2006 MDX vs. 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser

[hoser]

Looking at the Carfax...

1st owner had it for 12k miles. The 2nd owner put 9k miles in the following 5 months. Then they traded it in. Looks like it went to an auction and was sold. The vehicles appears to have sat for 7 months w/o being driven. Which is the red flag I think you are worried about.

However, it was a high dollar vehicle and the new, improved and more powerful 2006 model was due to be released during those 7 months. So that would effect the demand for such a vehicle. Also during that time, the vehicle underwent a certification process where they often repaint the bumpers and fix whatever it needs which could hold it up for whatever reason.

Between 11/05 and now, it looks like the dealer used it as a personal vehicle, like they so often do... putting 2.5k miles on it in the past 3 months.

Just my guess.

 

[yahtzee]

Looking at the Carfax...

1st owner had it for 12k miles. The 2nd owner put 9k miles in the following 5 months. Then they traded it in. Looks like it went to an auction and was sold. The vehicles appears to have sat for 7 months w/o being driven. Which is the red flag I think you are worried about.

However, it was a high dollar vehicle and the new, improved and more powerful 2006 model was due to be released during those 7 months. So that would effect the demand for such a vehicle. Also during that time, the vehicle underwent a certification process where they often repaint the bumpers and fix whatever it needs which could hold it up for whatever reason.

Between 11/05 and now, it looks like the dealer used it as a personal vehicle, like they so often do... putting 2.5k miles on it in the past 3 months.

Just my guess.

The GM told me that this car sat on their lot during the peak of gas prices back in 2005......Would you buy this particular vehicle based on the carfax report and info within?

 

[hoser]

That's right, I do remember the huge gas price increases during that time.

One owner is preferable but I'm okay with the carfax history. I would buy the vehicle based on the condition. Besides doing the usual drivetrain inspection, I would look into its accident history--check all the panels and make sure it has the original vin stickers on it. Check the undercarriage looking for damage. I don't think many dealers would risk doing an odometer rollback. If everything checked out, I would have no problem buying this LC. It's nice that it's still under warranty. It's been sitting for quite some time, I would think you'd be able to get a pretty good deal on it.

 

[yahtzee]

That's right, I do remember the huge gas price increases during that time.

One owner is preferable but I'm okay with the carfax history. I would buy the vehicle based on the condition. Besides doing the usual drivetrain inspection, I would look into its accident history--check all the panels and make sure it has the original vin stickers on it. Check the undercarriage looking for damage. I don't think many dealers would risk doing an odometer rollback. If everything checked out, I would have no problem buying this LC. It's nice that it's still under warranty. It's been sitting for quite some time, I would think you'd be able to get a pretty good deal on it.

I can get it for 45,500. One question i did have (and will ask tomorrow) is that apparently the CPO warranty preceds the standard warranty. (i.e., if it wasnt CPO it would have 12k of the factory warranty on it)....believe i remember them telling me that the CPO warranty was 3 months/3k with the 7yr/100k powertrain. Maybe you can answer some other questions that i have about this particular year. Im going to start a different thread. Thanks.

 

[FirstToy]

yahtzee, I think people are getting $10-12,000 off msrp on '06 LX470's so take into account the current market. It is a buyers market for large suv's so I think some bargaining might be rewarded.

 

[2garfields]

Buy it!

I would take it to a body shop for inspection, if everything is find, Buy it. Personally, I don't the truck has a super low mileage, maybe because I have an 01 Pathfinder with 36K, since I bought the pathfinder used in November 02 with 22K, that means I only put in 14K for the last 3 years.

 

[jjbodean1970]

dont be alarmed by the carfax. no big deal.

also dont worry that someone traded it in after 12k miles. a lot of people have more $$$ than sense or cares and do what they want, when they want to. we dont all keep these things to 50k

buy it with no worries

 

[yahtzee]

yahtzee, I think people are getting $10-12,000 off msrp on '06 LX470's so take into account the current market. It is a buyers market for large suv's so I think some bargaining might be rewarded.

That is after some bargaining....Edmunds.com is saying that this car should be listed at $51,274 for a CPO.

 

[FirstToy]

dunno yahtzee, sounds pretty good!

