samwifi Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 I've agreed to buy an LS430 that only has 17,000 miles on it - it is silver and in perfect condition and part of the certified used program. It also is fully loaded with nav, ML stereo, the complete luxury package. Not even a nick on the hood from the road. It looks like it never even was driven on the highway. The interior is also prestine. So, I have to sign the papers this morning, but wanted to see what everyone thinks. Seems like this is a car I could keep for several years since it would be driven about 13K miles per year. Any thoughts on the price or the car? Thanks for any comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990LS400 Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 If "complete luxury package" means that the car has the Ultra Luxury option with air suspension, reclining/massage rear seats, rear air conditioning and rear audio controls, then $33K sounds OK to me. According to the data I've seen, the Ultra Luxury option was fairly rare in the 2006 model year. All that matters is that the price seems good to you. When buying a used car in that price range, splitting hairs over even a few thousand dollars doesn't seem very important if the car is exactly what you want and you plan to drive it a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curiousB Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 If it has the air suspension I'd think twice. Seems to be a lot of complaints and expensive repairs with that system on this forum. Maybe they got it right by 2006 but $1000 air shocks seem to be common in that system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samwifi Posted March 4, 2010 Author Share Posted March 4, 2010 If it has the air suspension I'd think twice. Seems to be a lot of complaints and expensive repairs with that system on this forum. Maybe they got it right by 2006 but $1000 air shocks seem to be common in that system. It says it has the "self leveling suspension" - is that the air suspension you mention above? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samwifi Posted March 4, 2010 Author Share Posted March 4, 2010 If "complete luxury package" means that the car has the Ultra Luxury option with air suspension, reclining/massage rear seats, rear air conditioning and rear audio controls, then $33K sounds OK to me. According to the data I've seen, the Ultra Luxury option was fairly rare in the 2006 model year.All that matters is that the price seems good to you. When buying a used car in that price range, splitting hairs over even a few thousand dollars doesn't seem very important if the car is exactly what you want and you plan to drive it a long time. It actually only has the NAV and Mark L sound system. The rear seats are heated, but not reclining or massage. The specs say it is self leveling suspension and not sure if that's the air suspension. So this might be expensive, but you make a good point. Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990LS400 Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 It sounds like there are significant questions about how the car is equipped and questions that significant effect its market value. The only "self leveling" suspension available on the LS430 is the air suspension that comes only with the Ultra Luxury package. The Ultra Luxury package includes rear reclining/massage seats and other options I mentioned previously. Maybe the seller meant "self leveling headlights" -- all 98-up Lexus LS cars with HID have them. If the car does have the Ultra Luxury pacage with self leveling air suspension and rear seat "toys", I wouldn't avoid it due the car's very low mileage. If it does not have the Ultra Luxury package, the $33K price seems quite high. You can see a list of all option packages for the 2006 LS430 here: http://www.lexus.com/cpo/model_library/LS/2006.html Be careful -- it's not all that uncommon for sellers to misrepresent the options an LS has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexusLadyES330 Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 Seems like an ok price. You can see what others are selling for here - http://www.globalautosports.com/index.cfm?..._came_from=make Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will B. Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 $33k for CPO on that car (assuming it's not UL) is a pretty good price, using edmunds.com as a guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samwifi Posted March 5, 2010 Author Share Posted March 5, 2010 $33k for CPO on that car (assuming it's not UL) is a pretty good price, using edmunds.com as a guide. I ended up buying the car since it is a CPO and after doing the research as you say, on edmunds and KBB. It was a good deal and just an amazing vehicle - I totally lucked out being at the dealer, right place right time. The only thing it didn't hae were the SAT RADIO and IPOD hookups, but the dealer is installing these at no charge. And since it has only 17,000 miles, I opted to add 3 years to the 3yr 100000 warranty. It's kinda expensive at $2750, but they will refund the entire amount if the warranty is not used in the first 3 years (maybe I got ripped here - seemed like a good idea). Thank you all for the help - This is really a terrific site - very helpful and informative - i guess I'm now officially part of "the club". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkbalt Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 agree with prior post - 33K for a low miles 06 pristene CPO (with NAV and ML) is likely in the range. We bought an 03 a year ago and looked at an 06 with 18K - Dealer wanted 35. We ended up with an 03 CPO with 38K for 20. Sounds like a great car - congrats...