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Considering A Lexus


chillin245

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Hi; im new to these boards and i'd like to start by saying thanks to take the time and read my post.

I've spent some time lurking reading posts and i'v been intrested in a Lexus ls400 in a while.

The Lexus i was looking at was a 93ish ls400. I have some questions though and some stiff competition.

the problem with the Lexus is that its such an old car and it has high km's; the ones in my price range (5-8 thousand) have fairly high mileage. 200k km's on average which is about 120k miles.

my other options are a 1998-00 Cadillac De'ville at about 60k miles; or a Chevrolet Impala 2001-2004 with about 20-40k miles.

Basically I like the Lexus the most, but im afraid it may not be the best option, i want this car to last and not have to buy another one for a while; and i don't want to spend much on repairs. The 2 American cars are newer and probably cheaper to fix.

I really love the ls400; i jsut need a car thats practical and most of all is gonna run and serve me well for a while; im afraid that with a 15 year old car i may not get this; even if it does have the quality of a Lexus

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Chances are, you'll spend more on repairs with the American cars, than you would for the Lexus. But, the key to owning these cars is all in your ability to work on them yourself. If you're not a DIY type, then they can be very expensive to own. Parts is parts, it all tastes like chicken after a while, but labor is a whole different story. Show up at a garage with the "L" on the grill, and it's about a 70% upcharge. They're very easy to work on, don't require much, but do require some. Hey, it is 15 years old, which means it's usually time for braces, and a new dress for prom, if you catch my drift. If you're concerned about repairs, but want a good toyota quality car, then I would probably take a look at the toyota badges, like an older Avalon, etc.. As several of the parts in those cars, are LS parts too, just very slightly modified. But much cheaper. To give you an example, I have an 05 Toyota 4runner, which shares several parts with the GX470. Same engine, driveshafts, etc.. But the price difference between the two for parts usually ranges between $60-$200. Granted the 4runner is a much cruder version than the GX470, and can't compare in certain areas, but it is a Toyota.

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NC is right. The shops see you coming if your in a flagship no matter what make. Diy certainly makes it more affordable. American car parts are generally cheaper in both price and quality. You get what you pay for. Check out forums for the models you're interested in for owners' comments. One site that covers many makes and models and has hundreds of comments for each is: http://autos.msn.com/home/reliability_ratings.aspx. Keep in mind to discount any that don't list specifics. For Lexus issues, you've come to the right place with this board. Every manufacturer has issues with their vehicles. Some more than others. It's hard to definitively attribute good reliability records solely to the manufacturers. No matter what survey you check, none of them take into account how the owners have maintained their cars. My suggestion is, after doing your research, test drive several examples of each model you're interested in for a real world comparison. Good luck

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Yeah i knew the lexus would definately cost more to fix; i can deal with that.. but not if its breaking all the time.

I realize cars are cars and every car needs maintenance and repair from time to time.

I'd really like to choose the Lexus over the American cars, i like it better both style wise and i've heard its much better quality.

A used 95 GS300 would also be an option.

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Yeah i knew the lexus would definately cost more to fix; i can deal with that.. but not if its breaking all the time.

I realize cars are cars and every car needs maintenance and repair from time to time.

I'd really like to choose the Lexus over the American cars, i like it better both style wise and i've heard its much better quality.

A used 95 GS300 would also be an option.

Nice car the GS. Sharper, tighter handling, but for cruisiing, LS is the one. In my experience, American cars will be in the shop more often with less cost each time, but over the long haul, it pretty much evens out.

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I had a 94 Camaro LT-1 for four years. In one six month period that car cost me more ( and I did all the work myself, including the damn head gaskets) than my two Lexus have cost me in five years. And the dealer does the T-belts on the Lexus. My LS just got a t-belt, serpentine belt, water pump, thermostat, air filter and coolant for $1100.00 including PST and GST - so about $900.00 before tax - at the dealer! And I had a brand new Avalon for a driver for three days. Didn't even put gas in it. Try getting a new car for a loaner at the GM dealer. They once offered me a bus pass!!!! Sorry, I don't ride the bus....

I will never have a GM again, because after you fix them they are still a GM and nobody will buy them from you. A Lexus is always saleable, especially if it has a good service record.

Remember that JD Power found that a six year old Lexus is more reliable than a new BMW or Mercedes.

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so you think the repair costs of a 99 deville or 2003 impala would about even out with the 93 ls?

I'm also somewhat intrested in which is going to live longer. I don't want to buy another car for a while.

Over the long haul I think they would be close. As for which will last longer, I think you can keep any car going for as long as you want. What it comes down to is whether the cost is worth it? If maintaining a 15 year old car is costing you more than what it would cost to lease a newer one, then it doesn't make sense. Unless you're dedicated to that car or you're a collector. Everything wears out sooner or later. Having a warranty is something else you might consider. It's can provide some peace of mind for someone who is not a diy.

