Purchase online

[sPaulp]

I say go for it. Ultimately, can you find a better deal with patience? Possibly, but this one is the color you want, in like new condition, great service records in it's short life, ZERO rust, and honestly IMHO the price is respectable and in line with the current market. It sounds like a really nice find and I don't see anything (from what you've said) that would scare me about this deal. The CPO is retroactive from the initial purchase date which is why purchasing the '15 over a '13-'14 is advantageous. You essentially still have a 5 year/100k mile powertrain, and the remainder of the factory warranty. Good luck either way...I know it's not a cheap decision. Ultimately, I don't think you will regret it

 

[EPUro2019]

I took the plunge! Settled on price, should get it this weekend. More than I wanted to spend but considering I plan on keeping this for a long time I think it is worth it. I'll post pics when I get it. Thanks everyone for the input/advice.

 

[dukmon]

No to be a Debby Downer, just a heads up, and I'm slightly embarrassed I never thought to ask this:

Make sure the vehicle didn't belong to a smoker. Mine has a very very faint yet obvious cigarette stink.






And that, kids, is today's self deprecating Pro Tip.

 

[linuxgod]

No to be a Debby Downer, just a heads up, and I'm slightly embarrassed I never thought to ask this:

Make sure the vehicle didn't belong to a smoker. Mine has a very very faint yet obvious cigarette stink.

FWIW I once had a gas can fall over in my 4runner and spill like a quart of gas all over the trunk. I tried cleaning it, took it to an auto detailer, ran an ozonator (which helped some), but nothing completely got rid of the smell. I was about to give up and sell the truck to CarMax when a friend suggested unscented Febreeze. After 2 or 3 spray cycles in the trunk the smell went away for good. I'm thinking Febreeze on its own wouldn't have done it, but the combination (steam clean, ozonator, and Febreeze) worked on gasoline vapors so strong I couldn't close the windows without feeling sick, so I'd bet dollars to donuts it'd work on a faint cigarette smell.

 

[EPUro2019]

Thanks for the tip. I'm told it was a non-smoker, hopefully that is the case. . .

 

[dukmon]

I'll give it a try. One problem is most of that cigarette stink is in the head liner.

Febreze...... how about that?

 

[40Man]

I'll give it a try. One problem is most of that cigarette stink is in the head liner.

Febreze...... how about that?

I'll give it a try. One problem is most of that cigarette stink is in the head liner.

Febreze...... how about that?

With smoking, the problem is it gets into the HVAC. When I bought my 4th Gen 4runner it had a funky smell. Over a couple months, I used two of the Meguiar Whole Car Refresher systems, and the bad smell was gone for good, even years later. It is available at Wal-Mart or Amazon.

Amazon.com: Meguiar's G16402 Whole Car Air Refresher Odor Eliminator (New Car Scent) - 2.5 oz.: Automotive

Basically, it works similar to a bug bomb. Lock the button down, and let the smell permeate the car. Remove all mats, etc., and remove the cabin air filter before running it. Then let the closed off car run for a while with the HVAC on per the can instructions.

The post-treatment smell is strong for about a week, but totally worth it. I used the New Car smell.



Directions for Use:

Vehicle should be unoccupied. No person, pets or plants. For best results remove any source of unwanted odor. Vacuum and clean any soiled carpet/upholstery. Park your vehicle in the shade and in a well ventilated area. Do not use more than one can, per vehicle, at a time.

1. Start the vehicle with the fan set on high (circulated cold air) and close all windows.

2. With the Air Re-Fresher nozzle facing away from you, activate its locking trigger.

3. Place it in the center of the car (typically the floor between the front and back seats).

4. Close all the doors for 15 mins.

5. Open all the doors after 15 mins, turn off vehicle and let air out for 10-15 mins.

 

[Rigger]

I have bought a few trucks over the 'net, sight unseen. Mostly good experiences. When I bought my '08 LC over the 'net, I made a few mistakes. Mine has some rear and underside surface rust that, if I had it to do over again, I'd walk away from.

The smoking thing is tough. There's no way to know for sure if your purchase was not smoked in until you've lived with it for a while. Humidity tends to bring it out. I bought a van once from a very nice car dealer in Houston. He had a thick accent from the middle east somewhere. I remember asking him over the phone about bad smells in the truck. He assured me "no badda smell". I believed him, I bought the truck, and he was right: the truck had no bad smells and was a great purchase. I think if you ask the right questions, and make clear what you're after, you'll do okay.

If I bought another truck sight unseen today, I'd make sure it was clear that when I came to pick it up, I get to walk away for any reason if I don't like it, with my deposit fully refunded. I'd get that in writing before I bought my plane ticket.

