LatinLS430

iTrader: (1)

So recently I've been thinking of getting an older LS and selling my 2013 GS 350 F Sport so I don't have anymore car payments.
This one just came up on Craig's:
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/6075913501.html

What do you guys think of it?

Johnhav430

imho the price and the mileage are both high....I would not care about the mileage is I had driven it up to that number myself, but prefer not to buy at that number....just my .02

but that's super smart about getting rid of a payment....I was looking at some stuff today (401k and regular brokerage acct), and it dawned on me how incredible it is, that our (my family) finances do ride on the stock market....because I always say I don't care just let it ride...

JffGRY706

I think these cars are great for 250,000 miles so you got 65,000 miles left. your 2013 has much better accessories than a 2004 (think trading your hi def smart tv for an old analog standard def tv ) the Mark Levinson stereo is difficult to maintain so check it out carefully. those are not premium wheels, most prefer the 18 inch to the 17 inch on this car. it would depend on how much you still owe on the GS, which are really nice. my 2005 with 125,000 miles is worth $6600 trade in and $9,500 retail. I do not think this is a bargain at all. pass

LatinLS430

iTrader: (1)

Dang that's not that long haha.
I'm not upside down on my loan on the GS and do have some equity.
Maybe I'll keep looking for a lower mileage LS.
Thanks for your input.

lextout

i consider it a bonus when a car has 3 original smart keys, looks extremely clean and well cared for, i say offer him 6 cash if all turns out.

warminwisc

Thorough inspection 6500 bucks. High mileage not a lot of interest but shot a Camry will last 250kmiles

Gronemus

Depends on where you look for price guides. NADA shows it as a good value, KBB and Edmunds show it as a little overpriced. I wish that I could see which model of Michelin tire that he mounted on it. I personally don't think he is that far off in price. Another $500 off and you have a very nice deal if it is as clean in person as the pictures show. But then I am a little partial toward this one since it looks just like mine from the outside.

I'd certainly take it or a different LS for a drive just to make sure that you can live with the car. I've never driven a 2013 GS, much less the F sport version but I suspect that there is a night and day difference between the two. Whether that's good or bad is for you to decide.

The mileage wouldn't bother me at all. What I find amusing after being on this forum since October of last year is that I have detected a strong personal bias from many for acquiring "low mileage" garage queens regardless of the fact that this is perhaps one of THE most reliable and longest lived cars ever made. Plenty of life left in that one...

Gronemus

I was thinking of upgrading to the 18 inch wheels myself but after pricing a set of Michelin Premiers and finding out that you are paying an additional $287 for a set of 4 tires over the 17 inch tires I decided that the existing wheels look just fine...

LatinLS430

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for you input. I'm going to contact the seller after work and see if I can check out the car. The seller did post some pretty nice pics of the car and it looks like he's trying to sell it quickly since he just posted the same add in less than 24 hours.

Johnhav430

Agree, I think the handling should be night and day.....I was looking at the skidpad numbers the other day with respect to lateral g's.....the LS430 is .73, that's like a 1980's car. The 2013 GS F sport was .87. My 2007 BMW is .87. One can legitimately argue well we don't often drive around in a 200' circle and see how many g's the car can take before skidding off, but imho this does translate into the road manners going around curves....so it would be a good idea to push the LS430. One thing I think is true about F sports is that they have large and decent brakes--another thing that the LS430 does not have. The LS is a comfortable and solid cruiser, but it's not a car to bring to an autocross...my .02...

tallcaguy

You're right about the reliability. Any well maintained LS (that's driven reasonably) will last a long time. Some of the appeal of a low mileage garage queen may be that it's a little more like buying a "new" car.

Johnhav430

Today I was passed by a LS430 as I was getting onto the highway, same color (it's on my dash cam, that's another story, got a Fat Gecko mini with my Sony). I later caught up, and it was a woman 75-85 y.o. driving. I thought I bet she's the original owner and wealthy, there just is no reason to get a new car, as the LS is probably so reliable. My buddy in Tampa, says he sees a few a day with 80 y.o. drivers, and he is thinking of leaving a note saying to call him if they want to sell..

LS430FL

I too would offer him around $5500-$6K. He thinks his car is loaded but really its has the modern luxury package which is below the custom luxury and the ultra luxury. Yea it has nav and levinson but still there are more loaded cars out there. In a way it might be better from a buyers standpoint because it means less to go wrong so less expensive to run. I am just telling you this for better bargaining power/position if you decide to make him an offer. It appears to be a clean well maintained car. Certainly doesn't look like it has that many miles on it.

warminwisc

I think folks looking for a 6-7k car are scared by:RWD, V8 MPG's, repairs/parts as I see pretty many in this price range mileage range sit for long periods of time in my area. My 04 with 200 k miles I saw bounce from lot to lot for 3 years. I remember gettin off the freeway at a small ghetto dealership, there the thing was sittin.

vfr700f2

From magazine tests, I'd say the low skidpad performance isn't as much a lack of grip or poor handling as it is the stability control shuts off the party early - corner in a more-spirited way than it likes and it cuts the power to slow you down.

So you can enjoy it up to a point....