© (Flickr) Strengths and Weaknesses of buying a used Lexus RX
© (Flickr)
Price
After the actual model of the vehicle, this is the biggest factor for most buyers. In the realm of price, buying a slightly used vehicle is a tremendous savings over buying a brand new one. The reason for this is the prestige premium of purchasing a new vehicle. There is an old saying "A new car loses several thousand dollars of value when you drive it off the lot."; while the saying may be an exaggeration, it’s core concept is sound. The vast majority of depreciation in the resale value of a car occurs in the first two years.
Reliability
Generally speaking, the reliability of a vehicle purchased straight from the manufacturer will be greater than one someone has been driving around. The new vehicle has suffered no wear and tear, and those who have handled the vehicle are professionals and extremely interested in maintaining its pristine condition. The one very rare exception to this rule is the "lemon". Lemons are new vehicles with major manufacturing flaws that somehow made it past the inspection process. Such flaws will cause catastrophic repairs and even spread through the vehicle as the failure of one component creates stress on other components that then fail too. While extremely unlikely, acquiring a lemon can be incredibly frustrating as the owner’s new vehicle sits in a repair shop instead of serving its purpose. Buying a used car can be a way to avoid lemons as they will make themselves obvious within the first couple of months of ownership. Lexus dealers often receive used models as trade-ins. This is great for would be buyers since the dealer will ensure the soundness of such vehicles before selling them – a guarantee private buyers will not offer.
Overall
The decision to buy new or used when seeking Lexus deals is virtually a coin toss. A brand new Lexus will offer car luxury with full warranties and no previous wear and tear on the vehicle – for a much larger price tag. A used Lexus will offer the best price point with less guarantee that the car has not been abused. For either option, dealing with a reputable dealer with a solid track record of quickly dealing with any problems customers may encounter is the wisest course.