GKLCPA

I think having a paid off car is huge in this current economic environment, so if it were me, I'd only trade and use the voucher only under circumstances where I could pay cash for the replacement car, otherwise, it's just cheaper to keep your 94 and fix it. Once you fix what you need to fix in these cars, it's like you have a brand new car again anyway, plus your miles are low which means you can keep it for a bit. I plan on driving my LS until the wheels fall off and if that doesn't happen, I guess I'll be driving it forever.

Where did you get the sway bar bushings? I order all the parts for my car from this link: http://mylexparts.com/ I've ordered from them at least twice and have been satisfied. They're very good with telephone support also on questions.

My 1996 now has 133K miles on it. I just had some suspension work done (radius arms and sway bar bushings) and now it's back to driving like a dream. It's at the point where I have to do stuff like the engine and trans mounts, rear suspension bushings and looks like I need new front struts. I'll do all of this stuff over the next year or so, but I'm very happy with this car. Barring an accident or something, I plan on having this car for a very long time. The only thing that concerns me about this car are gas prices. They're projected to go back up to $ 100 a barrel during the next year or so, which mean $4 gas again. Even though it gets good gas mileage, I don't like having to pay $ 75+ for a fill up.

I've read others complaining about the LS seats being hard and uncomfortable. I can certainly say that's not my experience. Maybe it's the vintage LS I have (1996) but this is the most comfortable car I've ever owned and I've not had to do a lot of seat adjustments

I believe I'm having a related problem. I just took my winters off and noticed uneven wear. I've been told that I need new strut mounts. Toyota quoted about $ 550 for installing including the alignment. Is this a reasonable price?

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.

The long road trip is where the LS really makes its mark. Since I've gotten my car, I've taken several long road trips. I'm planning one in the fall where I drive from PA to California and back. You really don't get any body fatigue in this car and it has very good road manners. On a long stretch, it reminds me of being in a 747.

You're right, it really gets done to preference and what we feels like he needs. I like smooth crusing and there's nothing that can beat the LS on that count. I'm very happy with my car and anticipate years of driving it and when it gives up the ghost, I'll get another LS. If you want balance between speed, fun to drive and near luxury, there is a car that I think that fits the bill. That's the Nissan Maxima. I had a 98 prior to buying the Lexus and that car is hair trigger fast. The newer ones are even faster. Reliability is really good also. I was pretty happy with my Max before I drove the LS. No doubt, the LS is a step above, but that Maxima is one hell of a car and I wouldn't rule out getting another one. That's actually the car that I initially wanted. I was getting ready to make an offer on a '99 540i 6 speed when suddenly, the thought of having to maintain a German car hit me. I decided to make a compromise on the "fun" factor and trade it for reliability with the LS.I think the LS is a perfect luxury car. It's everything a luxury car is supposed to be. (A flagship luxury sedan need not be sporty.) It's just that I will probably be complimenting it with something sportier in the future in my garage. One of the most interesting things to see (having bought different cars and participated in all of these different enthusiast communities) is that there are enthusiasts for every conceivable kind of vehicle, and it's interesting to see what makes people happy. And there's nothing wrong with people having different tastes. Different folks, different strokes. And don't get me wrong! I do like driving down Main Street and watching the reflection of my car in the storefront windows. We're not so different!

LOL. Hell of a story. A used LS is absolutely the best bargain out there. As you discovered, nothing beats these cars.

Haha, yeah, I think the economy is hitting the used luxury car market pretty hard. Nobody wants the additional maintenance cost, and people with money are buying the new ones (as they always have). Yep and a major factor as well is dried up credit. Not being able to get credit, really reduces the number of people who can buy. That 2003 can probably be had for 13-14K which is almost like giving that car away. If I was in the market, I'd definitely look at some 430's right now. The LS 400's don't look like they taken that much of a hit to me You are right. But NADA Clean retail for my LS400 was $10550, so at $7400 out the door, I think I got a steal! (Clean trade in is supposedly $8325.) NADA tends to be a bit high. Here's a link to edmunds true market value for your car: http://www.edmunds.com/used/1997/lexus/ls4...929/prices.html You got a fair deal if you compare with Edmunds which is still nothing to feel bad about considering that the LS is the best used car out there.

Haha, yeah, I think the economy is hitting the used luxury car market pretty hard. Nobody wants the additional maintenance cost, and people with money are buying the new ones (as they always have). Yep and a major factor as well is dried up credit. Not being able to get credit, really reduces the number of people who can buy. That 2003 can probably be had for 13-14K which is almost like giving that car away. If I was in the market, I'd definitely look at some 430's right now. The LS 400's don't look like they taken that much of a hit to me

Here's an example of what I'm talking about with regard to how cheap the LS 430's are getting. This is a 2003 Ultra: http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?...leadExists=true And it's negotiable.

