Nospinzone

Sorry to hear you missed that deal Anotherazn, but look what you wrote. Knowing that you should have gotten out your check book, asked the dealer does he want to sell the car today, write out a check for $1000 less than the asking price, and put it in his hand. Worst case if he really was selling the car at his best price, you still end up still getting a deal.

And apparently the new buyer is not even a member here or he would have started a thread about the deal.

Oh well, the search goes on, keep us posted. This could be our own little soap opera!

anotherazn

Thanks for all the kind words. Being an Enthusiast it is a little hard for me to purchase a car sight unseen. Since i used to work as a new/used car salesman @ Acura for a good stint, I know how shady some dealers can be.

My current search radius is approx 500 miles from my location which almost covers all of California. I've expanded my search into other area's and noticed that the best selection seems to be from Texas. I've seen a few cars out there in the northeast but the rust from snow & salt concerns me from having lived in NYC for most of my life.

I even got desperate after work yesterday and went to Lexus of Pleasanton to look at a new GS. Although the interior of the vehicle has definitely improved w/ nice fancy features i was a little cramped inside. Somehow in my driving position w/ the seat all the way back My shoulder was resting on the B-pillar. With the seat in an upwards position my hair was sticking out the sunroof. Looks to me that Flagship is the only way to go

I am dead set on finding a LWB black on black 08+ w/ under 50k miles. That will allow me to go either CPO or platinum warranty. Already spoke w/ tony from Toyota in regards to pricing of a platinum warranty and got full details on what the pre-requisites are. The options i am looking for are the ML audio, Luxury Package, Rear seat upgrade, and Air suspension. I've committed to no longer look at SWB cars as the rear leg room is just not enough when i am 6'3 and i have some relatively tall friends.

Enigma869

I wouldn't let the northeast thing dissuede you for the right car. The whole snow and salt thing is VASTLY overrated. I've lived in the Boston area for my entire life and owned more than 50 cars. NEVER, EVER, EVER have I had one single car show any effects at all from winter weather. Most people who own really nice cars take immaculate care of them. and wash them at least once a week (even in the winter). Not to mention, most of us never take our cars out of the garage in the snow! I have an 07 LWB with a whopping 19K on it that never sees bad weather. For a car to actually rot from salt on the roads would take an owner who NEVER washed their car. The only cars that I ever see rusted out are 1980's era Hondas and Toyotas and most of them probably have over 250K miles on the clock.

John

caha14

Interestingly, I found my car in TX, and the selection there was the best - by far - at the time. I had it shipped in an enclosed 2-car carrier all the way to the Northeast. LWB models are not nearly as common here as in TX, and needless to say, the rear seat upgrade is even less common (eBay usually provides a good sample, and you can tell by how often those packages pop up).

Actually, since the Northeast came up, FWIW the selection at the time I was looking was pathetic at best (unless you wanted a barely-used 2009 or 2010 that was way out of my price range). I really wanted a 2008. A car like the one Enigma869 found (which I would've been interested in had I been looking now ) strikes me as the exception, not the rule, at least based on the stuff I was seeing at all local dealerships. The cars themselves were in so-so shape (some worse than others) even AFTER being certified.

Like John, I've never had problems with rust on the body of my cars. However, I've had plenty of undercarriage rust, frozen calipers and other minor nuisance-type of issues. If you do find what you want, and it's a garage queen, that is one thing, but if it is a daily driver like some of the ones I've seen around here, keep on looking!

Nospinzone

Ah, sorry, I didn't realize the dealer wasn't close by, that's different then. I probably would've missed the deal as well.

If I were you I'd still look for a SWB and consider getting shorter friends!

anotherazn

one of the reasons i'd like to go lwb is for the air suspension..
i dont recall when they introduced that into the swb version

daryll40

My 2009 SWB AWD has air. And frankly I see ZERO difference from my prior 2007 SWB without air. I'm convinced it's a placebo switch, as is the sport/comfort switch. Seriously.

anotherazn

From the posts that i have read on here in regards to SWB vs LWB ride comfort, the Air ride on LWB cars are better. That could be both attributed to the air suspension or also the longer wheelbase itself.

i am looking at a 09 LWB Black / Cashmere.. i am curious about the interior color. How tan is it? is it dark or light.. I seem to get different colors when i look at the interior on different cars that are supposedly the same interior color.

