A day at the Lexus Dealership

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-01-2010, 04:42 PM

I've been helping a good friend decide on her next car. She's the kind of person to buy something and keep it forever, notably her 10 year old Mitsubishi Galant.

Over the lat 6 weeks, she's driven 2008 - 2010 models:
Mercedes C350
BMW 328
Mini Cooper
Audi TT
Lexus IS250
Lexus ES350
Acura TSX
Acure RL
Honda Accord
VW CC

First she had settled on a new IS250 (tarted up Corolla) but after another visit, she drove an 09 ES350 (tarted up Camry) and settled on that, just needed to find the best value for $ between an 08 - 10. After finding exactly what she wanted at the price she wanted, we went to another dealership today to purchase an 08 ES350 with 6K miles.

There was a 2007 GS350 on the showroom floor in her price range and just for fun we took it out. Huge difference, the GS350 is a true luxury performance sedan. Made the ES350 seem exactly what it is, a Camry.

Car has 15K miles on it. Sticker was $32,849.

We went over the car carefully with the salesman with the intent to buy right there.

Sitting down, he dropped the price $400. She said she'll take it at $31K. Brief discussion with sales manager, no go. $32,449 was the price. So we left.

I doubt the salesman, who was one of the best we've met, will call tomorrow with a counter-offer.

Anyone have some thoughts on this? We both thought the GS350, out of all the cars we'd seen and driven, was the only one worth the money. No other car came close to it. The others just weren't worth their starting at $30K-on-up asking price, especially the Mercedes.

She really likes the car. Any way we can get it for closer to $31K?

kaisen · 05-01-2010, 04:51 PM

That's seriously overpriced

I can get you a beautiful 2007 GS350 Anthracite/Gray with 15,367 miles heated/cooled, Sport, keyless go, xenon, etc for $28,600 FOB Orlando, FL

PM me if you'd like pictures or more details

With time, I can find you a similar 2008 for the same money

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-01-2010, 04:55 PM

hey Eric, thank you! will send a PM with details. Also will be in Eagan May 14 - 17, definitely need to get together.

kaisen · 05-01-2010, 05:02 PM

You bet Shaun, see you in a couple weeks, although we're expecting a baby that weekend

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-01-2010, 05:07 PM

Congratulations! Wish I went down to infant sizes now, will next year, for now smallest I have is 12M. I could bring some size 7's, use them as a blanket!

PM sent, thank you!

motion · 05-01-2010, 05:22 PM

How could she pass up a C350? That's a serious piece of German econo-box there.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-01-2010, 05:30 PM

on the 350, she didn't like the interior, felt it was cheap, and everything was an option. that turned her off. She was also not impressed with the music system, a big thing for her.

I pushed her heavily in the direction of the 350, to a point where she was considering it solely because I like it. After today, we both thought the 07 GS350 blew away the competition, and it should, it was a $50K car a few years ago with virtually no miles on it today. She's all about value, the "older but still new" GS wins that hands down.

EarlyPorsche · 05-01-2010, 05:37 PM

Kaisen,

I know someone looking to buy the new body style E350 coupe. This car would be a 2010 I believe. Any lines on a pre-owned one or is the discount not good enough over a new one?

slow&rusty · 05-01-2010, 05:38 PM

The GS is sweet..but the IS250 is not a tarted up Corolla..it is a RWD car based on much larger platform shared with the GS.

Hope she gets the GS it is a good looking car.

Eric Coffey · 05-01-2010, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motion

How could she pass up a C350? That's a serious piece of German econo-box there.

+1
And/or, you might tell her to check out a slightly older CLS-class Merc before making any decisions, especially if she can find an AMG variant in her price range.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Some dealers are just downright stupid or they have things going on that I certainly don't understand. Had some places do the same thing - not budge on overpriced cars that are sitting. Had another dealer who really didn't want to look for a deal for me on a new car. They couldn't be bothered to see if there were rebates or ways to be competitive. Emailed another dealer, they gave me a price, I went down and bought the car.

Are these dealers that play "hard to get" just depending on people desperate to have *that* one car?

motion · 05-01-2010, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

on the 350, she didn't like the interior, felt it was cheap, and everything was an option. that turned her off. She was also not impressed with the music system, a big thing for her.

