When the apocalypse party gets into full swing, it will be a good thing to have a car with a solid rep like today’s Lexus to make it through all the end of the world shenanigans. Let’s see what such life insurance might rightfully cost.
Have you ever had the pleasure of watching a pro-level ping pong game fought between two evenly-matched opponents where they bat the tiny ball back and forth with lightning speed from almost 10 feet back from the table’s edge? It’s an invigorating spectacle, let me tell you.
I felt much the same rush watching the back and forth of the votes on last Friday’s . At $7,200, Nissan’s eclectically-shaped ball of fun engendered advocates and haters alike. And, while the final vote was close, the former won, awarding the Juke a narrow 52 percent Nice Price win. That just so happened to be the fifth Nice Price win in a row, which meant April went out with a perfect week, and maybe an indicator that our crazy car market might be coming back to its senses.
Now it’s a new week and a whole new month. How did it get to be May already? I really have to do something about that Christmas tree in the living room. I should probably check the back of the fridge for thanksgiving leftovers as well. If I needed to move a bunch of unwanted stuff — say to the middle of some dark woods to hide my shame — a vehicle like today’s would prove a pretty posh way to get the task done.
As the seller avers in the ad, the LX 470 is pretty much a clone of the venerable and beloved Toyota Land Cruiser, specifically in this case, the late-’90s J100 version. However, while Toyota previously only deemed the Land Cruiser six-cylinder worthy, it imbued both the J100 and the LX 470 with, you guessed it, a 4.7 liter V8 engine. Other differences included a rounder nose with divided lamps and new tail lights out in the back.
Per Toyota’s sales materials, the 470’s engine, which was shared with the Toyota Sequoia, 4Runner, and the smaller Lexus GX, makes 230 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque. That gives the big luxury SUV a 6,500-pound towing capacity and fuel economy that makes OPEC members send owners thank-you cards.
According to the ad, this one has 240,000 miles of mediocre fuel economy under its belt. Now, before you clutch your pearls and screw your panties into a knot over that number, understand that these have a rep for doing that and much, much more. If this were a regular run-of-the-mill SUV, that sort of mileage might be a reason to buy the truck a gold watch and throw it a retirement party. Since it’s an LX 470 — which, as we have already established is basically a Land Cruiser — that should be considered more of mid-life crisis miles.
Other plusses noted in the ad include a full maintenance history since new and a rust-free presentation. The seller says the timing belt was replaced last year, as were the tires. The paint and trim all look to be in decent shape, as does the undercarriage, which the seller says is “clean enough to eat off of.”
The only issues here are a non-working stereo and the fact that we don’t get any interior shots in the ad. As stalwart as these trucks may be, the leather upholstery is usually a notable chink in the armor. The seller does claim in the ad that the “Front seats are in good condition with some small cracks in leather. 2nd and 3rd row seats are like new.” I think we’d still like to see photographic evidence to back that up. What we do see is that the truck has a clean title.
As I noted, the Lexus doesn’t seem to have quite the following as does the Land Cruiser, but prices still do tend to be pretty high, even when the miles are as well. This LX asks $12,500 which is kind of at the low end for decent editions on the market today. The question, though, is whether or not it’s decent enough.
What do you think, is this clean LX 470 worth that $12,500 asking as it is presented in the ad? Or, does that price have you thinking it’s basically a ripoff?
You decide!
our of San Angelo, Texas, or go if the ad disappears.
H/T to FauxShizzle for the hookup!
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