flashy5

How do you go about purchasing a LS that's in other states that are long distances away ? Do you guys pay a company to inspect it before you travel that far to purchase it. Can anyone explain how its done because I am looking for a particular color ls460 and they are no where near me

LuxuryCar1

Are you buying from a Lexus dealer? If not, I would consider having the used dealer take it to a Lexus dealership for a PPI. Be sure to coordinate with the Lexus dealership directly, go over everything thing they would check and ask for pictures of important stuff (interior, frame, etc). Also, the Lexus Drivers website lets you look up service records for the car so long as you have the vin number, so be sure to that. If everything looks and your gut feels right then go for it. If you plan on flying out and driving it home just go in with this mindset, if you discover something wrong with the car you didn't know before seeing it in person, evaluate the cost to fix that issue vs the cost of the same-day return flight. Pick the cheapest option of the two, but be sure to tell the used dealer how serious you are about walking away.

Nospinzone

I absolutely would have a PPI done.

I agree with Luxury's advice.

BMW7_LS430

I agree with Luxury's advice too.
Don't inspect at the same dealer where car was serviced.

I am in the similar situation. Car is 1500 miles away. Driving back is not feasible even if I buy one way flight ticket.
I scrolled through photos multiple times, checked Lexus service history, carfax report, and did FaceTime inspection with the sales person( not very thorough).
It is a one owner car with no accidents or damage in carfax report. That is promising although not a guarantee.
Sales person showed me coupe of scratches through FaceTime, is not 100% clean, but otherwise it sounds like a good car.
Based on the service history I concluded that it has new brakes, newer tires, and all other services current. Selling dealer also changed air/cabin filters and oil/filter.
I was going to do PPI but I was told by Lexus service that service is done like a clockwork and they look over the car at every service anyways. First owner never declined the service therefore they (and I) felt PPI was going to be redundant. (I don't expect same dealer to now find out and report any items to me when the car has been serviced at their location for it's life even if something is there)

I will find out very soon if I am made the right decision. Price is attractive therefore I will have some buffer in case I have to spend couple of grand on it. I have rolled the dice.
I have been looking for my Lexicorn months now and needed to pull the trigger soon otherwise I might be looking forever. Hehe. Wish me good luck.

I know each situation is different but I feel you have to use multiple pieces of information to connect the dots. At end of the day all used car purchases are risky. If stuff i not broken now, it may and probably will brake at some point of time,.

jdanielca

all the time i hear americans repeating carfax like a mantra. that is a first line of defense but i believe it more when someone does not only a visual inspection of all the usual areas you can spot damage repair but also take a paint thickeness tester to more than 50 spots along the car, that is what i had done when i bought mine here. so you have that info plus double checking potential repairs then you know you have a good buy.

TriC

I don't place a great deal of stock in a dealer PPI. Assuming the car has been regularly serviced, it is not likely to reveal much more than the combined Carfax and Lexus service histories on a late model. Money would be better spent on a third party inspection by an entity like Lemon Squad (or by a fellow member) that can yield important cosmetic information unavailable via a dealer PPI.

UDel

Trying seeing if anyone on CL who lives in the area can at least take a look at it, take a test drive first. Have the dealer take it to a Lexus/Toyota dealership to have a PPI inspection, have it taken to a place where they didn't service it. If the dealer refuses to do it then walk from car or you will have to take it to get inspected yourself by making a long drive/fly. Call the place first and make sure you are allowed to have it inspected yourself, some dealers will only do inspections on owners cars.

BMW7_LS430

I asked salesperson about LemonSquad but they said car can not be taken out of the dealership. They have to do onsite inspection.
Salesperson was will ling to take it to the Lexus dealership though.

mckellyb

I got lucky with mine, as it was literally about two miles from an Imaginary Internet Friend™ who was more than willing to check it out (also a fellow car geek). He called me while he had it, and then he checked everything I asked, took pictures of things I wanted to see, and it went well.

flashy5

wish I had an imaginary internet friend

rcboneyard

I purchased my LS460 2500 miles away ONE WAY. Independent car sales company was great to work with.... Provided 40 photos of the car; took to local Lexus dealer and I paid for Lexus Certification Inspection at $200; printed out CarFax report, spoke with prior owner regarding the auto; prior owner had ALL service work since new at one Lexus dealer and dealer printed the entire BOOK of prior service; I paid $500 deposit - one way airline ticket at super low price; bought the car and drove 2500 miles home. I got lucky!!! What is important???? Service records, Lexus inspection, lots of photos, prior owner visit, CARFAX, small deposit in case deal went south. Good luck on your purchase. This is my 4th Lexus. My Toyota Sequoia Limited was also bought via internet - same process as my LS460.

DarKnight

iTrader: (3)

As stated before go on Lexus Drivers and plug in the VIN. I almost recently walked away from an LX because Carfax was only showing 2 records of service history. When I looked it up on Lexus Drivers it had been regularly serviced at the Lexus dealership. As far as the distance I would be hesitant to purchase a used vehicle without at least seeing it in person. Get the PPI, then if that checks out jump on a plane to do your own inspection. Don't be afraid to walk away if everything isn't satisfactory. Better to spend money on a flight back home than on expensive repairs.

BMW7_LS430

Nice! I chickened out on driving 1600 miles. Now I feel I should have done it. 2500 miles is just unbelievable. More details please. How may days it took, how to scheduled driving/rest etc, total expense?