 

[Campfire]

I searched Kelly Blue book for the trade in value and came up with this in my area.
Condition Value
Excellent $40,325
Good $38,240
(Selected)
Fair $34,365
Somewhere in here is what the dealer gave for the trade in value. Consider that the dealer then spent money on smog, safety inspection, and whatever repairs it needed (i.e. brakes, oil change, etc.) and the detail shop. If it's been sitting on his lot for more than 90 days, he's losing money on it in flooring (the interest cost of investment borrowed from the bank) and he needs to move it NOW! Dealers make their most profit from used cars, and if it sits, it's not making money. It's a good deal, could be better, and you could always ask him to throm in some accesories or even come down another thousand or so. Play hardball with them.
As far as LC Vs. MDX? My wife wants an MDX after driving one, it's more "car" to her. We drove the MDX, X5, RX300, RX330, and Infiniti FX35. She likes what she likes, and it's the MDX. It's another year out though.

 

[jp213a]

There is currently a 2004 LC on E-bay with 27,300 miles. It is being sold with No Reserve with four days left on the bidding. You can watch the auction down to the minute it sells and use that selling price as ONE measure for fair market value for a low mileage 2004 LC. The $45,500 the dealer is asking sounds like top dollar.

 

[jjbodean1970]

If it's been sitting on his lot for more than 90 days, he's losing money on it in flooring (the interest cost of investment borrowed from the bank) and he needs to move it NOW!

most new vehicle dealers dont floor used vehicles, only new ones

 

[Jim_Chow]

In my mind it begs the question, why did someone buy a new 2004 LC and then take a finanicial hosing on it 1-2 years later when it only had 24,000 miles? Maybe the original ower changed their mine or needed the money OR maybe it was a lemon or went through Katrina or one of the other hurricanes or was wrecked. Also, a LC isn't "any two year old used car". It's an expensive vehicle MOST people keep for at least 50,000 miles, especially if there is not major design change. That's the reasons for the red flag.

Could have been a lease. The lexus salesman who sold me my LX last weekend said the average turn around for his customers is 2-3 yrs. Many of his customers (at least for Lexus) have a ton of disposable income and just don't care. Others might be leases (ie, real estate agents or people who drive clients around town), and the leases have a max. number of total allowable miles. For example, it might be a 3 yr lease for 36K mi, but if you put on 35,999 mi in the first two years, you can only drive 1 mi the third year w/o paying a huge penalty. So these people just return the leased vehicle and get a new one.

I've also found that Carfax will at least accurately tell you how many owners of the vehicle there were, whether it was owned/leased. The carfax mileage reports are only made when the vehicle is registered or smogged. Also, accident history on carfax is pathetic. At least they don't get reports of non-injury accidents at all. Also run the vin through nicb.org to see if the vin was registered as a salvaged Katrina car. It'll just give you a yes or no, so not much info there, but it's free. THere are warnings out in CA since Katrina salvage vehicles have been showing up there. They transfer the title through many states, and the salvage designation gets dropped, maybe by accident or some states may not carry it over. Then the cars show up at auction, etc. That's why I bought certified from the dealer...that requires verifiable service records from the dealer (at least for lexus), so you know more about the history.

I'd only suspect the low miles is a red flag if it's at some shady dealership. If it's toyota certified, I'd be confident it's legit.

 

[Da Hapa]

Disclaimers -
1) I currently own an Acura NSX. I've owned several Honda/Acura vehicles (Integras, CRV, Legend, S2000) as well as a few Honda motorcycles. In other words, I like Honda prodcuts.
2) We are currently waiting to take ownership of a 2006 Lexus LX470 (due in port 2/14). We own a 2000 RX300 AWD and have owned several other Lexus vehicles (an IS300 was our last). My parents have owned LS400 Lexus since the nameplate debuted in America. I firmly believe that Toyota/Lexus builds the best value, highest quality cars/vehicles in the world. They're not always the most exciting but they are very well built and extremely reliable.

I point all that out so you know I'm not a brand snob and not just drinking from the Lexus Kool Aid.

If you think you're going to keep this vehicle for more than 5 years, buy the Land Cruiser. If not, buy the MDX.

Don't get me wrong, the MDX is a good vehicle but IMO the engineering and build quality that goes into the LC is superior and I think it would serve you better in the long run. If you're going to sell the vehicle in the next five years, I think it's a wash and you should go with the one that you enjoy driving the most. Personally, I don't find the front seats in either the MDX or the Pilot very comfortable but I think the fold in the floor third row is way more convenient than the LC.

