Looking To Buy ?ls400 92-00 ?ls430?

[snakehead]

I am looking to buy a Lexus , never owned one before, looking for Ls400 and maybe Ls430, are the Ls430 any better in reliability than the Ls400 ? and what was the most solid year for the LS400 92-00 ??

It seems to me Lexus holds the torch in reliability compared to the German cars. And thats what i am looking for, a good solid ride to own for many years. My budget is $10-$15 grand. What would you do ? Thanks ,

[HRP]

I am looking to buy a Lexus , never owned one before, looking for Ls400 and maybe Ls430, are the Ls430 any better in reliability than the Ls400 ? and what was the most solid year for the LS400 92-00 ??

It seems to me Lexus holds the torch in reliability compared to the German cars. And thats what i am looking for, a good solid ride to own for many years. My budget is $10-$15 grand. What would you do ? Thanks ,

As has been pointed our herre and on other forums, the current economic situation has put most private sellers behind the times on used car prices.

Both the 400 and 430 LS are excellent cars, you'll just have to drive them and see which you prefer.

I'd try edmunds.com and reed their reviews and also use their used car (auto trader) as a start to see what's out there and get an idea of the prices within the area from which you wish to look.

Armed with the knowledge you get from research, you can decide what you want and can afford.

But don't be in a hurry and be ready to walk away if you get bad vibes anywhere.

[1990LS400]

Alter the model year in both places in the following URL to see what options were available in various model years: http://www.lexus.com/contact/pdf/2003/2003LSspecs.pdf

You can see similar and sometimes better information for 2002-up in the CPO model library on the Lexus website.

My main advice is to completely ignore the used car valuations on websites like Kelly.com -- they are complete fantasy and do not begin to reflect current real world prices.

You should be able to easily buy a decently equipped, low mileage (< 50,000) 2003 LS430 for less than $15,000. The current used car market is bizzare. If given the choice between a newer high mileage car and a slightly older low mileage car, I would definitely go for the older low mileage one. I know these cars last a long time but there is no substitute for lower miles.

If you want an LS400, get the newest possible since it has the most safety features -- e.g. the only LS400 that had Brake Assist was the final model year (2000). The first year that had DRL was 99. The first year that had VSC and side air bags was 98.

An advantage of the LS430 of any year is that its audio system architecture allows easily adding interfaces for sat radio and iPod and you don't have to put up with the awful cartridge based CD changer that the LS400 had.

It's certainly a great time to be a used car buyer but not a good time to be a seller.

[jdavis]

I don't think that you will go wrong with either the LS400 or LS430 as they are both known for reliability and comfort. Both have stellar reputations with no major issues if maintained properly. You might look for a certified pre-owned car for peace of mind and warranty issues. It is a buyer's market due to the economic situation and dealers are willing to make good deals. Take the advice of HRP and don't be in a hurry and remember that the dealers need you to stay in business. You can pick and choose who you care to deal with while they don't have that luxury.

[snakehead]

Thanks for the info ,