Detailing fanatic

Hi All, Due to economic conditions, I have had to downgrade my search for a Lexus from the '05/'06 variety to the '02 variety. The good news is that I have found a 2002 GS430 that is extremely clean (sunroof, wood wheel, and rear spoiler, but no nav, alloys, or ML Sound). The bad news is that it has 158,000 miles on it. The car is approaching 9 years old, so the mileage isn't out of line vs. the NADA average of 15,000 miles per year. However, it's still a lot of miles for a car that will not be under warranty for me. The local Lexus dealer is selling it, but I haven't had a chance to see/drive it. Not even sure yet whether this was dealer maintained, or even has any records. Judging by the condition of it in pictures, I'd say that someone has taken pretty good care of it cosmetically. Even if it was dealer maintained with full records, should I be comfortable buying this car for $11k? The Dealer Retail price on Edmunds is $11,700, so they are at least pricing it close to where it should be priced. I'll be driving approximately 18-20k miles per year for the next two years, and just wanted to make sure this is not the kind of car that would eat up my auto repair budget. Any advice/recommendations you can give will be most appreciated! -David

Naw, it will be covered. Still annoying if it breaks though. I agree with that, though at least it will be covered. Ever hear of any issues with the navigation system? The M45 uses a similar "brains of the car" type nav system, and when it goes, it's bad news.

Wow -- $3k in nearly 6 years is pretty minimal. I have some friends that drive S-Class Benzes, and that seems like a typical year of expenses for them! I'm always concerned about the dealerships and their pricing games. Unfortunately, the Internet destroyed their profit margins on car sales, though not as bad as the domestic car makers. I've been looking at some 430's that are in the 40k-50k range in mileage, so I would still have a few years before I got to the 90k service. That's good information to know, though, if I find myself looking at cars with higher mileage.

Actually, I should have said "the year isn't that important to me, unless of course there are years to avoid" :) Yes, I agree with you on the six-speed transmission -- I would think that would be an upgrade over the previous 5-speed. Unfortunately, the ultra luxury package does include the air suspension. I have heard of some issues with that -- I take it that it's not covered under warranty?

Hello all,. I'm new to the forum,and have not yet purchased a Lexus. I have my sights set on an LS430, and am in the process of researching the pros/cons of such a vehicle. Specifically, I'm after an Ultra Luxury edition of the LS430. The year is not all that significant (unless there are years to avoid, of course!). My concern is that I don't want the LS430 to turn out like my friend's 2006 Infiniti M45, which is a spectacular car, but has proven to be quite expensive to own after the warranty expired. Consumer Reports has nothing but good things to say about the LS430 (all years), and for the most part, the consumer ratings on Edmunds.com are pretty stellar as well. My budget will probably be in the $32-$35k range. Given that, is it worth the effort to find a CPO car from Lexus? While it's not a deal-breaker, some warranty coverage would be ideal. Anyone have any good/bad experiences buying a higher-mileage LS430? Say, north of 75k? I've got a great local independent garage that specializes in Lexus, so I have someone I trust to look over a higher-mileage car. Any and all input/advice is welcome! Thanks, David