Advisability Of Buying A Lexus

[Ribbler]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum. Wondered if some of you might be willing to give me some direction.

I'm currently in the market for a good vehicle to commute to work in. I also need something that presents a decent image (obviously a Lexus would fit the bill here). All my adult life I've owned Hondas or Toyotas as I'm of the opinion that they're of the best quality in my price range. Should I consider a used Lexus?

There is no way I could afford a new Lexus right now. As I've looked at the LS 400s online at autotrader and some other places the used LS400s with mileage around 100K have been in my price range - that is for the years 1992 through 1997. I'm aware that maintenance of a vehicle has a great deal to do with its reliability as it ages. My questions is how reliable is an older or higher miled Lexus? How expensive is it to repair a Lexus when/if needed?

Should I perhaps consider a different model and/or year Lexus? Are there models/years that are less desireable? I do like the body style of the LS400. My alternatives are to consider a lower mile Honda or Toyota. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[SRK]

You don't mention if you have ever test driven an LS400 - if you have not, then my advice is to do so. You will find out very quickly if it is the kind of car for you, and if it is all of your other questions will be answered. You will just have to buy one. Get a good one.

[skylolow]

I would say it really depends on how many miles you plan on driving a year and how long you attend to keep the car. Lexus's will run for a long time there is no doubt about that. Maintance is more expensive then what you are use to, that is for sure. I would stay with 95 to 97 for what your looking for to start with. Just remember you buy a car with lots of miles there is going to be things that need to be done or you should at least check to what has been done. On LS's things to find if they been done on a higher mileage car would include: timing belt changed(cost about $1000 to $1500), last times brakes and rotors were replaced, cond. of exhaust system(this can get very pricey), check if there has been any issues with the dash lights flickering or anything(hit or miss problem but can be expensive to fix), anything to do with the suspension should be checked, and also all your normal stuff you would check on any used car.

A Lexus wouldn't have much problem running up to around 200,000. Problem is when you get over about 150,000 good luck ever getting any money out of it. Not many people willing to fork out much money for cars with that kind of mileage. Flip side if you buy just a nice a Honda or Toyota with low miles you may actually get some money out of it in the end if you sell with around 120,000.

Best bet for you is to look at a Lexus ES or GS 300. You will find a much lower mileage car for your money and still get the Lexus quality. Check on Ebay many dealers have great prices on there.

Good luck. I love my 97 LS....bought it with 40,000 and now have 112,000 and it runs like it did when I bought it and my driving for work is hell on a car, lots of stop and go and idling.

[Ribbler]

Thank you both for your advice. I will take the opportunity to test drive an LS this week. I am fairly mechanically inclined and I do all the maintenance on the vehicles I currently own. I've gone as far as rebuilding engines and replacing transmissions although I never want to have to that kind of work again.

I hear what you're saying concerning the GS but I just don't like the look - at least not as much as the LS. I'll have to look at the ES line. Thanks again!!

[ronsadvice]

Thank you both for your advice. I will take the opportunity to test drive an LS this week. I am fairly mechanically inclined and I do all the maintenance on the vehicles I currently own. I've gone as far as rebuilding engines and replacing transmissions although I never want to have to that kind of work again.

I hear what you're saying concerning the GS but I just don't like the look - at least not as much as the LS. I'll have to look at the ES line. Thanks again!!

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Oh Ye do not be afraid - just choose well.

I personaly own a 1990 and LOVE every bit of the car!

As with ANY car, you need to be mindful of service history. Do not be afraid to ask your Lexus dealer to run service records on any car you are interested in. No records? HMMMMMM be careful!

Lexus is a fine car with fine initial workmanship and quality. A ride like no other and prestige in ANY year model!

Do I sell used Lexus cars, NO - I am just a very enthusiastic owner.

Good Luck and remember, VERIFY previous service. Be careful yiou don't buy someone else's headaches??

