TomShea

I am considering getting an LS 430. I think it would be wise to inquire here for advice. I would like to spend less than 20K. I like the fact that starting with the 2004 models a sunroof is standard. There seems to be some other nice features that are also included, beginning in this model year. I am hoping to avoid making mistakes due to being new to these cars and therefore uninformed. If there is any considerations that would affect me either positively or negatively, now would be the time to become aware of them. I think mileage would not be a consideration for me due to the fact that I am a very low mileage driver and that would allow for me to get a higher mileage car and over time it would eventually average out. Please steer me towards a good deal and help me avoid pitfalls. Thanks in advance for your time.

Jabberwock

Considering that the 2006 is already 7 model years old I would set my sights on an 05 or 06 LS430 if I were you. Read the FAQ section and also search on "advice" and you should get quite a bit of reading material. Key is to be patient and find a well maintained, low mile example from a location that does not get any snow/ice and the resultant salt/rust issues etc. And have it professionally inspected before you buy.

Gene01

Jabberwock is spot on.
I would start by looking at all the online ads I can find (autotrader, kbb, cars.com. carmax.com, and even Craig's list). I personally have found Craig's list to be not very helpful, and autotrader.com to be the most comprehensive. You may or may not wish to limit your search to 200 miles (or whatever your tolerance for driving is), but in MN, you will get "snow belt" cars. It sounds like you are looking for a long-term relationship with your new car, so you may consider getting one from a sunny state, which would not have salt issues.
Try to find a car with only one previous owner, who has all the service records (yes, it does happen).
Many people here are not in the market for a UL (Ultra Luxury) trim because of the high cost of air suspension repair, but that is an individual thing - there are lots of very cool features on the UL.
I would recommend that you familiarize yourself wtih the various trim levels - they affect the price, and you will get a better idea of exactly what options you want to look for. Also, you will be able to identify what the car truly is, rather than what the seller describes it as (most do not accurately state the trim level).
Read what the seller says, but pictures are the real story.
Most of the folks here who have acquired their "dream" car spent weeks or months searching, so take your time (as J says above).
Enjoy the search!

caddyowner

Research the service history of any car you're seriously interested in:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...e-history.html

Lots of good stuff in Car Guy's search:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...our-input.html

xuserx04

iTrader: (6)

Check out cargurus.com. I find that site helpful in comparing the prices and showing what is a good deal and what's not.

kenshimoto

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/ctd/3529588403.html

o4 ls430 43k miles 20k$ dark blue with black interior

aypues

the ad is wrong and so are you! hah! it's Flint Mica - gray.

kenshimoto

rly...good job btw

TomShea

Thanks for the info. I am planning on picking up a 2002 LS 430 today. It is gold with gold (emblems?) It has 125K and has had the timing belt done. (Thanks for the tip on checking dealer service records). It puts on a reasonable appearance and seems to drive OK. I checked the function of window switches and the sunroof along with the 6 CD changer along with lots of other functions. All seems to be functioning properly. It was 9300 from a local dealer. I couldn't resist the low price. I was originally thinking of a newer one, but this will do for now. I'll be looking for some tires on wheels for summer since the stock wheels are loosing some powdercoat and the tires will be replaced on those, (changed to snows for the rear). It's also missing the trunk tool kit and first aid kit. It does have the owners manual. It does not seem to have the acceleration performance that I would like, I am used to slightly peppier throttle response. There is enough power to be considered acceptable. I'm sure there are some perfromance enhancements that I will become aware of as I contnue to become more familiar with this site. I will appreciate any additional help to steer me towards the obvious things I need. Tires & wheels, tool kit, first aid kit, performance enhancements, etc.

Jabberwock

One place to look for tool kit, first aid kit and other items like that for any car is on ebay. These items are often looted on cars as they go thru car auction process and then they appear on ebay.

caddyowner

Congrats on your purchase. Remember to post up some pics.

Tmarbury

Check out this website: cargurus.com. Great site for used cars, recommend you select the unlimited miles search. Once you have found the car your are looking for come back to the site and asked if someone in that area can check the car out for you.

