Hey everyone,

I just checked out a 1994 Lexus SC300. It's got 68000 miles on it. It's from an actual Lexus dealership and the condition of the interior and exterior seems to be mint.

They're willing to sell it to me for $13400. The price includes new tires, new brakes, 12 month/12000 mile warranty, and also the 60,000 mile maintenance that hasn't been performed on it yet. What do you guys think of this deal? Is the price too much for a '94? Thanks for the help.

 

is it a 5 speed or a automatic?

CEO

 

it's an automatic

 

Technically the automatic tranny would make it worth more, but people here tend to like the 5 speeds more.

a 94 for 14k is a bit much for an sc300. IMO.

 

onelast beat me to it...but i agree with him look for a better deal...the price is a little steep..

CEO

 

hi, thanks for the advice.

What do you guys think is a fair price for this car?

 

let me put it like this:


www.kbb.com

Consumer Rated Condition: Fair

Private Party Value $8,075
Private Party value represents what you might expect to pay for a used car when purchasing from a private party. It may also represent the value you might expect to receive when selling your own used car to another private party.

 

I agree that this is a very steep price. But IF it's a Lexus certified car, that actually does make it worth more, and they tend to be VERY clean cars. Plus, the warranty, brakes, tires and tune-up sure add up. I'm sure you could find a cheaper car with the same amount of miles. Just depends on whether or not the dealer background/support (or lack thereof) and preventive maintenance is worth it to you. If you subtract what you would pay for all of that work the sticker price would be more like $10,000 or so. You could certainly do worse. Keep us posted.

Matt

 

I'm a big fan of www.edmunds.com. The price they came back with is $11,600. If if's certified you can plan on adding about 500 to 1000 more. BTW the low miles added about 1600 to the price.

KBB seems to be out of touch. Nice part about Edmunds is they average the selling price of the vehicle by private party and by dealership.

 

If you have the available cash on hand, try making an offer that is the average of Edmunds, Kelly, NADA (between trade in and wholesale). Remember, this is a time where the used car market has taken a nosedive and in this area (DC metro), I've seen SC dealer advertised prices drop by many K's in a 2 weeks period. Besides, it's the end of month and they do pay for keeping their inventory on the lot.

When shopping for a car or other large purchases, I do believe if you don't ask, you don't receive. Besides, the worst that can happen is they say no and you'll see what they counter offer. If you can afford it, this is a great time to feel you're in the drivers seat in negotiating the purchase of a used SC.

Make sure they throw in a timing belt in the 60K services. Get what you can up front.....

 

I agree that the price is steep but you would have the peace of mind that you know what you're getting. This is especially true if you're not inclined (or able) to do mechanical work yourself.

Will they go lower? If you could drop $1-2k off the price and get a VERY thorough 60k service, I think it would be worth the price. Try for the timing belt at least. Might be helpful to try to get the deal done before the end of the month (costs money to keep cars on the lot - though I'm not sure how big a factor it is for used cars).

Good luck. and let us know the result!
Jon

 

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the responses. I'm getting a better idea of what the price should be.

What do you all think of a price in the 12k area in addition to getting them to replace the timing belt as well. Still too high?

thx

 

$12k for a Lexus certified used vehicle with all the service done and low miles I think is a worth it.

BTW, I'm very critical of the prices people sell cars for. I'd rather wait months for the right car at the right price.

 

Throw 10.5K on the table ansd see where it goes...... 12K is to high... You can find a nice 94 400 in that range. I bet the warranty is only on the drive train...... Is the 300 as loaded as a fully equiped 400? Spoiler, roof, heated seats, Nak? If not, 10.5K might be high. Private party in good condition is listed as 8.7K on kelly and that seems a few dollars high. Don't go through buyer remorse when you see the similar SC in the paper for 7.8K. They didn't give much for it in trade-in!!!!!!

 

damn
my 94 sc300 was bought in 1999....my dad paid 19-20 for it.....car has depreciated a lot i guess...albeit i overpayed too