What Is The Right Ls For Me?

[walleyeman]

I'm in need of a new car. I've started with Lexus for buying one for 550.00 at an auction, which I thought I'd part out, but it only needed a new alternator, so its a 93' Lexus GS300, 298,000 miles. I absolutely love it. Now that my son starts driving I promised him this car, (worst idea ever) so I gotta find a new one. I really like the LS series but I'm unaware of which one would be the best for me. I'm looking for a LS for under 15,000$$$ preferable under 8,000$$ but if the newer LS's are alot better then the 2 or 3rd gens I'd buy one.

I've been doing alot of research and I think I'd like either a 1997 LS400, a 1998 LS400, or a 2001 LS400.

I'd like to stay on the cheaper side, and the older ones I feel look alot better than the 01-06 series.

How is the 1997 Lexus LS400, is it worth it to go for the 1998 ?

Are both just as reliable?

Thanks for the help!

[amcdonal86]

I feel the 1998's 5-speed automatic is much better than the 4-speed that comes on the '97s.

[TA in KC]

They are all great, reliable cars. Purchase one that is in good condition for a good price, the year does not matter.

[1990LS400]

You can review the differences in the model years at http://www.lexls.com/info/lsgenerations.html

You can view the specs for each model year of the LS by modifying the year in this URL: http://www.lexus.com/contact/pdf/2000/2000LSspecs.pdf

You should be able to easily get into a fairly low mileage 1998-2000 LS400 for $8,000 to $10,000 and maybe less. If I was selling my fairly loaded, minimally flawed 2000 LS400 (109,000 miles) today in a private party sale I would probably settle for $8,000 and change. Most people think it is best to avoid air suspension on all years of the LS400 and to avoid navigation on the 98-00 LS400.

The 1995-2000 LS400 all have essentially the same body but you can get a lot more gizmos (HID, VSC, 5-speed auto trans, etc.) on a 98-up LS.

The 2001-up LS430 has a bit more headroom and rear leg room and some neat features like in-dash cartridge-less CD changer

[03whiteLS430]

I was bidding on a nice 2001 LS430 in Wayne, NJ that sold on eBay for $12,900 with NAV and ML stereo and excellent service records, new tires, etc. I became impatient and paid the price, no pun intended, for a low mileage 03 LS430 that I could have done much better on. Be patient, watch ebay and get an 02 LS430 with 90K miles and where they have already replaced the timimg belt and water pump. you won't be sorry. Oh, and be patient. Learn from my mistake.

[jcrome04]

01 would be a 430.

I'd say go for a 2000 Platinum Edition B)

or a 97 Coach :D :D :D

[jainla]

I really like the LS series but I'm unaware of which one would be the best for me.

Answer: the one that's in the best condition with a decent service history that fits your budget with the colors/features you want.

Are both just as reliable?

Generally the mechanicals of all LS cars are very reliable (if not the most reliable on the market). The engine up to the '06 model year is basically the same design that evolved through the years; and the transmission was updated as well. The post '01 cars have a lot more electronic features so this is good (if you like those things) but this is bad (because it's more stuff that can break). But still in the grand scheme of things you could do much worse (i.e. anything made in Germany during that time).

There's really not a bad apple in the bunch; obviously the earlier cars ('90-92) are going to be pretty high mileage by now so that comes with its own risks; there are also a couple minor problems with the first two years--LCD screens going black, instrument needles going dark etc. but the fixes aren't expensive and are well documented here. There is one recall of note for certain '04 models due to a piece of plastic that breaks in the transmission (Lexus replaced the transmission in those models) and a bad fuel pump so if you consider an '04 make sure that's been done.

I second Jim's warning about the air suspension, particularly if the car is high-mileage or older than 4-5 years old. The service rep claims the LS 430 air springs should last up to 150k miles; but they occasionally go and are expensive to fix. Caveat emptor there.

At this point feel free to choose based on model style, features and price. The whole luxury car market seems to have taken a hit; I'm starting to see some real deals on the early LS430s but you can get a later model one for not much more. Obviously if you want Bluetooth, Sat Nav and other goodies the later cars will have those built in but they can be retrofitted depending on how far you want to go. But even an LS that's 9-10 years old should be fairly reliable; and much nicer than anything new at that price.

One item to note is iPod compatibilty; there seems to be a dearth of aftermarket solutions for any car that's pre '01.

Happy shopping!

[90LS400Lexus]

Purchase the nicest one you can afford and remember they are very costly to maintain. Parts prices are ridiculous.

If you get a gen 1 LS400 make sure you dont have power steering leaks, and make sure things like the engine mounts, valve cover gaskets, etc have all been replaced. I made this mistake by overpaying for a LS400 that needs all of these things.

