Hi All,

While I having been browsing for a while, this is my first post. I've read tons of great info on here, but never posted.... until today.

I am currently leasing a 2014 Volvo S60 T5 AWD and while I love the car, the lease is up and I need a much smaller payment. Being in grad school part time, paying on my student loans, far too many credit card payments, and a whole bunch of other crap with a third year teachers salary makes for a lack of disposable income.

My mother is a serial RX purchaser and suggested that I look at a used Lexus. I found a 2008 GS 350 AWD with 89,000 and talked them down to $17,800. That will make the payment much more manageable, which is nice, but 89,000 is a lot of miles for someone who has had everything paid for under a factory scheduled maintenance plan from Volvo for the last two years.

The dealership offered a 4yr/50,000mi Lexus Gold Extended Warranty for $3100 or a Penske 3.5yr/42,000mi Extended Warranty for $2500. Should I consider this? I like the idea of the big stuff being covered because I do plan on driving this car for a long time. The first RX my mother had ended up with almost 300,000 on it and was running great, but it was time for a new car for aesthetic reasons.

Any major issues with this year/model? Just trying to get a feel for everything. I know that if I take care of it, which I intend on, it will go for a long while, but having piece of mind that if something were to happen it would be covered.

Thanks in advance!

 

Hi welcome aboard. See if you can hold out for one with lower miles (70K miles) for around that price. There are plenty of GS350 out there compared to the GS430 and GS460s. If financing allows, don't shy away from a low mileage mint condition 2007 GS350s.

Since you are in the Northeast, keep an eye out for rust expecially rusty exhaust systems mainly on AWD models. The mid pipe will usually be the first to start leaking when it is corroded. There are alot of flimsy heat shield that rot away. Also check for loud engines noises. It should only sound like a sewing machine due to the direct injection set up.

A car fax report only give some of the service details. You can look up actual Lexus service records by joining this site below. Enter any vin number to see the history.

https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lex...-lexus/home.do

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the info. I will keep looking, but time is running against me with the lease ending.

I checked the service history like you suggested and it looks like part of the exhaust was just replaced.

Here is the quote:
MANIFOLDMUFFLER - CUSTOMER STATES EXHAUST IS LOUD PLEASE CHECK - CENTER EXHAUST (Y - PIPE) LEAKING DUE TO HEAT SHIELD CLAMP AREA WORN THROUGH PIPE - REPLACED LEAKING EXHAUST PER LEXUS CERTIFIED WARRANTY AUTHORIZATION NUMBER VSA3EC7905 TOTAL APPROVED AMOUNT IS 1974.14

This was at 89357, now it has right around 89500.

 

Great. Make sure you inspect the mufflers also. Especially the top of them where rock salt can get trapped and corrode out the muffler. I was luck enough to get the dual mufflers replaced also the next day after my purchase for no charge! I am diappointed that Lexus used cheap thin guage metal for the exhaust system. I just need to make sure I rinse the undercarriage frequently during the winter.

I think I see the one you are interest in. It apears it just has the standard Lexus Audio system which some say is anemic. Hold out for the 330-watt 14-speaker Mark Levinson sound system that allows you to watch DVDs. The surround sound is AMAZING, movie theatre quality. Look for the Mark Levinson logo to the right of the "Lexus" on the audio system

 

Let me suggest looking at the 2010+, rather than the earlier cars. The 2010 has a few small improvements, notably adding bluetooth audio streaming (they all do bluetooth for phone).

There are 3 2010+ GS350 AWD's within 500 miles of 02801 under $20K. Bump the distance to unlimited and you've got 9 cars to choose from.

I flew to buy my GS460 back in February, I got a great deal. Plane tickets are cheap, $200-300 anywhere in the US one-way. It doesn't take much of a discount on the right car to make that worth it. You can do everything over e-mail/phone -- negotiate price etc -- except sign the paperwork.

Also, skip the warranty. Put money aside every month to cover maintenance and unplanned expenses, odds are you won't need more than oil changes for this car.

Good luck!

 

Here's some advice. Someone with credit card debt and student loans shouldn't be looking at a car payment for an 8 year old Lexus with 90K. You need a little Dave Ramsey tough love here, who would tell you to save/scrape together $5K and get a reliable beater. You will never, ever, get out of your debt hole by chaining yourself to car payments. The lease was a poor decision as well. Sorry to be a jerk, but I can't believe you are even considering a car payment in your financial situation.

 

"...paying on my student loans, far too many credit card payments, and a whole bunch of other crap with a third year teachers salary makes for a lack of disposable income."

Yeah, LexusLive, good advice. Doconnors you'd still have a substantial car note getting a 2008+ Gs350 if you barely put anything down and high interest rates with a subpar credit score due to high debt.

If you agree to "rough it" for a bit then I high recommend the 1994-2001 Toyota Camry 4cyl or V6. I have a beater 1994 Camry that I rack miles on and it very solid wiith only 210K miles on it. If you want something that looks respectable and luxury then I suggest the 1998-2005 GS300, GS400 and GS430s ( I've had all 3) . Just Check for timing belt service and lower ball joints. Those are the main concerns. The door locks failing and air climate recirculation motor are the other thing to look out for. There are guys with close to 300K miles on their 2GS so they are pretty reliable.

 

Hey, thanks for backing me up, JLAWS. I was kind of trolling, to be frank, because usually when I step in as the annoying voice of fiscal reason, the rest of the crowd here gets all pissed off. But sometimes I just can't help myself. I like a little controversy. For some reason, mentioning Dave Ramsey's name really irritates people on CL.

 

I agree with LexusLive. We all want nice, modern cars to drive in but in due time. As suggested, take a look at a 1998-2005 GS. I would suggest 2001-2005. You could get one with about 120k miles for 5-7k.

Use the money you would spend on a monthly car loan to pay off your student loans / credit card debt quicker.

 

I'm not here to tell you how to spend your money, (this is Club Lexus, not Edward Jones) but I can say that in addition to JLAWS' mention of rusty exhausts, check differentials and axle shafts for leaks and torn rubber boots (AWD specific.) Take care of it and it'll take care of you.

 

+1 on 2nd gen gs recommendation. They are super solid and ultra reliable. I had mine go to 300k and the new owner is driving it with no issues.

 

Thanks for the input guys. There is nothing wrong with tough love. I'm a teacher, remember. I'll keep looking around. You suggestions are helpful.

 

dconnors. If you're still interested I have the same car you mentioned '08 GS350 that I'm actually putting up for sale next week. PM me if you're still looking. I'm a private owner so you'll save quite a bit .

 

find a 2010+ trust me


this is mine

 

That would not be enough of a reason to go over my $16K car budget. My 2007 that I own is essentially the same car. I could spend $250 for the Nav screen enhancements that allow watching movies while driving and smart phone connectability. Besides while the 3gs features are still cool and holding up somewhat, it is "old" compared to the new car technology.