scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

Gang-without going into GREAT detail on each, I have a tale of three red/ecru 2005 SC's that I would value your expert opinions on.

The main question you have to ask, at the end of the day, how much are miles worth to you? All are red SC430's...only one has had the 30k service.

All three cars red 2005's with clean car faxes, two owners each, two of them have nice chrome wheels. One is really a one-owner (the last one)

Car # 1
63k miles. Independant owner about 12 hours from me in gulf coast. About 8.5 exterior and 8 interior-needs some scratch/ding removal and reconditioning of seats. Has stock chrome 2006+ wheels and the 30k service, new tires recently. Needs brake pads soon. $26,000. I could do an in and out with my local dealer and not have to pay higher interest rates on the loan because the car would be bought from a dealer. No warranty left. I MIGHT be able to buy a gold or platinum warranty, but might be tough. I like the chrome OEM's but would probably buy new 20" staggered. This car may need the most work out of all three. Interior looks a little soiled (the blessing and curse of ecru) and some scratches. Mechanically though, this car has been serviced regularly, but has the most miles by far.

Car # 2
42k miles. Toyota dealer in Houston (four hours away). 20" custom nice chrome wheels with staggered set up (not my choice, but nice). Questions on service history-nothing for almost two years but dealer says they did a "30k" service which ended up being nothing more but an oil change and a/c filter change recently and two new tires. Car has been serviced at Lexus dealers, but I just don't see the 30k service on the list. Has had battery, brakes done. They were asking $35k, talked them down to $30k when I offered $28k and we are stuck there...we could probably settle for $29k I would have to drive it back and put some minor $$$ into seat reconditioning, one of the speaker covers are torn and missing extra keys/books. I would put my own wheels on eventually but may not right away since these are staggered 20's. I could have someone look at it.

Car # 3
23k miles. Infiniti dealer in OH has affiliate in FL and took it on a trade. Before that one owner. Very little service done, but all at lexus. With the low miles, I can only see the tires being replaced which they confirmed. I had someone look at it for me and said it was a 9.5 or 10/10 condition wise. It's on a showroom floor it's that clean. Standard dinner plate wheels, which I would sell anyway. May be missing a key. Books are there. Not sure if battery or brakes were done, and certainly not the 3yr service. They were asking $32k, I offered $28k. They countered with $31k. I asked them to meet me in the middle and do $29,500 and ship the car to me. The car really needs nothing but fluids and wheels to be A++.

With any car, you have slightly varying prices as you go from 1 to 2 to 3. The middle car kind of sounds OUT unless car # 3 sells out from under me or they tell me to go fly a kite and decide not to deal at all. Car # 1 is intriguing because I can get a 2005 for a GREAT price and knowing the owner kind of helps, it seems he is a perfectionist of somewhat like me.

Car # 3 is my first choice if I can get it for the price. This is where I need your help...is it worth the extra $$$ for the pristine 23k car (# 3)? Basically it would be about $1k-$1500 more than car # 2 for 20k miles, but less service and no custom 20" wheels and it's farther away. I feel as if car # 3 puts me in a GREAT resale position if i ever decide to get rid of again for a used G37 convertible or if I ever find that perfect 911.

I also feel that as I am creeping up to $30k for a SC, I am in the realm of a 2006 and up, but they don't have an absolutely red past 2005. I am stuck.

Thanks for your help

TooCoolSC

I'd say definitely it's between 2 & 3. I'd choose #3 if it was close enough to you to see and didn't have to be shipped. But since it's not, the only thing to offset the trouble would be for them to come down some more in price. I think between 28k and 30k would be a good deal, if they will pay for the shipping.

I think I told you that I ran into a '05 PB edition in Houston a few months ago. The car only had about 29,000 miles and they would have sold it for $27,900. It was in pristine condition. I can't believe I didn't buy it, but I had only recently bought my current SC so I just couldn't justify it. But that gives you a reference point of what it's worth. Anything over $30k seems a tad bit too high, but like you say, is a couple of thousand enough to quibble over? Only you can decide. Too bad you can't see both cars. That would probably make the decision simple.

