Kansas

My opinion exactly. My 90 LS400 was wonderful in its day but I don't miss it at all - 13 1/2 years with it was way too long ... bad headlights, bad brakes, cramped interior.

I will miss my 2000 LS400 though when it is time to part with it - had it over 10 years and I like it as much as the day I bought it.

Stereorob

Yup. This is the fate probably 95% of them. Cheap drift cars that can go very fast and can really take a beating. Pretty much the story of my old 90. I was 17 when I got it. I was absolutely terrible to it. I raced it to death, crashed it repeatedly, my tires never lasted more than a few months. Don't get me wrong I absolutely loved that car but I was only interested In making it go fast , not preserving it. It still lasted me 8 years though before it was totally trashed. Near the end of its lifespan I had realized the historic significance of it being one of the very first ones stateside with every single option . Air suspension, NAK stereo, factory chromes, it was spotless when I got it. One owner, all the paperwork, even the car cover. It was made 9/1989. Only second month of production. I doubt I'll ever find one that loaded that nice that early ever again. The car not only was special cause it was a early one but also sentimentally cause it lasted so long and was a huge part of my life for a very long time, lots of memories. By the time I had hit 24 I had slowed down to a normal driver, and grew the **** up and I wanted to save the car but it was too far gone by that point. Sucks.

sshhlexus

'93 LS400

Bought it a few years ago from my brother. Factory modified for Canada, All KM and miles cluster, daytimes running lights, headlight wipers. Now in FL, 123,000 kms = 76,000 miles ! Interior good, undercarriage rusted.

I've been trying to keep up with maintenance. When I first got it in 2011, I put in about $3600 worth of tune up and road readiness work to it. It had been garaged for awhile, insurance and registration were cancelled. I had to get the car repaired and re-inspected in order to get the registration. I had confidence in the Canadian Lexus mechanics.

A lot of good tips from this very site.

I'm now, 2 years later, dealing with some compromised ECUs for this vehicle. I'll be driving with the passenger dash board taken apart because of frequent ECU work I've been doing. Hope all continues to work well. Someone mentioned that these cars are over-engineer, I really hope so.

Right now I feel that one drawback in the design or manufacturing of this car is that the mechanics will outlast the electronics. And that I've learned from this site that many electrical problems manifest themselves as mechanical problems.

PIONEER

iTrader: (2)

some parents purchased them for a new teenage driver as well. The price and the size do provide a sense of safety. Insurance is relatively inexpensive on a 20 year old car.

sshhlexus

Just curious in a previous post on this thread by Stereobob......

"I work as a salesman at a lexus dealership. I have the oldest car in the parking lot lol. Lexus has come SO far with design and technology my old 95 Ls400 feels like a dinosaur after driving 2014 Ls460Ls and gs350f-sports all day but I still love my car and would rather have a 20 year old 400 then a 460..

Why would you rather have a 400 instead of a 460 ?

Thanks.

YoshiMan

I worked at a Lexus Dealer is 2007 when they first rolled the LS460 out too. Nice cars, but not sure i would want one as a daily driver either.

Maybe it's just because they were so new at the time, but the 460s seemed to be more like precision instruments, as opposed to the 400's and the 430's, which felt very solid and robust in my opinion.

Maybe when they age a bit, and the engine mounts start to sag a little and they start to feel mechanical again, I will change my opinion on them!

PIONEER

iTrader: (2)

are you intimidated by perfection

mccrimmon

iTrader: (2)

This conversation goes on in the 2GS threads all the time as well as the "which model Lexus (if any) will be considered a classic first: LS400, SC300/400 or GS300/400/430. I just picked up a decent '90 LS two weeks ago. Not everyone is a "Lexus/Toyota" enthusiast, but for those of us that are, the best thing we can do for the future value and demand of our cars is keep maintaining them. Eventually, the poorly maintained ones will die off, get parted out or wrecked/scrapped.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

For supplemental reading on 430-460, this discussion thread is similar:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...the-430-a.html

dc893

Wanna trade?

Stereorob

I love the old school nostalgia with the Ls400. Easier to work on than the new ones. Honestly I love the new Ls460 and I can't wait for them to get old enough to afford. As crazy as it sounds I'd just rather have the old ones. Nothing wrong at all with the current LS but I'm not a fan of new cars all the way across the board no matter what it is. I like the hiccups and personality of the old ones, the ones from 20 years ago have personality. As far as the new 460 goes I really like the spindle grill and for the first time in a very long time, lexus has a real identity again. A new Ls looks down right menacing on the road in black. Biggest thing I love about the 400 is it's not full of technology. It's simple compaired to the new ones. It's all about muscle, not technology. Don't get me wrong though the new one is fast as hell and is a damn nice car

Stereorob

The 400 feels more connected to the road. I can actually feel the tranny shift, I can feel the rumble of the v8, etc. the 460 is so refined that as powerful as it is, it's lost some of those traits. It's just so over engineered . It's a good thing though. It dose exactly what a new lexus should do. Drive like it's floating over glass

JM51526

Do what I did - get an IS F to go with your LS400!

sshhlexus

Stereorob, I read your comments, I see what you mean.

Now I remember what they said. Comparisons to the news ones, this was when I bought the '93 LS300 from my brother in 2011.

Thanks.

LSpho

clean LS400s will still be on the road! I'm considered young and also have just picked up a pretty mint under 100k 98 LS400 in my hands less than a week ago. I'll hoon every so often but it'll still be as mint as all cars that have come under my ownership.

It is true that the #s are dwindling and the ones I see are pretty janky regardless of driver type but there are still a good amount of clean ones on the road