Certified pre-owned luxury sedans

[XYSRUS]

Looking for recommendations for certified, pre-owned sedans. I'm interested in Audi, Acura, Infinti,and Lexus. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[pklein09]

I can't give you a recommendation on a particular car, but I can share our experience. For DH, we purchased a 2002 BMW 325i with about 8,000 miles in 2004. It rides and drives very nicely. The one complaint we have is that whenever anything needs to be serviced, it's expensive. They have to use synthetic oil, so a $40 oil change is more like $90. It takes sportscar tires, which only have a tread life of 30K miles, so we have to replace tires more often than if we purchased a non-luxury car. Don't get me wrong, we really like the car, but we'll never have another luxury car. We'll get something like a Camry that loaded, but is cheaper to maintain.

Good luck with your search!

 

[Desnik]

My only experience with a certified pre-owned luxury sedan was with a Mercedes E class 4 matic I believe it was a 2003 that we purchased in 2006. I can't remember how many miles it had, not a lot and it was still covered under the warranty. Things did go wrong but they were minor and covered so we were really happy with the car and our experience with a certified pre-owned car. But, once it had a lot of miles and wasn't covered under the warranty and things went wrong, it was just too much of an expense to upkeep. Simple things that are cheap to repair in most cars was like triple the price to fix. Then major things started to need repair and it was too much to handle. We ended up getting rid of it but I have to say I loved that car!

I can also relate with the previous poster about the BMW. I had a 2009 BMW 325xi with the M package purchased new. DH puts a lot of miles on his car for his commute and when the car wasn't covered under the warranty holy cow was it expensive to upkeep. We should've known better. Needless to say we got rid of that car too and have vowed to not buy anymore luxury cars. We'll see how long that lasts

 

[mieuxmew]

I just purchased my company leased 2008 Infiniti G35X w sport package. LOVE, LOVE IT!! Car was leased for me, so I have been the only driver. Car was under mileage by !0,000 miles, so buy out price was a good deal. I have no complaints. Service is awesome, too! No problem getting loaner cars. With the 4 wheel drive, car is not bad in snow, either.

My business partner has the same car (minus sport package) and bought out his lease also. He also really likes his car.

Consumer Reports listed the Infiniti G as one of the best used cars in the class.

 

[csharpwv]

Your first misstep is calling these cars 'luxury' cars:
Acura, Infinti,and Lexus

You can also refer to these as HONDA, NISSAN, and TOYOTA.

Please keep in mind that this is entirely IMHO....

But these vehicles are not 'better built' than their lower market counterparts.

Are they better equipped? Of course! How else could they plaster an additional $15-20K to their price tags?!
BUT, are they better engineered? Well considering that many of the vehicles use the same off the shelf parts from the auto-parts store... the engineering factor fades in to the background.

If you want to buy the best vehicle on the market - start with Germany, and then take a trip to Sweden.

In my opinion, the quality of Acura, Infinti,and Lexus have slipped in comparison to American vehicles (with the exception of Dodge/Chrysler - their quality is still beyond horrible)

I have been renting vehicles for work for the last 6 years, and I have steadily experienced the increase in quality, especially from Ford/Lincoln. For what you are buying a used 'luxury' vehicle for, you could buy a new Lincoln and have a much nicer vehicle with much better technology, fuel efficiency, and a better overall experience.

My next suggestion is to check out a NEW VW - the new VW's have GREAT price tags, great reliability, and are very well built.

I DO NOT however suggest Acura, Infinti, or Lexus. You are paying for something that never was worth the price tag, let along the 'certified pre-owned' price tag.

The PP that bought his work vehicle at lease end knew exactly what he was getting and what it was worth at the end of the lease term. That was smart - he knew that the vehicle had no bumps, rattles, dings, or mechanical issues.

Buying the known is FAR different than buying the unknown.

You need to spend a weekend test driving CARS not shopping LABELS.

