad dealings with Carmax, I'm not sure I'd buy from them. But if you think the car is right for you, get an extended warranty on top of what's left of the original.

 

I understand wanting it all. Our daughter was very young so we always carried a portable toilet in the car and I always have a roadside emergency kit with portable jumpstarted and air compressor, etc. For me, that extra 3 cubic space would be nicer than the rear seat upgrade because honestly the cooled seats are not that effective and the rear seats don't recline that far back, maybe 5-10 degrees, plus the "massage" is more like a vibration on your phone and nowhere as nice as massage on an Audi or MB.. The extra AC performance and powered side sunscreens were nice though. Try out the features if possible before you buy. All the best to you.

 

I agree the "L" model would likely be a much better car, if you have the garage space and have passengers that ride in the back. The extra length makes the car ride smoother, gives it more "presence" on the road, and the back seat space never fails to amaze passengers! I have the Executive Seating Package on my LS600hL, and can confirm that the Shiatzu massage function works extremely well (much better than the simple vibrating mode in the non-Executive Package cars).

 

Wwelcome to the forum Roy; its good to have you here with us. Welcome aboard!

 

Having had both a SWB and a LWB LS460, I would choose the LS460L without hesitation.

 

Thank you everybody for your input! Wealth of information here!

Some of the members are driving Unicorn: L with Lux package!!! I would want that but can't see practical use of Lux package as a carseat and booster would be in the back for next 5 years for me.

I went to Carmax and test drove LS L.
My thoughts: I would give 3.5 out of 5 points for both inside and outside condition of the car. Not as clean as I was expecting it to be. 4 or 5 paint chips on hood and front bumper. Poor paint touchups. My 1st grader would have done a better job. Was equipped with Air suspension. To be honest I didn't notice any difference on my 15 mins test drive. So was with SportS+ mode: to me not much difference between SportS and SportS+ mode. May it is the car or just me with very less time on the wheels.

Space: Plenty!!! The best backseat experience. Ride, comfort, cabin isolation couldn't get any better.

I am leaning towards L/Certified. MMR of that car is $39K. Hopefully dealer come down at least $2-3K of the list price of $47K.

BTW, I am also inclined to get Lexus Platinum Extended warranty. Any pointers on what to pay: rough ballpark number?

Thanks!

 

Platinum 5 years and 54/60k (I forgot) miles is around $4k.