Newbie W/ Some Questions

[MadMax96]

Hey guys, great forums you got here. I've been browsing these forums for a few weeks now and I wanted to ask some questions about the 98/99 LS400s.

My lease is about up on my 2002 Maxima SE. I've always loved the LS400 since I drove a 1st gen (early 90s). I'm hoping to be able to pick up a 98/99 and had some questions about what I should look out for.

I have looked/searched a bit and didn't find my answers... please feel free to link me to threads that have already covered these answers.

Why a 98/99? I know that year had several improvements including the 5sp auto and a bump in horsepower along with exterior enhancements.

Is the Nakamichi stereo worth having? I have the optional Bose (Blose) system on my Maxima - it sucks. It's also been replaced 4-5 times because of known issues...keep getting refurbs, big hassle. Also, the sound isn't anything special. I know sometimes it's worth just getting the base model stereo and doing my own headunit/speaker upgrades.

I really like the HIDs on my car - weren't they optional on the LS400? It appears to be part of an option package (w/ the stereo?)

I've also seen some LS400s with and without the wood steering wheel. Looks sharp - is that worth having?

It seems that cars with near or over 100k miles aren't anything to be afraid of and that I should probably look out for some normal wear & tear items. I'm pretty mechanically inclined and hope I can handle stuff like that myself instead of paying the stealer for it.

Thanks in advance - looking forward to the feedback from you guys.

-Matt

02 Maxima SE

99 Suzuki Bandit 1200S

[Gumart1]

Matt - Where are you located exactly? I am in Deerfield so we're probably neighbors. I do own a '98 and a '91LS. Welcome to the forum! Feel free to e-mail me at mphecht@hotmail.com

Also check out the threads at te top of the LS page. They are a great source for info.

[VBdenny]

Hey Matt,

Welcome to LOC. My Lexus is a 1990 which is my sweet baby. It stays tucked in the garage all waxed and ready to roll. The best thing about this board is that there are no "newbies" we are all Lexus lovers.

Sorry I can't help you with a decision on the year you are looking for but I will tell you I won't be needing a newer model anytime soon.

A big welcome to LOC.

VBD

[MadMax96]

Matt - Where are you located exactly? I am in Deerfield so we're probably neighbors. I do own a '98 and a '91LS. Welcome to the forum! Feel free to e-mail me at mphecht@hotmail.com

Also check out the threads at te top of the LS page. They are a great source for info.

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I'm in Round Lake now, but grew up in Lake Bluff and currently work in Lincolnshire.. been in/around Deerfield all the time. Small world eh?

How do you like your '98? Did you buy it new or used?

I did see the pinned threads above and they have some good stuff... but didn't answer all of my questions.

[Gumart1]

Matt - Just shoot me an e-mail at the above address and I will e-mail back anything you need to know or feel free to call as you are local.

[LexusLooker]

Welcome to the group! I bought a '98 and so far it's great. I have HIDs but neither the Nak nor a wood wheel, so I assume there's no direct tie between the HIDs and other options. However, I suspect most cars you find will either have all of the above or none of the above. The wood wheel and shifter were made standard in '99. I'd recommend listening to both the Nak and the non-Nak with some of your favorite CDs. Listening to the radio is not a good way to judge a system's performance. I did not listen to both stereos, but was surprised that the stock system isn't all that bad. It's not mind-blowing awesome, but it doesn't do anything obviously wrong. I would think if you're good at upgrading a system, you could do better than the Nak if you do it right.

Good luck, and enjoy the group.

[1990LS400]

IMO, the most important improvement in the 98-up LS is VSC. Put some decent snow tires (not all season tires) on a 98-00 and it will perform better in snow than many 4WD SUV's.

I don't think the wood steering wheel is as comfy as the all leather one in my previous LS. But it certainly looks nice and there is less chance that the steering wheel leather will deteriorate.

The Nak in my LS is quite nice but the std Pioneer is probably pretty good too and it has ASL (automatic sound level) which the Nak does not have. About half the non-Nav 99-00 LS's I've seen have Nak - 2 of the 3 99-00 LS400's in my company's parking lot have it - so you might end up with it anyway.