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so you think the repair costs of a 99 deville or 2003 impala would about even out with the 93 ls?

I'm also somewhat intrested in which is going to live longer. I don't want to buy another car for a while.

Over the long haul I think they would be close. As for which will last longer, I think you can keep any car going for as long as you want. What it comes down to is whether the cost is worth it? If maintaining a 15 year old car is costing you more than what it would cost to lease a newer one, then it doesn't make sense. Unless you're dedicated to that car or you're a collector. Everything wears out sooner or later. Having a warranty is something else you might consider. It's can provide some peace of mind for someone who is not a diy.

Yeah; youre right. I know its impossible to predict, but what would the ballpark area where a lex would get as expensive to repair as it would be to lease a new car?

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so you think the repair costs of a 99 deville or 2003 impala would about even out with the 93 ls?

I'm also somewhat intrested in which is going to live longer. I don't want to buy another car for a while.

Over the long haul I think they would be close. As for which will last longer, I think you can keep any car going for as long as you want. What it comes down to is whether the cost is worth it? If maintaining a 15 year old car is costing you more than what it would cost to lease a newer one, then it doesn't make sense. Unless you're dedicated to that car or you're a collector. Everything wears out sooner or later. Having a warranty is something else you might consider. It's can provide some peace of mind for someone who is not a diy.

Yeah; youre right. I know its impossible to predict, but what would the ballpark area where a lex would get as expensive to repair as it would be to lease a new car?

I wouldn't compare maintenance/repair costs on an older lex with the cost of leasing a new one. A new LS would be much more expensive. I would compare it with leasing/buying a newer domestic or a slightly used Toyota.

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so you think the repair costs of a 99 deville or 2003 impala would about even out with the 93 ls?

I'm also somewhat intrested in which is going to live longer. I don't want to buy another car for a while.

Over the long haul I think they would be close. As for which will last longer, I think you can keep any car going for as long as you want. What it comes down to is whether the cost is worth it? If maintaining a 15 year old car is costing you more than what it would cost to lease a newer one, then it doesn't make sense. Unless you're dedicated to that car or you're a collector. Everything wears out sooner or later. Having a warranty is something else you might consider. It's can provide some peace of mind for someone who is not a diy.

Yeah; youre right. I know its impossible to predict, but what would the ballpark area where a lex would get as expensive to repair as it would be to lease a new car?

I wouldn't compare maintenance/repair costs on an older lex with the cost of leasing a new one. A new LS would be much more expensive. I would compare it with leasing/buying a newer domestic or a slightly used Toyota.

i can deal with lets say 100 a month in repair costs; but anything else would be a pain; especially considering gas and insurance for a guy my age (19)

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How long can a Lexus last? Who knows, but I'm happy:

I posted a while back that my '94LS, with 115,000 miles has cost me about $80.00/month to maintain. I've had it 4 years, so it's about $4,000 total. I was lucky in that it was a one owner car, and here in Las Vegas, the weather is quite kind on any car. Plus it's garage kept. My only major repair was the water pump and timing belt-work I am too old and decrepit to perform. Other than that, it was just the usual bulbs, tires, wires, plugs, filters, oil etc. I even replaced the famous Air Control Valve on the P/S pump without throwing my back out. I've already accepted that my P/S pump will fail eventually, and have a new indie mechanic ready to do the job for a fair price.

But name me another car that can take me for the 180 mile trip to the casinos in Laughlin in utter style. Smooth, sweet ride. Enough that the parking garage guy at the River Palms asked me all about the LS-he couldn't believe it was so old. And clean. Even insurance is great-$109 every six months-no need to worry about comprehensive and collision with an oldie. I think the key to buying a used car of any type is to check out its history, not just Carfax but the dealers history as well. I even contacted the previous owner, who told me F-off. Rich drywall guy-hope the housing economy nails him in the shorts....

Oh, and thanks to this forum-it is the key to owning an older Lexus. Best forum by far on the internet.....

Now if we can just get nc211 another Lexus. I can picture it now with the "Obama" sticker on the rear bumper...Just kidding....

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus_LS

I know we shouldn't always trust wikipedia, but it resells me my car everytime I look at it. Read about the LS400 here, it wasn;t named one of the most reliable cars on earth for fun.

Most "issues" that the LS400 has can be solved with the help of the wonderful people on this site. My LS400 had many of the exact same issues that most people have had with them, and I managed to fix them all myself, and I am sure, with a little of our help, and your ambition, you can handle most of the stuff too. Not much compares to the feeling you will get when driving this car, as well as the sheer joy you will have just to have somewhere to go once you own one. I seriously doubt you will get that feeling with the impala. The cadillac possibly, but I put my trust in the toyota and honda companies many years ago, and will never look back at an american car again unless something drastic changes.