Used vehicles can be a GREAT deal - especially if they have fewer than 10,000 miles on them and are at least a model year or two old. But when you assess what you want, what you need, and what you WANT to pay (not what you CAN pay)... You'll find that you are more willing to shop for the car that you LOVE, not the brand that you love.

Two years ago we almost bought a Volvo, but ended up test driving a Ford Taurus. We paid less for our Taurus brand new than we would have for a certified pre-owned Volvo - and in that time, the exact year and model of Volvo we looked at has had three significant safety/mechanical recalls.

I LOVE driving that Taurus, and I never dreamed I would - but it is an absolutely incredible vehicle that is pure joy to drive, it has very safe technology built in, and it is 'state of the art' in terms of connectivity. It has been back and fourth to Florida 3-4 times, to New York, to Ohio, to PA, VA, NC (several times), SC (several times), TN, GA, MD, NJ, and a host of other states. We've been putting almost 20,000 miles a year on the car and it is still in great shape 40,000 miles in - and still drives and rides like we just pulled off the lot!

Shop around! The car market has changed A LOT in the last 5 years!

 

[Maryr1]

Years ago I bought a used Lexus ES300 (I think). It was 1 year old, turned in early on a lease with under 10,000 miles on it. (I think it had around 7,000 miles). It was loaded. I really liked that car. I drove it for 7 or 8 years. Best part was the service-I always got a loaner and they picked it up and dropped it off when it was done. (I don't think they offer that feature anymore). The service was expensive but man that car never gave me any trouble. Being it was certified, preowned it had all the warranties etc. After I was done driving it someone else in our house drove it for a few years. They were pretty tough on it and it finally started burning oil. At that point I traded it in and got a new car for myself. I swear if I ever but another high end car I will do the same thing-look for a used one with the preowned certified certification. I saved thousands of dollars up front, really loved the car and all in all found it to be a great experience. FWIW my husband drives an Escalade and it is a beautiful, comfortable, reliable car. He loves it. I am due to get a new car in a year or two-and I am going to look at all the cars people have mentioned-VW, Audi, Lexus, Subaru,Caddy-and so what I like and is comfy for me. No name shopping for me!

 

[marie1203]

I used to have an Audi and it was the worst car ever. There was always something wrong with it and many of my friends that own one have the same issue. However they handle so nicely in the snow. We have a Lexus ES 350 and we our car. We bought it when it was 2 years old. For the one that said they are the same as a Toyota but a different price tag clearly hasn't driven both right after each other. Lexus the most reliable car we owned and the customer service is amazing the best we ever had. We have over 100,000 miles on it now and it has never had any issue other than the regular maintenance. DH Ford truck has been by far more expensive in repairs than our Lexus and it has less miles on it. Depreciation of a car is more likely to cost you more than repairs.

 

[Jex]

Vw being reliable is the funniest thing I have ever read on this forum.

 

[csharpwv]

Aside from the fact that i have drive both a Lexus and a Toyota, I have never been impressed with any Toyota I have ever driven.
Matrix, Rav 4, Corolla, Camry, Avalon... etc etc etc I found them to be uncomfortable, under designed (both interior and exterior), and not at all intuitive. The radio knobs are in so many cased the same exact size at the ventilation controls.

As far as lexus, the cost alone is enough for me to say NO THANKS! A Lexus LS for almost $70K - you have GOT to be kidding me?!
The BMW M5 is under $90K And I am willing to bet a years worth of Mickey Bars that you are getting far more than twice the vehicle, twice the engineering, and twice the life span - both as an owner, and at the time you sell it off, not matter how many years later.

That doesn't even begin to cover the STYLE of the vehicles. The LS looks, body wise, and style wise, EXACTLY like the Toyota Avalon. You can toss some body trim and a few other high end features on the Avalon and call it an LS - but REALLY - what you have is a dolled up Toyota. They are cut from the same cloth!

If you want a high end vehicle, buy one that is designed to be a high end vehicle, not one that is 'up-cycled' to transform it in to a high end vehicle.

