migitymark

I'm looking for a 98-00, and I like both cars equally, then the GS300 is second place. Which car has less problems? the gs300/400 or the LS?

I'm considering a 90k gs400 thats got several problems (low idle, steering shimmy, broken motor mount, tail light indicator on, no maintenance done), but i'm debating against a 120k ls that doesnt seem to have any maintenance either, but it doesnt have any problems yet except being left out in the sun.

The ls needs new paint and the gs needs work. After I buy parts, they would both cost about the same, but Im concerned about later on.

I want to make sure I wont have to spend time under the hood, because whats the point in buying a nice car if you have to fix it every few weeks or months?

MadMax96

I'd say pass on BOTH those cars you mentioned. There are enough well maintained cars out there if you keep your eyes open.

Sure - you might pay a little more for them, but I bet you'd spend more money (plus your time) trying to get a bunch of things fixed on a car you thought you got a "good deal" on.

I picked up my '99 LS from an old man who babied it and took it to the dealer for EVERYTHING...runs like a top (127k miles).

migitymark

but do these cost 50% more? im not sure if I just havent looked long enough (6 weeks) or if its the market in dallas, but those 2 in bad shape are 11k & 12k, where decent LSs are 14-17k even with 100k+ on them.

Ive been trying to buy at dealers auctions, and the guy is bidding up 13k for me but cant get anything. so far hes tried 99ls with 118k, 99gs4 with 92k, 98gs3 with 110k (went for 11, but in bad shape) and a 98ls with 125k and broken fog light damage.

or am i just trying to find these cars for too cheap a price? maybe closer to the end of the year when we get more 07s on the road, these will come down in price.

Alan D

I bought my LS here in Dallas 5 months ago and paid $18k for a dealer serviced very clean 99 with 72k miles. It needed a couple of tires but that was it. I do think the cars in Dallas will cost you a little more than other places in country. If you look on ebay there seems to be a lot of nice cars in Florida that avg a few thousand cheaper than here for similar cars.

I would prefer to pay more for a well maintained car than try to get a basket case fixer upper. You will most likely end up with a car that was mistreated, not maintained, and will break down on you many times in the future.

Maybe just try to save up a little while longer so you can buy a nicer car. Good luck with your search.


Edit: I just looked on the Sewell Lexus website and they have a white 98 with 67k miles and they are asking $17,888. They usually have really nice cars and I bet you could get it for $15k - $16k.

migitymark

thanks, i will wait a while longer. theres an 01 ls430 for 21897 at ewing around here with nav and mark levinson, but ill be a slave to a 400 dollar car payment if I buy that. its still tempting though.

its got like 69k i think, and had a rear fender repaired.

blange400

Buy the better car. a nice clean LS

tcho82

iTrader: (1)

The LS is known to be a more trouble free car. I'd stick with an LS or look for a lower mileage GS.

MadMax96

I think your first step is to avoid dealer auctions. If a dealer takes a trade and sends it to auction, I doubt you'd want it either.

Just keep your eyes open for a private party seller with a clean car fax record and a maintenance record.

PetesLS400

The GS and LS are 2 very different cars. I own a LS400 and a GS400. I have had excellent reliability with both. It matters if youre looking for more of a cruiser or something a little sportier. I would stick with the GS400 over a 300 though, youll regret it in the long run if you get the 300, its the same in terms of gas milage but half the fun.

The low idle on GS's is a common issue, but since it has a throttle body thats drive by wire, it can be very easily remedied.

Both cars can be very reliable if they were maintained properly as much as a nightmare if they were not.

I get much better gas milage in my GS over my LS. Close to 26hwy in the GS and about 22hwy in the LS. The GS has the same drag coefficient as a C5 Corvette Z06. But if I had to drive a 500+ mile roadtrip, I'd take the LS. Its more of a grandpa cruiser with a softer suspension.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Find a nice sample through a PP with service history. Saving a few $1K may wind up in repairs and headaches. As for GS or LS...whatever suits you. I'd suggest the 400 over the 300 unless you want to FI it to have fun. NA the stock inline 6 is a bit underpowered IMO.

My '97 best gas mileage was 27.8 MPG, my usual is about 24-26 MPG since it got the 18's on it.

migitymark

wonderful info guys, right now I drive like 120 miles per day till I can find a house closer to work. I like the softer suspension in the LS430 and am impressed by less body roll than i expected. The 400 seemed too floaty, and the GS400 seems too stiff like a regular car, but with lots of body roll.
I'm looking for something i can really relax in while on such a long commute, so interior ammenities rank at the top of my list.

i think ill have to save up more money, as ive only got 300 per month i want to pay and like 6k in cash i feel comfortable spending. needless to say, this isnt quite enough for a 430, and its barely enough for a 98-00 ls400. I dont feel like a 95-97 LS is very 'luxury' either after checking out the later models.

The guy from Ewing with that wrecked 430 with nav and levinson has called me like 3 times asking me what can they do to for me to buy the car and then to tell me the manager doesnt want to fix anything, but sell it as is...I sorta get the feeling they REALLY want to sell it and nobody wants it since its been wrecked.

I have to admit, the only way i could tell was because the missing vins and a small X in black magic marker on the headlight. It was wrecked 6 months after purchase, so I figure its not been an issue. The ashtray doesnt open though...from the wreck, but i dont smoke. The headliner has a few scratches and there are stains in the back floor from childrens drinks which can be bleached or cleaned. The passengers side a/c button is stuck they told me, and the a/c compressor's clutch bearing makes excessive noise; as does the power steering pump.

Both of these seem pretty easy for me to change, and dont seem to pose immediate problems. at 69k it will need the timing belt later on, but not soon.

As tempting as this is...i looked at the ultra lux 430 online...and WOW. This past month the 430s have dropped about 5 grand in price across the board, so I think at the end of the year or beginning of next year I'll try and pick up an ultralux hopefully around 20 large. If not, then any ls430 with levinson sound and navi will do....and it seems like those are fairly common, as opposed to the 98s with navi. Ill look at private sellers, and most likely will get one from a bg name dealer, since most of these people trade in their cars instead of selling in the paper.

thanks for the help and for reading such a long post.