jackbaoer

We are trying to get a 3rd gen RX with a budget of 30k, give a take a couple of grands. It would be great to know what years and models to look for/avoid.

Also, how reliable is cargurus' "great deal" system is ?
Thanks.

RickC5

I don't know about prices in Texas, but here in Colorado, you would be looking at 2010 & 2011 models. Anything newer would be out of your stated price range.

RX330inFL

Agree with RickC5. Price limits your range of 3rd Generation RX. Would be best to just look for features you are wanting and low mileage. Doubt you will find many 2011 even in your price range, so it will more than likely be a 2010 for you. For example:

http://www.cars.com/for-sale/searchr...les&sf2Dir=ASC

tromly

On ebay, I have seen 2010's go for 24k-34k, all depends on miles, good luck. I would say try to find a nice 2010 for $28k.

RickC5

I failed to mention earlier that during our RX search 6 weeks ago, we found several lower-priced 2011 RXs with moderate mileage, priced in the lower 30s. HOWEVER, there was a catch. For me, it was a BIG catch. All of these RXs came from New Jersey. which you may recall was "ground zero" for hurricane Sandy. That could explain the very odd odor--sort of like moldy carpet--and the repainted undercarriage in the one we test drove. No thanks!

Interesting that those RXs were bought on the East Coast--obviously cheaply--and trucked all the way to Colorado to be sold to (unsuspecting?) consumers. The smelly one still hasn't been sold.

So do your homework! Ask to see the CarFax to find out the RX's history and where it came from. Don't believe the salesman's BS about CarFax having all the info on the car--pure BS--because CarFax can't report what they don't know. So if someone cleans up a flood car, without an insurance company getting involved, CarFax won't ever know about it and can't report it. My advice is to avoid 2010 & 2011 & maybe 2012 RXs that came from the East Coast, especially New Jersey & New York. But hey, that's just me.

The 2010 we bought spent all it's life in Arizona and Colorado.

jackbaoer

RickC5, Thanks for the advice. So there is no particular year or engine size to avoid ? For example, we are also looking to get another vehicle (GS) and were advised to stay away from GS350 (09-11) because of the recalls.

As far as getting the most discount on a bigger budget, would you go with 2013s or 2012s ?

Thanks.

corradoMR2

There are earlier build 2010s that had noise issues primarily due to the side glass not being double-paned. Look for "laminate" or similar sticker on the side glass, or to be 100% sure, roll down the window and on its top cross-section, look for two layers of glass stuck with a third thin layer in between.

jackbaoer

cool. thanks. so other than that there is no "engine issue" for any 3rd gen RX, right ?

RickC5

Nope, all RX engines appear to be good. It's build quality and structure integrity that may be not up-to-par. Lots of RX owners (here & on other forums) complain about excessive squeaks & rattles.

I always test drive any vehicle I'm considering buying on a 30 mile "test drive course" that has everything but dirt roads: from 75-80 mph on freeway to real rough, old pavement. If a vehicle does OK on this course, then I'm convinced it will be OK to buy.

CorradoMR2 mentioned the wind/road noise issue with the front windows on early 2010 RXs. There is actually a TSIB on this, and the front door windows would be replaced under warranty as long as the RX is still under the original warranty. If the warranty has expired, it's your dime.

Our 2010 RX was built in Japan in February, 2009 and first sold in March, 2009. Luckily, someone replaced those front door windows on our RX already. The laminated windows are marked "LAMISAFE" in the etching, and the other windows are marked "TEMPERSAFE" meaning tempered glass. Our RX is quiet enough on the highway that we are pleased with it.

This is only my opinion, but getting any sort of a big discount on a used RX is going to be really difficult. Good luck with that. We got a small discount because we had bought 7 or 8 cars from this dealer previously. It was still like pulling teeth.

kitlz

As far as vehicles damaged by Hurricane Sandy, I posted this thread earlier in the year. Cars can be checked by VIN through a site developed by the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission and the Division of Consumer Affairs. Click here to start a search.

I'd like to add, the RX is very popular in the New York/New Jersey area. There are plenty of dealers too - 18 within 50 miles of me. Manheim is also close. They have a location just 20 miles from Manhattan now. That may be contributing to the surplus hitting other areas. BTW, my RXh stayed high and dry. Sandy did the most damage to coastal areas.

jackbaoer

Nice info. Thanks again.

How do you convince the seller/dealer to let you take the car out for a 30 mile test drive ?
Do you do this 30 mile test drive before or after negotiations.

By the way, I hate the negotiation process. It's like pulling teeth for me but I don't want to overpay either. Wish there is some service like this for a small fee....

RickC5

I'm 65 years old, and when I ask for a test drive, I've never been told "no", nor have I been told to restrict my driving to a short distance. If they ask where I'm going, I always say I need to take it on the freeway, which amounts to over 1/2 of the drive. Sometimes a salesman will ride along (depends on the dealer). I always take the test drive before any negotiations. If the car fails the test drive, I'm only out a 1/2 hour.

IMHO, to get the best deal possible, you absolutely MUST do all your homework before you even drive to the dealership. Take your homework (printed values, etc.) with you. Have a dollar figure in mind, and be ready to just walk out if the negotiations aren't going where you want them to. Also be flexible to some degree. The trade-in values you will find online are consistently inaccurate. You will always be offered less--sometimes much less--for your trade-in. It's the "new game" for screwing the consumer, and your only response may be to leave.

Don't forget, dealers make much more profit on used cars than on new cars, and my experience is that it's usually easier to get a good deal on a new car, but that's not chipped in granite either. A lot has to do with the time of month (end of month is best) and how many units (cars) the dealer needs to sell to meet their monthly/yearly goals.

BTW- I have heard of car-buying services, but have never researched them as I don't feel I need one.

RickC5

Still, there's something fishy going on (no pun intended) when dealerships in Colorado will buy used cars at auction on the east coast, truck them 1/2 way across the country to Colorado, offer those same cars at reduced prices compared to local cars, and still realize a reasonable profit after all that. They have to be getting these cars really cheap, and there must be a reason for that.