vollandt

Just for a reference point at the other end of the LS430 market, I picked up a Geezer driven 2001 430 in pearl with ecru with 85k miles for 11k. No paint or body work ever done, no door dings, no scratches.
The only flaw in the car that i could find is that the struts for the trunk where shot and the leather on the center console is has some discoloration. Both of these can be easily remedied.
According to lexus records, the original owner basically bent over and did all the maintenance that the dealer wanted to do. Defiantly not my first choice color combo, as overall condition and price had a hire priority for me. Having said that, I am actually starting to like the color.
if money where no object, I would have rather had an 03 or later in silver or black, but I just couldn't justify burning an extra 8-10k.
Once a car is 8+ years old, the market resists valuing it much more than 10k no matter what the condition or brand of the car is.
If you are lucky enough to find and older LS in mint condition, they can be a tremendous value.

caddyowner

Contrary to the listing, the interior is not ecru comfort leather. (That would make it a UL or CL trim). That car is a ML trim with an ash (gray) interior.

Jabberwock

Vollant - Excellent post - probably the smartest advice I have seen on the board regarding buying a used LS on a reasonable budget.

aypues

no AUX until the '07 460. You'll need to get an aftermarket solution, vais tech or whatever. i need to get one myself. I don't know if u can get bluetooth without Nav though (referencing your earlier post)

CarGuy89

Thanks for letting me know. I searched on google and got nowhere. It isn't a necessary thing. Maybe I'll go old school and just use a tape with aux cord haha.

Thanks vollant for sharing that. I will definitely keep an eye out. CPO is pretty tempting to me just in case something big were to go wrong. But, if it's a similar situation as your buy then I would not be worried at all.

Caddyowner, again some excellent advice and good catch. I have been reading some of your threads and wish your wife the best.

When I did a search for that particular 430 (see the last link I posted) the dealer website showed the car as a cpo. However, when I went onto Lexus' site, it did not recognize it as a cpo. Did Lexus just not update or is the dealer trying to pull a fast one? There is a similar car (same color combo, options, miles) that is cpo on both the dealer site and Lexus one going for 5k more.

caddyowner

I think the CPO listings on Lexus.com are the least up-to-date. I suspect they update their database weekly.

CarGuy89

Just wanted to update. I am officially one step closer as I just put my 328 for sale on craigslist and autotrader. If anyone (or you know anyone) who is looking for a silver/black 328i sedan with a 6 speed manual please let me know The 3 has been obsessively cared for and is in great shape! It still has factory and cpo warranty left till Jan 2013.

Well back to Lexus lol. Out of curiosity, how much do you guys spend on the car (maint-wise) per year? I seems like a service is recommended every 5000 mi. Also does cpo cover these or are routine services out of pocket?

Once again I would like to thank all those who have helped me. I went from knowing very little about the 430 to knowing an ok amount (still a rookie tho). My preferred car is currently silver/ash, ml pkg, 18in 5 spoke wheels, cpo.

vollandt

Besides changing fluids and timing belt at the recommended intervals – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Overall cost is going to depend on who you have do the work. I use a mobil mechanic that comes to me and is dirt cheap. ie $10 for an oil change, $250 for a timing belt/water pump. I supply everything. The labor rate at lexus is roughly 4x my mobile mechanic’s rate.

IMO - The downside with going the private mechanic route is that the records aren’t logged into lexus’ computer which could affect your re-sale value, and if something goes wrong, there is little recourse. If my car was worth 100k, paying the dealer rate would easily be worth it. Since my car is worth much less, using a well priced/qualified private mechanic makes more sense.

CarGuy89

Sounds like you have a great deal going Vollandt. Do you know if these normal services are covered by dealer? If so I will probably just go there for the first few years. Anyone know a good place in Michigan (Caddyowner if you could chime in on this one plz!), preferbly near Ann Arbor that would be great!

usermel

I think the key to buying ANY used car luxury or non luxury is to get your car inspected by a certified dealers shop! Most Lexus' are reliable so issues are rare. Can you buy the one Lexus that has issues? YES, of coarse! That said, don't be to concerned about the cars reliability because issues only happen when the car hasn't been properly serviced and maintained. Get the service reocrds from a Lexus dealer if possible.

Me myself I would only buy a Lexus serviced at Lexus so I can get the info of service done by the dealer by just requesting it. If they went to an independent mechanic who doesnt own a shop, there are no records at all. Thats not saying these gents/ladies arent reliable, they are and cost less but, the downside is documentation. I have all my service records from Lexus for the next owner to know, I did all jobs needed and have paperwork to prove it! Hope you find the LS or Lexus that makes you happy, I did! L.G.N.M

usermel

I own a 2001 as you can see by my signature. To me the 2001 model LS has been one of the most trouble free. I did have a couple TSB's taken care of by the warranty when I got it within the 1st year but, after that I have been trouble free. My point is age of the car isn't a bad or good thing, its just a number. The only downside to a older car regardless of make/model is resell(paint chips dull paint dings go without saying,hahahah!)

You cant get the same dollar for a 2000 Lexus that you can for a 2006 but, the 2000 is tank strong and reliable. I say buy the car you like and dont look at the year unless resell is an issue for you in say 3-5 years. Some people are car keepers meaning they will keep a car for years(15-20 years if possible)! If you want a car for only 5 years I say maybe go 2004 and up years wise. If you dont plan on getting rid of it buy what fits your budget. My LS has been a dream car, not because of looks but, the lack of issues it gives me. I just get in and drive!!! L.G.N.M

Bocatrip

I've been told that with regards to the LS430 run (2001-2006), the earliest and the latest years were the most reliable.

vollandt

Agreed – having a lexus service record adds to the potential price you will get in a private party sale. Though I am willing to be the buyer in a private party sale, I have never sold (and probably never will) a car via private party. I’ve always sold through a car broker or traded it in, and in each case, maintenance where never brought into the picture. So in my case the likelihood of my lexus records paying a cash dividend down the road is basically zero.

CarGuy89

Thanks for sharing guys. I am looking at an 06 that was serviced at the same dealer every 5k miles till it was sold. It is 62k now, so I'm assuming the big 60k service has been done. Car is cpo. Gave the dealer a call today and he said that he might be able to get the records since the previous owner is a loyal customer. I am not too worried about the car being a lemon, as the things that were checked seemed routine, nothing about engine or trans was mentioned.

Usermel, I totally agree with you on the age part. As long as the car has been taken care of it's not a big deal at all. However, I really like the facelift of the 2004+ and those 18in 5 spokes is just icing on top.

For those who were wondering, I plan on driving the wheels off this car and will be keeping it 10+yrs hopefully (or whenever it's still makes sense financially).

JimsGX

CarGuy89,

They don't need the previous owners permission at the dealer to give you the maintenance records. They can print them out for you and blank out the PO's name on them. When I bought my old 91 LS as a project car, the local Lexus dealer printed out 15years worth of service records for me...