chillin245

Hey, i'v decided im gonna go for a 4 door sedan, i was considering a sc400 but the 2 doors just isnt practical. Anyway my decision is down to the 2 cars from the title. the ls400 would be 92-94 with about 100-150k miles on it. while the buick would be 97-02 with about 75-125k miles on it. Basically i know the lexus is more reliable, but how much more? and also which car is safer? and is the lexus drive quality and suspension really that much better than buicks? thanks.

Would you like to buy mine?.... it has a little first aid kit in the trunk Mine cruises like a dream....about 28 mpg hiway...beautiful blue..leather seats...doesn't burn a drop of oil...automatic trans...moon roof...very deluxe...needs a water pump... :) I would but its gonna be about 2 months before i make the purchase, don't have enough right now and i need to do some more research.

Thanks, I'll definately check around ebay. A few more questions, which one is better in terms of safetey? i'd estimate they're pretty close to the same. Same weight class and all. I could be wrong though. Thanks for all the helpful answers.

Hi everybody, i posted this on the ls400 boards too but i felt it would be just as relevant too because i have a few questions about the sc400. I posted here a while back but never bought a lexus as i didnt need a new car for a few more months. Basically i have a few questions about the ls400 and sc300. Im trying to spend under 6 grand on either a ls400 or sc300 I like the SC better but my concern is , with so few around it may be really hard/expensive to get parts if something breaks. Im gonna be doing a lot of highway cruising so i needed a car good for that, and i love the old lex's, i have a question also about the sc300's suspension. Is it really stiff or would it be more simlar to a luxury cars? I hate having a bumpy ride. Thanks.

Thanks, I did some reading and it was good to know information. I have a few more questions, Which one would cost more maintanance wise? i heard they are pretty similar cars so im assuming the costs would be similar? How much yearly maintanance roughly will i expect? Also im really worried about the low amount of sc400's i see in my area, could make getting parts hard.

I posted here a while back but never bought a lexus as i didnt need a new car for a few more months. Basically i have a few questions about the ls400 and sc300. Basically im trying to spend under 6 grand on either a ls400 or sc300 I like the SC better but my concern is , with so few around it may be really hard/expensive to get parts if something breaks. Im gonna be doing a lot of highway cruising so i needed a car good for that, and i love the old lex's, i have a question also about the sc300's suspension. Is it really stiff or would it be more simlar to a luxury cars? I hate having a bumpy ride. Thanks.

Hey, I'm debating whether to buy a 98 GS or a 94ish ls. I like both cars but would prefer the GS, i have a question though. With a sports sedan , will i have a bumpy ride? the only car i've driven with sports suspension is my 98 mystique but i'm tired of bump rides, drove a civic and mazda before and those tiny cars were really bumpy. Anyway my question is , with the sports suspension i will i still feel every bump on the road? or is the GS suspension more luxury like?

that sucks, right now we have just mass amounts of snow. Would an LS with winter tires be okay to drive in these large snowfalls? I like to go skiing a lot and I don't think it would be practical to have an LS if i couldn't take it out. I mean i don't plan on intentionally driving in snowstorms but sometimes you have to.

that sucks, right now we have just mass amounts of snow.

Lol yeah that gave me a good laugh too.

Yeah; i know Buick's are good; my dad has owned them for most of my life. He loves them and tells me they're solid. But I'm pretty sure my mind is made; I'm gonna go with the Lexus even if it does cost a bit more.... I just can't go against Lexus lol. But yeah days like today (13 cm of snow) I think about getting a truck; maybe a 4Runner. I wonder how a LS400 would do if i invested in winter tires.. I read a post on here about that but I'm not sure in the difference between Toronto and American winters.

Yeah most of the LS's i see aound here are about 93-94 with 110-140k miles.

The IS is out of my price range. In Ontario if you go 50 km over the limit they impound your car; so im going to try an avoid a car that will tempt me like the IS will.

If you take your time & find one in good enough condition that's been well looked after, sure that's possible. You won't be able to compare driving an Impala to any Lexus though.....one you drive all 3 (LS, ES & Impala) you will more than likely take the Impala off your list all together. :) How much are you looking to spend (ballpark)? Yeah everyone seems tos ay taht, about 5-8000

The intake manifolds are a problem for GM on most of their V6 (OHV) engines.....not just the 3.8. In fact, they are one of the better V6's overall that GM offers in the midsize class for the early 2000's models.....I'll take GM's new 3.6L V6's any day however. ;) Okay so then my best choices would be an ES or Impala.. I'd really like to get an LS; would it be possible to find one that wouldnt cost me 1000+ to repair each year? If not i'd hate to give up on the lS, but the ES is good too, little small but good. Then i've got the Impala.. which would be much cheaper and newer. its gonna be hard getting over the idea of owning a LS400 though.

about 2 months. again i think 1000-1500 a year by itself is manageable, but insurance + gas will kill me. Will i be spendin that much money repairing a 2003 Impala?

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. :) 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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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)

also i've been looking on the net but can't find the J.D power auto consumer guides. Anybody have a link?

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?