Bretsuaz Posted January 9, 2009 Posted January 9, 2009 Just wanted to say hello to everyone. I have been looking around this forum for the past couple of days doing research, and there is really alot of good information. Everyone here seems to be really nice and helpful! I have wanted a Lexus LS for a really long time. In my opinion, they are the best cars made. In the past, it would have been a 2nd car so the prices were always prohibitive. Now, I am thinking of getting rid of my current car for an older and cheaper car. What got me thinking of the LS is that I saw a really nice 01 for $11,888 at the BMW dealership. It wasn't the ultra package and didn't have nav, but it was very clean. It was silver and had 85k miles on it. The original owner had upgraded to the nicer oem wheels and the original wheels came with the car. I hadnt seen it on Craigs lately, so I called yesterday to see if it was sold. I accidentally called one of Penskes other dealerships. When I inquired about the LS he said they did not have one and had not had one lately. However, he said he did have an 01 just come available and would call me back with the details. This is also an 01 and has only 78k miles on it. It is pearl white with the tan interior. He said it is real clean. I stopped by there last nite after work to see if I could get a peek at it. It was locked up behind some gates, but I could still see the back end. This thing is beautiful! I couldn't get close enough to tell what options it had, but it did have the rear sonar. He said he could do this one for around $12,800. I think I may go back and take a look at it tonite. What do you guys think about this price? I understand that a car that is this old is probably going to need some work, but I know someone who is a certified Lexus teck that does work on the side. With only 78k miles, it may be a while before it needs anything too major, though.
vyhanh Posted January 9, 2009 Posted January 9, 2009 Just wanted to say hello to everyone. I have been looking around this forum for the past couple of days doing research, and there is really alot of good information. Everyone here seems to be really nice and helpful!What do you mean 'seems' : We are nice ! Welcome ! I have wanted a Lexus LS for a really long time. In my opinion, they are the best cars made. In the past, it would have been a 2nd car so the prices were always prohibitive. Now, I am thinking of getting rid of my current car for an older and cheaper car. What got me thinking of the LS is that I saw a really nice 01 for $11,888 at the BMW dealership. It wasn't the ultra package and didn't have nav, but it was very clean. It was silver and had 85k miles on it. The original owner had upgraded to the nicer oem wheels and the original wheels came with the car. I hadnt seen it on Craigs lately, so I called yesterday to see if it was sold. I accidentally called one of Penskes other dealerships. When I inquired about the LS he said they did not have one and had not had one lately. However, he said he did have an 01 just come available and would call me back with the details. This is also an 01 and has only 78k miles on it. It is pearl white with the tan interior. He said it is real clean. I stopped by there last nite after work to see if I could get a peek at it. It was locked up behind some gates, but I could still see the back end. This thing is beautiful! I couldn't get close enough to tell what options it had, but it did have the rear sonar. He said he could do this one for around $12,800. I think I may go back and take a look at it tonite. What do you guys think about this price? I understand that a car that is this old is probably going to need some work, but I know someone who is a certified Lexus teck that does work on the side. With only 78k miles, it may be a while before it needs anything too major, though.
jasperaxle Posted January 9, 2009 Posted January 9, 2009 Welcome to the Forum. I am rather new myself but I will give you my 2 cents. The pearl white one sounds nice and the price doesn't seem too out of line. Do your homework before you buy. See if they offer a carfax for the car. As far as future issues the 90k service is expensive but neccessary and if you know a Lexus tech your one step ahead of most of us. I too wanted a Lexus for about as long as they have been making them. I always told myself when I could afford it I would have one. I now have an 05 Ls430 and a 06 Rx330. I cant imagine driving anything else. I have owned almost every make out there and none have come close to this automobile. Good luck in your pursuit.
Bretsuaz Posted January 9, 2009 Author Posted January 9, 2009 I just spoke to them and confirmed that it does not have nav, so it does not have the luxury package. I am going to go take a look at it this afternoon, and see how it looks. He said that they already have a bid on it from a wholesaler, but would rather sell it to me if i want it. I have until monday to decide, but they are definately not retailing it unless I want it. I buy some cars at auction, but since this is going to be my daily driver, i want one that is perfect. Of course that is going to cost a little more, but that is ok. Take a look at the link below. This one is at the auction tomorrow, but it is not in the greatest shape. http://www.auctionflex.com/showlot.ap?co=2...on=〈=En
jasperaxle Posted January 9, 2009 Posted January 9, 2009 That one looks pretty rough. If you have access to auctions though I would just wait till the one you want comes up.
