Wanted 2006-07 LX470 - Buying Advice

Looking for some advice in buying 2006-07 LX470.

Here are my requirements,

Miles Driven : Not more than 150 - 160K

Color : No preference

# of owners : 2 or less.

Preferably High way driven and fully serviced at Lexus/Toyota dealers.

Price range : 15 -17K

Can I buy a Lexus dealer vehicle remotely just by going through service records and without inspecting? Can I assume Lexus dealers wouldn't list the trade-ins, if the vehicles aren't in good condition?

I have been observing Cars.com ,Car-guru's and other sites for a month now, Lexus dealer vehicles are selling like HOT cakes. 2005 LX 60K miles listed for 22K sold in a week at Thomson Lexus. 2006 186K miles, listed for 16K at a Lexus dealer near Smyrna GA sold in 2 days.

 

[Blue Phoenix]

@crv2011 I'm in the same boat you are, in fact I went to go look at the one in Smyrna you mentioned and it had been sold by the time I got there. Not sure if it was because they're selling like "HOT cakes" or just dumb luck, but people out there are definitely watching for good deals.

On the flip side, I went to another dealer here in ATL to look at a "pristine" 2007 Lx470 with 80k miles on it listed for $30,000. Of course upon inspection it smelled like it had been smoked in and tons of surface rust permeated the entire chassis. Found out it had lived its life in New Jersey. So don't be fooled.

In any case, be patient. I waited a year to find my old LX and it paid off in the end: I got a 1 owner, pampered, grocery getter with OEM lockers, fantastic service history, and low miles.

Prices on the 100's now if you haven't read are artificially high, higher of course out West, but southern trucks come up often. Point is I think if there's a truck you truly want I would be prepared in most cases to pay sticker for a low mileage version with good history. Having said that there's enough out there that I would NOT buy one sight unseen.

I sold my 80 about 5 months ago (which may have been a mistake) but I also am in the market now for a 100. When the right one comes up you'll know it, just be patient.

Another website to check, unless someone on here flames it, is www.kingschariot.com. I have no reason to promote them and only recommend them because they always seem to selling reasonably low-mileage 100's at reasonable prices all the time. They are located in Jacksonville, FL.

Anyways, good luck with your search and be patient.

 

[Wesley Crusher]

Can I buy a Lexus dealer vehicle remotely just by going through service records and without inspecting? Can I assume Lexus dealers wouldn't list the trade-ins, if the vehicles aren't in good condition?

I would not make that assumption. The first LX I saw when I started looking was at a local dealership. I believe it was an 01 with ~175k miles. The pictures looked great and it was priced fairly. I set up an appointment to see it and it was trashed. Bumpers and body panels were all banged up, the seats were toast, trim pieces falling off, and it rode like it was on blocks. I made a comment about the rough suspension and the salesman told me that it was normal. Even though that was my first time driving a Cruiser/LX in person, I knew the salesman was full of it.

It’s always best to see a car in person, if possible before purchase. If that’s not an option, at least have it taken to an indy for a PPI and have them give you their honest feedback.

Good luck with the hunt.

 

[NoogaCruiser]

I agree with everything above. I would add that in addition to the typical wants like no rust, no accidents, and service records, people seem to get extra excited about lower than average mileage, and there's generally more demand for LC's over LX's. So you may already have an advantage over other 100 buyers since you're looking for an LX. I personally seek out both.

 

[Njck22]

I will say the listings that last longer than 2 or 3 weeks probably aren't good trucks. You have to be super fast for a good one. The day after mine came up, I signed for it. 1 owner non-ahc southern truck under 130k. I have no doubts that if I waited a day longer it would be gone. You will likely end up paying over 17k for a low mileage 06-07. Also don't count on any dealership for anything. There was an Lx470 at the same dealership, looked like a decent truck, but it was trashed. No easy way to tell from the pictures.

 

[crv2011]

Thank you all for your inputs.