Congrats on your car. You're right about the fantastic value of LS's given this economy. I keep looking at 430's that are selling for little more than what I paid for my 96 two years ago. They're nearly giving them away. I can't justify buying however as my car is too good.

I agree. I'd have to see the car, maintenance records, and proof. Is it possible? Perhaps. What drive train components were replaced or repaired during the 700,000 miles or million miles? What is the mechanical condition of the drive train at that mileage? A 1990 car would be approximately 18 years old. At a million miles, you'd have to drive the car about 55,555 per year or 152.2 miles every day for 18 years. Or you could drive back and forth between Los Angeles and New York City 180 times. It's about 42.4 hour trip - one way, so if you drove 12 hour days, every day for 365 days a year, it would only take about 3-1/2 years (not including potty stops, meals, sleep time, car repairs, car maintenance, fuel fill-ups, weather delays, etc). It's definitely possible to run up that type of mileage. I know, because I nearly put that on my car annually. Now, that's not to suggest I have anywhere close to a million miles on the odometer, but running up those types of miles is definitely possible. I'd be happy to get 250K to 350K miles out of my car

I can definitely attest to the fact that ethanol decreases gas mileage.

I have the "Tail Lamp Failure" warning message on my panel for some time and just can't find which Tail light the message is refering too. All the lights look OK to me. Any insight, anyone? It might be the lights in the back window.

The LS is the most comfortable and solid feeling car I've ever owned. I really don't plan on driving any other car at this point. So as long as Lexus is around and making quality LS's, they'll have me as a customer. On almost any measure, it beats most other cars. There'll be some that say it's not fun to drive like a bmw, but I don't want to feel the road, so it's suits me just fine.

I guess i just thought that all the Lexus's would be similar. The ES is a nice driving car although not quite on the level of the LS. The RX is just like a regular small SUV as far as I'm concerned. I'm not saying that it's not nice, it's just not something I could drive after having an LS.

Amen. Had Detroit been making cars like the LS over the past 20 years, they would not have the issues they're having now. Unfortunately, these guys alwas figured that the government would deem them too big to fail and bail them out. I'm of the mind of letting them all twist in the wind--and that includes the banks.

I'm having my car serviced for the first time at Lexus today and they gave me an brand new RX for a loaner. I must say that this car is no comparision to my 12 year old LS, even though it has some nice appointments. It just doesn't feel as solid and it's definitely not as comfortable. I can't wait to get my LS back!

I hear you. I wish I had waited a bit because I would have picked up a 430 instead. Here's a low mileage 2005 430 that they're only asking 20K for. I believe edmunds.com is saying that true value is 28K for this car: http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?...leadExists=true They're almost giving them away. A lot of this has to do with the credit crunch as well. People aren't getting the loans to buy cars. Tell me about it. They've taken a particularly big hit since I bought mine two summers ago (2007). I think it has a lot to do with the economy and the flood of used cars on the market that no one wants. At least I have a really nice and reliable car that I'm upside down on, instead of one of those huge American SUV gas guzzlers... ;)

Thanks Blake. That's what I was thinking as well. These guys seem to be desperate for business and I'm going to have them knock this out for me. These guys just built a huge showroom last year that's empty of customers. The economy seems to be hitting them pretty bad which is probably why I got the pricing I got. That doesn't seem too bad--for the dealer. The parts are probably $85 each at the dealer + $130 for the alignment leaves you with $250 in labor which is a little more than 2 hours worth at the dealer. Ball joints are extremely easy to change, so I'd never pay the dealer $250 for this job, but for the dealer, that is reasonable.

I'd like the answer to that as well. Lexus recently told me that my lower ball joints are bad and need to be replaced. They quoted me $550 including the alignment. Is that reasonable? It seems so to me.

I've been checking cars.com for the LS 430 and those things are really getting cheap. I don't know if it's the economic situation or what, but there seems to be a large drop in the price of LS 430's here recently. I would upgrade, but my car is too good to justify wasting money..particularly now.

I live in the northeast and the blizzacks work just fine for me. I just got a new set in the spring from Tirerack for $ 264. (I caught a discontinued brand of blizzacks on sale). My regular tires are nearly done for and I'm thinking of just getting some Nokians to replace them. The only problem is that the Nokians are pretty expensive, but I guess that paying nearly $ 600 for a set is still cheaper than separately buying winter and summer tires.