FLYCT

Well actually 28.57% more. $9,000 instead of $7,000.

Hey, the difference pays for an Extended Platinum Lexus warranty on my new to me SC 430.

2004 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 2WD, 66,000 miles
KBB trade-in value;
Fair condition $7,371
Good condition $8,296
Very Good condition $8,721
Excellent condition $8,846

Carmax final offer $7,000
Lexus dealer final offer $9,000

I actually drove away from Lexus dealer after his original offer and told him I was going to the Ford dealer. 5 minutes after I left he called me on my cell and said he was able to get me $9k. Deal was done 30 minutes later.

JR

SW17LS

Just an update...

I'm starting to see more cars that are good options that are below $50k, so thats encouraging. Including one in Owings Mills for $46k I may go take a look at today.

I think with the 2013s coming out now and the 2010s coming to the end of their leases starting around now, I'm going to have better prices and better options over the next few months...

I could get a nice 2009 now for the low $40s to even under $40k, which is where I'd like to be with a 2010...

lexus600hl

Buying LS used is not a risky proposition, except: The Mark Levinson amp usually seems to blow at some point. I had four LS cars, since 2007 and three of them needed the amp replaced. Fortunately, the replacement amp seems to have been a better designed unit because once replaced, it does not seem to fail!

Typically, the LS has been very reliable. If you are seeking used, the 600HL is not much more expensive than the 460L - keep in mind that the 600HL lists for around $135,000 VS the LS 460 starting at what? $75,000?

In my opinion, you would get a whole lot more "bang for the buck" with the 600HL. For what ever reason, the market seems to disagree with me, because they don't seem to get much of a premium over their lesser equiped cousins.

Btw, the 600hl gas mileage is, at best, 10% above the 460.. Don't think of buying it for gas mileage!

CJITTY

I concur. I bought my 2008 CPO LS600hL after all efforts to find a fully equipped LS460L didn't pan out..

At the end of the day, I got a fully loaded 600hL with all the options i wanted since most of them come with everything anyway, it is way more fun to drive than my 460 (power and comfort wise), plus the $6K headlights are nice lol. But seriously, I'm glad I went with the 600 over the 460L...sure it cost a litle more money, but the price gap isn't nearly as bad buying it used, especially at auction pricing. I went CPO this time just because the deal was better than the auction pricing at the time and of course CPO warranty is hard to beat. If you take your time and search, good deals can happen.

And, it is not a Prius type of Hybrid setup. This is a performance hybrid. I'm guessing the power it puts out could rate between a V-10 and V-12 big body sedan type engine with the fuel economy of a V8 as described in some car magazines. I am averaging around 20mpg on the 600 with an 16 mile RT commute, one 55mph+ stretch for about 8 miles and the rest is mostly stop and go. That is about 3-4 mpg better than I had on my 460 SWB.

If you can swing a used 600hL, I would go for that based on my experience having a 460 previously...GOOD LUCK!

SW17LS

I may have to think about that, I haven't driven a 600hL...

lexus600hl

As CJITTY wrote, the price differential between a LS 460 and the 600HL is not substantial in used market - keep in mind that the LS 600HL was about $135,000 and the LS 460 starts at, what - $78,000? In the used market, the price difference is a very small percentage. I am very surprised about that, actually!
I did own a 2007 LS 460L (I bought it new, paid about $90,000 in 2007). It was a very nice car. Frankly, the difference in performance between the two is not worth the price difference of the new versions.. but certainly worth it in the used version. The 600 comes with all available options - many of which, you won't use - like the infra red temp monitor, the "sleep monitor (I don't know what it does!).. But some would enjoy the drink chiller..

Main advantages of the 600 are
1. The interior is quite superior, as compared to the 460. The dash is all leather.. The headliner is suede (I think)..

2. Batteries - not for the mileage but they actually lower the center of gravity. The car feels much heavier than the 460 but the weight does not cause sluggishness. The 600 is a very powerful car and easily overcomes the additional battery weight.

Main disadvantage is: The trunk is small - quite small - because of the rear heating and cooling unit, which takes up half the trunk space. My two 600s are identical - nieman marcus edition cars - they come with rear temp control package - which is an option on the 460L. I think its standard on the 600. You get perfect temperature control for the rear passengers.