Sooo, I think #3 if they will come down to $30k or lower. If not, I believe I'd choose #2.

tfeni52355

#3. Don't let it get away for $1000 one way or the other, unless you just have to have the best deal. Seems like a lot of people on the forum get hung up over $1000 and let it kill the deal. Unless I am buying it as an investment, in which case I wouldn't be buying a car anyway, I'd buy the best combination of price and low miles. Pick it up, drive it home, and enjoy the ride!!!!!

scorpio74

+1 tfeni. Don't let one g kill the deal. #3 is my choice if I were you. It's tough when you have so many choices.
As I've posted a thread here b4 pulled the trigger for the 07 sc430. I was originally look for an 02 sc and ended up buying an 07 for almost twice the amount I initially wanted BUT it's all worth it.

playa3uhh

#3. Even if you get #1 or #2 I don't think it's worth the headache and time going through to fix it up, unless it was at a significant savings, which these seemingly are not compared to #3. Good choice on going with the 2005 (like me) haha. Even if #3 doesn't have many service records, they were done @ Lexus dealerships which is a good sign. Just my two cents.

PHXSC

I vote 3 if for nothing more than resale value. The next buyer will do the same thing you do, that is favor the lower mileage car. Sounds like it's pristine, too.
Good luck!

farkas

iTrader: (5)

Hey I am in Columbus Ohio.....If you want I could go check it out for you!

Baby ///M3

You're completely correct. Mileage does matter a lot when it comes to buying a SC430..... however, I think this applies only when it comes to the car's asking price.

When I was doing my research, I was able to compare and find out that two SC430s built in the same year could have as much as $3k-$4k in discrepancy when it comes to the asking price because of one having 20k to 30k more miles than the other.

But as you probably know, mileage is prob. the least important thing people worry about when they buy a Lexus. My SC400 has 260k miles and it's still going strong.

Plus, judging from the mileage you put on your previous SC430, I think it's safe for me to say that you probably will buy your second SC430 as a weekend car rather than a daily driver. Therefore, mileage is probably even less of a concern to you than others.

The only things that I don't like about higher mile SC430s are the annoying rock chips and perhaps slightly cracked/damaged leather seating surface.

If cost is a concern and you're able to mod. and perhaps do a little restoration on your car, then my choice would be #1 if you're able to knock another $2k off its asking price.

Good luck. I am sure you'll find a perfect gem for you in no time!

Jon

Harold57

With regards to the mileage question, look at it from the perspective as years. How many years is the mileage difference to you? There are about 20kmiles difference between each of the cars. If you drive 20kmiles in a year, consider the car with 20kmiles fewer to give you an extra year. (If you only drive 10kmiles per year, that would be 2 years worth.) Now think how much an extra car year is worth to you. Typically, that will be way more than the difference in price shown above. And as was said above, the value will be much higher when you go to sell it, if you ever do.

Yes

if you're willing to spend that much, personally i would go up to an '06. i know you love the red. i was in a similar situation when i bought my car. i was set on white. but once i drove a few cars and saw them in person, silver grew on me. by the time i was ready to buy a car, it was my favorite color. also, the '06 should hold its value much better than an '05.

that said, to answer your question i personally would go for fewer miles. i'm willing to pay more for lower milage. i only had 30k on mine when i bought it.

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

Thanks gang-some really nice perspectives on here and all good advice. Looks like # 3 is the consensus.

Let's see---a couple of points about why I am hung up on absolutely red. I think years down the road when SC430's are extinct the red since it was a limited run and there weren't as many as sold will always be a sure-thing hall of famer, classic. No offense to any tiger eye mica, egyptian sand, umbria twilights or pine or blue colors-because those are great colors too! I just am thinking about long term down the road for resale and being recognized as a true sports car---typically black, white, red then silver are the front runners.

One of the most annoying things I was bothered with when I had my 2002 red/ecru is that most SC's I saw in dallas were the grocery-getter-grandmas with the seats so far up they could lick the birdseye on the steering wheel!!! I was like one of a handful of SC's that even had anything other than the dinner plate wheels, and one of five maybe red. I liked that limited edition feel that the absolutely red kind of has. Also why I am a sucker for the 2005 PB, the 2002 NM and the 2007 PB editions as well--love the red interiors!

