Clutchless

You should have potential insurance lined up before purchase if this is your first car purchase because prices vary a lot and do not want to be scrambling to find insurance after getting the car. They can give you general prices since you know you want to insure a Lexus RX350 between 2010 and 201??.
You want to be able to call the agent when about to buy the car and read them the VIN to start coverage. If you already have car insurance in the US, then most companies automatically cover new purchases as long as you notify them soon after purchase. I know State Farm does this for me. Private sellers in the US will want cash, especially as a down payment then maybe a money order or cashier's check or visit to the bank for the remainder.

Attached is a Word Document of a draft used car bill of sale I have used. Once you edit it to your liking, print 2 copies so the seller and buyer each have an original. Just edit it to cover a down payment with an agreement to pay the remainder within X number of days or by a certain date.

LuizCA

Thank you for the info and for sharing a bill of sale!

I already shopped around and got the lowest insurance I could find. I did this by sending the VIN of one RX350 as an example to each company. The one that offered me the best deal (Co-operators) does not open on the weekend, so they said they could do it first thing Monday morning, but still I would have to wait until the end of the weekend. About the bill of sale, I already downloaded one from the Alberta website, as it seems they have an official version for me to take to the registry. I have just realized that the bill of sale from Alberta has a "Conditions of Sale", which I can add if the car was paid in full or no, and if there is any other special condition of sale. I guess I could use this to add that the purchase will only proceed after the pre-purchase inspection.

05RollaXRS

The bill of sale is the sellers responsibility. Not yours so once you decided to purchase and make a deal , ask the seller to provide you with a bill of sale with VIN on it (he/she might ask for a deposit)

My insurance went up when I sold the 2008 Lexus RX400h and got the '14 RX450h. The reason they gave me was that it is a much newer and more expensive car to repair. That is RX450h, though. Case in point, the insurance might be cheaper on the 2nd gen RX, but having owned both, the 3rd gen is such a big step forwards in how it drives, quality, luxury and ownership experience. It just puts a smile on my face while I was content with the RX400h being a A to B driver, but this RX450h is genuinely very enjoyable to drive. The RX450h is significantly stiffer than the RX400h I had, which is great in terms of confidence in driving, but you feel the bumps more.

However, if you want to look at 2nd gen RX400h, I can tell you this one. It is in great shape. It is pretty much identical to the one I had, but mine was silver. I have seen it in person and even driven it. It is really well kept and maintained. The price is quite reasonable to (and the owner is flexible).

2008 Lexus RX 400h HYBRID, 600kms/tank!!! | Cars & Trucks | Calgary | Kijiji

LuizCA

Awesome! Good to know that this is the buyer's responsibility.

The one I was hoping to check this weekend seems to have been sold today, urgh! I didn't want to check cars at night though, so there is not much I could have done since I work during the day. It sucks that 4:30 is already dark! hahaha

I had already looked at the car that you sent the link, but I was a bit skeptical about the mileage + hybrid. I know these RX350 are build to last forever, but high mileage hybrids scares me a bit more maintenance wise. It might be just a wrong assumption on my end though...

Thanks for all your help!!!

heshamos

My apology for the late reply ..
When it comes to paying for a vehicle, I usually do that at the bank where the bill of sale is signed and the money is deposited simultaneously or when I hand the seller a certified cheque and his bank confirms that the cheque is legit. If your bank doesn't have a branch in Calgary (Say a credit union in Manitoba), then I get a certified cheque and the seller's bank will call my bank for confirmation of funds. Having witnesses will always be a plus!

For insurance, since you already found your best quote but you don't know for sure if the vehicle will pass the inspection, then you have two options based on where you are from.
If you are from elsewhere in Alberta, then you can use your other vehicle's plate and insurance for 14 days (used to be 30 days) till you get the newly purchased vehicle insured and registered.
If you are from another Canadian Province, then you will need to get the insurance ready and if the sale doesn't go through, you can cancel.

Let me know if you need any help with parking the car in a safe place. I'll let you park it in the back no problem till you get all the papers ready.

All the best!

LuizCA

No worries, it was not late at all, and thank you very for your help, I appreciate it. Canadians are famous worldwide for being kind and you guys definitely live up to it.

The tip about making the payment and signing the bill inside the bank is very good. My aim will be to try and do that. Safe for both sides.

I don't have any bank or any previous insurance in Canada, since I am from Brazil and have been living here for a little over a year, so I am starting totally fresh. If I do get a deal this weekend the only choice available will be to wait until Monday morning to finalize the details and get the insurance set up. My main option is from a dealer, and I find it very hard they will secure the car without any type of payment, but that is something that I will have to sort out with them.

Thanks again for all the help!!!

salimshah

People who know the insurance can skip my post but those who dont may find my post interesting.