cargurus.com

TomShea

I couldn't resist the price of 9300 on the 02 LS. I checked the NADA and it showed 14,600 K retail. The "rough" trade price was the only lower one, at 7825. The Average trade was 10,025 and the clean trade was 11,900. Clean retail was 14,600. These prices are for mileage of 140 K miles. These were prices from a 1/9/13 NADA on line check. This is a base car with 125 K miles. The Lexus.com service records show that the timing belt service has been done. So far I have found the tool kit and first aid kit missing. The battery is missing the tie down and I am assuming that the tray has been damaged but I have not yet checked it out. The "Auto Check" provided by the dealer indicated that the RF had been damaged in a collision. I looked and could tell that the paint match on the front bumper and RF fender wasn't an exact match to the hood. I guess this means that the hood was not re-painted and may indicate the extent of the damage. I looked and could see that the RF fender fasteners under the hood and just hidden by the rubber seal had been disturbed. I was able to have a look at the underside. The dealer put it up on a hoist for me. There was no evidence of any fluid leaks, completely dry. There was the usual and expected surface rust on bare metal and no evidence of any damage. The undercarriage is mostly covered with black plastic panels, so there was limited ability to make an in depth observation. This dealer showed me a program on their computer that they use to determine pricing. They claim this is proprietairy and also not to be shown to customers. There were many comparables that were listed at other places shown with much higher asking prices. I know this info is correct because I just got done checking out most of those listings. This is what attracted me to this particular car in the first place. I was originally thinking of getting a later model. I always plan on spending another couple of grand on my cars after the initial purchase and out the door. These costs generally include a new set of tires and maybe a second set of tires on wheels due to this being Minnesota and if it's a rear drive, then winter and summer tire combos are the way to go. This being MN also makes for a remote start being a nice feature. Those three things plus just a few small items like new battery, floor mats and additional keys will put me in the 2K ball park. I feel like the 12K I will have into it when all is said & done will still be a reasonable price. The 9300 was 10K out the door with sales tax and various other small charges. I would put this car in the average to clean trade category. The few things that could be criticized were minor and inexpensive to address. The tires were good with more than 1/2 wear remaining, so the only needed items were the tool kit and first aid kit and battery tie down. I don't know what the effect of the previous collision on record would have on the value. I assume that there would have to be some negative price correction but without an eagle eye or the report it's not evident. The repair was acceptable. I would appreciate any input on this. The NADA values quoted above were for avreage miles of 140 K. This extra 15 K miiles made up for the collision devaluation in my opinion. I just picked up the car on Friday and today is Sunday, so I only have a few miles on it. I did put new winter tires on it and I can tell you that 235/65/16 are too big. I went to "Discount Tire" and they agreed to change em out if I didn't like em. I'm going to a slightly smaller size. The original tire size of 225/60/16 seemed like it could be up-sized a bit. Maybe a + 1 but this was an increase of +1 in both width and height, so a + 2, I guess. Anyways it's going back for different new winter tires tomorrow. I'll update more later when I have had a chance to get it up on my rack in my own shop where I can take my time with a thorough inspection and maybe a little more drive time.

Kansas

IMO, NADA valuations are pure fantasy and even more so where you and I live in the midwest. You paid what I consider an average price.

I doubt if you are going to find many 11 model year old cars that haven't had body damage but it sounds like yours was poorly repaired. I've had paint work done on my 00 LS400 five times since I bought it in 03 and nobody can tell - perfectly "blended" with adjoining panels and the car still looks like new.

The original 225/60-16 tire size is especially good on crappy midwest winter roads and the prices for that size are substantially lower than the other sizes - 225/55-17 and 245/45-18 - that were standard or optional depending on model year. If you meant you were putting snow tires only on the back, that is not safe. And VSC needs the same type of tire on all four corners to work well.

I don't know what you've been driving but your LS may be faster than you realize due to it accellerating so effortlessly and quietly. You can get in a whole of trouble with that 290 hp if you aren't careful. Have fun!

TomShea

I have been driving some responsive vehicles including my 07 Tundra, a 97 Cad Seville, and a 97 SC Buick Riv. They seem to have a snappier throttle response but may not actually be faster once the LS gets rolling. As far as the body repair goes, I doubt you or anyone else would notice it without being tipped off first. I am a very critical person and was checking out this car to buy, and didn't notice it until I read the report and carefully and closely looked for it. There is a barely perceptable difference in the panel colors at certain angles and light. In reference to the tires. I got a set of 4 matching winter tires. I was considering only getting the two rear snows, but I changed my mind and went for it since the stock wheels were starting to show their age. I will get a set of 4 summer tires on wheels to swap out seasonally. Thanks for the input on the body repair. I agree that 11 years old is getting rare to find without some work having been done. I think the asking prices of the other cars I have seen around here is close to the NADA and so are the miles on them. There are always a few exceptons. The exceptional thing about this one was that it was the least expensive one offered around here. Maybe there is a difference in pricing between my northern location and your more southern one? Maybe I just haven't been plugged in long enough to know for sure. Either way, I think this one will serve me well for a while. Thanks again for the reply. I'm glad now I decided on the set of 4 matching winter tires, even though it was for reasons other than what should have been my first consideration. This is why forums like this club's are so valuable. I know now and should have known before but needed you to point it out to me. I appreciate it.