Jason 702 makes a great counterpoint to the 2006 (gen2's) price range coming down into the low $30k range if not right at $30k. There is a 2006 white on camel with 51k miles about three hours from me in OK that they would sell for $29,500. The thing about the white is that anyone can put the 2006+ tails on a 2002 and they all look exactly the same. I like the fact that the absolutely red was only made from 2002-2005. There are TONS of white ones here in Dallas. To me, the pinnacle of all white SC's is the 2007 PB, and I just know I will LUST for that more if I get the plain white one. There are two 2007 PB's in Dallas and both are $42-$44k! It has new tires, had all the service intervals, both keys, books, etc. I look and look and look at it, and it just doesn't speak to me like bright red ones do.

here is the white one in OK: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ONE-O...=p4506.c0.m245

I've owned about 30 cars in my life and I've owned mostly red...one blue, four black, two white and one silver and the rest bright red! I am a sucker for them--every time.

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

SOOO...been fishing tonight for a PB in white in my price range and found a 2005 Black. I spoke to my Lexus guy who has sold more SC's than anyone in the country (literally he has won this award like five years in a row!) and he told me that the PB editions with red interiors don't have great resale and the red is a love/hate thing and severely limits your resale opportunities. He adviced me to stay away comparitively priced 2005's with a red/ecru with 23k miles for $29k vs a 2005 PB black/red with 29k miles for $27k. Even though the PB is $2k less, he said he would bet in the long run that the red/ecru would fetch more money, be more desired and would not get old as much as the bright red. FYI, this guy is very conservative 60 year old...I'm 35 and like bright colors, so that's obviously one opinion to another.

Any PB owners out there want to chime in? Thanks!

Here is the car. 2005 one owner Black/Red 29k miles asking price $27,600 in NY, all dealer service done. New tires. I would ditch the rims/tires and get 20" chrome staggered though for sure. Love the black/white/silver on RED. Looks sooo sweet.

All service looks good on lexus website.
Service Type Service Date Service Provider Mileage Repair Order # Service Description
Dealer Reported 05/08/2009 Warnock Lexus 28034 0177004 BATTERY
Dealer Reported 05/01/2009 Warnock Lexus 27916 0176365 4 WHEEL THRUST ALIGNMENT (REQUIRE
Dealer Reported 05/01/2009 Warnock Lexus 27916 0176365 4 WHEEL THRUST ALIGNMENT (REQUIRE
Dealer Reported 05/01/2009 Warnock Lexus 27916 0176365 NOTED. STATE INSPECTION IS ALSO O
Dealer Reported 05/01/2009 Warnock Lexus 27916 0176365 NOTED. STATE INSPECTION IS ALSO O
Dealer Reported 12/24/2008 Warnock Lexus 27724 0164972 TIRE TAX
Dealer Reported 12/24/2008 Warnock Lexus 27724 0164972 TIRE TAX
Dealer Reported 12/24/2008 Warnock Lexus 27724 0164972 DAMAGED TIRE VALVE
Dealer Reported 12/23/2008 Warnock Lexus 27719 0164954 CUSTOMER DECLINED RECOMMENDED SERVICES
Dealer Reported 12/23/2008 Warnock Lexus 27719 0164954 CUSTOMER DECLINED RECOMMENDED SERVICES
Dealer Reported 12/23/2008 Warnock Lexus 27719 0164954 CUSTOMER DECLINED RECOMMENDED SERVICES
Dealer Reported 02/02/2007 Warnock Lexus 17712 0099846 TIRE TAX
Dealer Reported 02/02/2007 Warnock Lexus 17712 0099846 TIRE TAX
Dealer Reported 02/02/2007 Warnock Lexus 17712 0099846 TIRE TAX
Dealer Reported 02/02/2007 Warnock Lexus 17712 0099846 CUSTOMER REQUESTS LEXUS LOANER
Dealer Reported 10/26/2005 Warnock Lexus 7787 0063714 DEALER MOUNTED AND BALANCED LEFT REAR TIRE
Dealer Reported 10/13/2005 Warnock Lexus 7519 0063064 MTBAL1
Dealer Reported 10/13/2005 Warnock Lexus 7519 0063064 5,000 MILE SERVICE
Dealer Reported 10/13/2005 Warnock Lexus 7519 0063064 LEXUS PERSONALIZED SETTINGS
Dealer Reported 10/13/2005 Warnock Lexus 7519 0063064 DEALER SET LOCKS PER CUST REQUEST

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

more of the 2005 pb

Yes

i like the black pb out of the two. i think the red interior will appeal more to people in their 30s than it would to older folk.

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

how about between the red/ecru with 23k miles for $29k versus the 2005 PB with 29k for $27k?