Jackco711

Hey all- hoping you all could weigh in with your opinions.

I am looking at 2 cars, a 2002 SC430 with 67,000 miles with decent maintenance history, clean title, couple of dings and small scratches for $15,000 or a 2003 SC430 with 54,000 miles, clean title, Lexus CPO bumper to bumper through 3/2010, great maintenance history, just had the 56,000 mi maintenance done including the timing belt.

Is it worth saving $3,000 for the cheaper car? I think both of these are good deals and the answer is to go with the 2003 with better history but would like some concurrence.

Thanks,

Jack

langsdale

get the 03.

Yes

the 03, especially if it doesn't have the dings and scratches.

Harold57

From your write up, I can't tell which is the cheaper car. One would guess that it is the '02, correct?

Second question would be how many miles do you expect to put on the car per year? Think about it in terms of miles, the '03 has 11kmiles less on it than the '02. How much time does that buy you? Is the lower mileage alone enough to make it worth the extra money?

Then you'd move on to quality and reliability concerns. Which one appears to be in the better shape and prepared for uninterrupted use in the future? (It sounds like it is the '03 to me.)

Then a followup question to the quality and reliability question is which one will cost you less in the next year. (That also sounds like it will be the '03 for sure if you have any issues with it at all.)

For the $3k price difference, it sounds like the '03 is a much better deal, though I haven't priced the SC in a while. (I leave that to scdroptop...)

Poqman

I would get the '02 "if" you like the color of the exterior and condition of the interior and save $3k for enhancements. You should be able to have the timing belt maintenance done for under $600. That would leave you with $2,400 saved over the '03 to fix up the '02 the way you want it. Add VAIS ipod connection to the radio, get rid of pie pan wheels with staggered wheels and new tires for under $2k. Take the last $400 and get the dings addressed and update the GPS disc. So to my thinking, if you were buying an '02 customized the way you like it or an '03 all OEM for the same price, I'd get the '02.

My '02 has 88k miles and runs like new so I wouldn't let the 67k miles scare you. These are extremely reliable cars. You may find you do not have to use the CPO warranty in the three months you have it before it expires in 3/2010.

tromly

Go with the 03, the CPO is piece of mind !! You don't want to know the cost to repair ML speakers, CD, top hinges, or nav !! Get the 03 good luck !

omair

I will buy the 03 if its white

Yes

he'll only have 3 months on the warranty, so that's pretty much a wash. but if it's in significantly better cosmetic condition, it's worth it in my opinion.

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

my vote is for the 03...solely based on the pampering CPO's from Lexus get and the history being much more solid.

azkaty

I agree..go with the 03 for the CPO and the newer year.

tfischer

I am concluding that the OP is a guy, because nowhere are the colors of the cars designated.
Generally the newer car is deemed preferable, but the miles on these two cars are pretty close, and an '02 could have a build date of anywhere from April of '01 to Sept of '02, as the '02 was introduced very, very early. Thus, the cars could be the almost the same age, or could be more than two years apart. If they are close together, then the balance would shift to the '02; on the other hand, $3,000.00 is a fair price for a virtually identical car that is two years newer.
The white ones do look nice.

Jackco711

1st I appreciate everyones input. This site is great because there are so many diverse voices with different points of view that bring in things I never would have thought about.

FYI the 2002 is $15,000, it is silver with a black interior and the 2003 for $18,000 is Black with an ecru interior. Neither are my ideal color- really wanted saddle interior.

I like Poqman's point of view because there are some upgrades that I will want in the car. Lexus makes a nearly perfect car- just need a few tweaks to customize. Specifically will want new wheels and install remote start/ top.

Nevertheless I think that I should go with the car that has a storied maintenance history. Given the owner did the 60k maintenance at 54,000 miles it shows that he kept the car well.

I hope to pick the car up early next week. Will keep you posted.

Thanks again for the insight!

Jack

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

wait wait wait....why not find the RIGHT car for you? If you are not happy with the color combo, then find it. We can find it for you. No need to sacrafice your wishes. There a ton of cars out there. What do you want? Black on Saddle?

For instance...found a nice black 03 with 54k miles with saddle interior very clean and nice, tinted windows, etc for $18,500 in NY. I found a black on saddle in Tampa with 99k miles for $17.

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...5&aff=national

My point-why sacrafice? You can find your # 1 choice. Let us help!

Harold57

I agree with scdroptop. Don't settle for the convenient, go after what you want. The deals are out there, it just takes a little more searching (or letting scdroptop search, he loves this stuff!).

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

I just love spending other people's money! As many have said before or asked..."are you a car broker"? I reply each time, nope, just stupid enough to spend my time shopping for cars and other stuff for other people!