DOLMAXDOG

Looking to buy a low mileage ls430 at manheim, any dealer out there willing to take me ? will pay a fair fee. Been told lately that prices are going through the roof at auctions, any other place to look? I tried cars.com, ebay, auto trader, local dealer. Btw can you trust a Lexus dealer that tells you the car is perfect but it is not cpo & want to charge you for a warranty???

Jabberwock

In terms of buying a used Lexus, I think you can trust a Lexus dealer way more than any other dealer. At least based on my experience, Lexus dealers are VERY concerned about any customer complaints made to Lexus/Toyota HQ. That does not mean they are completely trustworthy, just that they will likely stay within bounds in terms of what they tell you and how they represent the car.

Lexus has some requirements for a CPO car in terms of age and mileage. If it doesn't meet the requirements they won't CPO it. Also if the car is too new they won't CPO it.

So you need to find out the specific reason for the dealer not offering full CPO on the car.

But if the dealer is offering a long term warranty that's basically the same as CPO except the transaction cost of the warranty is added (and visible) to sales price rather than being embedded in it. Make sure its a good warranty provided by a reputable company - you can shop around for these btw.


Also be sure the car has been fully inspected by Lexus and make sure you personally look up the maint and service history on the car. As part of the purchase make Lexus do any full service that may be coming up - ie if it has 55k miles on it ask that they do the 60k full service as part of the deal. At a minimum as part of purchase, ask that they replace/renew all fluids on the car - coolant, PS, rear differential, brake, and transmission - that way you know 100% you are starting off fresh.

caddyowner

Welcome! I would be leery of buying one of these cars at auction as I think the buyer should research both the service history of the vehicle and do a thorough mechanical and electrical inspection. Things like inoperable sheering wheel adjustments, power mirrors, nav unit, etc. are expensive to fix and can quickly turn a great deal into a money pit. That said, if you can do a thorough inspection (especially electrical items) and check the service history on lexus.com using the VIN, an auction may be an appropriate venue.

Good luck in your search.

LS430Lexus

I have found the dealer is in it for the long term. They need to be fair and honest so that you will not only buy this car but your next car from them. They have alot invested and want to protect that investment.

They sell a "Platinum Coverage" that is virtually identical to the CPO warranty except for the exclusion of outside trim. If a car is outside the time and mileage parameters for the CPO designation, you can choose to purchase an extended warranty. I bought an 02 LS430 Ultra with 50k from a dealer in Texas sight unseen and they were truthful. We negotiated the price for the car with and without the warranty. I am happy with the purchase. Where else would the manufacturer offer to warrant an almost 10 year old car?

That said, you still need to do your research. Check the carfax and service history. Look for what was done after an post trade in inspection. My car was serviced at the selling dealer, history showed the same service advisor on every visit. I spoke to the service advisor and the senior tech on the team that serviced the car. Good luck and enjoy.

Muti007

Theres a MAnheim in Jersey that has one day a week an open auction to the public. Nothing but top notch cars, and you dont have to be a dealer. Let me know if youre interested and Ill get the details for you.

DOLMAXDOG

Great, please let me know.

warminwisc

Be leery of carfax and all dealers. Get an inspection at a dealer and a body shop

rsmith157

I can find you one at a manheim or adesa dealer only auction. I can bid via simulcast and can get cars transported reasonably. PM me if you would like more details.

vollandt

Since the transactions are so minimal your risks are pretty much mitigated. If you don't like the car, put it back out for auction. LS430s are very liquid at auction. Given the 3k+ premium of an CPO price over auction, there is more than enough room to do this maneuver a few times if it came down to that. Also, some of the cars at manheim are inspected and scored. If the car is scored as tip top, the price will wind up being higher vs not being scored for sure.