Like SRK said, even if you spend the same amount on repairs, the lexus will retain it's value longer than either of the other 2 cars, and you will be able to sell it again and not take on a major loss.

As far as life left, I have read alot of these cars going for over 400k miles, and rarely do you ever hear of someone who maintains their LS400 well end up with it dying of natural causes.

Look over the car really well, drive it, slowly over bumps, take it up to highway speed, run all of the controlss, check that every button inside the car does what it should, and then give us a list here and how much you ar elooking at paying for it, and you will get alot of good educated opinions to help you out on the matter.

Best of luck!

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Yeah i'm in Canada and the weather isn't too great on our cars.

1000-1500 a year is a bit expensive to maintain .. damn i really want a lexus but i don't know if i can afford that ontop of insurance. which is about 4500; and gas... which is steadily increasing.

I'm no expert on cars but i don't think an impala would cost that much to maintain yearly; and i definately agree with the above poster; i know the feeling won't be the same in the impala.

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Good advice TexLex. For the quality of the build, parts, and ride, I sure wouldn't consider anything else.

I don't really care about trade in value because at 17 years old there's not much of that left unless your selling to someone who knows Lexus and can appreciate a car that's been impeccably maintained. Besides, I'm not getting rid of this one anytime soon, even if I get a newer version.

Check out the reliability reports for the German cars in particular. I have friends with Audis, Porches, and Bimmers. Just about all of them tell me of the latest issues with these cars and how often they're in for repairs. It's got to be a pain to be spending all that cash and have the car off the road that often.

Whatever car you find that you're interested in buying, do your homework as Tex says. If the car comes with no documentation, history, etc, walk away. There's more than enough out there with all the credentials for a smart purchase. Get it inspected as well, especially for accident damage.

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Good advice TexLex. For the quality of the build, parts, and ride, I sure wouldn't consider anything else.

I don't really care about trade in value because at 17 years old there's not much of that left unless your selling to someone who knows Lexus and can appreciate a car that's been impeccably maintained. Besides, I'm not getting rid of this one anytime soon, even if I get a newer version.

Check out the reliability reports for the German cars in particular. I have friends with Audis, Porches, and Bimmers. Just about all of them tell me of the latest issues with these cars and how often they're in for repairs. It's got to be a pain to be spending all that cash and have the car off the road that often.

Whatever car you find that you're interested in buying, do your homework as Tex says. If the car comes with no documentation, history, etc, walk away. There's more than enough out there with all the credentials for a smart purchase. Get it inspected as well, especially for accident damage.

yeah thanks for all the advice; i'll definately do my homework no matter what i buy. The only car i've ever owned is a mazda 323; which is incredibly cheap to repair. So really i have nothing to compare to; 1000-1500 a year seems like a lot; would a 95ish gs cost that much to maintain?

I'm almost certain the impala wouldnt cost that much; but i could be wrong. I don't really want the impala anyway. but right now it seems most practical.

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Keep in mind that whent he fine members here mention spending 1000-1500 a year on their vehicles maintenance, they are talking about keeping one of the silky smoothest vehicles on the planet running as if it was brand new still, not just keeping it alive. And I know the insurance in ontario is killer, unsure why you guys ever went private.... I am $119/mo in manitoba for my insurance, and was $145 a month in BC. Definitely take your time and be happy with what you get. Something tells me that if you are looking at caddy''s and lexus' that an impala or taurus or corrolla just isn't your type of deal...

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Keep in mind that whent he fine members here mention spending 1000-1500 a year on their vehicles maintenance, they are talking about keeping one of the silky smoothest vehicles on the planet running as if it was brand new still, not just keeping it alive. And I know the insurance in ontario is killer, unsure why you guys ever went private.... I am $119/mo in manitoba for my insurance, and was $145 a month in BC. Definitely take your time and be happy with what you get. Something tells me that if you are looking at caddy''s and lexus' that an impala or taurus or corrolla just isn't your type of deal...

yeah youre right about that, insurance is killer.. Cheapest i can find is 350 a month.

and yeah . i'd much rather own a lexus than, i'v loved lexus for as long as i can remmember.

Would a GS300 Cost less in maintanance? maybe thats a safe middleground.