Insurance has two parts ... insurance to secure the lending institution against loss. The bank or the owner protects against the loss of asset and they usually insist that the vehicle is not driven without the insurance in place. If the new owner does not care about it (or wants to take the risk for few days) its up to the new owner. The seller does not care about it as long as they get the value of the vehicle at sale.

Liability is the portion that the motor vehicle agency requires to drive on public road(s). The seller generally is the one that provides this coverage and the buyer is supposed to get this insurance in place within few days. The purchaser drives the vehicle with the permission of the seller under the sellers insurance. The seller (in case you are selling) should require a signed document that should state the terms/duration [if I am not mistaken it is 21 days from the dealership .. I state the date and time of sale when I sell my vehicle]. The seller may even ask to see a proof of insurance before handing over the keys. Legally one should be not on the road without the liability insurance in effect. My personal experience has been that most private sellers are not aware of the details and they typically don't care. If the buyers gets involved in an accident, they will have to answer for driving without insurance and getting money from the seller's insurance would not be easy.

The sale is consummated when the title and the keys are handed over in exchange of money.

Salim

LuizCA

Thank you for the information, I appreciate it.

As an update, I kind of pulled the trigger on an RX350 today, but I don't know if I made the right choice.

TL,DR: I paid a $1000 deposit on a car that looks good on the outside and inside, can't tell how good it is mechanically, but the dealer was an absolute as*hol* with me. He had a very aggressive sales approach. I am taking the car on Monday for an inspection. Have I made a huge mistake? If you are short on time but want more details, please, jump to the second chapter.

First chapter:
I will try to summarize here. My main option, a 2011 with 200k KM (125k miles) by a private seller, was sold on Friday (in Alberta we don't pay tax on private sales). Today I went to BMW Calgary and looked at one 2010 with 170k KM (105k miles) for 15,000. The car was looking good inside, besides one tear on the leather of the driver's seat, and some wear on the arm rest of the center console. However, the car had a substantial amount of damage to the paint. They were quite small but consistent on the rear doors, likely caused by children opening another car sitting beside it. Also, the passenger door had some bubbling on the lower right corner, which I didn't like at all. The housing of the rear brakes were quite rusty, were the front struts needed replacement. The winter tires had to be replaced as well. I offered $11,500 for the car, and they came back with $13,700 (plus tax = $14,385). The car had no Nav, back up camera and the steering wheel was only black. I liked the salesperson, very friendly. I ran an OBDII scan and it came clean.

Second chapter:
Next, I went to a Nissan dealer. He asked me my budget before showing the car, and I made the HUGE mistake of telling him (I told $12,000). He straight up said that I could not afford a car like an RX 350 with this budget. Anyway, he allowed me to see the car but didn't leave the keys with me. Next, he came up saying that the manager told him the car was sold, and that someone else was coming to pick it up on Monday, but I had the preference as I was there at the time. I believe this is bulsh*, so me and my wife were not feeling good about the entire situation. I felt the dealer was being quite aggressive and an as*hol*. I asked if he would negotiate or if the deal he had was final. We sat down and started talking numbers. He told me the store doesn't allow pre purchase inspection, and was charging $16,200 (final) for the car. I asked if he would make the same offer from the BMW store, and he said it was unlikely but he would take it to his manager. To do so, he required a whopping 2500 dollars deposit, just to get the offer to his manager. I said no and that we were going to leave. I also said that I was expecting this treatment from the BMW guy, not from Nissan, and now he started to try and make a deal. I offered a $1,000 deposit, $13,000 for the cart, and a non-negotiable PPI. He accepted it and then came back with a final price of $14,200 (all taxes included). The car was in mint condition inside, wood on the wheel, Nav and back-up camera. The OBDII scan gave 4 errors, but all of them suggested replacing the battery as a fix. The rear bumper was not very well aligned due to a previous collision, but fine by me. The thing is, now they have my $1,000 dollars and I am taking the car Monday morning for an inspection. If it passes, it seems I will end up paying $14,200 for the car. If it is in good mechanical condition I would not worry too much, but have I done the right thing? I know there is plenty of stuff to learn for a second time, but did I make too much of a mistake?

I am happy to give any other detail.

05RollaXRS

The option 1 sounds like a bad option. Bad all around. Also, has no optional touring or premium packages.

Option 2 sounds reasonable, but the dealership experience raises some flags.

Did you try check out this one at Lexus of Calgary? It has three collisions, but they seem very minor in the carfax. Looks like the car is in great shape and very well maintained. Loaded with options.

2010 Lexus RX 350 | Cars & Trucks | Calgary | Kijiji

Lexus of Calgary has another red RX350, which has higher mileage, but completely clean record. This one is cheaper as well. Also seems to have premium package on it.