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curiousB Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 Congrats, you'll be happy for a long time. Very good cars. As to the extended warranty if the cost wasn't too painful then you now have peace of mind for many years. Lexus are incredibly reliable but when they fail they aren't cheap to repair. So with the warrantee fee in the rear mirror you can drive and not worry about much more than gas and tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett in AK Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 $33k for CPO on that car (assuming it's not UL) is a pretty good price, using edmunds.com as a guide. I ended up buying the car since it is a CPO and after doing the research as you say, on edmunds and KBB. It was a good deal and just an amazing vehicle - I totally lucked out being at the dealer, right place right time. The only thing it didn't hae were the SAT RADIO and IPOD hookups, but the dealer is installing these at no charge. And since it has only 17,000 miles, I opted to add 3 years to the 3yr 100000 warranty. It's kinda expensive at $2750, but they will refund the entire amount if the warranty is not used in the first 3 years (maybe I got ripped here - seemed like a good idea). Thank you all for the help - This is really a terrific site - very helpful and informative - i guess I'm now officially part of "the club". Congratulations! You'll get a lot of pleasure and satisfaction out of it. I also bought an 06 LS430 with the Ultra package. Couldn't be more pleased. I "think" I've attached a couple of photos. Brett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billydpowell Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 $33k for CPO on that car (assuming it's not UL) is a pretty good price, using edmunds.com as a guide. I ended up buying the car since it is a CPO and after doing the research as you say, on edmunds and KBB. It was a good deal and just an amazing vehicle - I totally lucked out being at the dealer, right place right time. The only thing it didn't hae were the SAT RADIO and IPOD hookups, but the dealer is installing these at no charge. And since it has only 17,000 miles, I opted to add 3 years to the 3yr 100000 warranty. It's kinda expensive at $2750, but they will refund the entire amount if the warranty is not used in the first 3 years (maybe I got ripped here - seemed like a good idea). Thank you all for the help - This is really a terrific site - very helpful and informative - i guess I'm now officially part of "the club". Congratulations! You'll get a lot of pleasure and satisfaction out of it. I also bought an 06 LS430 with the Ultra package. Couldn't be more pleased. I "think" I've attached a couple of photos. Brett WOW, Brett, nice car, I am a whiteaholic, but your Black is absolutely stunning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samwifi Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 $33k for CPO on that car (assuming it's not UL) is a pretty good price, using edmunds.com as a guide. I ended up buying the car since it is a CPO and after doing the research as you say, on edmunds and KBB. It was a good deal and just an amazing vehicle - I totally lucked out being at the dealer, right place right time. The only thing it didn't hae were the SAT RADIO and IPOD hookups, but the dealer is installing these at no charge. And since it has only 17,000 miles, I opted to add 3 years to the 3yr 100000 warranty. It's kinda expensive at $2750, but they will refund the entire amount if the warranty is not used in the first 3 years (maybe I got ripped here - seemed like a good idea). Thank you all for the help - This is really a terrific site - very helpful and informative - i guess I'm now officially part of "the club". Congratulations! You'll get a lot of pleasure and satisfaction out of it. I also bought an 06 LS430 with the Ultra package. Couldn't be more pleased. I "think" I've attached a couple of photos. Brett Brett - that is a beauty! I actually pickup the car today. Me and my family are really excited, especially because our last car was a Audi A6 Avant 2008 and I made Audi settle with me under lemon laws - the car needed an engine replaced at 23K miles! So, it will be great to have a luxury car that is dependable and one I can keep for 7-10 years or more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990LS400 Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Brett - that is a beauty! I actually pickup the car today. Me and my family are really excited, especially because our last car was a Audi A6 Avant 2008 and I made Audi settle with me under lemon laws - the car needed an engine replaced at 23K miles! So, it will be great to have a luxury car that is dependable and one I can keep for 7-10 years or more. Where's the "G Man" when we need someone to express some "Audi love"? :D 7-10 years or more is easy if you keep on top of maintenance and repairs. Last Monday I "visited" the LS400 I bought new in 1990, drove 183,500 miles and sold in 2003. It drove and looked like new when I sold it and still looks pretty good at 20 years and something like 275,000 miles. I bought my 2000 LS400 in 2003 at 38,000 miles and it is still a wonderful car at 120,000 miles. Unless some uncontrollable thirst for something more modern arises or it gets crashed, I plan to drive it until about 2015. (Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't go to the Kansas City Auto Show this afternoon!) The main advice I have for making these cars last is to do your own minor maintenance (e.g. oil changes, tire rotations), don't let a quick-lube, Wallymart or the like get near your car, find a good indie Lexus repair shop, and have your car serviced religiously every 30,000 miles. "Less is more" when it comes to these cars. samwifi -- enjoy your "new" LS430! