Lx 450...

[dvarsava]

Hello,

I hope this is the correct forum for this discussion.

I have an opportunity to purchase a '97 LX 450 with 114,000 miles on it. On many cars I would be apprehensive to buy a car with this many miles (not so much with Toyota/Lexus). Can anyone shed some light on what I could expect. Should I forget about this and look for a model with fewer miles? I am hoping to stick to the 450 b/c I like the style a lot more than the 470.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

-drew

[ellieoh]

I had the same question and bought the LX450 and have not been disapointed it's an awsome vehicle

[Rookie]

From what I gather, you can expect 200k to 300 k out of these vehicles with proper maitenance. They are solid vehicles and put together well. I've only owned mine for about 4 months, but here are some things you may want to consider:

1) Obviously the gas mileage isn't great.

2) These are heavy solid vehicles, no sports car, - power is marginal. Make sure you test drive one and can be satisfied with the power output. They are built based on tried-and-true predecessors (sp.?) and are arguably (as anything is) the best 4 wheel stock vehicle you can get.

3) Some common mechanical problems are head gasket failure, check engine light issues commonly with the EGR and VSV,

4) Dealer maitenance can be expensive. If you don't mind getting your hands dirty you can save a lot of dough, get a Factory Service Manual (the Landcruiser one is much cheaper and engine components are the same) and you can do alot of the routine maintenance and some of the not so routine yourself.. changing fluids- tranny, transfer case, differentials, power steering fluid, oil, radiator, chassis lubing, that kind of stuff. Some of the not so routine bigger jobs, repacking Birfields/steering Knuckles and replacing seal, rear main seal, and headgasket are all big jobs but you can save in the 1000's if you can do it yourself.

5) One good thing is it has a timing chain, not a belt. Recommended replacement is when it breaks or when the engine gets overhauled, which is how long they're supposed to last.

That's the main stuff I can think of, and I agree with you. I bought the LX450 because I liked it better than the newer models.

Good luck. Hope this helps in your decision making.

Rookie

[dougjohn]

Drew,

Welcome to the forum!

As a whole, you can't go wrong with the LX 450. If the one you're looking at has been well maintained, you have nothing to worry about (even with 114K on the odometer). You might find that the servicing will be fairly pricey -- especially if you take yours to a Lexus dealership The good news is that mechanically the LX 450 is identical to the same model year Toyota Land Cruiser. If you're not mechanically inclined, you can have the work done for you by someone other than Lexus.

I agree with Rookie though. Buy the factory service manual. Even for the easier things, you'll find that it comes in very handy. I, personally, have the Land Cruiser version.

Keep it maintained and it'll last you for years!

Doug