2010 Lexus RX 350 | Cars & Trucks | Calgary | Kijiji

salimshah

Couple of observations:

1. Good to hear that Alberta does not tax on private sales. Here in good state of Texas, when you go in to transfer the registration the county collects sales tax based on the sale amount. Many folks don't transfer registration for this reason and some falsify the sales amount (clearly both are illegal). One of the objection is that state is repeatedly charging sales tax.

2. Unless you are a mechanic or a savvy DIYer, I would not purchase a vehicle with CEL on. I am even surprised that any dealership is selling with the CEL lit. I would insist that any CEL issue is repaired free of charge. Since the CEL can be reset easily, I would insist that all channels are ready before you accept the vehicle. [it may take 2-3 days of driving/use].
Note: CEL not lit can mean the eco has not enough information. Some error codes may require trivial amount to repair, but one can spend hours and hours locating the fault.

Salim

LuizCA

Thank you both for the information! I appreciate it!!!

Thanks for showing other options! Now that I have had some extra time to think about it, I came to the conclusion that it is not an awesome deal, or as cheap as I wanted, but it is not outrageous as well, as long as the car is in good mechanical condition. I am just afraid of what the mechanic will tell me tomorrow. If he says that the car has lots of little things to fix then I don't know how easy it will be to "escape" from this deal and still keep my $1000 deposit. Let's see.

Thanks for the heads-up! The check engine light is not on, I only detected because I used the OBDII scanner. I have no previous experience but it seems like an easy fix, as they all point in the same direction, which is the battery. The report is attached. I am taking it to a mechanic tomorrow, specialized in Japanese cars, and I will plug the OBDII before leaving the store and keep it until I reach the shop (30 minutes drive). I hope the mechanic can check the most problematic spots and tell me if it is a good car mechanically or not. I must confess I am quite apprehensive since this is my first car purchase ever, but this is what happens when you grow up and have to make decisions.

salimshah

I must commend you for using the scanner and not relying on the CEL.
I have half baked info on the error code and I can be worst casing it .... the problem is not with the battery but more likely with the ABS circuit board or even alternator with a couple of bad diodes which is causing ripples in the DC voltage it puts out.

Salim.

Felix

There's no way you should be giving them a deposit on a vehicle to get checked out. If this vehicle was on the frontline, there shouldn't be any mil on & it shouldn't need anything & should be in at least good condition, ready to go. Now if its in the back lot, either they just got it from a dealer auction or its a trade in. Yeah you can have a quick look, but I wouldn't give them any deposit on it. At the most you could say, I'll get back to you when your done reconditioning it. If your at a set amount, stick to it. If you don't like what their saying, WALK......Don't get trapped in the sales office & the sales person says they have to talk to the salesmanger. A stand up dealership should let you test drive it as well let you take the vehicle out to have it checked out by a shop. I was in the same situation as you, a yr ago. I looked at the gen2 & gen3 rx's, to me it wasn't worth a additional 4-6k for a gen3 as well as the gen2 would do everything that a gen3 would do. The hybrids I looked a briefly, & thought 'bout the additional costs, battery, inverter,ect. Main thing is to not be rushed or in a hurry & if someone tells you there's others interested, don't fall for that tactic, even if there really is. I mentioned to my wife a couple times, well they sold our car & she said, it wasn't met for us. http://carfax.com....http://cargures.com...http://autotrader.com are sites I used. Happy hunting....

LuizCA

Thanks. I hope the mechanic tomorrow will make sure exactly what is causing the error, but I am starting to have a bad feeling about this whole thing. The problem is that I spent a lot of time researching the car and how to negotiate the price, but I feel it was all for nothing. Damn, these people know what they are doing and how to take advantage.

I didn't feel any good transferring the money just to get an offer and take the car to a pre-purchase inspection. I plan on never doing that again. But all of the dealerships I went in Calgary required a deposit before we take the car to an inspection, as they want to assure that you are really serious about it. In the future, I will probably stick to private sales only, as both sides are more likely to be amateurs. It is incredible how dealers can talk their way and make you do stuff you didn't want to.

Felix

Wow, never heard that one before...Since your paying a shop to do a buyers inspection. I also looked at a few private party ones. A couple I saw just let the vehicle go, another words they didn't want to do anything to get it in ok shape, like they'd take $100. off for needing pads, let alone rotors, ect. They were a few I turned down after seeing them. Many times they offered to let me drive them, I'd only do that if it what I was looking for, (cond,miles,options & one of the colors I was looking for)....Main thing is don't talk payments, how much down, ect....Your dealing w/ your credit union/bank & best not to mention that as they'll try & say we can get you financed, as thats our buss. .After checking, looking & driving, I'd say ''What's your bottom price?'' & if you didn't like it, walk & be polite. Once you get it, price,lic,tax w/ no add ons, warranties, ect. That way you can take that info to your credit union/bank.....