I can't imagine that the non-HID lights would be all that bad. Even our 98 Camry with std halogens light up the road well - the light is just not as white as HID. The main thing I like about the HID's is the automatic level control - when I loaded up the trunk in my 90 LS, its headlights mainly lit up the sky.

[nc211]

Madmax, I was in the exact same boat last april, 2004. My 2001 Maxima SE lease was coming due, and didn't want to buy it simply due to road noise, wind noise and Nissan's inability to negotiate on price. Depreciation KILLED the value of the car over the 3 years I had it. You will LOVE the change from a Maxima to an LS. No more road noise, no more sounding like a wind tunnel in the back seats, and no more searching for that filling that fell out of your tooth when going over those train tracks. You'll also love having a V8 that gets the same, if not better MPG. And don't even get me started on the smooth powerband! The Pioneer stereo is just fine! It rocks out big time! I've got the Pioneer in my 95, and it sounds 100X better than that Bose ever did in my 01'. "No Highs, No Lows....must be Bose" My stereo is now coming up to it's 11th year, and all speakers work perfectly. I think HID lights came standard on the 98+ models. Wood steering wheels I beleive also started to come standard on the 98+ models. The easiest way to differ between the 95-97 models, in addition to the front headlights, airdamn and wheels, is look for a power antenna on the back. If it's got one, it's the series 2 "95-97". If it doesn't, then it's the 2.5 "98-00". It's purely a personal preference whether you like it or not. Me? I wish I had one, and a wood shifter knob too, but no big deal. Buying a used LS400 with 100k on it is no big deal, under the right conditions. At that mileage, you'll want to make sure the 90k service was done. This included the timing belt and water pump. You'll want to make sure that is done. If you find one that hasn't had this done "and check with the dealership that it has by giving them the Vin #", then negotiate that into your price offer. It's an expensive job! But well worth it. Also, and again a personal prefference that you'll find much debate over on this forum, is the air suspension set up option. My opinion is that you'll run into a few common repairs along the way "control arms, strut rods....bushing related" that will cost a few hundred. Taking on the air suspension at that mileage will most likely result in BIG BUCKS to repair, and very time consuming to do yourself. I would recommend avoiding them if possible. But again, others here love that option, and don't mind paying the money for new air suspension parts, oem or aftermarket.

You will not have the sports car feel of your Maxima. You won't have that screamin' demon engine either. But, you will have the ability to HAUL SOME SERIOUS TAIL! The 4.0 liter V8 in these cars is simply amazing! And talk about smoooth!!!!

I would have in the back of your mind that you'll need to set aside probably $1,000 - $1,500 for repairs early on. This is a high bid, but better to be safe than sorry. I would recommend new motor mounts, tranny mount right off the bat at that mileage. These three items make one of the biggest differences in the cars feel, and smoothness. Also realize that if you buy an LS400, there is no going back! You will be spoiled beyond belief! I can't imagine owning anything else now. I've looked and driven other cars, even new cars, and still can't find anything that makes me feel as good as I do when I get into mine, that includes other Lexus models. Now that's says something! Especially when mine is 10+ years old, city driven with 108k miles.

Other than that, welcome to the club!

[SW03ES]

The LS is a great car, and personally I think the 98-00 is probably the best generation yet, although the latest one is growing on me.

As for HID and the wood wheel, I've never seen a 98 with HID that did not have the wood wheel. Its possible that the member who posted above's car had a previous owner who removed the wood wheel (some people don't like it) or if he's the original owner it may just be a fluke, but 99% of the time the HID and wood wheel came together. In 99 the wood wheel became standard and 99.9% of them have HID.

As for the Nak, I personally like the Nak over the Pioneer but depending on the type of music you listen to it may not make a difference. The Nak shines with instrumental music on CDs, and its pretty much the same as the Pioneer with other types of music and radio. Nak is pretty common on the 98, less so on the 99 and 00 for some reason.

I'd avoid the nav simply because its outdated and can no longer be updated.

As for why a 98+ I think it has a lot to do with style, and the additions of VSC like Jim mentioned, the new transmission, the more power with VVT-i.

