whtgsr

Hello - recently started looking at this forum because I'm in the market for a GS F Sport. Was looking at the 2014 but after looking at the upgrades in 2015 (mainly the updated navigation) I've decided to go with the 2015. I'm the SF Bay Area and have seen a few certified and non-certified 2015 F Sport in my area. They all seem to be priced around $39.9k for certified and roughly $37.9k for non-certified. While I understand that these cars tend to sell themselves but wanted to see if people on the forum can recommend a fair price to make. I was thinking around $35.5k (for certified) but I think that might on the low side for the dealer to consider. Any advice?

Thanks!

dchar

Dealers tend to not budge too far off their CPO price, so don't expect to get such a big discount.

whtgsr

I'm starting to get that feeling too. Thanks for the input.

kamskeez

There's a ton of factors involved in pricing, it really depends on the dealer, specific car, and how willing you are to put up a fight. Some Lexus dealers here in the Bay Area are using Sonic pricing, the price you see is generally the price you pay. You can probably squeeze a few hundred off but even that's pretty tough. Other dealers around here I've noticed initially markup the price for a CPO by 3-5k from what they buy it at auction, a bit more if they took it in on a trade. Then they usually lower the price week by week if nobody's biting and settle on 2-3k profit if the car starts sitting for a good while. The longer it sits, the more willing they are to move the car. These are just general estimates from my non-stop research, having access to auction prices, talking to Lexus salesman friends, etc.

What are specifics on the car? Got a link?

whtgsr

@kamskez

this is the car I went to take a look yesterday http://www.magnussenlexusfremont.com...-CA/2887804903

for this particular one the sales guy told me they could knock off $1000 and that's about it. My budget is about 35.5k-36k so maybe i should just wait a couple more months.

the only features i'm looking at are the common ones like blind spot and ML stereo and that's pretty much it. HUD would be awesome but they are hard to come by.

MustangSal

ML not too common but if it's there and that is a factor for you, don't let it get away. Personally not a fan of the Cabernet leather but again, whatever blows your hair back.

Mileage seems commensurate with a 2015. Tires and everything else look good. Lcertified and coming up on 20k mileage, they will cover the next two oil changes as long as you do them on time (4 complimentary services @5k intervals). Warranty should keep going a good long while too.

If they give you a couple small breaks that you've mentioned, I'd be pretty solid after you drive it and make sure here isn't anything else major...scratches, rattles, etc...

Look like a good find.

charley95

You should look at the prices people paid for a NEW F-Sport in southern California. Do a search on here of what people paid for their new GS. From what I read here on the forum it appears the best deals in the country for a new GS are in southern Ca. I live in Illinois and when I'm ready to get a new one I'll probably fly out there and pick one up. If I can save several thousand on a new one verses other dealers in the country it's a no brainer to hop on a plane and pick one up.

kamskeez

Yep, completely right. I ended up driving down from the Bay Area to Oxnard to pick up my pristine '14 earlier this year. A lot of CPOs in the Bay Area actually come from Southern California.

whtgsr

thanks fellas.

@mustangsal - i've quite a bit of cars out here with ML so maybe it's a california thing. i can understand cabernet might be an acquired taste. I've always had black interior so might try something different this time. While certified might be great and all, i don't think i'll need the complimentary oil changes, but the warranty is probably worth it.

@charley95 - you're right. i do see a lot more of these GS F sports in Socal. In fact, most of the the used cars i see up here are all from socal. I just think that if you factoring in plane tickets/hotels/rental car/gas/time spent driving back or shipping cost i don't think there's a lot of savings there on a used car purchase. but i might be wrong.

whtgsr

kamskeez, how much were you able to save by going to socal for your car? did you ship your car up?

kamskeez

Solid looking car and pretty low mileage. I'm pretty familiar with that dealer and I definitely would recommend them. Hopefully you've got a good salesman helping you.

Looks like they've had the car for a month and have since dropped it down $2k (from Cargurus). I see they also got it from Southern California. $36k is definitely doable, but you'll need to really work the deal. I always like starting laughably low, the worst they can say is no and hopefully come back with a counter offer. Then just slowly work your way up. Its up to you how much time and effort you want to invest to save some money.

Remember, if you don't like the deal then WALK AWAY. Don't let them pressure you into going over your budget. There's a TON of GS' out in the market right now and you'll definitely find another that will fit your budget.

kamskeez

My car was in excellent shape, zero imperfections. Silver/Cabernet with 20k miles. The car was listed for $41k, it sat for about a month and a half before the dealer lowered it to $38k. A couple back and forth phone calls got it down to $36k, which was enough for me to take a trip down to inspect the car. I drove down with a friend and made a getaway weekend out of it. The car was beautiful and after a couple hours of typical dealer back and forth, ended at $34k, even got 0.9% financing. They still made enough profit here as well, so I was content.

Keep in mind this was early on this year, '14s can easily be had for that price now.

Since you're in CA, don't worry about shipping. There's an abundance of em out here. Just keep looking, stick to your budget and don't rush the process.

whtgsr

$34k is really good deal. was yours Lcertified? how much more should i be looking at to pay for a lcertified?

kamskeez

Yeah, mine is an L certified F Sport with ML. '14s can be had well below your budget right now so something you may want to consider as well.

When comparing between CPO and non-CPO, it depends on the cars you're comparing. My CPO had brand new tires on it with a lot of life still on the brakes. But I've seen non-CPOs that would need tires or brakes within a couple thousand miles. Some were just really beat up as well. The extended 2 year warranty brings the most value for me, I've already gotten some warranty work done so I know it'll be beneficial in the future. So, I think CPO is worth the price premium of a couple grand.

MustangSal

My 450h is actually from Lexus of Monterey. I had it shipped from CA to VA. I thought the same thing when shopping...that there is a ton of GS in SoCal - and in CA in general. More than VA and on the east coast in general. They're certainly cleaner and more equipped. Not the best taken care of in all cases. Mine was a 12 month lease return and the previous owner just didn't care for the paint at all. Car was fine mechanically but had a bad swirl and couple scratches. Still was worth it to split the cross country enclosed trailer.

I think you'll be happy so long as you get the trim and options you're looking for.