Im amazed how cheap used 05-06 SC are. i can pretty much find low mile for low 20s.
why is resale value so low for a car thats 70k+ brand new?

also how expensive maint and how good is reliability?

im already buying a LS430.
but now, im also thinking of selling my wifes Audi A6 and get SC430 for her.

very reliable, as for my 04.
just oil for the past 1 1/2 yrs.
from our discussions, it's all about replacing the run flats.
that's where the money is.

Over here anything with a big engine just plummets in price as soon as it leaves the showroom. Most car buyers are sensible. Makes me sic* at how much my car is worth now, but oh well it still looks brand new and hardly any miles

Reliability wise nothing of note goes wrong (touch wood) 8 years had one 02sensor and trunk struts replaced with cheapo ones on ebay even my 02 radio works fine which was a problem on earlier ones.

If you can find a more reliable car....Buy It! 'Cause I don't know of any.

I do my own maintenance so I don't have to deal with the stealership!

Awesome cars, built to last forever.

My previous Lexus:

GS400 sold it with 157K miles, still drove like new. Only regular maintenance done.

SC300 sold it with 137K or so miles, sam ething, never a problem.

LX470 45K miles no problems (stil have this one)

LS400 227K miles, still on original tranny and engine. Replaced 1 seal, rack and pinion, alternator and other minor things. Still original starter motor too! And yes, I still have this baby, not worth selling it cos its still as smooth as day one! Still driven daily by my heavy footed dad, he loves it.

Enjoy!

I pulled the service records from the previous owner. Put in service August of 2002.

1. Both side mirrors replaced, problem with motor.
2. Both front Struts replaced.
3. Rubber trim replaced.

That is it so far, currently has around 51K miles. This is a list of repairs not maintainence. If you don't count struts, which wear out, and think trim is not really a repair, my car has been in for repair once in about eight years.

I also own an 06 LS, which needed the rear shade repair, power mirror switch, a new transponder key, and the door to the sunglass compartment replaced because it was sticking.

So far pretty happy with Lexus

Where are the low mile 05-06's, not on Ebay, where are you finding them ? low 20's, never seen them !

Point of clarification....low mile is a relative term. LOL...it's like that five year old car at the stealership that has 55k miles on it. Yes, it has low miles for the model year, but it certainly is not a "low mileage" vehicle in general.

dkang76-what are you referring to as "low mileage"?

Also, most SC's in the past three years since sales have been sluggish have sold for around $62k new at dealerships. I believe the only SC's ever to go for as much as $70k might have been a Pebble Beach Edition or the coveted Neiman Marcus Edition. Most MSRP's are around $65k or so.

If you benchmark the SC to a SL, RR or a BMW 7 series, or even a CL coupe you will see similar depreciation curves---sometimes much better! Example: 2005 CL500 right now for sale on eBay for $29k and it was a $120k new machine just five years ago! OUCH Another Example: 2005 RR SC (full size Range, supercharged) was nearly $100k just five years ago and going for just $35k. It's all relative...the more they cost, the more they depreciate. The SC holds it's value pretty strong for a specialty car...hardtop convertible with a small backseat and no significant updates on it, barely any trunk space and somewhat outdated technology. Not bad at all.

I'd totally go for a 2006 if you are comparing the two. Yes, do some searches on the net as well as this forum for all the awards that the SC has won for dependability. I believe I posted an article last year that the 2008 JD Powers quality survey showed the SC won versus it's competitors again...I believe it was the fifth or sixth straight year. The car has won all kinds of awards for dependability.

Don't know how many miles/what year your wifes A6 is, but I can tell you from my Dad's experience with his 2004 that once the Audis get out of warranty, they are nightmares. My dad had problems with the infamous cup holder ($300), transmission, engine rock panel, trim, front bumper trim and trunk actuator all recently. His 04 is out of warranty by year, but only has like 46k miles on it. It's paid for, so he feels like he is married to it. So....if yours if out of warranty or approaching it, I would DEFINITELY get a 2006 SC and get a CPO if you can for a piece of mind.

A nice 2006 CPO should run you low $30k's to mid $30k's. Sure you can find a 2005 or even 2006 with 40-60k low mileage for the year, but they most likely will be out of warranty and buying from a wholesaler can be scary unless you check all possible history both mechanically and accident-wise.