Sincerely,

Ron Johnson

[Lexusfreak]

You can't go wrong with a Lexus! B) Just make sure you get all service, maintenance & warranty records on the vehicle........make sure everything is up to date, especially the maintenance. Miles on the car dosen't mean anything, as long as the vehicle was maintained & driven properly......if it was abused badly, you will know instantly. Good Luck! B)

In addition to the LS (considering the fuel prices going through the roof & seems like it will continue to do so), I would give serious consideration to the ES 300, or the GS 300. I'm personally a huge fan of a 6 cyl engine.......great for highway crusing, passing power, with a very good return on fuel economy in the city & highway & excellent longivity. I've personally never had the need for an 8 cyl vehicle & I am glad I choose the ES with the 3.0L V6. FWD helps up here in Canada, not to mention wet weather as well. ;)

[nc211]

Ribbler, the reason why you see most used ls400's for sale in the 100k mile mark is because of one main thing you need to be cautious of, the suspension bushings in the control arms. Now, I'm not saying that is the only reason, but from what I've seen, and my 95 with 97k miles on it, I can say with confidence, you'll probably need to replace them soon. I usually see LS400's in that 80-100k milage range, or in the 200k mile range for sale. The ones you're looking at typically have this story behind them "previous owner loved the car. Started to feel a vibration that he / she couldn't fix via ailgnment or balancing. They take it to the dealer. Dealer says front control arm needs to be replaced. Owner says what do you mean? Dealer says uppers and / or lowers are worn out. Owner asks how much $ to fix? Dealer usually shocks them with like $1,600. Owner says it's not worth it, I'll trade it in on something else. Usually a new LS400." Guys like that get new cars and love them. Guys like us, get a perfect used car for an additional $1,600 in parts. You can get great deals on these cars, put some money into the suspension, and it's like new again. Sure some have glitches with the instrument panel going dark "usually 90-94 models". Some have glitches with the computer "95 & 96". My advice to you is spend some time on this site, read the threads. Do searches for "bushings, steering, control arms, dash lights" and you'll get the general picture. If you go to the dealer to have it fixed, you're wasting your money big time. If you get active on this site, you'll meet great guys who know people who know people who can get you in the loop on prices. For example, my 95 needs new control arms all around. Dealer quote for parts ALONE was $3,200 +/-. Here, I got them all for $1,400. There aren't any glitches with these cars, they're the best car made in my opinion. They're great deals, they last forever and they become very addictive! I like the generation 2 styling myself "95-98". But Gen 1 guys would argue me into the ground. You become very loyal to these cars. When looking, check and do the following:

Look at suspension control arms, see how dirty the bushings are. Drive it on smooth black top as well as highway. Hit some bumps and dips in the road at normal city speed! Listen for any "clunking". If you're in a 95 or 96, cruise up to 40 - 45 mph and gently take your foot of the gas, feel any stumbling? "ECU problem" Cruise the highway the come to a stop with the a/c off, does the idle fall drastically? Car stall? "ECU problem". Use the cruise control for this as well, it's related. Turn the wheel while moving at parking lot speed, hear any clicks up front in the steering? "Ball joint and / or tie rod issue, or simple rack mount"

Other than that, it's basic used car inspection stuff. These are just some specific ways to test these cars main problems. Dealers can run any Lexus Vin for maintence history, even if done outside of dealership. These sound like a lot of problems, but trust me, in comparision to all other luxury autos out there with that milage, it's NOTHING. You'll love a LS400, no matter what year you get. Proper maintance and you'll get 250k miles easily! And, might I add, comfortably and rattle free.

[nc211]

You'll also want new motor mounts (2), tranny mount (1). Maybe $140 bucks?? makes a big difference in smoothness of the car.

[Econ]

If you're mechanically inclined, then that will go a long way in working on/with a higher-mileage Lexus. I myself have owned a bevy of american cars (sticking foolishly with my father's opinion that american cars are better for whatever reason) before the 1991 Lexus my fiancee brought into our relationship.

While I've had to put about $1500 worth of parts into it (it has 160k miles and it's maintenance record was, well, poor at best) it rides and feels better than anything I've ever had the privilege to drive. And every time I repair something, it makes a significant difference, which makes me happier to have it than before.

