sailakfan

Hello everybody,

Nice forum and keep up the good work. Not a Lexus family yet but have narrowed it down as the wife's next vehicle. We tend to keep cars for over ten years so decided to go the hybrid route in the 350 vs 450h debate. We did not just decide based on mpg but several other factors of owning a hybrid.

On our search we came across a 2011 450h with everything on it except the Mark Levinson with less than 10,000 miles. This was at a dealer and the list price was around $48K. The lowest he would go was $46750.

My question is should we go for this or since 2013 is around the corner wait a little and get a brand new 2012?

Thanks in advance.

MX5NES350

Hi and welcome. I'm assuming the 2011 is not a CPO, right?

You've a couple of options - wait for the 2013 facelift which is coming out August (someone correct me if I am wrong on that) and see what kind of deal you can get on it, which will probably not be much. However, you would most likely be able to score a new 2012 as a leftover at a great price with the whole factory warranty vs. one that's had a year on it already.

BertL

I agree with MX5NES350. Your challenge is simply timing. Rumors on the 2013 RX Facelift (see the "Car Chat" forum) have availability pegged anywhere from April to normal Fall (Aug/Sept/Oct) availability. Refresh of the RX line won't then happen for perhaps another 2-3 years. There is no formal announcement on any of it yet, so it's all speculation and not worth a whole lot more than that at this point. 2011 and 2012 RX are nearly the same looks/under-the-covers wise. 2013 will have the facelift. Prices of new models of course keep going up, and dollar/yen conversion only make that worse for us here in the US.

I tend to keep my cars 5-7 years. While a little different than your situation, I'm also a bit caught with timing now as well. I placed an order for a 2012 RX450h on November 9. It should have (finally) been built last week and then arrive in March. As I've told my dealer, I plan to take delivery of the 2012 model unless the 2013 has been officially announced by that time OR my dealer has knowledge it's truly coming soon thereafter -- in which case I'd have to know new features, pricing and availability to decide if I start over with the ordering process or not. I knew I wanted the new car in November, could afford it then and features/price were OK for me, so I doubt very much I'll wait an additional 4-9 months while the 2013 becomes available. What is that old saying... something about "time to fish or cut bait"? You too probably just have to decide when the price for what you're getting make sense and make a move.

Good luck on your decision, and welcome in advance to the Lexus community!

GoHuskers

If it is me then I will wait for the 2013 this summer.

Good luck.

kitlz

Welcome to CL, sailakfan.

I'd wait for the '13 to come out too. June is what I heard from my dealer on the refresh. That'll drop the prices on a '12 new and an '11 used even more. The only problem is with gas prices rising, inventory on the 450h might be low and potentially inflate prices.

Good luck with your decision.

JimH2

I would wait till the 2013 model comes out, and then make a good deal on a 2012. If the 2011 really impresses you as far as everything it has to offer, I would just make an offer that you are willing to pay today (e.g., $ 44K), since it will be a 2-year old model fairly soon.

Ciege

I just recently picked up a 2011 450h... In my mind it made the most sense to get it now, before gas goes much higher... Also, I was ready to buy now and I wanted it... Finally, I did not buy new so that I could avoid the drive off the lot depreciation...

MX5NES350

I always bought pre-owned for exactly that reason except for a Ford Focus back in '01 as an '02 and my current RX. Reason I chose to go new on this one is that, for whatever reason with the owners/dealers here, people who owned these things ABUSED THE HECK OUT OF THEM. Exteriors with massive stone chips (understanding some cannot be avoided), big scrapes along the corners even with parking sensors, hatch scratches from opening it in a garage, carpet stains beyond comprehension, scratches/scrapes/gouges in the interior plastic, scrapes on the wood trim, worn leather on the steering wheel on ONE YEAR OLD vehicles, curb rash on the wheels you would vomit at, and my biggest pet peeve - door cup ring scratches; you can't get rid of these things... I can go on and on. I chose new on this one to avoid those and I am sucking up the depreciation in order to know whatever damage is caused that I was the one who caused it. It only costed me an additional ~$4K retail and my psyche is better for it.

RyanDe680

it was my understanding that the new 2013 Rx 450h was going to be unveiled in Geneva on or around March 6th?

I've heard dealers saying it will hit mid-April?

BertL

Yes, I've read that too, but also have various people on this forum with their "contacts" indicating a bunch of other dates of availability ... June, Fall, August, etc. over In threads in the Car Chat forum and other net sources. At least for me, I'm now beyond the speculation frenzy, and just keeping my ears and eyes open for the formal announcements and facts to be revealed as to what will be available in the US whenever that may be.

Ciege

That really is too bad in your case, what you have found out there... The one I got was very clean aside from one scratch on the hood (that is getting repaired) and some scuffing on the door sills. I guess I got pretty lucky in my find...

BertL

Boy can I relate to that. I personally bite the bullet and buy new for the same reason. I know every little mark or ding and where it came from on my rides, and they all drive me nuts as time goes along, so less is always better. With business, I've driven and ridden in many a rental for example, and know how people abuse them -- sometimes in ways that are not phyisically visible or immediately evident. I couldn't tell you how many times in those rentals I've thought about some poor person that ultimately buys it and something happens well beyond whatever warranty there still is. Even with CPO, I would still always wonder how the car was treated by it's former owner. On the other hand, my friends always want to know when I'm going to sell my cars, as they want first dibs on something they know has been taken care of it's entire life. I know I pay a big price to drive a new car off the lot, but for me, especially with my keeping a car 5-7 years on average, it's the only way to go -- at least as long as I can afford it.

sailakfan

I was away and just logged back in and glad to see the replies. Thanks friends.

MX5NES350, Right, it is not a CPO. I think after reading the replies I am going to wait it out till 2013 is out and get a 2012.

BertL, Thanks for the reply and hope and wish I have your patience. Let us see.

Gohuskers, Thanks

Kitlz, Thanks for the advice and hopefully the gas prices will go down when 2013 is out.

JimH2, Thanks and the dealer turned down $44,500 yesterday and do not minding waiting a bit to score a new one for 3-4K more.

Ciege, Thanks and good decision but since we keep cars for long time until now we had never bought a used one. On the long run it was certainly worth it but everybody's needs and priorities are different so good decision on your part. Same reason I started looking at the used ones but I think this thread might have changed my decision.

MX5NES350, Excatly the same reason we never bought used cars. I take meticulous care of my cars and the new car way atleast I the complete history where it has been.

Anyway thanks everybody and I did not mean to open any can of worms, used vs new, each has it's pros and cons.