robh505

I'm getting ready to venture out into the world of my first used car purchase. Specifically, I'm going to target an AWD 2013 GS f sport with less than 30k miles. Pricing seems to be in the range of $35-39k for a CPO (if I'm mistaken, please let me know). I'll probably just pay cash, no financing.

This is my question. What should I be looking out for? I know the general feature set of the car and I've been doing my research. But is there anything in particular I should really pay attention to? Features, cosmetic issues, defects, weird sounds, etc.? Should I even consider buying a non-CPO car at a non-Lexus dealer? A Toyota dealer in the area has one at a good price, obviously non-CPO. If I go that route, will a non-Lexus dealer let me take the car to a Lexus dealer for a full inspection? Does Lexus charge you for that inspection (how much?).

Anything else I should know? I appreciate all the help and I look forward to joining the forum as an owner over the next couple months!

phins2rt

I'm not sure if you can still do it but one strategy I was thinking about a couple of years back was to buy a non-CPO car still under factory warranty and then add an extended factory warranty. If I remember right, I could get more years/miles out of extended warranty than with the CPO. Just something to think about. Good luck with your quest!

mryeh17

I think it's less a matter of whether a non-Lexus dealer will let you take the car somewhere, more that is what you require to consider purchasing the car. If they aren't willing to let you do that, you might consider walking away.

I don't think you need to take it to a Lexus dealer, if you have a mechanic you trust you can bring it to him. I guess you're asking him to check if there's signs of frame or other major damage, early signs of wear, etc. A 4 year old car should look pretty much brand new from a mechanical standpoint.

FWIW I have a 2013 GS F-Sport (not AWD) and I am very happy with it. Mine has the nav system (meh, phone does that), premium package (seat heaters/vents used regularly), blind spot monitoring (nice but not critical to me) and parking assist (use it daily).

bigblack06

iTrader: (20)

Well CPO or Non-CPO car should still have warranty so you can always get an extended warranty if needed. If you find one with a CPO you can ask them to extend the CPO coverage from years to 5 years I believe. The car is sill pretty new so I don't see anything you need to really watch for. Find a couple cars and single a couple out and then post it on CL will help us better in helping you. Good luck!

islandbeef

For reference, I bought my GS used, non-CPO, 16k miles for about $41k from a Land Rover dealer. I've owned a Lexus in the past and it's virtually trouble free (compared to other European Luxury brands, I've owned BMW and Land Rover). These cars do not start to age until 40k miles. Look in Autotrader, the older Lexus cars still retain their resale values well. So, I wouldn't be too worried about CPO or extended warranties, Lexus is bulletproof IMHO and if you look around the forums, some folks' cars are still running well beyond 200k miles.

Just my .02 worth.

robh505

Thanks. I've got about 10 cars within 50 miles to choose from so I'll go hit the streets this weekend and report back with what I've found. This is the cheapest one I've found so far based on listing price.

http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/de...3174/overview/

Just noticed the accident history in the carfax. Might explain the slightly lower than average price I guess. Two owners too. I'm guessing this is the type of 'detailed' stuff I should be looking for in a carfax.

bclexus

In my opinion you will be better served by purchasing a CPO from a Lexus dealership.

popping

got a AWD CPO 13 fsport w/ BSM, IPA, Cold package, forgot what else. Non ML, non HUD, no rear controls. 27k miles on it. paid 42K. Obsidian/cabernet

bigblack06

iTrader: (20)

Looks like right rear end accident, stay away from that. For those saying CPO it doesn't matter, there was a couple members who had purchased 3GS CPO's and later found that there was damage to the rear frame which is supposed to be rejected, CPO is just as flawed as doing the search yourself. OP just find a good deal and look over car, you can always get extended warranty as you have time.

thholr

I just purchased my 2013 4GS F-Sport with loaded with NAv, ML, HUD, LDH as a CPO car for about $39K. It has 30K miles on it . Love it and not a single thing wrong other than a couple of dings in the aluminium trim ( Very common ) .
I would not worry about it being certified. You can always buy a lexus warranty for $1500 ( 3-4 years to 100K miles ) . Just have it inspected by a good mechanic and avoid accident cars. From my research there are no real gotchas to watch out for so you should be safe.

islandbeef

Indeed, CPO can simply mean a quick inspection and a detail. Then the dealership can stick a special decal on the windshield and pimp the hell out of the car when in reality, it's not much different from another used GS on a different lot. In essence, the dealership is banking on customer ignorance and willingness to purchase.

It's just a used car but with nicer "wrapping" and campaigning.

robh505

Thanks for the suggestion. Would a non CPO with an extended warranty get me basically the same protection as a CPO?

dseag2

There were no "bugs" in the '13 model. I've had mine since April 2012 w/ 20k miles and have never taken it back to the dealer for anything other than routine maintenance. Additionally, the 6-speed auto in the '13 seems to offer more immediate power than the 8-speed auto in the newer cars. The 8-speed seems to hunt more for the lower gears. It is a great car.

islandbeef

My past experiences with extended warranties are not positive. Even with cars that need it, like the European brands. With the Lexus, it's overkill, IMHO. The brand is bulletproof if you keep up with maintenance and the car's title is clean (no salvage, water damage).

Here's what's not covered by CPO:



Also, you'll save a good amount money if you take the car to an Independent Lexus mechanic instead of the stealership (for both maintenance and major repairs).

robh505

Good info, thanks! My only car is a leased BMW X3, so I've never had to deal with independent mechanics before. I'll have to find a good one in the area.