Does a low mileage late year LS400 in good condition exist

[gatograndeLS400]

Hi everyone - Happy New Year!

Does a low mileage late year LS400 in good condition exist?  I have been conducting ongoing searches on line within a 200-300 mile radius of my home in NY and finding a 1998-2000 LS400 with less than 75,000 miles seems nearly impossible.  Please advise. Thanks very much.  GatograndeLS400

[1990LS400]

Yes, it is very, very difficult to find a 98-00 LS400 with less than 75,000 miles although I happened to "run into" someone last week who recently bought a 2000 LS400 with around 60,000 miles.  1998 is 18 model years old - almost qualifies for an antique license plate where I live.

Let's do the math.  2016 - 2000 = 16 model years old for a 2000 LS400

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the average number of miles driver per year by all drivers is 13,476 miles.

16 model years X 13,476 miles = 215,616 miles.  That will be typical of what you will find in a used 2000 LS400.

I bought an off-lease 2000 LS400 with 38,000 miles in 2003.  I bought it directly from a friend of a friend.  When I sold it in early 2014, it was at 179,500 miles.  I drove it almost exactly 10 1/2 years.  (179,500 miles - 38,000 miles) / 10.5 years = 13,476 miles.  I hit the national per year mileage average right on the head!

In my opinion, the best places to find low mileage luxury cars are warmer climates populated by affluent retirees who sometimes drive these cars only in the Winter - e.g. South Florida and Scottsdale AZ.   Even in those places, low mileage luxury cars are often sold privately.  I couldn't believe the cars and prices I saw advertised on a Scottsdale private country club bulletin board.

Almost all the cars we have parted with over the past 40 years, including my 1990 LS400 and 2000 LS400, were sold privately to friends and relatives.  They never hit the newspaper or Internet.  My next door neighbor sold his LS to his brother and his Porsche with less than 20,000 miles went to another family member when he passed away a couple of years ago.

The nicest older cars never hit the market.
 

 

[landar]

Absolutely, low mileage LS400's exist. And they pop up from time-to-time. There is one on Ebay motors right now. A 92 with 18,245 original miles. Of course, its going to cost a lot to buy it but that was not the question. Was it?

This link will not be good for very long, but here it is -> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lexus-LS-LS-400-/181989832191?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2a5f7075ff:g:ZM4AAOSwFqJWlXOQ&item=181989832191

[Exhaustgases]

It sold over  9,000, there were no details of options no picture layouts.  This should be a good lesson to people that want to ruin and modify these cars. SEE keep it nice and it will sell for big bucks.

[billydpowell]

YES..... 98-2000 low mileage cars do exist, but PROBABLY not with in 200 miles from NY...

retirement areas Fla & Ariz craigslist should help you out... 

1998 LEXUS LS400 61K MILES , AUTO. - $5000 (Ft.Lauderdale)

1999 Lexus LS 400  86669k  

now you do some work..............

[Jstott]

I am looking around here because I bought a 98 LS with 57000 miles yesterday. Two years ago my grandson acquired a 90 with mileage in the 40s and then totaled it a month later. They are out there hiding in old folks garages. Good luck with the hunt. 

 

[Exhaustgases]

Grandson should have bought an old junker. The 90 LS400 should have been put in a huge sealed box.

[billydpowell]

or maybe a museum 

[LenyRP]

Just bought a 97 LS400 Coach Edition with 42,900 miles on it here I Florida.  I have definitely caught a unicorn

[billydpowell]

I'm looking for a white 2000 with low mileage for my sister-in-law, maybe a 99 would do too.. needs to be under 70k if you see one

[Ganeden]

I get why you would want a relatively unused LS400 from the perspective of interior, but mechanically, the basic car can be very nice at 200K+ miles, and they depreciate so I can't see dwelling on it.  I just found a '92 with pretty nice interior that smogged in SoCal, which is pretty particular as far as both emissions and safety, and you can't have decent emissions without the car running properly.  Sure, I must change the timing belt, so I might as well change the water pump, and while I'm at it change out the plugs.  So for under $3000 I get something safe and pretty nice.  My first '92 LS400, which I still own, is a ratty, crappy looking car which just keeps on going, but I bought the last one for my wife (kid got the crappy one). Frankly, there aren't too many cars you can get for under $3000 including major repairs that can go for a couple of years without more than routine maintenance. Around here, by the way, it's difficult to find a low mileage Lexus, and what is called low-mileage is just below blue book's average, not really low.

[Gary Georges]

I just purchased a white and beige interior 1996 Lexus LS 400 that belonged to an old lady that never drove it practically. 

The car was purchased with 9,547 original miles. 

It is still under 10,000 miles  

The car looks like it just came out from dealership

and still smells new 

[billydpowell]

hope you know enough to replace the timing belt.....21 years old

[CELSI0R]

On 7/4/2018 at 8:28 PM, Gary Georges said:

I just purchased a white and beige interior 1996 Lexus LS 400 that belonged to an old lady that never drove it practically. 

The car was purchased with 9,547 original miles. 

It is still under 10,000 miles  

The car looks like it just came out from dealership

and still smells new 

Incredible!... Any photos?

I can only say one thing:

[npls400]

On 1/12/2016 at 12:29 PM, gatograndeLS400 said:

Hi everyone - Happy New Year!

Does a low mileage late year LS400 in good condition exist?  I have been conducting ongoing searches on line within a 200-300 mile radius of my home in NY and finding a 1998-2000 LS400 with less than 75,000 miles seems nearly impossible.  Please advise. Thanks very much.  GatograndeLS400

Dec 24, 2020:  I have a 1998 LS400 with 30K miles.  Pristine!