As I said previously, the auto market has changed dramatically over the last 5 years, and the fact that it has been that long since many asian auto manufacturers did a complete redesign of their line up is a clear indicator of lazy engineering and their desire to lead the market. The Avalon hasn't been redesigned since 2005! That is style that is now a full 8 years old (7 years from date of sale, 8 from date of design).

Not a fan!

 

[melnry]

Hyundai Genesis or Equos. No doubt these are great cars and you can find 2010-2011 Certified for thousands less then same year BMW with many more standard features.

 

[DVC-Don]

Hyundai Genesis or Equos. No doubt these are great cars and you can find 2010-2011 Certified for thousands less then same year BMW with many more standard features.

Yes! Got a great deal on a certified Genesis a couple of years ago.

 

[chalee94]

As far as lexus, the cost alone is enough for me to say NO THANKS! A Lexus LS for almost $70K - you have GOT to be kidding me?!
The BMW M5 is under $90K And I am willing to bet a years worth of Mickey Bars that you are getting far more than twice the vehicle, twice the engineering, and twice the life span - both as an owner, and at the time you sell it off, not matter how many years later.

i cross-shopped lexus and BMW for a used car in 2004 and went with the lexus as BMWs are famous for spending a lot of time in the shop as they age...BMWs are great driving cars, but "twice the life span" is just a silly, unsupportable statement. my lexus is still tight as a drum with no rattles or squeaks and runs like swiss clockwork with not much more than oil changes needed for maintenance, even now that the car is over a decade old.

That doesn't even begin to cover the STYLE of the vehicles. The LS looks, body wise, and style wise, EXACTLY like the Toyota Avalon. You can toss some body trim and a few other high end features on the Avalon and call it an LS - but REALLY - what you have is a dolled up Toyota. They are cut from the same cloth!

If you want a high end vehicle, buy one that is designed to be a high end vehicle, not one that is 'up-cycled' to transform it in to a high end vehicle.

the LS is designed for the high end. the LS has always been built in the Tahara factory in Japan with much tighter panel gaps than they allow for toyota branded cars like the avalon, which is manufactured in kentucky. if you think the LS and avalon look alike, suit yourself...but that sort of surface level analysis seems to be all you are offering as the cars have nothing in common other than their factories being owned by the same parent company.

 

[scbelleatheart]

Aside from the fact that i have drive both a Lexus and a Toyota, I have never been impressed with any Toyota I have ever driven.
Matrix, Rav 4, Corolla, Camry, Avalon... etc etc etc I found them to be uncomfortable, under designed (both interior and exterior), and not at all intuitive. The radio knobs are in so many cased the same exact size at the ventilation controls.

As far as lexus, the cost alone is enough for me to say NO THANKS! A Lexus LS for almost $70K - you have GOT to be kidding me?!
The BMW M5 is under $90K And I am willing to bet a years worth of Mickey Bars that you are getting far more than twice the vehicle, twice the engineering, and twice the life span - both as an owner, and at the time you sell it off, not matter how many years later.

That doesn't even begin to cover the STYLE of the vehicles. The LS looks, body wise, and style wise, EXACTLY like the Toyota Avalon. You can toss some body trim and a few other high end features on the Avalon and call it an LS - but REALLY - what you have is a dolled up Toyota. They are cut from the same cloth!

If you want a high end vehicle, buy one that is designed to be a high end vehicle, not one that is 'up-cycled' to transform it in to a high end vehicle.

As I said previously, the auto market has changed dramatically over the last 5 years, and the fact that it has been that long since many asian auto manufacturers did a complete redesign of their line up is a clear indicator of lazy engineering and their desire to lead the market. The Avalon hasn't been redesigned since 2005! That is style that is now a full 8 years old (7 years from date of sale, 8 from date of design).

Not a fan!