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$5-$8k can get you only a high mileage 93' up there? Wow, that's some pretty steep currency exchange. I sold my prestine 95' with 132k miles, documented from day 1 from the dealership, and a moutain of receipts for all repairs/upgrades I did, right down to the light bulbs for the marker lights, for $7,500 bucks, and it sat for a few months at that. Sure, had lots of "intrested" buyers, some said they'll buy it, but at the end of the day, either money or credit killed the deal. I would remember that in your negotiations. If you're looking at cars of that vintage and price range, convey to the seller that you actually have the money or credit scores to get the loan. If possible, I would look for a gen2 series "95-97", as they are widely considered to be some of the best most bullett proof series. They don't suffer the dreaded blacked dash/leaking power steering pump issue that the 90-94's have, and they are the last models to have the actual cable throttle setup, which i think is safe to say is much more reliable than the drive-by-wire setup they went with in 98'. I say much more reliable, but honestly, the entire freakin' car is reliable! But what seems to pop up the most on here for the 98+ series usually relates to vsc/trac control/ dead throttle stuff, and usually points to that drive by wire system. Not so much for the95-97 series. But, you've got to watchout for the engine computers on the 95-97, specifically the 95' and 96'. Some have a funky querk or two which can be annoying. See the "engine died, jerking" thread for more information. Other than that, they're pretty much a tank that can go for several hundreds of thousands of miles. I think Blake918 has more than 300k on his 95'. And when I sold mine, the dealership inspected it three times for possible buyers, each time they said the car might be 12 years old on paper, but in real life it's more like 3.

I think you can get a better deal for your money amigo.

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Hi; im new to these boards and i'd like to start by saying thanks to take the time and read my post.

I've spent some time lurking reading posts and i'v been intrested in a Lexus ls400 in a while.

The Lexus i was looking at was a 93ish ls400. I have some questions though and some stiff competition.

the problem with the Lexus is that its such an old car and it has high km's; the ones in my price range (5-8 thousand) have fairly high mileage. 200k km's on average which is about 120k miles.

my other options are a 1998-00 Cadillac De'ville at about 60k miles; or a Chevrolet Impala 2001-2004 with about 20-40k miles.

Basically I like the Lexus the most, but im afraid it may not be the best option, i want this car to last and not have to buy another one for a while; and i don't want to spend much on repairs. The 2 American cars are newer and probably cheaper to fix.

I really love the ls400; i jsut need a car thats practical and most of all is gonna run and serve me well for a while; im afraid that with a 15 year old car i may not get this; even if it does have the quality of a Lexus

Welcome chillin! B) Where abouts in the Toronto area are you located? Also you check your PM's.....I've sent you a message.

:cheers:

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Hi; im new to these boards and i'd like to start by saying thanks to take the time and read my post.

I've spent some time lurking reading posts and i'v been intrested in a Lexus ls400 in a while.

The Lexus i was looking at was a 93ish ls400. I have some questions though and some stiff competition.

the problem with the Lexus is that its such an old car and it has high km's; the ones in my price range (5-8 thousand) have fairly high mileage. 200k km's on average which is about 120k miles.

my other options are a 1998-00 Cadillac De'ville at about 60k miles; or a Chevrolet Impala 2001-2004 with about 20-40k miles.

Basically I like the Lexus the most, but im afraid it may not be the best option, i want this car to last and not have to buy another one for a while; and i don't want to spend much on repairs. The 2 American cars are newer and probably cheaper to fix.

I really love the ls400; i jsut need a car thats practical and most of all is gonna run and serve me well for a while; im afraid that with a 15 year old car i may not get this; even if it does have the quality of a Lexus

Welcome chillin! B) Where abouts in the Toronto area are you located? Also you check your PM's.....I've sent you a message.

:cheers:

Thanks for all the good input everyone; I'm in the west end.

Again I'm really considering this car; but if the yearly costs are really 1000-1500; i might be broke all the time; to the point where it might not even be worth it.

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Thanks for all the good input everyone; I'm in the west end.

Again I'm really considering this car; but if the yearly costs are really 1000-1500; i might be broke all the time; to the point where it might not even be worth it.

Might want to give the ES some serious consideration (I'm on my second one myself) in addition to the LS & GS (drive all of them to find out what you like). Lexus or not, I'm more than happy to assist when the time comes though. :)

:cheers:

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Thanks for all the good input everyone; I'm in the west end.

Again I'm really considering this car; but if the yearly costs are really 1000-1500; i might be broke all the time; to the point where it might not even be worth it.

Might want to give the ES some serious consideration (I'm on my second one myself) in addition to the LS & GS (drive all of them to find out what you like). Lexus or not, I'm more than happy to assist when the time comes though. :)

:cheers:

Yeah; i like the ES; except for the front grill. The GS is nice too.

Im just wondering; is it really gonna cost that much to maintain? i mean 1000-1500 a year assuming no major problems is a lot, even for a Lexus.

Anybody have any idea on whether these numbers are accurate; so far i have 2 people saying they spend about that much; anymore input from early 90's LS400 owners would be greatly appreciated.

And would maintanace costs for the ES300 and GS300 be comparable to the LS? or would they cost less?

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