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Hello everyone, I am new to this forum as well as forums in general. I was hoping you guys could give me your opinions/advice on purchasing my first TL.
I am currently looking at 2 TL's on Craigslist and yes they both have rebuilt titles. Seeing how owning a 3g TL has been a dream of mines I dont mind it having a rebuilt title and not to mention that majority of the clean title TL's are out of my price range. My budget is 10k.
I am more inclined towards a type-s due to its added luxuries and the fact that its faster. If you can get the same fun/speed and awesome custom look from a base model then im all ears. This car will be my daily driver and I plan to keep it for awhile as well as adding a few mods. In the end I would love to have a really nice looking TL with 300whp. Nothing too crazy lol
My questions are:
1-Are these cars worth the asking price?/-What would you pay for these cars?
2-What should my mileage cap be? (No more than X amount)
3-What should I look for when viewing the car?
4-Just your general opinion
My first option is an 04 TL which had flood damage roughly about 10 years ago. The seller told me he had converted the car to a type S about 5-6 years ago. (Wouldn't be surprised if the owner is on this forum btw) I really love the look of the vehicle but Im skeptical because of the flood damage.
My second option is a 2007 Tl type S. The seller told me the car was hit on the driver side rear and quarter panel. From the pictures the car seems to be in great shape.
Sometime this week I will try obtain the carfax of these vehicles to check service records etc. Thank you guys in advance, your opinions are much appreciated!!
My questions are:
1-Are these cars worth the asking price?/-What would you pay for these cars?
2-What should my mileage cap be? (No more than X amount)
3-What should I look for when viewing the car?
4-Just your general opinion
1.value is what one would pay for a car. so, if you dont feel comfortable paying top dollar for a car, there's ALWAYS ROOM FOR NEGOTIATION. ALWAYS. and there WILL ALWAYS BE A BETTER DEAL. ALWAYS
2. there is no mileage cap. these engines have been in production since 1996 and ARE SOLID.
there's plenty of 300k mile TL's running around.
3. you should look for normal USED car things, ie; fluids, brakes, tires, transmission shifting, etc.
if the previous owner treated the car like crap, you'll get a crappy car. if the previous owner BABIED the car, you'll get a babied car. this is USED cars 101.
out of your two options, i would pick the non-flooded car.
there's nothing good that comes from a flooded car. again, going back to USED CARS 101..... if the car has been treated like crap, ie: flooded, you'll get a crappy car.
1.value is what one would pay for a car. so, if you dont feel comfortable paying top dollar for a car, there's ALWAYS ROOM FOR NEGOTIATION. ALWAYS. and there WILL ALWAYS BE A BETTER DEAL. ALWAYS
2. there is no mileage cap. these engines have been in production since 1996 and ARE SOLID.
there's plenty of 300k mile TL's running around.
3. you should look for normal USED car things, ie; fluids, brakes, tires, transmission shifting, etc.
if the previous owner treated the car like crap, you'll get a crappy car. if the previous owner BABIED the car, you'll get a babied car. this is USED cars 101.
so, due diligence is needed when shopping for USED cars.
these cars are generally bullet proof; but you'll need to find a good clean example.
I wouldnt touch the flooded 04...
the type-s with two fender benders isnt bad.
But you will have to go and check it out to make sure that there are no problems with it.
if you are not comfortable at diagnosing problems with it, you'll need to pay for a pre-purchase inspection from a dealer or a mechanic.
ya i agree with justin.. the values for these cars can kinda be all over the place from region to region.. as for the mileage i wouldn't worry much about that . these motors go forever... but id stay far away from the flooded car for sure
a fair deal is where both the seller and buyer get a fair deal.
so, you'll need to negotiate with the seller to come up with a fair deal.
and to be honest, you shouldnt be talking money until you know the car in question is mechanically sound, aesthetically pleasing and just all around works.
nothing sucks more than to negotiate price of vehicle only to find out its not working and you'll have to spend more to fix.
so, just like my previous advice....YOU NEED TO GO INSPECT THESE CARS in PERSON.
a fair deal is where both the seller and buyer get a fair deal.
so, you'll need to negotiate with the seller to come up with a fair deal.
and to be honest, you shouldnt be talking money until you know the car in question is mechanically sound, aesthetically pleasing and just all around works.
nothing sucks more than to negotiate price of vehicle only to find out its not working and you'll have to spend more to fix.
so, just like my previous advice....YOU NEED TO GO INSPECT THESE CARS in PERSON.
I definitely understand what youre saying, Im still trying to research a few options and see if i find better deals. Additionally I like to hear what others think on certain matters before I make a decision. As I stated previously Im going to take a look at the vehicles next week with my mechanic once I get some money in hand.
if i listed something at 14k and you offered 10k i prob wouldn't even msg you back to be honest lol.. 4000 is not pocket change
What Oh Sickest TL said, you haven't even looked at the car, don't talk price until after you've driven/seen it in person. There's always room to negotiate, but 4K is a little much.
What Oh Sickest TL said, you haven't even looked at the car, don't talk price until after you've driven/seen it in person. There's always room to negotiate, but 4K is a little much.
Agreed!- Yet I have a feeling that the price wont be too far off from 10k seeing how his kbb is listed at $9600 in excellent condition and he seemed motivated to sell the car in order to buy a vette. But as stated Im going to view the car in a few days.
IMO, 14k for over 150k miles is a lot, especially for an automatic. Not exactly apples to apples, but I bought my 2005 base TL 6MT, with 85k miles for 11k.
Agreed!- Yet I have a feeling that the price wont be too far off from 10k seeing how his kbb is listed at $9600 in excellent condition and he seemed motivated to sell the car in order to buy a vette. But as stated Im going to view the car in a few days.
This is good info to have, you should be able to get a good deal then. Let us know how it goes!!
I just paid $16k for a 2008 TL Type-S in November. I felt that it was a reasonable price since it had a brand new transmission and full breaks. ~124k miles
Also I live in the Chicago area so things tend to be a bit higher price compared to other parts of the country.
Best car I ever drove. Second type s I drove. The first one seemed to hang when shifting between 2nd and third and had less mileage on it. That new trans in the one I bought has almost no lag in any gear. No mods and I have spun the tires in second and third gear before and I have an automatic.
I see a ton on here where people got the NON Type-S and are modding it up to be like one. I don't have a problem with that, but I think it would be more work and money doing that then buying an original. No need to look for parts, then get them to fit etc. Now you have time to do other things with it.
04-01-2015, 12:14 PM