Bretsuaz Posted January 9, 2009 Author Posted January 9, 2009 It will be interesting to see what this one goes for tomorrow. I was at an auction recently where an 01 with 112k miles similar to this one in condition but didn't have any of the options went for $12,000.00 which I thought was insane. It needed alot of work, too. For the right price, it may be worth buying. But nowhere near $12k. It has 128k miles on the clock.
Marklouis Posted January 9, 2009 Posted January 9, 2009 welcome and congrats on a wise choice of automobile my friend. you should try Autotrader.com and search within 200 miles of your zip code for an LS. i found mine on there and drove 178 miles to pick it up - best road trip ever! good luck on the search! ;)
jdavis Posted January 10, 2009 Posted January 10, 2009 I just spoke to them and confirmed that it does not have nav, so it does not have the luxury package. I am going to go take a look at it this afternoon, and see how it looks. He said that they already have a bid on it from a wholesaler, but would rather sell it to me if i want it. I have until monday to decide, but they are definately not retailing it unless I want it. This is car salesman speak for "you better buy now for our price or you might loose it" which is a common ploy used to close a sale. My guess is that you can buy it for at least 1K less if you are patient and play your cards right. Odds are he will rather make a sale than loose his commission. Good luck in your search.
Bretsuaz Posted January 10, 2009 Author Posted January 10, 2009 Went to look at the car last night, and I know the manager there that I have been talking with on the phone. He owned the Mazda store that I purchased a Mazda3 and a Mazda5 from. The car had not been touched from the time they had received it, and it still looked great. It does have the polished wheels which were in great shape, but it does not have the Mark Levinson that I really wanted. The pearl white paint was really nice looking, and there doesn't seem to be many of them out there for sale. The only things that were a negative were that the headlights were scratched up a little, and the carpet where the foot rest is was pretty dirty. The color of the interior is a little funky, but it is ok. Does anyone know what color interiors were available in 01 on the pearl white? Well, I am getting ready to head out there and see what they will do for me on the car I want to trade. Wish me luck!
amcdonal86 Posted January 10, 2009 Posted January 10, 2009 Don't act like you're in love with the car. In this kind of economy, it is DEFINITELY a buyers market. According to CARFAX, one of the cars I looked at was sitting on the lot since July. (Look on the CARFAX report and see when it says "Vehicle offered for sale".) If you know how long it's been sitting there, you will have the upper hand. Also, be wary of "processing" fees. These are just pure markup and profit for the dealership. Always negotiate based on the "out the door" price, not the purchase price. Good luck! The LS is a great car. I've only owned one for about 2 weeks. It's not much fun to drive, but for pampering yourself and your passengers with world-class luxury, it can't be beat!
Bretsuaz Posted January 11, 2009 Author Posted January 11, 2009 Still haven't pulled the trigger yet. I was hoping to trade in an Audi A4 Cabriolet, but they wouldn't give me anything for it. However, I sold that this morning for 3k more than they would give me so now I have a decision to make how bad I really want this car. Currently my personal car is an 07 Tundra that I really like, but I just really want to get rid of a big car payment. They are holding it until tomorrow morning at 9:30 and then it goes to the wholesalers. Normally I dont rush into anything, but this is one of the cheapest ones around. And it is not spotless, but very clean. Miles are right and it has the options that I want and is the color I want. If I decide to take it, it will get fully detailed and go through a full Lexus inspection just as if they were certifyuing it, but it just wont be certified. So that makes me feel a little better. Oh, and that Lexus above at the auction went for about $7,400.00 yesterday.
Bretsuaz Posted January 14, 2009 Author Posted January 14, 2009 Well, my buyer for the Audi flaked, so I passed on this one for now. I guess things happen for a reason. I saw this one too which may actually be a better deal. 30k less miles, nav, and isn't that much more. Ugly color, though! http://www.findlayautocenter.com/Premier/f...fm?&fuse=20
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