I pushed her heavily in the direction of the 350, to a point where she was considering it solely because I like it. After today, we both thought the 07 GS350 blew away the competition, and it should, it was a $50K car a few years ago with virtually no miles on it today. She's all about value, the "older but still new" GS wins that hands down.

Mercedes is all about the engine. Lexus is all about the interior. Nothing wrong with either ideology, but damn, those MBZ guys have that motor stuff figured out! I had a C350 loaner for a few days while mine was in the shop and could not, for the life of me, stop those rear tires from roasting

BGCarrera32 · 05-01-2010, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motion

Mercedes is all about the engine. Lexus is all about the interior. Nothing wrong with either ideology, but damn, those MBZ guys have that motor stuff figured out! I had a C350 loaner for a few days while mine was in the shop and could not, for the life of me, stop those rear tires from roasting

No doubt- I got invited to a BMW Ultimate Driving event a few years ago when they rolled out the X5 with the 4.8. Drove the X5, ML500, Volvo XC90? and the big Lexus sport ute. Ran them all around an autocross type course.

The X5 was fast and visceral off the line, but

HOLY BANANAS did the ML500 have a smooth and immediate power rush when the loud pedal went down...that engine was my pick hands down.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-01-2010, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motion

Mercedes is all about the engine. Lexus is all about the interior. Nothing wrong with either ideology, but damn, those MBZ guys have that motor stuff figured out! I had a C350 loaner for a few days while mine was in the shop and could not, for the life of me, stop those rear tires from roasting

I agree, and it was my pick for some time.

You've captured what she is about. In fact she didn't really like the black sapphire (metallic dark blue) but was so in love with the cashmere interior of the GS, which even after 15K was flawless, that she didn't care what color the car was. Her reasoning was simple, she's in the car and that's what was important to her, not the outside.

leather not being standard on the C350 turned her off more than anything.

HardDrive · 05-01-2010, 06:29 PM

All I can offer is that we have had an 03 Lexus rx330.
7 years and we have spent $0 on repairs. Service prices have been reasonable. I like driving my MB e350 by a mile, but the Lexus has tighter build quality.

Lexus makes a strong product.

Leland Pate · 05-01-2010, 06:33 PM

A buddy of mine has one of those Lexus IS-F's. Something like 408 hp.

Whoa... what a car.

Hugh R · 05-01-2010, 06:46 PM

When I bought my Camry Hybrid, I drove an IS350, didn't really think of it as a tarted up Corolla, probably the same platform. It was an absolute rocketship. I drove an IS250 as well for comparison, plenty of car and engine if you want a very nice commuter. I bought the Camry because it runs on 89 octane, not 91 and it gets almost twice the mileage as a commuter, and about $15K less.

Eric Coffey · 05-01-2010, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nostatic

Emailed another dealer, they gave me a price, I went down and bought the car.

Are these dealers that play "hard to get" just depending on people desperate to have *that* one car?

Dunno, but I think you hit on the #1 rule when inquiring/negotiating with car dealerships: Always deal with the internet sales manager if possible.

Halm · 05-02-2010, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Coffey

. . . Always deal with the internet sales manager if possible.

I couldn't agree more. We work with the Internet Sales Manager at a BMW dealer in GA. Over 7 years and 4 cars, no one ever comes within $1,000 of his deals.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-02-2010, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

When I bought my Camry Hybrid, I drove an IS350, didn't really think of it as a tarted up Corolla, probably the same platform. It was an absolute rocketship. I drove an IS250 as well for comparison, plenty of car and engine if you want a very nice commuter. I bought the Camry because it runs on 89 octane, not 91 and it gets almost twice the mileage as a commuter, and about $15K less.

Hugh, I hope you didn't think I was dissing the Camry. Quite the opposite. I would get a Camry over an ES350 any day. We only drove the IS250 and ES350.

IS250: cute little car, all wheel drive, not particularly quick, drove so-so, like any given Honda or Toyota would. Really nothing special about the car. I think if you bought a decked out Corolla and drove them back to back, there would be little difference. IS250 is stylish, but had more style than substance in my opinion.

ES350: very nice ride, but was more a product of badging than Lexus engineering. Again, for the price, just did not meet expectations.

I will say that if we hadn't driven the GS350, she would have been happy with the ES350. Like I said, the GS is in a whole other category. for the money, I'd rather have a gently used GS than a brand new ES. Much better value for the dollar.