Ok, I need the short course on buying my wife an RX350. I am a current LS460 (2007) owner and had a 2004 LS430 before that. Wife currently drives a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer (Explorer) with 73000 miles. Basically worthless. Anyway, I want to buy her an RX350. I want an AWD vehicle WITHOUT the Nav but with sunroof and the "usual" options.

Probably I'll put the Mountaineer on Ebay and get whatever residual value I can get in this "non guzzler" market and not complicate the Lexus deal.

 

Short course, thats easy. You just bought a LS, go back to the same dealer and ask him to sell you a 08 RX for $1000 below invoice.

 

Thanks for the reply. Is that what the '08s are going for? Isn't the RX going to be "all new" for '09? Or will "all new" be later?

 

the already have 09s in the dealerships.

this is because the 09 was suppose to be a new model, but they pushed it back and therefore make the 08 model years a shorter suply, and made the 09s come out really early. so the new one will be a '10 and it is planned for the Paris auto show this december and will be released in Quarter 1 of 2009.

therefore, you can wait and pobably pay invoice, or you can get really good discounts at this time since its an old model and because RX sales were down for June

 

Sorry, I meant to say 09.

 

With the latest June sales being off 30% from last year on the RX, I would definitely shoot for $1k to $1.5k BELOW invoice on a new 2009 RX AWD especially if the dealer is sitting on a lot of them. Suggest you use the internet to search around for offers from other surrounding Lexus dealers. You may want to include the NAV since it adds resale value later on and besides the bulk of them in dealer inventory come that way. While you are at it, have the dealer throw in stuff free of charge like Lexus all-weather floor mats, Lexus all-weather cargo mat, Lexus cargo net, touchup paint, Lexus trailer hitch w/ ball mount (if you plan to tow), and interior/exterior sealant. Also, don't do the serious price negotiation until say about a few days before month end--you'll be surprised how willing and far they'll go with their monthly sales quota goal over their head especially if they are way short. Good luck.

 

A just under $3000 Nav with sales tax that will bring $700 in extra trade in value down the road.
NAV adds to resale but you lose a bundle.
A good selling point,though.

 

If I do the deal (and with oil busting thru $144/bbl today, I am having second and third thoughts), the vehicle will be a keeper. So resale doesn't matter. If I keep it 7 years it will be worth under $10,000. Nav or not at that age won't make a difference. I HATE the NAV in my LS460 and usually use the much more intuitive portable TOMTOM unit that I have.

 

7 yrs down the road, the add-ons give very little in resale value. Things like Nav would be "dated".

But if they important to you, missing them for 7 years has got to have a price.

Salim

 

Our "04 RX didn't have the NAV or Sirus radio & our new one does. We love both features & are glad we got them this time. I believe the resale will be higher with them too as that is what we were told when we traded in the '04.

 

The factory NAV unit stinks.You have to stop to imput addresses and such.
I have a Garmin Nuvi 650 we use in the RX that's so user friendly compared to the Lexus NAV.

 

its not annoing enough where i wouldnt get it

it makes the dash look a whole lot better. its more of a cosmetic thing

 

Is 42,500 for an '09 RX350 w/Levenson/Navigation a good deal? The MSRP is about 47,400....thanks, JB

 

And if you DID have them they'd tell you how the newer ones are more up to date so yours has little value blah blah dealer blah blah.