Not a fan of what? You drove Toyota and Lexus. You suggest what? The OP asked about pre-owned certified. You like your Taurus (new) with a grand total of 40,000 miles on it. You do realize how much the vehicle price goes down once you drive it off the lot. Pre-owned certified has all the kinks worked out and has a great warrenty. Wait until that Taurus turns over 100,000.
BTW, 20,000 miles a year is nothing, close to lease milage a year. Buy a car to drive it and love it while you are driving it 50,000 miles a year.

 

[marie1203]

Aside from the fact that i have drive both a Lexus and a Toyota, I have never been impressed with any Toyota I have ever driven.
Matrix, Rav 4, Corolla, Camry, Avalon... etc etc etc I found them to be uncomfortable, under designed (both interior and exterior), and not at all intuitive. The radio knobs are in so many cased the same exact size at the ventilation controls.

How long ago did you drove one 1990's? Because I don't have ventilation knobs and in no way are they confusing to radio knobs.

As far as lexus, the cost alone is enough for me to say NO THANKS! A Lexus LS for almost $70K - you have GOT to be kidding me?!
The BMW M5 is under $90K And I am willing to bet a years worth of Mickey Bars that you are getting far more than twice the vehicle, twice the engineering, and twice the life span - both as an owner, and at the time you sell it off, not matter how many years later.

Well that is FOR YOU the OP asked about then specifically knowing the cost, you are arguing for the sake of arguing instead of helping the OP.

No so much BMW are not as reliable and more likely to end up at the shop.My brother had one and he got rid off it after 2 years because it was always in the shop. BIL has one that is siting in his driveway with very expensive engine problems. I have the feeling you owe us a bunch of mickey bars

That doesn't even begin to cover the STYLE of the vehicles. The LS looks, body wise, and style wise, EXACTLY like the Toyota Avalon. You can toss some body trim and a few other high end features on the Avalon and call it an LS - but REALLY - what you have is a dolled up Toyota. They are cut from the same cloth!

If you want a high end vehicle, buy one that is designed to be a high end vehicle, not one that is 'up-cycled' to transform it in to a high end vehicle.

As I said previously, the auto market has changed dramatically over the last 5 years, and the fact that it has been that long since many asian auto manufacturers did a complete redesign of their line up is a clear indicator of lazy engineering and their desire to lead the market. The Avalon hasn't been redesigned since 2005! That is style that is now a full 8 years old (7 years from date of sale, 8 from date of design).

Not a fan!

Well driven and own there is a huge difference. I don't see how you can give advise to something you never own base on your opinion. And by the way Lexus doesn't redesign the look on the outside of their cars often because it helps keep the value of the car.

i cross-shopped lexus and BMW for a used car in 2004 and went with the lexus as BMWs are famous for spending a lot of time in the shop as they age...BMWs are great driving cars, but "twice the life span" is just a silly, unsupportable statement. my lexus is still tight as a drum with no rattles or squeaks and runs like swiss clockwork with not much more than oil changes needed for maintenance, even now that the car is over a decade old.



the LS is designed for the high end. the LS has always been built in the Tahara factory in Japan with much tighter panel gaps than they allow for toyota branded cars like the avalon, which is manufactured in kentucky. if you think the LS and avalon look alike, suit yourself...but that sort of surface level analysis seems to be all you are offering as the cars have nothing in common other than their factories being owned by the same parent company.

We crossed shop too and what also turn us away from the BMW's is that some of the features standard in a Lexus were upgrades in a BMW (and the experience of other people around us that own BMW). I felt if I am paying that amount of money they should be standard.

OP good luck in your search!

 

[jgreco]

OK, let me weigh in here. We've had a lot of cars between DH, DS and myself

BMW. As MUCH as I LOVED the look and handling of those cars I have never had so many problems as I did with BMW. I kept thinking, "well maybe it was that model, year, etc". We've had 335, 135, M5, 325. They were ALL in the shop A LOT. At 22k miles on one car, we finally traded it in.

