nelsona

Hello,

I've been searching a while for a used ES and found a 2014 CPO with the following features / accessories:

1. BD Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
2. FL 18" Wheels with Liquid Graphite Finish
3. LK Lane Departure Alert with Intelligent high-beam headlamps
4. NL Navigation System/Mark Levinson Premium Audio Pkg Mark Levinson 14-speaker Premium Surround Sound Audio System & Single In-Dash DVD/CD Player, Hard Disk Drive Navigation System with Backup Camera, Lexus Enform with Destination Assist and eDestination, (1-yr subscription included) and subscription-free App Suite
5. OT One-Touch Power Trunk
6. PA Intuitive Parking Assist
7. PS Lexus Pre-Collision Sys (PCS)/Dynamic Radar Cruise
8. RS Rain Sensing Wipers with Deicer
9. UL Ultra Luxury Pkg: Perforated Semi-Aniline Leather Trim Interior, Driver & Passenger Memory Seats, Panorama Glass Roof, Heated & Ventilated Front Seats, Power Rear & Manual Door Sunshades, Driver' Seat Power Cushion Extender, Dark Bird's-Eye Maple Wood Trim, Ambient Lighting, Power tilt-and- telescopic steering wheel
10. WV Wood & Leather Trimmed Shift **** and Heated Wood & Leather Trimmed Steering Wheel
11. GN Cargo Net
12. LM Trunk Mat
13. WL Wheel Locks

I have only 4 problems (from least to most severe) with the vehicle:

1. It's Obsidian black (which is tougher to maintain / keep looking clean).

2. It has 18" rims with Bridgestones (which many have complained about).

3. It's a bit expensive (selling at 33,888 for a dealer trade in of 28,500 - 30,500).

4. It was picked up at auction.

The car only has 12,000 miles on it, no reported accidents, no open recalls and still has quite a bit of its bumper to bumper warranty + 2 years unlimited CPO warranty on top of that.

That being said, I've heard bad things about cars being purchased at auction.

So if you were looking for a used ES, would you make the dealer an offer or would you pass?

Note: The thing that interests me the most about the vehicle is the ultra luxury package (which few used vehicles seem to have). That being said, I'm not sure realistically how much a difference a ultra luxury equipped ES will differ from a luxury equipped (package) ES.

Thank you,
Nelson

bc6152

I would want to know how the car got to the auction and why...

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

I've never heard of an auction selling a CPO car. The process to CPO a Lexus is done by Lexus dealers.

nelsona

@Ice: It's not an auction that's selling the CPO, it was a Lexus dealer which bought the car at auction, put it through their 161 point inspection and is currently selling the car as a CPO.



Nelson

Mike728

I would be more concerned with the fact it shows no maintenance performed in the CarFax. That said, I wouldn't buy it just because it's black. I'm way too picky to buy another black car.

Edit: Don't worry about the wheel size. The 18's look way better and the issue is with the tire, not the size.

pab12

>I would want to know how the car got to the auction and why...

I agree, the car should have been scooped up by a Lexus dealer when it was returned. Ending up at auction is very strange.
=================================
My karma just ran over your dogma
Current Hers: '13 Lexus ES350
Current Mine: '08 Jaguar S-Type 4.2 "Satin Edition" (250.06 whp / 259.67 torque)

jollick

Do you think it was a repo? Would that put it up at auction?

mspearl95

from talking to the lexus dealer when purchasing my car, it is pretty normal for their CPOs to be purchased at auction elsewhere(out of state), and brought in for resale.

SW17LS

I wouldn't worry about them having bought it at auction at all.

People mention "returned". Returned from what? According to that Carfax report this car was not a lease. It was traded in to a dealer (obviously not a Lexys dealer) that didn't want it in their inventory for whatever reason (not marketable for them, they had too many of them, etc) and they decided the best thing to do was to sell it at auction and have somebody else sell it retail. Perhaps they got such a great deal on it by offering a low trade they made plenty of profit quickly by selling it at auction? Lots of reasons why, none of which have anything to do with the car.

Not strange at all.

azipod

This is normal and there's no problem at all. Manheim is one of the largest auctions throughout the country and just about 99% of the people in the used car business (including dealers) buy/sell their cars there.

Sometimes, the dealers have excess inventory and they don't care to keep the car on the lot. They wish to not have their finances tied up for whatever reason and will put their cars on the auction block so another dealer, or another independent can buy the car.

It's a way to get rid of their cars fast so there is more $$$$ for other needs.

It is a fallacy to equate AUCTION as an unwanted/undesirable car.

nelsona

@Everybody: Thank you all for the input.

I know that Lexus Financial Services holds auctions, but I remember a Lexus manager on the forums mention that generally, undesirable (for multiple reasons) Lexi are sold at auctions.

The car itself has been in no accidents and was initially sold in California (so it's not an out-of-state / potential flood / damage vehicle).

I was really just wondering if I could use the "auction" angle as a way of getting a better deal on the vehicle.

Thank you,
Nelson

azipod

I disagree that the auction cars are undesirable. Having to have just bought my ES, I can tell you countless times I came across a prospective Lexus ES (many of which are CPO) vehicle, clicked on the CarFax, and saw that it was obtained from an auction. The majority of lease returns end up at auction --- because the lienholder is the manufacturer, and not the dealer. So the dealer doesn't get to keep it, unless they want to pay for it. If it goes back to Lexus, then Lexus puts it on the auction to get rid of it. Lexus HQ doesn't hold inventory of their own cars.

Many of the cars I owned in the past were from Manheim auctions. That included a 540i, 740i, 745Li, E55 AMG, and last but not least, my current ESh! With the exception of the 745Li (most of them were lemons to begin with!), all of the cars were rock solid.

nelsona

Manheim seems to primarily offer dealer-only auctions.

Was it difficult to acquire a dealer license (did you have a friend or acquaintance)?

Out of curiosity, how much (out the door) did you pay for your ES-H?

Thank you,
Nelson

SW17LS

The idea that cars at this auction are undesirable is just not true. Remember, not everybody trades a Lexus in for another Lexus. It's simply one way that dealers discharge inventory for a profit.

It's not a police auction or a bank auction. Consider it a wholesale market.

rld14

It probably never was at an Auction in all reality.

When us Lexus dealers (I am a Used Car Manager at a Lexus dealership) buy our lease returns we do it through a website called Dealer Direct. This website is run by the auction chain Adesa.

So frequently I will buy one of our own off lease cars and it will show that it was sold at auction, even if it never left our lot.

It's also worth pointing out that just because a car was at an auction does not mean it's necessarily a bad car; there are good and bad cars at auction just like anything else.