crossfire

Hey! I'm currently a Ford owner looking to switch a Lexux RX 350 due to the good reliability. I'm currently looking at a used 2013 model that is being sold through a Toyota dealership and I had a few questions regarding the vehicle.

a) Is it okay to purchase a Lexus from a Toyota dealership. I understand they're the same brand but wasn't sure if I should be looking at CPO vehicles instead

b) The current price is approx 30,500 with 31,000 miles on it. It has both the navigation package, towing package, and premium package equipped. Would this be considered a worthy deal?

Thanks for reading

rld14

FWD or AWD? 4th digit of the VIN is a "Z" on FWD and "B" on AWDs.

a) Just like anywhere else, due diligence is on you. Remember that CPO vehicles have to meet stringent standards and come with 4 free services and a great warranty, but that also costs. My average spend on a CPO Lexus is $2,000 on recon/service work and the warranty costs us $1,395. If market value on a CPO in your area is $32K then no, $30,500 probably isn't a good deal, if it's $34K, then sure, this would be a good deal.

b) Again... what color and FWD or AWD?

11bravo

I agree with rld, and will add...

Of course, it is okay to purchase from a Toyota dealer. In fact, it is probably a good idea, if they have the car you want.

I would not sweat getting a CPO vehicle unless it was a very good deal simply because of the reliability of the RX. You will pay more for the CPO, unless you inherit it. I am not saying CPO's are a bad deal, because they are not. If I could have gotten one, and got the price I did, I would have done it.

It sounds like a good deal, but not a great deal. If you could get it for $29K, or $29.5, that would be better, of course. Shop craigslist and cargurus in your are for comp values...there are plenty to compare to.

crossfire

Thanks for the replies guys.

to give a little more detail, it's a FWD and the color is silver with a light grey interior. From what I looked at the cars in the area so far, a lot of the similarly equipped CPO vehicles are around 33-34k. I suppose it sounds that if I'm able to negotiate to something like $29k then it would be a better deal.

MDames2

iTrader: (1)

Forget all this talk about "great" deals. They're great for a reason. They are rare. The price you were quoted is a reasonable offer. It is a good value. If you like the vehicle, and you've checked it out mechanically to ensure there are no issues with it, you should go for it.

rld14

Be careful of cars priced well under market... There is usually a reason for it.

For your market that car is priced more than fairly. Obviously offer less, but in case they won't go lower (And that would not surprise me) understand that you're not overpaying at all. If it was an AWD it would be a flat out steal.

raylor4

My best friend has the same color combo as the one you're considering. It looks GREAT! I say if there are no issues with the car, offer them 10% less than sticker and you should settle for around 8 - 9% off sticker. Look 'em in the eye and say "I think XX,XXX is a fair price" and try to stick to your guns. They will offer you an extended warranty after signing all the papers. That's another toss-up for you. The reliability is pretty high on these babies. Have fun driving your new ride.
Our '11 FWD had the same mileage as yours when we bought ours. Now we are pushing 60K with only routine maintenance being done (at the Toyota dealer) We have complete confidence in the Toyota family.
Ray A.

rld14

Just a heads-up, $29K on this would be about what it costs at auction (So if they take it then you got a steal).

$3K off would be substantially less than they could wholesale it for, I would pass on an offer like that.

crossfire

Hey rld, so from what I'm understanding by your statement. If they're willing to take $29k for it then that's an offer worth taking. However if it's anything less than that, there's potential for some serious issues that they're not saying?

I do plan on taking it to another mechanic to give it check. I actually visited the car yesterday and besides a few nicks and scratches here and there it looks pretty clean - I test drove it and didn't seem to have any issues. The biggest thing I saw was the bumper protruding slightly on the left side, like it was little loose.

Carfax also shows that it was a lease and it was actually L certified at a Lexus dealership before being sold off in an auction to the Toyota dealership.

rld14

Get me the VIN and I'll check the service history if you'd like.

If you can buy it for $29K you're stealing it. Personally I wouldn't take that deal as a seller. The Lexus dealer sold it (probably at auction) probably because it sat around too long. It happens, it doesn't mean that it's a bad car per se.

What I meant about pricing is to be careful of cars priced way too low... A member on here recently asked me to run a check on a GS350 out in California... clean Carfax, car had frame damage and was wholesaled by a Lexus dealer. It sold at auction, with an announcement, for a good $5-6,000 or so under what a nice one would do.

In other words it had been in a nasty accident at some point and therefore sold cheaply but, it was a 2014 F-Sport in White over Cabernet with low miles for $31-32K or something like that.

crossfire

Hey rld, thanks for the insight. I've PMed you the VIN number for you to check on. Thanks so much for offering to do that! And yes you're right, based on your experience I will definitely be careful about it.

rld14

Looks like a nice car, appears to have been offered for sale as a CPO and wholesaled likely due to age in inventory (it's routine).