Outofspec

I was into old Mercedes before moving to the LS460. I wrote the following some years ago to post on a Mercedes forum in reply to a guy asking a similar question. It’s a long winded list of my observations of the long distance buying experience. In spite of my own advice at the end of the diatribe, I bought my LS460L in Pittsburgh, flew in, and drove it back to the Minneapolis area in one day. I am very pleased with the car. I’ve bought six cars long distance, and actually flew in and walked away from a seventh in Atlanta. I’m batting .500 as far as satisfaction.

I drive older Mercedes, and like you, don’t like to deal with the rust issues up here. Additionally, this seems to be a relatively small market and the selection is limited. In the past six years I have purchased three Mercedes, long distance, over the internet; 1984 300SD, 1993 300E, and a 1989 300SEL. True, these cars are a little older then the ones you’re looking at, but I think the process and pitfalls are the same. Of the three purchases I was only happy with the 1993 300E. I have made a promise to myself never again to make a long distance car purchase. I really have no one to blame but myself for my discomfort and dissatisfaction with long distance car buying. I will tell you this though. It’s easy to get caught up in the process, excitement, and thrill of the hunt, to a point where you make bad decisions.
These are some of my observations of the long distance car buying process. Please keep in mind that all three of the cars I purchased were one owner, low mileage vehicles. Additionally, none of my cars cost over $7,000 dollars including shipping. I’m not a rich man, but I figure a $7,000 car purchase is not life and death. I was willing to take a bit of a gamble in the process if I felt good about the deal.

Pictures and People can be Deceiving
Almost any car can be made to look good in online photographs. In most of the photos that I’ve seen, cosmetic imperfections rarely show up. Additionally, descriptive terms of condition are so subjective that even a seller that is only stretching the truth a little bit can cause dissatisfaction with a purchase. If a seller (and many of them are) is blatantly misleading it can be a tragedy for the buyer.

Time and Travel are Money
I chose not to fly out to the buyer/car to make the final transaction/personal inspection and drive the car home. I just did not have the time or inclination. I reasoned that I felt comfortable enough with the information I had, and that by the time I got all the way out there only a major problem would stop the transaction. In hindsight this action may seem stupid, but you have to ask yourself, “How many plane tickets and full days do I want to spend kicking tires across the country? Additionally, if you choose to ship a car like I did rather then make the flight and drive plan on $1000 for shipping. On a $10,000 car that’s 10%. A significant amount.

What’s More Important a Good Car or a Good Deal?
I wanted both, and I think that’s almost impossible when buying long distance. Car guys are everywhere and we’re all looking for a good price on a good car. A local buyer will almost always get the best deal, or force you into a compromising situation to get it yourself. The logistics of a long distance car buy are not conducive to a good price. Inspections, money transfers, seller’s time involvement and commitment to the process, long distance seller doubt and hesitation, buyer long distance hesitation and doubt are all negative factors. Long distance car deals take time. If it’s a good car at a good price it will rarely wait for your due diligence.

Inspections are Vital and Costly and Time Consuming and a Hassle and can be Subjective and……
NEVER BUY A CAR LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT A FULL INSPECTION, MULTIPLE INSPECTIONS ARE EVEN BETTER. My mistake was that the inspection didn’t fit into my “Good car, Good price” requirement. I had to move fast to get the cars as buyer competition appeared stiff. I ran car faxes, studied lots of photographs, asked pointed and in depth questions of what I though were reasonable sellers, but to no avail. With the 300SD I actually had a good friend that I thought was a good car guy look the car over for me. He said good, when I got the car, I thought bad. What can you say it’s subjective in a lot of respects. An inspection once over may catch some glaring mechanical issues, but the cosmetic and mechanical wear issues are still subjective to a certain extent. I’m sure some shops are better then others at giving inspections and condition assessments, but how can you be sure you get the right guy to look at the car from 2000 miles away? A good inspection costs money. Again you have to ask yourself “How many inspections do I want to do and how do I know the car is even worthy of the inspection investment?

The Search for Perfection
I love cars, particularly Mercedes and I know the difference between a good one and a not so good one. The problem is that when I buy long distance my minds eye envisions the perfect car, one might say even an unreasonable car. It’s tough for any reality to live up to what I have brewing in my head, and leaves lots of room for disappointment. The long distance buying process also taut me that I am obsessive compulsive to a certain extent. With the whole country as my market and the internet as a tool I spent way way way too much time on the hunt. It actually started to affect my relationships and my work. It sounds crazy but it’s true. I always felt that as soon as I turned off the computer the perfect car would pop up on Craigslist San Diego or Autotrader and I’d miss it. In the end I needed to make a purchase just to take me out of my own misery.

Well that’s the end of mi diatribe. I’m sure a lot of you have had a great long distance buying experience. For me it was a challenge. I’ve been thinking about it and if I ever buy a car long distance again I’ve got a plan. I’m going to pick a sun belt city and turn the car buying experience into a vacation. Spend a few days looking, a few days playing, and a few days driving. In the end I think laying eyes on a car and comparing my choices in person is better then long distance relying on everyone else for their assessment.

Good luck with your search.

R Z

I may have been a bit of a risk taker with my F Sport, but I did do a ton of homework. I never saw it in person before I bought it, however, I feel like I covered my bases. For one, mine was at a Toyota Dealership. They emailed me their full inspection and work done to bring the car up to their standards. Then by looking at the Vin on the Lexus site, I saw every dealer who touched the car. I spoke to the service manager at the original Lexus dealership. It was a 3 year lease, brought back for a CPO and sold again. Then traded to the Toyota Dealership. I spoke to another Lexus who did some generic service. Each and every person told me the car was great. They had no agenda so I took their word. Then I had the Toyota sales rep shoot me photos of the car inside, outside, under and over. I felt good about the deal and I pulled the trigger. So far, it appears, I got very lucky.