Also on a side note, i think i am going to restrict myself to 08 or even 09+. Each 07 i have looked at seemed to have quite a few faults back in its time and it worries me about reliability in the future. Max OTD that i want to spend now has been bumped up to approx 50k.. Hoping to find the car!!

caha14

Air suspension is not and has never been available on SWB unless it is AWD. For AWD it was standard in 2009 and maybe even in 2010, but it is not standard anymore. It is optional. On LWB cars it continues to be an option.

I have to respectfully disagree with daryll40. I don't know if the AWD vs. RWD part also makes a difference, but all I can say is that there is no comparison between the ride of my car on air and that of the 2011 and 2012 cars I drove without air, both of which were AWD.

The more recent the model year (the build date, actually), the better. Earlier builds have a lot of TSIBs that may apply (plus the valve spring recall), and as I mentioned earlier, there are other known problems that Lexus has been addressing via redesigned parts (e.g., most of my front suspension is brand new at this point). This is also why buying a car with a warranty would be a good idea.

daryll40

John, I have to disagree. Here in Pittsburgh the snow/cold/salt/potholes are killers.

Enigma869

I never suggested that the winter weather in the northeast was sunny and 70. The only point I made is that I'm almost 42 years old, have lived in the Boston area my entire life (where most winters are BRUTAL), and haven't seen 5 cars in my life rusted out from salt. As I've said, I've owned more than 50 cars in my life (yes, I know...I have a problem) and it's simply never been an issue...even for cars that I drove FAR more than I drive my LS 460. My cars are always in the garage and are always clean. Potholes can be another issue, but it seems to be a much larger problem in the city limits and not nearly the issue in the suburbs, where most of us live.

John

daryll40

You're an outlier. And owning 50 cars would suggest you don't keep 'em long. Compare a decent 3-5 year old Northeast car with one from the sunbelt and there will defintely be differences FOR NORMAL DRIVEN CARS.

GregCon

I have to agree.... most people buy cars, even LS's, to get them around town and don't leave them in the garage in the bad weather. My aunt in Buffalo was so proud of her new 2 week old car.....she opened the door and there was an inch of slush on the carpet.

Mikey100

I'ld like to 2nd this post by FrankyBoy.

I did about the same thing. Except I flew down and drove mine home. Tons of fun in a quality JM Lexus CPO LS460 !

First ... what you might wanna know is JM Lexus is the WORLD's largest Lexus dealer.
They care greatly about their reputation, and as well as the job they do for each and every customer.

Second - They do not "Screw Around" with you on pre-owned Lexus. They perform ALL required items, and do ALL needed maintenance updates, software included, to the latest available from Lexus. So what you purchase is as current and up-to-date as is humanly possible. Meaning you get a great "out-of-the-box Experience" from JM !

Third - You get brand new Lexus Floor and Trunk Mats and a new set of TIRES (normally - altho if the 460 tires show little or no wear, this might not be true. But they did this for me, yet with only about 25K on the odometer.)

Fourth - IF you pick your LS460 up in person, they'll spend between 2 and 3 hours going over each and every feature and function of the car, so when you drive it, you'll be comfortable and understand many things. And you'll leave with a full tank of gas.

Fifth - If what you want is not in their inventory, they'll go FIND it for you many times !!! And all at a great price.

Sound totally ridicules, but I chose mine out knowing a little about who they were from an ad, and did the whole deal over the telephone (never having even seen the LS460) in about 10 minutes. I paid IN FULL for the car the next day, with a wire transfer, and then flew down and saw the car for the first time about 3.5 weeks later. And it was BETTER than I expected !

So, in closing, if I were looking for an LS460, I'ld call Dan Phillips @ JM today at (954) 590-5124 <direct> or (800) 805-3987.

Best Wishes to all and a sincere Good Luck !

Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA