Purchasing in the next 2 weeks- Do's/Don'ts/Tips
 

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Your warranty is a 4 year/50k basic warranty.

Powertrain is 6 year/70000 miles.

http://www.lexus.com/pdf/service/MY1..._C_ISF_WSG.pdf

Which 350... GS, RX, IS, ES ? :)

My last RX400h I bought was used from a Toyota dealer. It was on the lot also a similarly long time. It was listed at $34,900, and they gave me 19K for my Venza. My offer was 31K and $21,500. They said no. I politely and IMMEDIATELY said "Thank you, that does not work for me, have a good day" as I walked out the door, no looking back. 30 seconds later, the sales rep ran out the door (not kidding) as I had my car on backing up. He gave me the deal.

In short, here are some negotiating tips:

1. Go in with your family as it shows you're committed to close out on a deal the moment you walk into the dealer. Wife and kids ESPECIALLY effective as I did on that day. Seeing that the number one excuse people have to get out of a conversation with a sales rep is "I need my wife to see it" or "I need to talk it over with my wife".

2. Look for any dings or notable scratches on the exterior, and any tears/major wear on the inside. Same with tires and brakes for wear. Go for a test drive and test everything (switches, sound system, wipers, active safety features, etc). Point out anything "wrong" that needs to be addressed being polite about it but at the same time showing concern. Leave it open ended to see if it's a financial deduction or a repair that is suggested and accept it or counter it based on what makes sense to you. Spending time on the vehicle and analyzing every detail, shows you are dead serious on buying the vehicle. Don't forget all manuals, first aid kit, tire jack and tools, and two fobs + one valet key as they are expensive to replace. If a cargo net is missing, have them throw one in. With the RXh, there was a small tear in the rear right armrest, and brakes that were worn I pointed out which they noted on the contract for repair/replacement.

3. Have them provide you a written inspection/report on the condition of the vehicle as a condition of sale as well. I did this with the RXh.

4. Take your time at the dealer, as if you have all the time in the world. I showed up at the dealer about 30 mins before closing, then by the time I test drove it, did my inspections, etc, RXh deal was signed 1 hour after the dealer was already closed. Even the Sales Manager got directly involved with the transaction at some point. Everyone wants to go home at the end of their work shift, happy. :).

Good luck.

Thanks for the replies guys!

It's an IS350, sorry don't know how I left that out.

Anyone else there recently buy a used certified pre-owned lexus? Looking to follow corradoMR2's strategy but unsure how much to offer yet.

On the test-drive, in addition to the good suggestions above, be especially attentive to see if there is any steering-wheel shimmy at highway speeds (50 and up) from tire or wheel mount/imbalance, or any pulsations in the brake pedal indicating warped, out-of-round brake rotors. Both are common problems as a car ages......and, in some cases, even on brand-new cars. On a level stretch of road with no crown, see if the car pulls left or right significantly..........that could be bad wheel alignment or bent frame/suspension parts. And, of course, don't forget to ask your insurance company how much this particular car will cost to insure....that's an expense a lot of people forget about when they shop. Last, also don't forget that if your state has an annual personal-property tax on the assessed-value of a car (like we do here in VA), in general, the newer and/or more expensive the car, the more tax you pay on it every year from its assessed value.

That's true here in Nevada. It starts out at 5% of the value of your vehicle(assessed at 35% of MSRP when it's brand new and depreciated at 10% annually afterwards). I paid roughly $330 in taxes on mine, in addition to registration fees.

As a tax guy, I just want to remind y'all that any personal property tax on vehicles is deductible on your tax return, while anything called a 'registration fee' is not.


Some states without that tax still punish newer vehicles anyway. In Utah, the registration fee is higher for newer vehicles, gradually decreasing to $60 after 10(or maybe 12) years.

I'll be purchasing or leasing a car soon too.

And this is such an excellent "reminder" list when I go to negotiate my own deal, I printed it out. Thanks Corrado!!!! :thumbup:

Go on the last day of the month

Look at potential trade in values for the car you're buying, can help give an idea of what the dealer might be into the vehicle for, + cost of certification warrantly, any refurbishment, etc.

http://clearbook.truecar.com

http://kbb.com

Both can also give ideas of the retail listed price for the car as well.