carrwash13

So I live in Washington State and I am seeing better deals/selection on certified pre owned 2013 GS350 F-Sports. I have pretty specific wants (Obsidian/Black Leather/Mark Levinson) so it is a little hard to find them in my area at the price point I want w/ so few dealers.

What are everyone's thoughts on buying long distance from an out of state Lexus dealership? Would you buy w/o seeing in person and have it shipped? Or do Lexus dealerships ever work together if one has stock that the other does not? I was hoping to trade in my 06 IS 350 so it would be nice to do it all at through my local dealer.

SW17LS

I don't know of situations where the dealers will trade used cars. You can employ an independent inspector to look over the car for you if you're buying out of state...

mcolommena

obsidian is very soft. Make sure you check the paint well especially the front.

tpjc1018

I bought my 2006 CPO GS300 250 miles away. Fly to Chicago & drove it home to St. Louis. Also bought my 2013 GS350 in Miami at a Mercedes dealership. On that one I flew to the dealer checked the car out & flew home. I then shipped the car back to St. Louis through Sancrest Specialized Transport (who were awesome BTW).

I don't trust anyones eye's but my own. These sales guys are trying to sell you a car. They want the sale. In both instances, I saw marks/scratches on both cars, that were not mentioned to me prior. I would never buy a used car of this value without putting your eyes on it.

moose66

Have bought several cars long distance. Personally I like to see the car myself. Especially if I am buying a car from a cross vendor (buying a Lexus at a GM dealership for instance). However, the circumstances are different if the car is a CPO car, certified by Lexus. Some dealerships (Carmax) call their cars CPO and that catches many people. A CPO Lexus can only be purchased from a certified Lexus dealer. That CPO designation comes with the full inspection, etc. Also reconditioning if needed. And the extended warranty.

With that said, I would still like to see the car in person. But, buying a CPO Lexus sight unseen would be something I'd entertain if I wanted something in particular and the price was right. You'd always have that warranty to fall back on if something were not right. If you are serious, you can hire an independent service to go inspect the car for you. The will take pictures and present you with a write up of their findings. A good one may cost you a couple of hundred dollars. Good luck!