Kevo1914

I've found what I perceive to be a great gdeal on a GS CPO, but the problem is that it's located over a 1k miles away. Is it wise to make such purchase and have the vehicle shipped?

ssmoked

I need to see my vehicles before purchasing. Even if its new.

Are you getting a ridiculously good deal or something? Then there is a catch

Kevo1914

I live in Oklahoma City/Dallas area and the F sport CPO with about 19k miles go for about 40k vs 35K in SoCal.

kamskeez

There's always a risk. Dealers can be extremely shady and hide certain things, such as a crappy repaint job. Even if it's a CPO, which has to pass certain minimum requirements, it's still a gamble when you are not able to thoroughly inspect it yourself. Yeah the car is only a couple years old, but spending $35-40k without my own inspection is a risk I personally couldn't take.

A variety of users on here have though and most have been happy with their experiences. But most have to factor in shipping costs as well.

Are you not able to get a similar deal from a dealer in your area? Dealers love to compete and if you can get something written they are more likely to match the offer.

spoogenet

Not aware of any dealer in Texas who will come close to the CA/FL deals on new or CPO cars, it's just a much smaller market and doesn't have the level of competition.

That said, if you're fairly convinced the car is right & a good deal, and you trust in the dealer's reputation, you could look for a cheap flight out & inspect the car yourself. You like it, drive it home. If you don't, then fly home -- it'll cost you far less than making a mistake on a $35k car could.

Kevo1914

Yeah, I'm a little unsure about making such a deal myself and this will be my first Lexus. I'm not even sure what to look for if I were to fly out and see the vehicle in person. I'm in the market for a vehicle and I've narrowed my choices to a used GS or new Dodge Challenger with a hemi. The latter my wife doesn't agree with because it's a two door vehicle. I test drove a GS in Dallas a month ago and fell in love with the F sport model 2015. The interior was amazing and definitely an upgrade from anything I've ever owned before. I've been searching for the perfect deal on a GS since but I want the vehicle as close to new as possible, 20k miles is tops. I will talk to the dealers in Dallas and see if they could match the socal prices but usually most dealers refer to a 200 mile radius.

NYLiqPlat

I personally would not do it. I don't trust anyone especially dealerships. Spending a couple hundred on a plane ticket now will potentially save you thousands down the road. You could possibly pay for one of those services that send ASE certified technicians to perform a full inspection on the car.

RA051823

I would only do this if you're able to fly in and physically inspect the vehicle in person. Too many shady dealers out there hiding flaws and issues. The risk vs reward isn't worth it in my opinion.

lesz

As others have said, there are real risks in buying even a CPO vehicle without having had the chance to carefully inspect the vehicle yourself.

First, even though a 161 point CPO inspection sounds impressive, the actual inspection is not as all-encompassing as it might, at first, seem to be. Most of those 161 inspection points involve superficial checks that you or I could do by ourselves in less than an hour and not things that are meaningful indicators about the condition of the car. They include things like making sure that all of the bulbs work, that the power windows work, that the car starts, etc. Only a few of them are actually related to the mechanical fitness of the vehicle. Here is a link to the actual checklist.

http://www.lexus.com/documents/broch...t-brochure.pdf

Further, some of the wear and tear items only have to meet minimum standards and could need replacing or repairing very soon. For example, tires need only to have 5/32 of tread left, which means that they could need to be replaced within much less than a year. The same is true with brake pads. So, potentially, if tires and brake pads need to be replaced shortly after buying the car, that, by itself, could mean adding over $1000 to the expense of buying the car soon after the purchase.

Also, CPO vehicles can be within a wide range regarding their cosmetic condition. While some can be near perfect, I've seen CPO vehicles with deep scratches in the finish, door dings, etc.

The bottom line is a $35,000 CPO vehicle is not necessarily a better buy than a $40,000 CPO vehicle of the same model and the same year, and, without checking the vehicle yourself, you are risking buying a car whose price seems to be good but that, in reality, isn't a good buy.

LouG

Please listen as I've been where you are. Everyone has their own definition of OCD when it comes to buying their cars, and to some degree every dealer has its own people with their own opinion of what qualifies as a CPO car. What Spoogenet said is the best advice. A cheap plane ticket and your time is the best insurance you could possibly give yourself, regardless of whether it's a CPO car or not.

AJLex19

I would definitely recommend going with a local dealer and inspecting the car yourself. Too many variables when buying a car - having the extra hassle of a car in a different market/area being shipped will make the process even tougher. For all the hassle of shipping charges or driving or flying an extensive distance to see it, you can take that same money and use it toward buying a local car that you can see, feel and test drive for yourself.

Kevo1914

Such great information, I really appreciate all of the knowledgeable opinions.

Follow up: You can buy a GS 2015 non CPO from most 3rd party dealers in Dallas with as low as 15k miles on it for 33K (non F Sport). Is this a reasonable price being that the vehicle isn't CPO? I have attached the link below to one of the 3rd parties that's pretty popular around DFW

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/689698571/overview/

AJLex19

Seems like you were originally going for a F-Sport model. I'm a proponent of buying the lowest mileage vehicle you can afford...if your budget is closer to 35k, you should consider a 2015 CPO F-Sport model with 25-30k miles. When I bought my IS350, it was 3yrs old with 40k miles and super clean...When i traded it for my current '13 GS, the GS had 43k miles and was even cleaner than my IS. I just hit 50k miles on the GS and no problems.

The main thing is not to settle (some folks have settled for a non-F sport and regretted their decision). Go for what you want and don't rush into it.

In my opinion, that non-F sport GS that you posted is a good deal considering the low mileage...is it really what you want?

Kevo1914

While I do like the the F sport most, I've seen regular GS models that I was extremely impressed with.

Dallasguy1

Buying a used car without looking at it is a bad bad idea , no matter who's the dealer there's always something on the car which u have to see in person.