Hello All, I will soon be a GX owner, pretty excited about it actually. Can anyone give insight on what your deciding factors were on buying? I am at the point of it going either way with this.

1. Buy a less expensive '03-04 with ~100-130K miles ($12,000 ish)

Or

2. Buy a 05-08 ranging from 70-100K miles, but more (Expensive $22,000 ish)

I know the 07 added ipod/ aux, 05 stronger engine, etc...

Thanks for any input on your buying decision.

 

Buy the best example within a budget you're comfortable with. By that I mean look at maintenance, service history, accidents history. You do not want to buy what you thought was a good deal then end up with $$$ on deferred services.

 

Thanks NTH, I've filtered down to most having the big services done. I've found the ones at 100k seem to have the big ticket items done, versus the under 100k, not having it done yet. I'm leaning more to lower cost, more maint stuff completed, versus newer with those maint items falling in my hands. Just wanted to see another viewpoint, as I'm sure I'm missing something

 

Where in FL are you located? I've considered selling my 2004 that is at 101K. 90K service completed.

 

Don't forget at 90k, timing belt/water pump should be replaced also. Use that as a negotiation point if not already done. Good luck with the hunt. It's half the fun.

 

Thanks NTH, good advice.

Sprocket I'm in Jax, but plan on up to 300 miles for the right GX

 

get the newer one with less miles with the better motor

 

I'm just north of Orlando. If you want to know more bout mine shoot me a message.

 

470, so that is the one that starts in 2005 correct?

 

Yup, 2005 had the updated 4.7 motor

 

Is it a better motor all together or just slight bump in hp?

 

they added vvti in 05, its the same motor more or less, just a little more power and a little more complex.
If you have dreams of fitting a supercharger to it some day, get the non-vvti.
If you just want more power out of the box and not going to mess with it, get the vvti if you can afford it.
Auxiliary was not as important to me as finding one without navigation so its possible to install a double din unit in (w/backup camera and the works).
both models have the 5 speed automatic so acceleration will still feel crisp even with the non-vvti.

 

I spent the better part of a year trying to find the perfect GX for me. What I finally had to accept is that I was buying a used car and used cars, no matter who owned it before, are still used. If you want a perfect car then buy new. That being said, Im not sure i will ever buy a brand new car.

A couple of weeks ago i finally pulled the trigger on a GX. Black 2005, 105,000 miles with Black/Gray interiror, NAV, and ML audio. My final decision was based on a few things.

First was age, I didnt really want to buy a car that was more than 10 years old. At a certain point, no matter how well you take care of your truck, things wear out and need replacing. So I decided '05 or newer was my cutoff.

Second was records/# of previous owners; I wanted to find a GX that had 1 owner and a solid amount of service records. Now some people dont care how many owners there were as long as it has the records, I prefer to buy a vehicle that has the best of both worlds. 1 owner history with a strong service record (at the years were talking, I even preferred to look at models with 90k + miles that had had the 90k service done, its a lot of money to spend pretty quick if you buy something at 85k). Mine had 1 owner, a suburban soccer mom. Never driven hard or offroad.

Third was Options/Condition. This car does not actually have a lot of optional extras. I wanted the factory NAV and upgraded ML Sound (Many of the used GXs you see will). I also wanted a black (int/Ext) GX. So keep these kinds of things in mind. I wasnt really concerned with the updates in '07 (AUX, NAV graphics) an aux input can be installed rather inexpensively at any time. My new GX has a very well taken care of interior, the ext on the other hand has some dings and scratches. This, again, is personal opinion. I spend my time inside the car not looking at the outside so i preferred everything inside to be in great shape. You have to decide what is more important to you. theres no right or wrong just your opinion.

Finally, buy from a dealer you trust. This goes for any used car, but i recently had a bad experience with my girlfriend buy a new to her BMW. So make sure you buy from someone that will take your phone calls 1 week out if the starter fails and the battery dies within a couple of days.

I guess my point is this: Figure out what is important to you out of your GX and what you dont really care about. Once you have that sorted out, stick to it. There are more than enough GXs around to pick from, be patient and take your time. When you find the right one you will know, trust your gut.

My Opinion: '05 or newer, 100,000 +/- Miles (assuming the 90k service was done), NAV, no aftermarket changes of anykind

 

Ali, 470, Jellwood, thanks for the replies.

Jellwood, I agree, I tend to take all those into consideration. This search has been 2-3 months in the making for myself. It is cool how the mileage is nearly all the same, but the model year seems to be the variable that drives the price.

So far I've decided on color, interior, acceptable mileage, service records. I am actually okay spending less if I can find one with all those variables, as I would have more in pocket money to pay for things that fail/break. This car would be paid cash, is why I am really leaning into the 10-15k range.

3 mechanics in the family, but not sure they would be up to the task of a failed cpu, or the the sophisticated electronics of a luxury car, so I am not too sure how much all that would help. I figured a low buy in, would allow a few $1,500 dollar trips and maybe a one time $4-5,000 trip to the dealer. Hopefully that will allow me to get an extra 100K miles out of one of these beasts.