Stemmer

Here's the deal, I have a '99 RX300, little over 200k, got a new engine and remanufactured tranny under the CPO warranty at around 86k and 90k. I think it's running great but a few people tell me it looks and feels old - rickety etc, perhaps I don't see it as I've grown attached. Wife has an '08 G35, 3 1/2 years old and the plan is to buy her a new car every 7-years and I get it years 8-14. So I got 3 1/2 years to go before we buy a new car.

My RX is worth about $3k wholesale now. If I keep it 3 1/2 years, still probably worth $1,500 or so, so depreciation is minimal. Of course there are risks of costly repair or breakdown, but it's been on a roll with no problems for over a year. Still in 3 1/2 years it will be nearly 17-years old as in service was June '98 and over 250k miles. An option is my in-laws are trading in their '07 Lexus ES 350 with 32k and will sell it to me for a bit under trade in offer as a favor. The ES had significant PD with two new doors put in by a dealer's shop, and looks perfect to me, but obviously will reduce value. It runs perfectly, the only issue being a big oil leak that popped up a couple of months ago and was covered by the powertrain warranty and repaired by the dealer with no other apparent issues. Lets say I can get it for $15k and sell my RX for $3k. Costs me $12k to switch, get to drive a much newer and lower mileage Lexus for 3 1/2 years. Wonder what trade in value on an '07 ES with about 80k miles and repaired damage would be in 2015 in considering how much of that $12k I would get back down the line.

I think the bottom line is whether I should count my blessings for such a good run with my RX and get out now, or keep gambling and ride it out for 17-years on the road and save the cash. Thoughts?

Stemmer

Sorry about that, it's probably not a used abbreviation. I meant property damage. Father in law drove into a concrete barrier on the passenger side with a very nice repair job by the dealer in my layperson opinion.

Thanks for the input. I think I agree with you and will pull the trigger if I can get it that cheap.

L3XOTIC

Of course vehicles depreciate. You can easily sell your RX for $3-4k with that miles. Especially if it snows alot in your state. You will have equity i think in the ES because the values on these Lexus dont take a major sudden dip. They depreciate slowly and your gonna be way ahead right off the bat.

hypervish

I think you can get much more than 3k for your RX300. Your looking at about 5.5-6k for the RX300, if not more than that.

Stemmer

I was talking trade in value and that's what I've been offered as trade when I was just considering options in the past year. Are you talking private sale? I've never sold privately and was planning on just selling to Car Max for wholesale as I was concerned about strangers showing up and testing the RX.

What are the best places to list a used car these days? I know there are several nationwide sites. If I could get $6k that would probably seal the deal and have me do this. But what about concerns on who I may be dealing with?

rx300mm

Our other car is 2007 ES350, it is quiet, smooth with lots of power and control when cutting corners. It is the opposite of driving RX300. But I enjoy driving them both as they feeling is different. Since you are getting a really good deal on the ES , I would go for it.

hypervish

Yup, I'm talking about Private Party Sale. You can at least 6k, i suspect more. List it at $7,500 and let the buyer negotiate. Don't drop more than 6k.
Post it up on craigslist.

thomas1

Yep, that is how I sold mine....got 6k for 187k miles RX..They got a great deal as there was zero bad on my RX.....Carmax offered $4100...but I got so many calls on Craiglist...Just be careful and make it a cash only deal, even if you have to take them to a bank to cash check, at their bank, not yours...

lexus114

Get the ES, you`ll be glad you did.

L3XOTIC

sell it on craigslist. stop being paranoid of strangers showing up to test drive your RX. would you rather have a stranger drive and buy it for 6, or take a 3k loss and sell it to carmax who will re-sell it for 7995? Thinka bout it.