How worried should I be about a vehicle from NYC?

"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
11/28/2016 at 23:16 • Filed to: None

My mom is getting very close on her car search. She’s decided that she’s definitely going for a 2014 CT200H, red with something other than a black interior. She also wants heated seats, and less than 30k miles is a must. I found her several, including !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! which checks all the boxes. The only hiccup? The vehicle history check lists it as having lived out the first twenty thousand miles of its life in the Bronx before being purchased by CarMax at auction. Lexuses are famously reliable, and this one is low mileage and will likely be paired with a CarMax warranty. So is it safe provided everything checks out? Or would you steer clear no matter what?

DISCUSSION (25)

jkm7680 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/28/2016 at 23:22

Fucked bumpers and lots of traffic so more engine wear, also what kind of fleet?

For Sweden > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/28/2016 at 23:22

It might still be a Knicks fan. I wouldn’t take the risk.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > jkm7680
11/28/2016 at 23:23

Doesn’t say.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > For Sweden
11/28/2016 at 23:24

Rangers*

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > jkm7680
11/28/2016 at 23:25

EDIT: It could be a rental, but it could also be a lease which seems more likely. Also, from the pictures, the bodywork looks fine.

jkm7680 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/28/2016 at 23:25

hmmm

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > jkm7680
11/28/2016 at 23:26

I think it was just a lease.

jkm7680 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/28/2016 at 23:26

id guess a lease, a rental would be much more torn up

Jcarr > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/28/2016 at 23:29

The Camry we just bought was a rental for its first year and it’s in excellent shape. Not as scary as it might seem.

Noodles > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/28/2016 at 23:34

When I bought my Camry it was a CPO 2years old with 30,000 miles. It now has 180,000 miles with no problems other than minor repairs (water pump, brake pads) Don’t ever be afraid of a Toyota, or Lexus with 30k on the odo

scoob > For Sweden
11/28/2016 at 23:35

Very relevant: https://streamable.com/u9m6

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/28/2016 at 23:35

Every car that we have seen in Tennessee that is sold by Carmax and was from up North has been rusted beyond belief. Calipers rusted together and everything. Ask for pictures of the undercarriage. If you’re serious about it and have them send the car down and then look at it.

E92M3 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/28/2016 at 23:45

I’m not impressed with Carmax’s inventory. Most of their cars look great in the photo’s, but in person it’s a different story. IMO they buy cars from auction that most brand dealers pass over, because they need too much reconditioning. Most dealers will do paintless dent removal, wheel reconditioning, repaint bumpers, etc. They shy away from rough interiors though. Carmax will clean them thoroughly, but the scratches and wear are still there.

scoob > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/28/2016 at 23:47

fr tho nothing to worry bout fam but maybe curb rash on the riyumz or scratches or dents if the driver cant drive like whose mans is this b like deadass tho? if it was an older car check for rust my guy cuz its mad brick in the winter and theres mad snow son so they put out mad salt on the roads and it messes up your whip. savage with no chill bro

Kinja'd!!!

/NYC

But yeah, what jkm said.

area man > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/29/2016 at 00:04

The Bronx has some areas that are straight up suburban, and a lot of driveway space in front of rowhouses too. So it wasn’t necessarily out on the mean streets.

ToyotaFamily > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/29/2016 at 00:07

since you’re buying from CarMax, have them do a walk around beforehand, and once the car arrives see if you can get them to put it on a lift.

Audistein > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/29/2016 at 02:05

Mechanically, hybrids are extremely resilient to city driving. Hybrid drivetrains reduce a lot of the strain in terms of both acceleration (electric motor) and braking (regenerative braking). The Toyota hybrid system in the Prius and Lexus CT have been especially resilient with some Prius taxi cabs apparently doing 300,000-500,000 city miles with minimal maintenance and maybe only one or two battery pack swaps.

You’ll want to check out the condition of the specific car and maybe even have a dealer look at the hybrid system if you’re especially concerned. I’ve never heard of anyone buying a used Prius or CT200 and it being a dud, and I live in a major city. Battery packs apparently last about 15 years with normal driving i.e. 10,000 to 15,000 miles per year.

Major things with city cars are checking the bumpers and wheels for scrapes. You might also want to check the front, rear, and doors for signs of repainting due to a low speed collision that may have required a moderate repair but wasn’t enough to total the car, but that’s unlikely not to show up on a vehicle history check.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/29/2016 at 05:59

It’s a hybrid, so I’d expect less engine wear but more battery usage and recharge cycles than a highway car. I don’t know what means regarding battery life, though.

Your boy, BJR > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/29/2016 at 07:17

That’s dissapointing.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Your boy, BJR
11/29/2016 at 12:01

Sorry to disappoint.

Wait.

No I’m not.

Your boy, BJR > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/29/2016 at 12:04

I’m just saying, the CT feels cheap and is terrible in the snow. May I suggest an HS 250h instead? Or an ES 300h? Or an RX 450h? Literally any other Lexus hybrid.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Your boy, BJR
11/29/2016 at 12:07

I’ll offer but I think she’s set on the little hatchback style.

Your boy, BJR > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
11/29/2016 at 12:10

The fake leather in that car is the cheapest garbage I’ve ever felt. Its not fit to hold my bottom.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Your boy, BJR
12/22/2016 at 21:25

I’ll say this: I felt the “leather”, and you’re right, it feels very synthetic and not at all like the seats in my car. However, they are still comfortable enough, and she likes the slidey fake leather because apparently it doesn’t stick to her skin like real leather. That had nothing to do with our picking the car, she just noticed it on the final test drive tonight.

Your boy, BJR > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
12/22/2016 at 23:09

I just feel like the interior in that car is such a letdown. Like, just ugh. It’s good for a Hyundai maybe, but it just straight up doesn’t belong in a lexus.