[sha4000]

well i have hids but no wood steering plus i have the nak, ive hadit 2 years and 50k later no problems except the passenger side speakers

[MadMax96]

Thanks for all the great info guys....... from what it seems, the Nak stereo is nice, but nothing outstanding or worth holding out for. I think most of the LS's I've seen in the classifieds don't have it. My current Bose system seems weak compared to my previous car's setup - two 12" subs with a 450watt amp along with a Pioneer CD/MP3 headunit. I pretty much know that NO factory audio system will pound like that. Hopefully the stock system with an Infinity Basslink will suffice.

I've been spoiled with my HID lights... but if I have to give them up I will if it means I could end up with an LS on my driveway.

I've heard air suspension is costly on pretty much any car, don't need/want that really.

The tips about the motor/tranny mounts is good stuff as well as the 90k maintenance. Mucho appreciated.

Another thing I've noticed in general with the LS is that even on cars that are over 10 yrs old - the leather is usually in near-perfect shape.

Thanks for the warm welcome.............now if I can only get out of this lease a little early I might be riding in style sooner than later. :)

[agc]

MadMax96,

How much are you looking to spend

[MadMax96]

MadMax96,

How much are you looking to spend

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I've seen some 98 LS400s for $15k-18k.. I'd like to keep it under $17k if possible. I'd like to keep my payment as low as possible (who wouldn't?)

[sv7887]

Max,

Welcome to the forum! I've LS400/430 since they came out, and I can say you couldn't find a better car than this Lexus..I had a 1998 Certified Pre Owned and it suffered from various electrical problems with the dash. Lexus acknowledged that the early build 98's had a problem with the Information Center. It was common for the display to read, "Miles to Refuel: Empty" as well as flicker. They ended up giving me a new LS430 at cost as a settlement.

I don't think the later builds had this problem. Keep in mind this is still a very expensive car to maintain. A 90k service can easily go $1500. Be aware of the Power Steering pump as well. The fluid does need to be changed from time to time. Suspension bushings are another issue, though not a very expensive one.

On the plus size, the car is VERY fast. It has a similar verison of the engine that is in my LS430. (They both made 290 HP) I think this car isn't governed either to 131 MPH like the 430. (Isn't it a shame they limited it?) My 1998 had the Nakaminchi Stereo without the HID..I personally think the HID's look nice on this model, especially on a darker colored car.

Hope this helps,

Sam

MadMax96,

How much are you looking to spend

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I've seen some 98 LS400s for $15k-18k.. I'd like to keep it under $17k if possible. I'd like to keep my payment as low as possible (who wouldn't?)

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[widowmaker03]

Matt,

NC211 & SW03ES pretty much hit everything on the head. I recently purchased a 99 for 15k. I was very nervous about getting a car with over 90k but this forum was great! The previous owner didn't do the 90k service but we worked out the difference in the final price. Bottom line, it’s a great car and you will not be sorry.

Welcome aboard!

[MadMax96]

Well good news for me - called up the insurance agent and a '98/99 LS400 will only run me about $10 more a month. Score!

As far as the earlier 98 models go - is there a build date range to avoid?

It looks like I can get a little better finance rate on a '99 so if I can find one in my price range I might just do that.

I saw this car on eBay (might still be on there because it didn't sell)... probably the sweeeetest color I've ever seen. I've never seen this on the road.

Prepare to drool: LS400

Black is a bit tough to keep up, but check out this deal I found: '99 LS400 for sale near me

Edit - found out that he's the 2nd owner and that the 90k service has NOT been done. Not something I'd want to deal with anyway...

[Guest]

Just wanted to jump on and praise the 98 LS. I LOVE it completely! I have the Nak and it is wonderful, the wood trim wheel and shifter are also fun too, such a sweet feel as it slides through your fingers on turns-nothing critical to performance of course but sometimes it is just nice for something to have the lux f-e-e-l.

On Newbie-ism...I have been SO impressed with the great help here. I only hope I am smart enough to figures some things out to contribute down the line. Right now everything is new and different in the genre of car--I have always driven pretty basic cars, nice enough but jsut basic transportation mostly (hondas, olds, chevy-19 in all over the years). Welcome to the group. ;)

[SW03ES]

Black really wont be any harder to keep up than that blue really, Lexus black is single stage (no clearcoat) and its really easy to polish out and make look sharp.

