Dacubs

Hey guys! So I live in state where we get charged for sales tax so buying private helps avoid the taxes.

I found a 2013 GS350 F sport fully loaded except for the adaptive cruise control.

25k miles
Silver with red interior.
Clean title.

The lowest he is willing to go is $31k. That'll be my total amount besides registration,

Dealerships around me are asking around 31-34k plus taxes and fees.

What do you guys think? Appreciate any feedback!

JDR76

You don't have to pay sales tax on a private purchase in Arizona? Here in Washington we do. They charge it when you license the car.

Finding one with adaptive cruise would be tough, so I'd go for it if all else is good.

tekno2566

Fully loaded.. make sure it has the Mark Levinson audio system, cold weather package, HUD display, and DRS..
I think it's a pretty good deal - I bought mine for $29.5k and it has more than double the mileage (54k) on the car you're looking at, but that's after TT&L.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...r-your-gs.html

Maybe you can use this as reference in your buying decision. Good luck!

kamskeez

You may want to double check with your DMV to verify the sales tax. Here in CA, the buyer pays sales tax on the selling price of the vehicle when registering it at the DMV. (some people put zero or a small amount on the title so they avoid paying the tax)

As for the price, I do believe you can get a CPO for that price. However, if you do end up saving on tax, it's a fair deal.

bentleymp2

Kamskeez makes a good point. It's called "use tax" at DMV. Give em a call as AZ could possibly be different from what we deal with here in CA.
I also agree that a cpo can be had for that price.

ECL

The OP is correct. Here in Arizona, there is no sales tax (call it what you want) collected on auto sales by individuals. The price on that car seems higher than what I am seeing here in Tucson, but the sales tax issue saves you almost $2500. He certainly does not need the cold weather package if he lives anywhere near me.

RA051823

Sounds like a good deal to me! I wish we had that tax advantage in Michigan!

Longevite

I am from TX but I would pay little more for used car from AZ, but for that price is not bad if it comes with 4 new tires, new front brakes, original windshield. For private trade, you can ask for lower price start from $27.5k and work your way up, it is not easy to get a buyer for this. Good luck.

For got about this, ask him when did he purchased the car, because it come with 5yrs warranty, if he got it somewhere in 2012, make sure he did all the TBS/recall, or else you don't have much time left for that.

ECL

I bought my GS4 new in May, 2012, and it had a 48 month/50000 mile warranty. I just checked the paperwork that came with the car to be certain that this is correct. Where did you get the idea that the warranty at that time was for five years?

Longevite

sorry, you are correct, I don't know why 5yrs in my mind, 4yrs 50k miles warranty.

Speed3381

Buy a RC 350 F Sport instead!!! Looks so much sexier!

2013 GS 350 is already dated and old. They don't have the new grills like all the new Lexus does. It doesn't even come with fog lights. If you really want to buy a GS though, just get the 2016 model. The front grill is so much nicer and newer.

UDel

That is a good thing it does not have the new GS grill. The new grill looks pretty bad, probably one of the reasons it is not selling, the older one looks much better.

Dacubs

Thanks for the replies! The seller wouldn't do 30k, he might do 31k (hes asking 32k)..

I love the new RC 350 f sport but im trying to stay under 30kish.. I don't think I can get an rc350 for that much haha

But I am 100% I don't have to pay tax on the private used car sale!

UDel

I don't know about all states but when you do a private party sale you don't pay taxes upfront but when you go to register it in each state you get nailed on the price you paid/value of the car every time and have to pay that fee for registering it which is essentially paying tax on it. Maybe in Arizona it is different, if it is and you don't have to pay it you are lucky. I would keep your options open and look around a little more, 4th gen GS's have taken a pretty big depreciation/value hit and you can likely find a better deal especially if you travel a little bit.

Taz68

You're correct. No sales tax on private party vehicle sales in AZ. People in other states seem to be jealous. The only issue I've found with private party transactions is that the sellers know about the tax savings and are often less willing to deal on the price; negating some of the tax savings.

The price seems OK. Definitely not a steal but a fair deal considering the tax advantage. The seller is probably not desperate to sell yet.
The most important factor is: Do you like the car? Are you comfortable with its condition and maintenance history. This is much more important than chasing every last dollar in savings.

OTOH: It couldn't hurt to just wait and continue shopping. As you are well aware, there's a lot of these cars out there and the prices will keep dropping.
Happy car shopping!
Erik