Ascari_2

Hey guys,

I am looking to possibly make an out of state purchase of an ISF from Carmax. Does anyone have any experience with buying a car from Carmax in general. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks

zojirushi

When I was shopping for an ISF in 2010, I went to the Carmax dealership in PA to examine one. The price on this particular one was about the market price at the time. On inspection, I found so many flaws on the car. Noticeable rust on metal inside the engine bay and around suspension parts. The interior of the car seemed a lot worse than it should be with a car with such low milage. The coloring of the leather on the side bolsters of the driver seat was completely worn out. Another thing that the salesperson said that sounded really dubious was when I pointed out that the cover for the tow hook was missing, he said that all cars that are brought into Carmax have their bumpers removed and then repainted. He also said that they would fix anything I found wrong with the car. Who knows what else they could have been hiding. I would never consider getting a car from Carmax.

Cars are a serious investment especially one with a higher price, I'd recommend you actually see the car in person before making a decision. You can't really make a good assessment from merely photos. Good luck with your search.

Ascari_2

Thank fir that feedback. On that note, does anyone live in the Phoenix area that would be willing to look at the car for me.

Thanks

MisterSkiz

iTrader: (2)

Only experience I had with Carmax was when we bought the first year of the Scion TC brand new. They were good with pricing and treated us well. I then traded the car in back to them years later and got a great price on it.

If youre buying something used however, your mileage may vary.

Also, cars are never an investment unless you are talking some uber exotic or old muscle car. They are a depreciating asset.

James7

Dont do it.. you're better off buying from private party who has records of maintenance.

I had a friend buy an older S4 from carmax and he had a horrible experience. The car had low mileage for the model year, but it was ultimately found to have a crack in the block.. (numerous coolant issues, leaks, intermittent coolant light , etc) BUT, in the midst of all this, carmax went back and forth with the 3rd part warranty people, and the local Audi dealership, largely because carmax did not know how to resolve the issue ...

However, I have found that some Lexus dealerships (if buying used) can be equally bad as well. Only difference is that you will most likely be dealing with them direct with repairs/warranty issues so its less of a hassle in that sense.

Shop around, use the dealerships to test drive and compare. Dont listen to the salesmen because they never know anything about the car besides the 15 min joyride in an ISF to grab lunch one day .. then, find one private party, with maintenance records and warranty intact and buy ! have fun !

spddemon

When searching for an F I went to a couple Carmax and found beat up interiors and repainted bumpers. I'm not a big fan of Carmax when it comes to their used cars. But it is great place to unload a car.

Rbtmatt

They repaint all the bumpers?! WTF! That's good to know. I almost bought a silver one from them before I got mine. Now I'm glad I didn't!

Dragtek

iTrader: (2)

I'm from LA and was looking at the same one. I wonder why it's not transferable. I think buying from a used dealer can be just as risky as buying from carmax. In the end it's best to inspect in person.

FOVFR421

I actually bought my low mileage (9200) 2008 ISF from Carmax in the DC area. It was bought in November of last year. Before the deal was final, I not only drove the car, but took it to a mechanic to do a front to back review of the vehicle. They only noted one issue with a leaky shock. When I brought that to their attention, they scheduled it to go to Lexus to get fixed; it still has 1 year left on the warranty. The problem was fixed, and I have not had any other issues with the vehicle. It is running great.

They did have a second vehicle, but it was not nearly in as good of a condition as the one I got and it had 30000 more miles.

All in all, so far, a good experience.

PS. I never thought that I would buy a car from Carmax, but I just couldn't pass up this low mileage IS-F in such good condition.

avgj0F

iTrader: (2)

+99999999999999

Ascari_2

Considering that they have a five day return policy, I am willing to buy the car sight unseen.

Dragtek

iTrader: (2)

True, but surely get it checked out within the first day or two.

shot

have you considered purchasing a certified used ISF from a dealer? that could be your best bet w the extended bumper to bumper warranty.

redsvt02

I bought one from carmax about a week and a half ago. Smooth transaction. Car was in outstanding shape for the mileage (69,XXX) but coming from my 99 GS300 beater with 175,000 on the odometer, this car feels day 1. All components feel rock solid and the interior was well maintained. I'd buy again from carmax if I had the same service I recieved almost 2 weeks ago. I did however invest in their extended warranty from carmax which was fair priced. Its a win win because if the car needs to go to the lexus dealer, it is covered by carmax. At most I will have to come out of pocket is a minor deductible. On these cars, not buying an extended warranty is pinching pennies.

Ascari_2

Well as of an hour ago carmax has my CC info and authorization to charge the transfer fee! From all indications the car is in quite good condition. Service at a lexus dealer every 5k miles with theyr clearguard and crearshield detailing done every time. Brakes were changes 5k miles ago (the pads were, the rotors were machinned) and the new potenzas still have the little rubber nubs on them. Wish me luck! I've been holding out for a USB one for months now!