meffaman

Deciding between a 2004 330 w/65k miles for $12k, or assuming a lease on a 2013 w/21k miles for $563 for 9 remaining months, with option to purchase @$31,100.

Two totally different cars and price tags I know. 2013 has NAV & Blindspot? Owner says sticker was over $50k. So, trying to determine if the 2013 is a good price for starters. $31,100 + 9mos @$563 = $36,100 if I went that route, or current buyout is $35,200.

I had a used 2005 RX330 that I bought in 09 w/64k miles and loved it. Sold it 3yrs later and leased a 2012 Honda Pilot, just returned on Friday and trying to decide what to do.

Wife has a 2002 RX300 w/155k that we bought 2yrs ago for $5250 and that vehicle runs & drives like a champ! I've done brakes, tires, & transmission cooler line replacement. I changed the tranny fluid 4 or 5 times and it's super pink now at last change. Moral being I'm not adverse to a well running used vehicle that has low road tax, insurance etc... with more potential for upkeep.

Thoughts on 330 or 350 lease takeover are much appreciated!

TechNut

First, without knowing what packages the 2013 has, it would be hard to confirm the original price, but in general it sounds very similar to ours and so the "over 50K" price seems reasonable.

As to which vehicle you should go with, both are terrific vehicles but actually more different than you might think. We moved from an 04 that we loved to a 2013. The 13 is noticeably larger and taller. It too is a terrific ride but a bit tall for my wife so I tend to drive it more than my wife. We love all the new bells & whistles on the 2013, especially the blind spot monitoring. In fact, it works so well we swore we would never have another car without it, and it was even a factor in the decision to replace the Prius with the ES. If you like the keyless entry and all the goodies as we do, you will find the 2013 to be a wonderful replacement to the RX 330 that you previously enjoyed.

If you follow this board, you will have noticed there are some posters that have found the 3rd gen RXs to have a stiffer ride than your previous 05. I can't say I am among them, but there are too many to be simple coincidence. I would recommend you drive them both with eye towards the ride comfort, including the ingress/egress height before you make a purchase decision.

kitlz

meffaman, while the '04 has super low miles and is barely broken in, it doesn't have bluetooth like your '05. For some reason Lexus introduced it during the second model year of the second gen RX. The '13 is going to have features galore over the '04 plus the benefit of the remaining basic warranty. Have you driven both to see which one you like better? They are different like you've already mentioned. I'd start there if you haven't already. Good luck.

meffaman

Great points about the 2013 having more features and a warranty. I loved the hands-free Bluetooth that I had in the Pilot and know I would really miss that. The 05 I had didn't have it, must have come later maybe mine wasn't as optioned (no NAV).

I haven't driven a late model RX350 and would hope they've gotten even better over the 05 I had. I can look this up, but is the 2013 roomier than the 2005 I had? More room would be nice.

I almost bought a new Pilot but didn't pull the trigger due to their VCM, and do really long for that
Lexus ride & quality again. The Pilot had good utility, but I have a GMC crew-cab pickup for that.

Back to price on the 350. 9mos @ $563 + $31,100 buyout at end, which I'd likely do sooner.
Any thoughts on that? If I get the VIN would that make it easier to figure out?

Thanks for the help!

meffaman

Made a list of pros/cons for both and planning to go with the 2013. Just seems like a better long-term decision.

Anyone have any experience with lease takeovers? Tips, things to be aware of etc...? Researching what I can at the moment.

meffaman

Just got a pic of the sticker for the 350, $51,829. The owner said the only thing to note is he had Lexus
change the 19" wheels to 18's for a smoother ride. I ran the vin on the Lexus site and see this documented at the very beginning.

Other than that a mention of the rear hatch not closing correctly which was apparently taken care of, and a foul smell when turning on the A/C and it looks like that was taken care of with a cabin filter.

Next up is a physical inspection & test drive.

meffaman

Seller backed out..... bummer.

neelnaik

I own a 2004 RX330, and I love it. Don't get me wrong, but if you can afford a 3rd gen RX, go for it. I would love to have the features the 3rd gen RX does.

BTW: Your 2005 should have had bluetooth? Also, on the 2004 RX 330, the passenger side is only 4 way power (which kinds sucks in my opinion).

meffaman

Had enough of trying to find the right pre-owned and decided to lease. Just drove it home and man I couldn't be happier right now! Talk about a painless transaction to boot too. The numbers were just too attractive compared to buying right now, and I figure if I love it in 3yrs I'll buy it out, or just rinse and repeat if I want new again.

The sticker was $50,703 and their buy price was $45,450. I leased it for $3k down which includes 1st payment and then $433 per month for remaining 35 months. Residual buyout is $30,928.

What do you guys think of the numbers?

Silver exterior w/black interior.

OceanView

$433 per month is before taxes right?
I'm starting to look into getting a new one.

meffaman

Nope, $433 includes taxes. Took me a little bit to get my head around putting up the $3k, though I could have put down less and just had that much more of a monthly payment. After a couple days of driving it I have zero regrets and love the ride.

kitlz

No regrets, that's the most important part of it all. Glad it worked in the end. Enjoy your RX!

OceanView

That's awesome.
What options did you get?

meffaman

Comfort pkg, Nav, Parking assist, Premium Pkg, wood & leather trimmed steering wheel & shift ****, cross bars, cargo net/mat wheels locks & key glove.

Those are the items I'm seeing on the sticker as optional. Besides rear entertainment system I'm not sure what else there is unless you go to the F Sport, though I think you can get 19" wheels. Sticker was $50,703