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samwifi Posted March 7, 2010 Author Share Posted March 7, 2010 Brett - that is a beauty! I actually pickup the car today. Me and my family are really excited, especially because our last car was a Audi A6 Avant 2008 and I made Audi settle with me under lemon laws - the car needed an engine replaced at 23K miles! So, it will be great to have a luxury car that is dependable and one I can keep for 7-10 years or more. Where's the "G Man" when we need someone to express some "Audi love"? :D 7-10 years or more is easy if you keep on top of maintenance and repairs. Last Monday I "visited" the LS400 I bought new in 1990, drove 183,500 miles and sold in 2003. It drove and looked like new when I sold it and still looks pretty good at 20 years and something like 275,000 miles. I bought my 2000 LS400 in 2003 at 38,000 miles and it is still a wonderful car at 120,000 miles. Unless some uncontrollable thirst for something more modern arises or it gets crashed, I plan to drive it until about 2015. (Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't go to the Kansas City Auto Show this afternoon!) The main advice I have for making these cars last is to do your own minor maintenance (e.g. oil changes, tire rotations), don't let a quick-lube, Wallymart or the like get near your car, find a good indie Lexus repair shop, and have your car serviced religiously every 30,000 miles. "Less is more" when it comes to these cars. samwifi -- enjoy your "new" LS430! Thanks for the advise - I really appreciate it. I actually have a repair shop I go to locally here in Vista, CA that works on Toyotas and Lexus among others. He's had the shop for 40 years - his dad owned it first. So, I think I'm on the right track. Man I couldn't be happier - it is the most amazing ride I've experienced. Thanks again, Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett in AK Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 $33k for CPO on that car (assuming it's not UL) is a pretty good price, using edmunds.com as a guide. I ended up buying the car since it is a CPO and after doing the research as you say, on edmunds and KBB. It was a good deal and just an amazing vehicle - I totally lucked out being at the dealer, right place right time. The only thing it didn't hae were the SAT RADIO and IPOD hookups, but the dealer is installing these at no charge. And since it has only 17,000 miles, I opted to add 3 years to the 3yr 100000 warranty. It's kinda expensive at $2750, but they will refund the entire amount if the warranty is not used in the first 3 years (maybe I got ripped here - seemed like a good idea). Thank you all for the help - This is really a terrific site - very helpful and informative - i guess I'm now officially part of "the club". Congratulations! You'll get a lot of pleasure and satisfaction out of it. I also bought an 06 LS430 with the Ultra package. Couldn't be more pleased. I "think" I've attached a couple of photos. Brett Brett - that is a beauty! I actually pickup the car today. Me and my family are really excited, especially because our last car was a Audi A6 Avant 2008 and I made Audi settle with me under lemon laws - the car needed an engine replaced at 23K miles! So, it will be great to have a luxury car that is dependable and one I can keep for 7-10 years or more. Thank you! I really like the black although there is something about the platinum or silver that just "oozes" class! We bought ours with the idea it would be our retirement car when we move out of Alaska. I figured we ought to go ahead and buuy it now while we could afford to do so rather than wait until later and have to agonize on whether or not we should get it on a set income. So we jumped in with all four feet and couldn't be happier. We probably won't drive it that much up here as the roads are far from the best and in the winter they don't sand the roads, they gravel them. You're just about guaranteed to get a chip or two in the windshield on the way up to Fairbanks. Same thing for the Screaming Eagle Ultra Classic in the background, (you see the trend there?)you have to wait until they get the roads swept before you dare get out on them. Well enjoy your new car and take good care of it. I believe it is a sound investment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samwifi Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share Posted March 9, 2010 agree with prior post - 33K for a low miles 06 pristene CPO (with NAV and ML) is likely in the range. We bought an 03 a year ago and looked at an 06 with 18K - Dealer wanted 35. We ended up with an 03 CPO with 38K for 20. Sounds like a great car - congrats...... Thanks I appreciate it - I really don't know why I haven't looked at Lexus before - The ride truly is unlike anything I have ever experienced. I'm a believer now.... at least in the pre-2007 LS models... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Thats a no brainer...I'd buy it. Welcome to the club! Where's the "G Man" when we need someone to express some "Audi love"? I know! I thought the same thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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