JMan23

Have no idea where to start, there's none near me, which makes the task of buying more difficult and makes me nervous.

Basically I'm looking for a car to replace my '98 ES300. I figured the GS430 would be a great upgrade as it's much more power, sporty, etc all while still remaining reliable

I see a couple of deals of $5500-$7000 and the cars are in great condition, but they are in places like California, Texas, etc. Ive never flown a plane so getting to those states, me being in Illinois, would be no easy task. That's not mentioning driving back. Though that does sound fun....

-How do I negotiate price? Two cars are within the same price, same great condition. They're both $7k, one has 122k and the other has 94k. Would rather buy the 122k as it should be cheaper. Do I send them a link?

-How do I get the car inspected? Do I pay a business to do it? I've head of PPI but don't know what it is exactly

-Ive skimmed through bank and dealership loans, will probably go bank but I don't know.

-How would shipping work? Would the dealer do it for me? Who would pay the shipping fees?

-Lastly, the 3rd car is a private seller. Is this process the same?


Thanks for the help!

kevin3344

PPI is pre-purchase inspection, when we purchased our SC430 last year the Toyota dealer had already gotten the car ready for sale. We arranged shipping through uShip from FL to NC (about $500) and they kept the car in the back for about 2-3 weeks until the shipper arrived. Shipping took about 5 days the title came about 2 months later, we had a temporary tag (2) until it arrived.

JMan23

Who did the prepurchase inspection? If it was the dealership you bought from, you weren't worried they would scam you?

Is it possible to get the dealer to pay the shipping? Or negotiate it in the car price? If I'm getting the car from California shipping could possibly $800+. That's a total of $7800 which is definitely not what in looking for. I guess that's out of the window.

kevin3344

We purchased it from Royal Palm Toyota in Palm Beach, FL (I think the name has changed now). Of course, you'll have to do your due diligence with reviews and such to make sure you purchase from a reputable dealer. They offered to set up shipping but said we would have to pay, so we did it ourselves which wasn't a problem. Depending on what your budget is I wouldn't mind purchasing a low mileage 2GS and having it shipped as it will no doubt last you many years.

Luxurious

no one is gonna give you a ppi for an old car like that. ive asked a long time ago and people just laugh.

ur overthinking it. these arent bmws or mercedes cars

kevin3344

When purchasing from a private seller you would have to set up your own PPI. There are businesses out there that will do an inspection and send you a report (WeGoLook for example). Not only did our car come with complete service records but the rep at the Toyota dealer did a Facetime video with me of all the features (started the car, made sure the convertible top worked, etc). So I kind of knew what I was getting into. Of course only you can tell if it's worth it to take a chance on a car you can't see in person. That being said I did have to replace the battery within a week (probably due to sitting on the lot) and a cracked vacuum hose that triggered a CEL. It is a 15 year old car after all. Overall though, the car was in excellent condition and I was happy with the purchase.