Good luck.

[jcrome04]

There are much more costly cars to maintain than the LS.

Buy your parts from Carson Toyota , or Parts.com.

OEM parts at great discounts.

[amcdonal86]

There are much more costly cars to maintain than the LS.

Buy your parts from Carson Toyota , or Parts.com.

OEM parts at great discounts.

I agree. I don't personally find the LS to be overly expensive to maintain. It really just depends how anal you are about it.

When it comes to the LS, I get REALLY anal about noises since the car is so quiet.

However, as with any car, you'll be spending less on maintenance with a lower mileage, newer car. So get the newest/lowest mileage one you can reasonably afford!

[jcrome04]

There are much more costly cars to maintain than the LS.

Buy your parts from Carson Toyota , or Parts.com.

OEM parts at great discounts.

I agree. I don't personally find the LS to be overly expensive to maintain. It really just depends how anal you are about it.

When it comes to the LS, I get REALLY anal about noises since the car is so quiet.

However, as with any car, you'll be spending less on maintenance with a lower mileage, newer car. So get the newest/lowest mileage one you can reasonably afford!

Just need to say again.. find one with the MOST maintenance done to her!

[Budhah]

Take a look here,, some in your area in your price range... My feeling is that the lowest mileage with the best records, and the latest model you can afford without getting Mama mad at ya. Or the son too jealous. Remember, if you have more kids coming up behind him, they may want your car in a year or two..

http://www.lemonfree.com/map.php?make=LEXUS&model=LS+400 OR http://usedcars.cardomain.com/cars/used-fo...ation/range-all

[LexLuthor400]

I'm in need of a new car. I've started with Lexus for buying one for 550.00 at an auction, which I thought I'd part out, but it only needed a new alternator, so its a 93' Lexus GS300, 298,000 miles. I absolutely love it. Now that my son starts driving I promised him this car, (worst idea ever) so I gotta find a new one. I really like the LS series but I'm unaware of which one would be the best for me. I'm looking for a LS for under 15,000$$$ preferable under 8,000$$ but if the newer LS's are alot better then the 2 or 3rd gens I'd buy one.

I've been doing alot of research and I think I'd like either a 1997 LS400, a 1998 LS400, or a 2001 LS400.

I'd like to stay on the cheaper side, and the older ones I feel look alot better than the 01-06 series.

How is the 1997 Lexus LS400, is it worth it to go for the 1998 ?

Are both just as reliable?

Thanks for the help!

Yeah I would go with the 1998 Ls400, because you get more power (290hp) and a 5 speed auto. Plus the fuel economy I think might be slightly better as well. You really cant go wrong with any LS though. I bought a 98 LS400 Fully Loaded w/ 118,000 miles for $10500 in 2006 so thats in the middle of your budget. As far as reliability I have had mine for 2+ years now and have had not ONE problem. It has had a water pump, timing belt change and tune up and thats it in 138,000 miles (as of today). Its still running strong and smooth. Lexus 4 Life

[GKLCPA]

I'm in need of a new car. I've started with Lexus for buying one for 550.00 at an auction, which I thought I'd part out, but it only needed a new alternator, so its a 93' Lexus GS300, 298,000 miles. I absolutely love it. Now that my son starts driving I promised him this car, (worst idea ever) so I gotta find a new one. I really like the LS series but I'm unaware of which one would be the best for me. I'm looking for a LS for under 15,000$$$ preferable under 8,000$$ but if the newer LS's are alot better then the 2 or 3rd gens I'd buy one.

I've been doing alot of research and I think I'd like either a 1997 LS400, a 1998 LS400, or a 2001 LS400.

I'd like to stay on the cheaper side, and the older ones I feel look alot better than the 01-06 series.

How is the 1997 Lexus LS400, is it worth it to go for the 1998 ?

Are both just as reliable?

Thanks for the help!

Yeah I would go with the 1998 Ls400, because you get more power (290hp) and a 5 speed auto. Plus the fuel economy I think might be slightly better as well. You really cant go wrong with any LS though. I bought a 98 LS400 Fully Loaded w/ 118,000 miles for $10500 in 2006 so thats in the middle of your budget. As far as reliability I have had mine for 2+ years now and have had not ONE problem. It has had a water pump, timing belt change and tune up and thats it in 138,000 miles (as of today). Its still running strong and smooth. Lexus 4 Life

I agree with this post. You really can't go wrong with any well maintained LS. I have a 96 that i bought in 2006. I've put nearly 100k miles on it since I purchased and the only thing I've done is the timing belt, tires and some ball joint work here recently. These are superb vehicles.