191185

Hello,

I am in the market for a 2010 - 2013 RX-350

This will be driven daily by the wife. She drives 3 miles each way to work , and that's about it, maybe the grocery store once a week.

I was thinking buying a high mileage one, as she won't put many miles on it, so it still shouldn't break down often, as it will be driven less ?

Or, should I buy a low mileage one, because she won't rack up miles, and it will hold value much longer ?


looking at a high mileage 123,382 miles, 2010 for $18,900

Or Low mileage 23,434 2013 for $30,000 ???

or anywhere inbetween

any insight ? thank you!

kenji4861

I'd personally go with the 2013 for $30k. For 2013, Lexus did a facelift with the DRL and the LED lights in the front is a small change but gives it a modern look.

If tight on budget, save a lot of money and go with the high mileage. Same comfortable RX350.

191185

What sort of things, if any, would start to break after 100,000 miles ?

the water pump and timing belt correct ?

anything else ? what about transmissions, or headgaskets ? are they pretty rock solid on these ?


I did notice alot of people tend to trade them in before 100,000 , wondering why ? Is it most people who buy these have a much higher household income, and its simply not a big deal to trade in for a new one ?

or do these get sketchy after 100,000 ?

Marqevans

I would think 100,000 miles triggers a big drop in trade-in value. In addition there are no cheap repairs on a Lexus. A new air conditioner can be $4,000 to $5,000. I am not saying these things happen often but when they do they are not cheap. If it is affordable I would go for the 2013. 2010 was the first year for this generation and 2013 will probably have a few bugs worked out and also a little bit more tech. One very annoying thing on the 2010 is they buried the power outlet and usb outlet way down in the bottom of the floor console.

afpj

we have a 2010. We just like the look better so not planning on trading for a long time. Got 95k miles. I plan on keeping ours to 200k miles +. Only had oil leak from front cover seal and rear shocks replaced. If you like the spindle grill, then get a newer one. As far as reliability: no timing belt, uses a chain so should not be a problem. Tranny, as long as it has had regular fluid maintenance, can last a long time. (so, maintenance records are key). Water pump to me is a wear/tear item, so inevitably plan on replacement. Past 100k miles, the only value to a dealer is auction value, so not going to get much for trade in. Just my $0.02

rj4510

If you buy a high mileage car, you can count on your wife being transferred to a new location or getting a new job. Get the best you can afford and keep her close.

kenji4861

Water Pump / Timing Belt should be changed before they actually break and yes.. they are asked to change at or around 100k. It's about ~$1500. It's not a big deal.

I've driven a Japanese car up to the 130k range and yes it started to have electrical issues here and there. When something stopped working "HID stopped working" "window not going down" "proximity unlock stopped working".. each time was a $400-1000 fix and going to the mechanic was a headache, but wasn't a big deal financially compared to the depreciation of a new one. It's mainly just the time of dropping off, picking up etc.

Once again just depends on your budget. Some people don't mind getting a hotel a little far away from Disneyland to walk or pay for taxi. Some people want to pay a lot and stay in Disneyland. Sorry, may be a bad analogy.

It's a Toyota, but I would expect some maintenance here and there.

rj4510

My earlier comment aside, the biggest issue with mileage are the unknowns. Tough to tell how a car was driven or cared for. I don't even know that with the RX I bought and it has only 16k on it. I had a 2003 GX and at 106k, everything started breaking. Not an ounce of trouble before then. My wife's 99 GS400 had no real issues till 130k. They were costing me roughly $3500 each annually to repair. That's still a far cry from a payment and depreciation, but far from cheap too. You can never really tell when things will creep up and at some point you don't dare go anywhere without your AAA card.

I know others who have put on a 100k more on their same cars and only having the same issues I was with mine. Climate makes a difference, maintenance is not the only factor. It's interesting how a dealer or anyone selling a car, especially a Toyota or Lexus will swear they will run to 300k, but won't give you $5 for them. Everyone knows it's a crapshoot on a used car. Add miles and age and the gamble leans more toward a loss than a win.

aachowhan

The 3.5 in those are rock solid. My cousin is a mechanic and I have been looking at these RX350 models. This is the same engine in the Highlander and some other vehicles. He said it can probably make it to around 200k miles before the chain needs replacing but its a hefty job.

lex_rx

Dealer may not CPO high mileage. Get records and test drive. Bring to another mechanic if you wish. I'd buy a high mileage one owner car versus a high mileage loaner car.

ericsan13

RX uses a timing chain and not a timing belt. Timing chain is supposed to be 'lifetime'.

FLYCT

how about an electric car like a used off lease 2013 Nissan Leaf. You can get a lightly used one between $9k for a base car up to $13K for top of the line SL model with Leather, navigation, automatic LED headlights, 360 degree camera, Bose stereo etc. it will cost her 15 cents a day for electricity to drive to and from work. No wear and tear warming up a gas engine, no oil changes, no tune ups,

We have a 2015 SL Leaf and now our 2015 RX450h rarely moves. We've put 3,000 miles on our leaf and 400 miles on our RX450h in the last 2 1/2.months..

Leap

If it is a 10k price difference for 100,000 less miles, I think that is worth it.

JT4

IMO if the add'l $11K isn't too much of a stretch for you go with the 2013 with 23K miles. A Lexus with 23K miles is basically brand new.. Good luck.

carguy75

Well it all depends on your budget and what you are looking for in a Lexus RX.

I had to make the same decision as you when me and my wife purchased our 2011 RX350 AWD.

We looked at a couple low mileage 2013 models which was not loaded up or had AWD for around $30k and we looked at higher mileage models loaded with AWD for less than $30k.

We settled on a 2011 RX loaded with AWD for $24K with 60k miles on it.

Since it had less than 100k miles we were able to purchase a full comprehensive 5y/50k miles extended warranty that covers everything until the car reach 110k miles or 5years.

I recommend that you find a RX that you like with about 50-70k miles and just drop a another $2-3k on a extended warranty so you will be covered while you pay on the car loan.

The $18k for the 2011 model you are looking at sound like a good deal if loaded, but I would spend a little more money and get a loaded out model with a warranty if possible.

However, if the 2013 model is loaded then I would just consider buying that one as well since you will be covered for two years by Lexus under their power-train warranty I believe.