[cardona6569]

Black really wont be any harder to keep up than that blue really, Lexus black is single stage (no clearcoat) and its really easy to polish out and make look sharp.

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Hi: That Black Lexus for 13,000.00 is a steal. Ask the owner to what Lexus dealer or where did he do the maintenance. Take the VIN # out to the Lexus dealer and ask them what maintenance has been performed in the car. If he did not do it at the Lexus dealer he should have some documents, buying a Lexus with neglected maintenance is a risky proposition. Timing belt change very important see if it was done or if it is needed. Oil change in the car is at 5,000 miles. Make sure the owner tells you what has gone wrong with it in all the years he had it. That way you have an idea of how good or bad he was with the car, the interior should look with little use besides the driver side.

It is very important that you do a Carfax title check, many bad water damage vehicles running around from LA and other parts. If all that is clear you can go ahead with it. Read the forums on the most common problems, in addition to the ones given in this thread. The detailing we have many experts and I say experts in the products and cleaning techniques on how to keep your paint like new. They showed me the Magic Eraser, great product to clean about anything and inexpensive also.

When you get it change the air filter to the K & N clean the Throtle Body, they tend to carbon up a lot, and clean the PCV check the hose for sludge. Take it to Autozone and do a battery check, making sure the battery is not going out.

Wash it take it for a long drive get some CD's and some ole cassettes also if you have them and like a great dinner that is never heavy and leaves you neither not full but not empty wanting for more, that is the LS Experience. Is like meeting the other love of your life!

C. PR

[MadMax96]

Black really wont be any harder to keep up than that blue really, Lexus black is single stage (no clearcoat) and its really easy to polish out and make look sharp.

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Hi: That Black Lexus for 13,000.00 is a steal. Ask the owner to what Lexus dealer or where did he do the maintenance. Take the VIN # out to the Lexus dealer and ask them what maintenance has been performed in the car. If he did not do it at the Lexus dealer he should have some documents, buying a Lexus with neglected maintenance is a risky proposition. Timing belt change very important see if it was done or if it is needed. Oil change in the car is at 5,000 miles. Make sure the owner tells you what has gone wrong with it in all the years he had it. That way you have an idea of how good or bad he was with the car, the interior should look with little use besides the driver side.

It is very important that you do a Carfax title check, many bad water damage vehicles running around from LA and other parts. If all that is clear you can go ahead with it. Read the forums on the most common problems, in addition to the ones given in this thread. The detailing we have many experts and I say experts in the products and cleaning techniques on how to keep your paint like new. They showed me the Magic Eraser, great product to clean about anything and inexpensive also.

When you get it change the air filter to the K & N clean the Throtle Body, they tend to carbon up a lot, and clean the PCV check the hose for sludge. Take it to Autozone and do a battery check, making sure the battery is not going out.

Wash it take it for a long drive get some CD's and some ole cassettes also if you have them and like a great dinner that is never heavy and leaves you neither not full but not empty wanting for more, that is the LS Experience. Is like meeting the other love of your life!

C. PR

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Not sure if I'll go for the black car because he said the maintenance wasn't done. But I did find this one: Green '99 LS400

and the owner got back to me saying it has had the timing belt done and he has all records. He also said it has the Xenons, but no Nakamichi (no biggie). I think I like the color scheme (not as popular, which is good), but I might have trouble convincing my wife of it. The price on this one seems very reasonable as well.

What it comes down to now is if Nissan can work something out for me to get out of the lease. Hopefully they can work something out better than just paying for the car in full since I've had so many issues with it.

[nc211]

MadMax, I'm trying to get your PM ability turned on early. Do you have an email address you don't mind posting up here in this forum that I can contact you at?

[nc211]

MadMax, I'm trying to get your PM ability turned on early. Do you have an email address you don't mind posting up here in this forum that I can contact you at?

[MadMax96]

MadMax, I'm trying to get your PM ability turned on early. Do you have an email address you don't mind posting up here in this forum that I can contact you at?

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No prob - mfredendall@yahoo.com

[nc211]

.....you got mail ......