nugx

I am stuck between two 99 LS's. The one I prefer, oddly, has 162k on it. It's in good shape and has been impeccably maintained, in spite of the high mileage. Practically every 15 to 20k it was into the dealer for routine service. It's service record is 14 pages long. Things like the AC, timing belt and steering have all been worked on. Inside is clean and it drove like a charm, right off the lot. The only thing I don't like is the number - 162k. Is it just the shock of that figure? I've never had a car with that high a miles, but I've also never had a car of this quality before. It's in my price range and it drives really nicely. On the flip side, I can get a different 99 with 108k - really clean - but it needs brakes and a timing belt sooner than the one with 163k which had it done at 90 and won't need it again for ~20k more miles. The one with 108k doesn't have anywhere near the detailed a service record, but it has about 50% less miles for roughly the same price. Both have had two owners and sport clean titles. What do you think? I would really appreciate your opinions weighing in on the matter. This would be my first Lexus and I have my mind made up for a 99 LS400. Now I just have to choose the right one.

dashan

I would go with the one with lower mileage if the price of the two is the same.

RRocket

I truly think it's the shock of the number. If you've never owned a Lexus, you have to somewhat re-program your brain, as these cars can go virtually forever problem free if they are maintained. I have a 1990 LS400 with 325,000kms on it and it rides better than most any NEW car I've been in recently. Personally, I'd have no issue buying a high mileage LS400. These are about the most reliable cars ever made, if not THE most reliable car ever made.

Buy the car you like....even if it is high mileage. If it's been properly maintained as you say, you'll have many years of trouble free motoring. It's all in the upkeep. I'm sure there are some here who've seen cars with minimal mileage that haven't been maintained and are in much worse order than cars with double or triple the mileage.

For me, when considering a Lexus, mileage is merely a number and not an indicator of condition or future reliability.

whit3b0y

sounds to me like your deciding factors are not numbers but options. Either have nav, air, preferable exterior color, preferable interior option, chrome wheels?

Cope

Personally I would go with the one that has all the detail service records. To me that is more important than miles. I bought my 1998 with 138,000. One owner with complete service detail from day one new. Drives & rides like new. 162K you should be good for at least another 100K.

Schnitz

iTrader: (5)

I don'f know when the timing belt on the higher mileage one was done but if it was at the 6 year mark then its also due for a change. Remember its rubber so age is just as important a factor.

Kansas

Maintenance is everything in these cars. I've driven one (1990) LS400 from new to 183,500 miles and my current one (2000) from 38,000 miles to its current 142,000 miles. A maintenance schedule was never skipped or a repair allowed to go undone on either of these cars. The 90 was like new when I sold it in 2003 and my 2000 is like new today.

However ... I've seen numerous LS400's over the years that were in horrible condition due to neglect -- piles of problems that had never been fixed. Some of them even looked pretty good visually -- a good detail job can make even a "P.O.S." look nice.

If you want a lower mileage LS, you might look for one with a documented maintenance history. A lot of owners are as obsessive as I am and take great care of their cars. And maybe look for 1-owner car.

You mentioned that the steering of the higher mileage 99 LS400 had been worked on. Be aware that there were several TISB's regarding the steering for all 98-99 and the early 2000 LS400 under which both the tilt and telescope motors were replaced with improved motors. One TSIB involved replacing the flexible cable in the steering column with a u-joint. You might want to verify that any 99 LS400 you consider has at least had the TSIB's regarding the tilt/telescope motors applied. Many 98-00 LS400 owners didn't bother to have the TSIB's applied as is evident by the number of forum threads about tilt/telescope motors failing.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

NUGX

MILEAGE DOES NOT HURT A LEXUS.

neglect and abuse does.

my 2 have 162k & 128k and BOTH are flawless and well maintained.

it sounds like you have found two good ones, so be like me and buy both, or just the one you really want.

Lightfoot

I bought my '98 with 101k. It had all service records & the oil was changed regularly. I noticed the previous owner had the water pump changed at 100k. I assumed the car overheated but I didn't notice anything wrong with it, so I took a small risk and bought it.

7 years later it now has 297k & seems fine. After almost another 200K of mostly highway miles, I've had to replace the battery, alternator, water pump & timing belt, throttle body, and just recently the master brake cylinder. That's it. Pretty reliable & luxurious transportation at a low cost if you ask me. I fully expect the car to go atleast to 400k, but we'll see. At some point something will break that will cost me more to fix than the car is worth, and then I will retire her.

Oh, and I change oil every 5k with dino oil & run with 91 octane.

sleepywgn

That is very good to know! ^

nugx

My biggest qualms with the 108k are that it did not drive well off the lot. I took it for two test drives but it clearly needs at least brake work, immediately, and at 108k I am assuming its some 18k overdue for it's timing belt as well. Beyond that, I was not a big fan of the salesman or the dealer and while it has a good history, it's not nearly as detailed as the one with 162k. The one with 162k has been maintained exclusively at big name, local dealer that my own family has dealt with before and drove perfectly. I will have to do it's timing belt in 8k - but I usually put less than 1k on a month, so that puts immediate maintenance at least 6 months out. I never go with my gut on stuff like this - it's always the logic, the numbers, which is why I think I am having such a tough time choosing from these two. The 162k felt right, save for that shock over the number 162. Am I nuts?

deanshark

As long as they're not the same color.
Always meant to ask; How many times did you go to your wifes car thinking it was yours?

nugx; Although the mileage doesn't really mean much, I would go for the one with 108K, do the timing belt and you should be set for a while. Just check them both out for anything that looks like it might need to be repaired in the near future. It's hard for us to know which one is better b/c we can't see either one and every car has it's own problems. Like, with my car, I haven't changed any of the normal common problems that all 93s have (except the steering fluid leaking into alternator) but I did change my heater core and I've never heard of a Lexus heater core going bad. Every car is different. Good luck with the choice.

anarchyx34

Go with the car that's in better condition. Mileage is not a terribly important factor when evaluating the condition of a car more than 10 years old. I've bought cars that had 190k miles that were in flawless condition, and had less trouble than cars that had only 79k but were kinda neglected.

nugx

Went with my gut and got the one with 162k. I liked it's service history and ride. Here are some pics. Thank you all for your advice, I really appreciated reading them all.

emarknot

very nice !

congrats on the purchase.

welcome aboard.