 

[Markuson]

FWIW I once had a gas can fall over in my 4runner and spill like a quart of gas all over the trunk. I tried cleaning it, took it to an auto detailer, ran an ozonator (which helped some), but nothing completely got rid of the smell. I was about to give up and sell the truck to CarMax when a friend suggested unscented Febreeze. After 2 or 3 spray cycles in the trunk the smell went away for good. I'm thinking Febreeze on its own wouldn't have done it, but the combination (steam clean, ozonator, and Febreeze) worked on gasoline vapors so strong I couldn't close the windows without feeling sick, so I'd bet dollars to donuts it'd work on a faint cigarette smell.

Maybe let it idle in your driveway for while with re-circulate air running...after spraying a crapload of Fabreeze...so it just keeps blowing it around for a while, and also make the headliner and rug damp with it.

Another bad experience with good ending:
I once did something similar when a house-sitter cooked popcorn in my microwave for **30 minutes** rather than 30 seconds (and she left the house while it cooked!).
-Most horrible smoke that actually COATED everything in the house with a nasty white sheet of the worst smell ever. -Wiped it all down...vacuumed...then sprayed Fabreeze like crazy with fans blowing and all windows shut for several hours...repeatedly spraying more every so often. I was amazed that it worked.

 

[linuxgod]

From How Does Febreze Work?

The active ingredient in Febreze is beta-cyclodextrin, a carbohydrate. Beta-cyclodextrin is an 8-sugar ringed molecule that is formed via an enzymatic conversion of starch (usually from corn).

The cyclodextrin molecule sort of resembles a donut. When you spray Febreze, the water in the product partially dissolves the odor, allowing it to form a complex inside the 'hole' of the cyclodextrin donut shape. The stink molecule is still there, but it can't bind to your odor receptors, so you can't smell it. Depending on the type of Febreze you're using, the odor might simply be deactivated or it might be replaced with something nice-smelling, like a fruity or floral fragrance. As Febreze dries, more and more of the odor molecules bind to the cyclodextrin, lowering the concentration of the molecules in air and eliminating the odor. If water is added once again, the odor molecules are released, allowing them to be washed away and truly removed.​

Fun fact I learned in a business school class - Febreeze was originally marketed as a way to remove (not just mask) smells. But it didn't sell well because nobody thinks *they* stink. P&G accidentally stumbled on a marketing campaign when they found that the majority of people that used Febreeze sprayed it because they liked the smell (sort of like a spritz of perfume). Most people buy the scented versions, despite the fact that the unscented version works just as well (or better, really, since it doesn't add any smell once dried).

 

[TonyP]

Worst case, just start smoking. Fight fire with fire.

 

[EPUro2019]

Worst case, just start smoking. Fight fire with fire.

Seems reasonable. If you can't beat them, join them!

 

[FinallyGotOne!]

I stole my '11 LX from VRoom.com Absolutely A++ experience and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Still don't understand why they let it go so cheaply. It's been a little over a year now and the vehicle remains perfect.

 

[alsation]

Ask for pictures of all video screens while they're turned on. Mine look fine but one has cracks that aren't apparent if the screen is off. Ask for pics of accessories remote control, head phones, screen covers etc. the accessories aren't necessarily expensive but it does speak to how a previous owner treated the car.

I got a 2016 at a great price from Florida, I live in Seattle. Consider what shipping is going to cost on top of the price. I've written elsewhere here about one of the rear screens not working. I really dig my first LC so no regrets. But... if I had to do it over a flight tickets are pretty cheap.

 

[EPUro2019]

I did get pics of each screen working. The headphones/remote are still in the original bubble wrap. It think it was an older couple who used the LC for travel. Thanks for the advice!

 

[sPaulp]

I did get pics of each screen working. The headphones/remote are still in the original bubble wrap. It think it was an older couple who used the LC for travel. Thanks for the advice!

Congrats, I think you made a great decision based on the info you had at your disposal. Can't wait to see pics. Buying sight unseen is like Christmas morning. You know what you are getting, but can't open it until the day gets here

 

[Utah200]

There is a Charcol/black 2013 with 42K miles in Phoenix for 49888, not CPO right now. Its at a Chevy dealership but they have been difficult to work with.

Ha...and I thought it was just me. They are useless.

 

[Jcruiser5]

Congratulations @EPUro2019! We recently purchased our 2014 LC online and it was nerve wracking. It was a lot of money to spend without seeing it in person but we did hire a "pre purchase inspector" to check it out. The transport was a little bit of a hassle (TN to CA) but it's here now and we couldn't be happier with it.