The only significant thing that I've been putting off is tearing down the top end of the engine to do the valve adjustments. There's even significant questions as to whether it's neccessary at all (see the many postings on this board) but I'm kind of a stickler for this stuff so I'm still planning on tackling it.

Repairs to date:

R/L front upper control arms - $600 in parts

R/L lower ball joints - $180 in parts

Rack & Pinion - $380 in parts (I got taken on this)

Power steering pump - $200 in parts

Forward 02 sensors - $100 in parts

Things you'd want to look for/avoid on a used 1st Generation LS400 (1990-1994):

Traction control system - they can be problematic

Air suspension - $1,000 a corner to replace the strut yourself (you can always convert to standard suspension with a conversion kit, though)

That's about all I can think of. But if you're looking at any other full-size sedans in the price range, I belive the LS400 will beat them all.

[Ribbler]

WOW!!!! You guys are AWESOME!! Thank you!!!

I'm sold and I haven't yet found one to test drive. I'm in the Las Vegas Valley if any of you know of one around here. Today I did a little searching and think that perhaps I might not mind the GS300 after all. It does look pretty good.

The trick will be convincing the wife that I "need" a Lexus over a mid miles Honda or Toyota. I suspect that a test drive of each, one after the other, will go a long way to convincing her. Any other suggestions? One of her concerns is cost of repairs of a Lexus in relation to a Honda or Toyota. Her perception is that the Lexus will be more. I have no basis for a conclusion either way.

This is a great site!! Thanks again for your help!!

[ArmyofOne]

WOW!!!! You guys are AWESOME!! Thank you!!!

I'm sold and I haven't yet found one to test drive. I'm in the Las Vegas Valley if any of you know of one around here. Today I did a little searching and think that perhaps I might not mind the GS300 after all. It does look pretty good.

The trick will be convincing the wife that I "need" a Lexus over a mid miles Honda or Toyota. I suspect that a test drive of each, one after the other, will go a long way to convincing her. Any other suggestions? One of her concerns is cost of repairs of a Lexus in relation to a Honda or Toyota. Her perception is that the Lexus will be more. I have no basis for a conclusion either way.

This is a great site!! Thanks again for your help!!

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BTW, NC211, you are more than welcome for the parts hookup. seriously, if anybody needs anything, let me know! i will be more than happy to help you out. at the very most its a phone call for me to "see what i can do".

[TexasLexus94]

Ribbler- Skylolow, the former midget wrestler, gave some good advice. You don't want to be dependent on a Lexus dealer. I have a '94LS that I bought in Henderson, near you, about 15 months ago. It had 99,000 miles. After checking out the history, I found out that the former owner gave up on it due to crappy brakes. Lexus took him to the cleaners 3 times-grinding rotors, changing pads, etc. It turned out the rotors were worn out, and that new rotors solved the problem. Since then, I've put about one grand in the car-light bulbs, tune ups, filters, wheel balance, ACV valve and such.

It is the best car I've ever owned. Limo ride. But I recently bought a back-up car, simply because if something breaks on an old Lexus, you don't want to have to go to a dealer. Or a shady Indie-in a hurry. This forum is the best at telling you what is wrong-and what you need to do to fix it. My first visit to an Indie-he told me I needed a new cabin filter. Amazing, since, because of this forum, I had changed it 2 weeks previously. They had never even looked at it. I bet the cost for the filter was-Say $150 with the labor? Wow...

Best of luck.

[nc211]

And Ribbler, be nice to armyofone, he's that "guy who knows that guy". He's the one who hooked me up on the control arms for my 95, not to mention several other great pieces of advice. cheers to ya' bubba!

[Ribbler]

And Ribbler, be nice to armyofone, he's that "guy who knows that guy". He's the one who hooked me up on the control arms for my 95, not to mention several other great pieces of advice.    cheers to ya' bubba!

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I've been reading a lot of the older posts on the site. Armyofone has an amazing amount of knowledge and experience with these cars (and apparently a few others)!! I'll be very very nice!!

This is a great site!!