enigma25

Hello All,

Many of you know that I have decided to sell my LS430 since a recent rear end accident. The accident was truly minor, but it did push the rear frame supports and they had to be realigned, which they were, by a very good repair facility.

The car is Silver with Grey Leather, ML sound, Navi, Power, heated and ventilated seats. Recently replaced all speakers with factory ML, except the sub. I used an aftermarket brand which was suggested here. Everything works, and there are no dings or dents. The front valance has the normal rock chips, but nothing severe. It also has park assist, folding mirrors, etc. It's in very nice condition with the timing belt already done. No leaks, uses no oil and runs like a new car. New Michelin radials on factory alloys. The only non factory item on the car is tinted windows, which i would remove if anyone objects. (I have difficulty night driving because my eyes are very sensitive very bright lights in my peripheral vision. I've worn glasses since age 2), so the tint serves a purpose for me, and I tint the windows in all of my cars. The wheels on the car will be removed and replaced with the factory alloys as soon as I can. I would include the OZ wheels with the car if someone were interested, but I would be less negotiable on price, since I can sell them outright very easily. I don't really want to be one of those sellers who says; ($1,000 with stock wheels, $2,000 with my fancy, aftermarket wheels).

I want to sell this car quickly. With that said, where would you price it and where would you list it? I was told to take it to CarMax and they will buy it on the spot, but for wholesale price, i'm sure.

Any Thoughts, ideas, constructive criticism would be welcome.

Thanks!

Rick

2KHarrier

For starters, I would list it right here and on other "Lexus Enthusiast" sites. Take the sale to the buyers, as it were.. It's got low miles so that does add some of the value subtracted by the accident history. CarMax probably would low ball the heck out of you, because they'll just flip the car at auction, since it's too old to put on their lots.
Craigslist gets exposure, and there are plenty of buyers in the 3-5,000 dollar market looking for cars on Craigslist, but you also have to deal with the idiots on there as well. I've sold a few cars through eBay, and it went well. There are sites like Cars.com or even Autotrader.com you can investigate.
It is a nice looking LS and I love those wheels. They'd look good on my Silver 2001...


Someone else will chime in shortly...

LSGarry

Rick,
I recently sold my '02 and can share what I experienced in selling it with you. I was not in a rush to sell it and did ask above KBB and Edmunds etc. so I took it easy waiting for the special buyer to come along.
First off a car with that few miles is worth more but may be neutralized by the accident that you should disclose.
I listed my car in three venues.

1. Club Lexus Market Place: Listed it in January '17 and had absolutely no one express any interest even after lowering the price which was problematic to deal with.

2. AutoTrader: Listed in Jan also and paid for premium placement. No interest for first run so re-listed it in free section with a lower price. Got 1 guy who wanted to low ball me and so I blew him off.

3. Craigs List: Listed in Jan. and immediately got the bottom feeders and scammers to respond. Its pretty easy to identify them so just waded thru the muck and got a couple guys who did make offers and who knew that these cars are special. They were below what I felt the car was worth so I kept on re-listing and lowered the price a bit and then finally got the right person who realized how good the car is and who literally took a 5 minute look see at the car and then paid full price in cash ($8300) without taking it to an indy for inspection. That happened this past May.

So to sum it up, since you want a quick sale you may have to deal more with the bottom feeders etc but if you have patience you may get lucky and find the person who understands how good these cars actually are even in spite of the accident.

enigma25

Thanks guys. I have photos documenting the accident and repairs and I will disclose to any buyer. I don't want to deceive anyone. The frame bend was minor, but it happened and I will disclose.

2kharrier: Thanks for the input. Do you think my car is only worth $3,000 - $5,000? If you like the wheels, make me an offer, as I have no use for them and I live in a condo.

LSGary: Valid points and a good dose of reality. I listed it on here, but I'm repricing it today. I'm thinking somewhere around $9,250.00. Thoughts?

Thanks again, and I appreciate the feedback/advice.

XJSFan

I sold my mint 06 LS 93K miles for $9800...BUT I sold it to my brother. Lol. I truly believe it is a $14K car. It is that clean.

enigma25

Thank you! Now tell me, you won't offend me, if this was your car what would you ask for it? What would you expect to get for it?

I just dropped it to $9,995.

Bocatrip

May I ask how many miles were on your 2002 LS430 that you sold for $8300? That's a great price. What trim group did it have? Thanks.

tallcaguy

I sold an 01 Base (102) last year for 8,000. Turn key, perfect paint, 2 other owners, full service history, needed nothing.

Gronemus

So what do you plan on replacing this car with? Are you getting rid of it simply because of the accident?

enigma25

2009 Mercedes Benz CLK Coupe.

It's a great car, but I'm looking to get back into a Mercedes. 25+ years of Mercedes ownership.

I have put the price at $9,995.00 and will negotiate from there. It's very clean, runs 100%, everything works, low miles, good colors, new rubber. It was just involved in a minor collision that was fixed to exact standards with all new Lexus OEM parts. The slight frame hit, was realigned correctly and I just had a four wheel alignment performed on the car. If you know anyone looking, please send them my way. Someone will get a great car at a great price. I will offer a CarFax and VIN Audit and I have photos of the damage from the accident. I will not deceive or hide anything from anyone, but I won't give it away either.

Thanks

LSGarry

Certainly. It was a "Sport Suspension" with 156K.. Always garaged, 2nd owner, no kids, pets or smoke and full records.

LSGarry

Not knowing your market there in PA I think you have to do some research on Autotrader, Cars.com etc for similar cars and price accordingly. The lower the price the quicker the sale.

2KHarrier

No, no, not at all. Although looking back on what I stated it would appear that way. My apologies. I was merely stating that Craigslist is the place to go for cheap cars and as LSGarry stated, CL has it's share of bottom feeders and scammers. With the low mileage you have, the car has value, but it has to be from someone who recognizes what these cars are. Many people just don't see the LS for what it is unfortunately.

enigma25

Thanks! I was a little distressed that my car may be worth so little, but now I understand your point!

I am going to give CL a try and I approached a friend who has a fairly large used car business and he said he would take it on consignment at anytime. So I am making some progress...

Thanks again all! Since we have other Lexus in the Family, can I still visit here once in a while?!? Great forum!

Bocatrip

That's great news. I have an absolutely flawless all original 01 Base with Nav and 17s original paint without a mark or blemish with 130,000 miles. Silver with grey leather. Not selling yet, but my insurance broker told me I would get $8200 if totaled. That's the closest I've come to value.