Shoknowz

I have a 2003 Lexus GS 300. And now I'm looking to get a Ls. No looking to spend over 10000 for it. So my question is what year should I get? I want a 08 but is there a big difference from an 07 to and 08? Thank you in advance

dlbuckls10

The 07 and 08 are basically the same. You're not looking to spend much on a ten years old LS so try to buy one with a clean service history. Many older LS get neglected because owners don't want to spend money on maintenance.

roadfrog

Some 2008's received improvements......acoustic side glass being one of them in mid year production. My 08 did not. That said, I'd have no issue with either an 07 or 08, and my 08 has been incredibly reliable. Best car I've ever owned (and I've had MANY).

teedub21

Can one even be had for $10k? Clean LS430's don't sell that cheap.

roadfrog

Not a chance.

Oliver Enterprises

Agreed. A $10k LS 460L is approaching 'Hooptie' status if it is not there already.

R Z

I would tend to agree that spending $10K on an LS460 would have to mean close to 150K+ miles. I saw on GarGurus.com a few $12,000 - 460's. One car for a bit more had 144K miles the other had 230K miles. When you sink that kind of money into a car with high mileage, you will begin to see a lot of out of pocket expenses. That 10K will turn into 20K quick. So beware.

SW17LS

Yeah $10k is going to be tough, 200k+ miles...

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

Id save up a few more grand and try to get a clean 07-08

Your close but not there yet

Junglequac

Short of finding one with a rebuilt title or well past 200,000 miles, this will be all but unattainable. I have kept following prices pretty closely and me paying $16500, was actually impressive for a car with a full service history and no accident history and 87,000 miles. Then again, I am about to spend almost $900 to get the dent on the trunk fixed (it is on the lip of the trunk requiring them to repaint the entire deck lid) so I suppose I really spent $17400. That said it is running 50/50 that I am insane to spend that much over a dent that is not that huge. However, it is in such a prominent place that every time I see it, I wince.

With you being in NYC, the prices to seem lower in the Northeast so that might help. Don't forget that often the cheapest example of a vehicle will cost you the most in the long run as deferred maintenance has a way of biting you.

As the average price is still around $20,000 for one with around or under 100,000 miles, I have not seen or read about too many examples that have been trashed. This phenomenon is more likely with say an early 2000's Mercedes (you could find a billion 2000 S Classes for $10K!) where the 2nd or 3rd owner stop or severely restrict what maintenance is performed.

Junglequac

The 55 models are actually pretty durable and I might need to visit. Of all the AMG models from that era, the 55's actually have a truly decent reliability record drivetrain wise. Electronics are another matter, but there are a bevy of forums with great DIY support.

My sister in law is from Calgary and her and my little brother have given serious thought of moving from Marin County to Vancouver. (something something about an event in November...)

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

ive been looking for a "safe way" to enter the Mercedes brand for years

And while I now accepted that there is no safe way in, the 03-06 AMG 55's are probably the best bet

You can pick them up now for relatively cheap now and with a simple pulley/tune you have a 600-650 hp sedan to have fun with

I almost bought an 03 CL600 V12 Twin Turbo (500hp +) for like $12k with 80 000 miles, but due to the coil issues and suspension issues I got a C5 vette instead

But I always troll the classifieds to see whats around, and quite often I see a few tempting deals

Here is an 03 S55 (500hp) for $9k , you could probably pick it up for $7k Canadian.

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/o...ationFlag=true

This one is super tempting - 2006 CLS55 with low miles for $16k asking price

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/m...0hp/1231232635

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

I don't know man, I posted my 03 LS430 (gps, mark levinson etc..) 110 000 miles here on club lexus for $5000 and I didn't get one bite

I sold my 430 for peanuts and I was lucky to even get a buyer the way it was going.

Theres a big difference between what you see people asking and what they are actually selling for

Duck05

If the OP has a budget of $10K there will be a better pool of LS430s to research than 460s.....

DarKnight

iTrader: (3)

An LS460 for $10k, you're either going to get one with high mileage (200k) or poorly maintained and needing a lot of work. Either wait till you can afford to pay at least $15k for a decent one or till the prices come down more.