As to gas milage, I should point out that we have a couple of friends with MDX's and in mixed, S. CA driving they only avg. 18mpg on super unleaded. When you consider that our friends with LX470's and LC's avg. 15 (one has the old 4 speed and the other has a 2004 LX with the newer 5 speed), the difference in fuel milage is essentially nothing.

And to another posters point, we're getting our LX as what is essentially $2,000 under invoice or about $11,000 under MSRP. Lexus is dealing on these as high gas prices and the spectre of the upcoming Sequoia based JX are combining to shrink the demand for this previously highly sought after SUV.

 

[Gene3x]

I just bought a loaded out 04 LC with 61000 miles for $37100 It even has simulated wood ect... I felt I got a great deal. Yea it has miles but don't they run like a scalded mule for 200,000 miles if you take care of them?

 

[dclee]

I just bought a loaded out 04 LC with 61000 miles for $37100 It even has simulated wood ect... I felt I got a great deal. Yea it has miles but don't they run like a scalded mule for 200,000 miles if you take care of them?

If you take care of it, you SHOULD see way more than 200K miles. My daughter is 9 months old and at present the plan is she'll drive the `04 when she's old enough (though plans change, because by that time someone may have figured out a SAS for the front end, in which case Daddy will keep it, buy her a Scion, and turn the 80 into a buggy, heh...).

 

[yahtzee]

Just talked to the GM (wanted to get less of a sales perspective and more of a business perspective - i.e., what does CPO REALLY meant)....

The reason for the new tires after only 24k miles is that they were worn (not anywhere near bald) and they had to replace to meet the CPO standards. He threw in 5 free oil changes and guaranteed loaner car for any service down the road. I drove the MDX again at lunch and just felt cramped in the front seat after driving the LC (already spoiled)....would i be crazy to look at a newer GX with less mileage?

 

[mikeacs]

Sounds like a fair deal to me, there is no great mystery to buying a used vehicle, ask if you can drive it a few days, If it has problems, they will show up. In the meantime crawl under it, and look it over, lift the carpet if your worried about flood issues, check for leaks, all the usual stuff. Very unlikely it has any issues, IMHO.

I test drove the MDX when we bought my wifes BMW X5, it was an okay vehicle but seemed kinda boring, rather minivan like to me, we ended up with the X5 for her, which is a cool little suv, but maintenace costs are scary on it ($129 for an oil change?). Now looks like we will be trading it for a second Landcruiser 03-06, or maybe a GX470.

I'd say do it...

 

[yahtzee]

Sounds like a fair deal to me, there is no great mystery to buying a used vehicle, ask if you can drive it a few days, If it has problems, they will show up. In the meantime crawl under it, and look it over, lift the carpet if your worried about flood issues, check for leaks, all the usual stuff. Very unlikely it has any issues, IMHO.

I test drove the MDX when we bought my wifes BMW X5, it was an okay vehicle but seemed kinda boring, rather minivan like to me, we ended up with the X5 for her, which is a cool little suv, but maintenace costs are scary on it ($129 for an oil change?). Now looks like we will be trading it for a second Landcruiser 03-06, or maybe a GX470.

I'd say do it...

Wouldnt you know there is another wrench that has been thrown into this.....just found an 05 with 8k miles, one owner and in my hometown about 2.5 hrs away....was a drs. and he traded for a range rover.....please check the forum as i am starting a new topic to get opinions...

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=77480

 

[Jim_Chow]

[snip]
I test drove the MDX when we bought my wifes BMW X5, it was an okay vehicle but seemed kinda boring, rather minivan like to me, we ended up with the X5 for her, which is a cool little suv, but maintenace costs are scary on it ($129 for an oil change?). Now looks like we will be trading it for a second Landcruiser 03-06, or maybe a GX470.

I'd say do it...

GX is kind of cramped, basically similar to the 4runner but w/ more headroom due to the taller body (they look kind of top-heavy on the freeway), plus the rear "door" looks lame vs. a tailgate.

The Lexus oil changes are around $60 incl tax & the car wash/vacuuming, so half the price. At least the BMW oil changes are less than half the price of Porsche oil changes, so I'm told (no personal experience).