Should I Buy: 2007 Lexus LS460 (no air suspension)

newcarbuyingstudent

New account just for car shopping, new forum to me!

Hi, looked at a Lexus 2007 LS460 today, to summarize:

In Cali

Control arms, brakes, rotors, all replaced
No air suspension
inspection done before I looked at it (two weeks ago)
smog done before I looked at it (two weeks ago)
going tomorrow to get it inspected and smogged again
the car flashes two warning signs all the time, tire pressure and oil change, neither of which he can get to go away, tire pressure is fine, oil just changed (twice now actually) and the warning lights still show, definitely electrical/sensor related
custom exhaust but it seems to pass smog
some dude who looked at it before me broke the hood latch and put a crack in the engine cover trying to pull it up lmao
otherwise, everything seems in pristine condition that I can see at least, I hate the damn engine covers so I cant look at it myself

mileage on the body: 239k miles
mileage on the motor/transmission: 100k miles
he's asking 5.3k, there are 3 other people offering somewhere between 4.5-4.6k, I told him I'd be willing to offer 5k with what I've seen so far

didn't have any problems driving it, brakes were good, engine felt great, the guy himself was super nice and even offered me money for an uber home lol

assuming the inspection comes back clean, is this a worth buy? College student, 7k budget on a car total, I have a good friend and a sibling who can do the repairs I can't do (anything more than minor), and I'm dorming so I won't be driving it every day until June or so when I plan on moving out, and even then I'm hoping for a pretty short commute to school. I've heard mixed results from my family/friends, so I figured I would ask here.

https://imgur.com/a/kFGP8BX

qbrozen

1. Oil light: it won’t go out on its own. Needs to be manually reset or reset by dealer. Can google the sequence.
2. Why did it need a new engine/transmission? And where were they sourced? I seriously doubt they were brand new at the time.
3. I would never recommend something like this for a college student on a budget. Can find something with far fewer miles, far less thirsty at the pump, and far less to insure.

Kirstie_H

qbrozen said:

I would never recommend something like this for a college student on a budget. Can find something with far fewer miles, far less thirsty at the pump, and far less to insure.

100% agreed. Just say no to "luxury" vehicles, especially gas guzzlers. Look at mass-market vehicles that had high-ish volume sales and long production runs, for which replacement parts are plentiful and reasonably priced, and readily available at nearby junkyards. The Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix is still on my list of good value economy cars for a low purchase budget. However, there are plenty of options in this price range that won't continue to give you a financial beating at the pump, in insurance, and for repairs/maintenance. The cost estimate for just an OIL CHANGE for this vehicle in the OP's area is $250+.