The "flagship" M5 had the most problems. AND, due to the unreliability of the cars, service was always packed and a nightmare to deal with. Everything is much more expensive as PP mentioned, a battery is around $400.

I would take ANY other car cross country before I would take a BMW. I drive a Honda now, which I love. Do not "label shop", you don't always get what you pay for.

And....Do not look at so and so's car with 200k miles on it that 15 years old, they don't make em like that anymore! I had a 95 Jetta with 200k miles on it with less problems than my 2001 Jetta.
Even so, DS traded in his BMW for a 2009 Pre-owned Jetta. Granted he does not baby the car, but stupid things like the center caps on the hubcaps fell out, the ipod cable stops working if the battery goes dead so you have to bring it to the dealership to be "reset".

 

[Marymom]

We own a 2004 Acura MDX. Love it! Has not been in the shop yet for anything other than an oil change. I also have a 2008 Honda Odyssey and it has been in the shop for its steering column all the way to transmission problems. Really upset with my Honda. I know that Acura is the same company but in my experience, they are worlds apart in quality!

Mary

 

[Marymom]

We own a 2004 Acura MDX. Love it! Has not been in the shop yet for anything other than an oil change. I also have a 2008 Honda Odyssey and it has been in the shop for its steering column all the way to transmission problems. Really upset with my Honda. I know that Acura is the same company but in my experience, they are worlds apart in quality!

Mary

 

[TaraPA]

Years ago I bought a used Lexus ES300 (I think). It was 1 year old, turned in early on a lease with under 10,000 miles on it. (I think it had around 7,000 miles). It was loaded. I really liked that car. I drove it for 7 or 8 years. Best part was the service-I always got a loaner and they picked it up and dropped it off when it was done. (I don't think they offer that feature anymore). The service was expensive but man that car never gave me any trouble. Being it was certified, preowned it had all the warranties etc. After I was done driving it someone else in our house drove it for a few years. They were pretty tough on it and it finally started burning oil. At that point I traded it in and got a new car for myself. I swear if I ever but another high end car I will do the same thing-look for a used one with the preowned certified certification. I saved thousands of dollars up front, really loved the car and all in all found it to be a great experience. FWIW my husband drives an Escalade and it is a beautiful, comfortable, reliable car. He loves it. I am due to get a new car in a year or two-and I am going to look at all the cars people have mentioned-VW, Audi, Lexus, Subaru,Caddy-and so what I like and is comfy for me. No name shopping for me!

They sure do! I live 45 min. from the dealer so this service is priceless to me. They come get the vehicle by 8am, leave me a brand new loaner, and come back whenever I ask.

We have 2 Lexus vehicles - one bought new in 2000 - an ES300. It has 160,000 miles on it & nothing major has ever gone wrong. Most reliable vehicle we've ever owned.

We have a 2006 GX470 - bought ceritified pre-owned like the OP is looking for. It was the dealer model that they used as a loaner or for whatever they use them for - so it was almost new with under 2000 miles on it. At 6 years old it has 60,000 miles on it & also has never needed anything other than routine maintenace. Now about that routine maintenance - no its not cheap. I just had mine in for the 60K service (that alone is estimated at $1000)...it needed 4 new tires, new brakes, some new belt & a new gasket for something.....$2400+ later yikes! But you have to know that going in, high maintenace costs go with the territory on high end vehicles. DH stopped taking his ES300 to the dealer for service around 125K - he takes it to our local garage for maintenace. He figures with 160K miles on it if something major is wrong, he wouldn't have it fixed anyway, so he's fine with the $20 oil change versus the $80 one from the dealer!

We're handing the ES300 over to DS15 next year, and DH will most definitely be shopping for his new car at Lexus. We've owned Ford, Chevy, Chrysler, Jeep & Saturn prior to Lexus - and will never go back. Its not even about the "brand" - ours have proven to be extremely reliable, morseo than any other brand we've owned, and the service level is unmatched.

So OP - there's your testimonial to Lexus ceritfied pre-owned!