Jake88

I know you probably get a similar post every month but I thank you for answering anyway.

I'm buying a 2006 LS 430 with 74K miles. I drive 180 miles round trip 4 days per week totaling 38k per year. It is truly all Interstate and highway with only 5 stops along the way and no traffic. I'm not as meticulous about maintenance as I should be, but with this car I'll be more motivated. Despite my inconsistent oil changes every 5k-7k miles, I have a 1999 Lincoln Towncar that I'm trading in that has 181,000 miles on it that's been making this commute for the last 3 years and 117,000 miles and could continue but I've got the "wants." I also have a 1999 GMC Sierra pick up truck with 249,000 miles on it that was a mix of city and highway miles.

After 5 years this LS will have about 265,000 miles on it. Will it make it? How far, realistically, can it go?

caddyowner

Welcome! This is one of the reasons I bought my LS. I am a consultant and drive 27-30K miles per year. (About 20K per year on the LS since I live in Michigan and have a disposable winter car for messy / salty days.) I live in a central location so I can reach most likely clients within an hour (or 2.5 hours on bad days, alas), all freeway. I no longer want to spend 10 hours a week in a small, underpowered, uncomfortable car. I'm averaging 24-25 MPG with premium gas, driving a bit over 70 MPH.

I budgeted to have the car remain fully functional with only regular maintenance (though rather expensive on a LS) through 200K miles. There's really no reason the car shouldn't go to 300K without major engine or transmission issues. In theory, that should get me to retirement at age 70, assuming I will cut back on commuting a bit in my late 60s. Of course, that also assumes I can keep the "wants" at bay.

balfor

with all highway driving, you should easily get 250k-300k without major issues.

BTW I travel alot and sometimes ask cab drivers how many miles they get out of their cars. I've never heard less than 250k miles, the range seems to be about 300k to some getting 400k. Obviously this is a different use then regular drivers not many cold starts, etc., but still pretty severe lots of stop and go. If maintained most cars can get over 200k without too much issue.

sojah

iTrader: (1)

you may want to switch to synthetic oil at around 90k miles and i personally change mine every 5k miles. i will make the switch to synthetic later this year most likely since i'm at 77k ish (05) and drive about 25k miles a year. again sort of why i opted to get this car in the first place. i wanted a nice luxo highway cruiser that wasn't scurred of a few miles (i am envisioning 250k no problems).

my issue is that i want a vip DD that can also do this, so this costs a lot more $$, but stock this car should have no problems. i hate to sound like a douche lex fanboy type but stay on your maintenance. doesn't mean you have to take it to lex and get raped without the courtesy reach around and a little lube but take it to a good mechanic and have the regular maintenance done... this ain't no civic

Jabberwock

I did a lot of research before I bought my 06 LS. Don't think I read any posts from someone with any year LS saying they needed major engine work or needed a new trans no matter how many miles they had. I am sure it happens but it seems pretty rare if you take decent care of the car. More likely to break as the car ages is some electrical or electromechanical component (like abs master or something like that) that does not seem major but costs big $$$ to repair.

GeorgeT

It will go as long and as far as you want it to - like my dad's hammer (he was a capenter for 45 years) he only had one hammer but he replaced the handle six times and the head twice but it was still the same hammer.

All mechanical parts can be replaced as they wear out (motors, suspension parts, drivetrains etc.). The question you should ask is "how long can these cars last without becoming a financial burden to repair?".

CarGuy89

Welcome to CL! I feel that the LS is the best daily driver out there. It's excellent in terms of smoothness, quietness, and reliability (think S-class levels of luxury without the S-class reliability). If you spend that much time on the road, you'll definitely want a car with a nice interior to look at, and the LS doesn't disappoint. I love all the wood and leather inside (plus if you opt for a custom lux or ultra lux pkg you will get leather lined dashboard too). Seat comfort is top notch IMO, very soft and wide so it feels like a big sofa rather than a seat in a car (though not as much lateral support if you decide to do some spirited driving).

I have no doubt the LS will go on forever. They cleverly designed the bottom panels to be plastic so that even if you live in the snow belt (which I do), the salt will only stay on the plastic bits of the lower parts. This will prevent premature rusting of the body. Plus, for the price of an ok-decent new car (15-30k), you couldn't as for a better car. The LS430 is an absolute steal right now.

socal3

iTrader: (2)

There's a post on here (CL) about how many miles people have on there LS's its crazy how reliable the big luxury cars are.

Bocatrip

300,000 miles will be a piece of cake!

AlexusAnja

All highway is the equivalent of probably 1/3 the wear-n-tear of local driving. A vehicle that's cruising and not doing constant stop-n-go is just spinning engine, nothing more. Brakes are not wearing, engine flow is consistent, tires are wearing slower. I say 1/3 of wear because my RX300 was taking new pads about every 35K miles or so. My friend's Highlander all highway didn't even crack at 90K.

Put it this way, your car's powertrain is going to 500K with all highway no problem. It's the timing belt, oil, transmission fluid, etc. that you'll need to make sure you change on time. I would say 5K with synthetic oil is not bad.

V8_Fan

Not only that, but a lot of the parts on the bottom, including the suspension/steering knuckles, are aluminum, impervious to rust! Aluminum on a car is like titanium on a bicycle (=$$$$). The BMW 540i also has an aluminum suspension (the motivation of using aluminum in the high-end sedans, I believe, is to save weight and, hence, improve acceleration numbers). You don't get to aluminum suspension parts until you get to the $60K-70K+ price bracket.

The 3UZ engine is basically the same as the 2UZ engine on the landcruiser/LX, which has a design life (between "overhauls") of 300K miles. All you need to do is the recommended maintenance. I would also use synthetic engine oil like M1 0w40 and synthetic gear oil to prevent buildup of varnish/residues. Otherwise, highway miles are the easiest on a car. The only part that really wears is the suspension, steering components, etc. What wears down a car (meaning the engine/transmission) is lots of stop & go, short trips.

m3nv

I dont think you'll have a problem getting over 200k miles as long as you keep up on the maintenance

CarGuy89

Thanks for the cool info. I am constantly amazed by how much they thought about everything.

lx470kid

Mileage depends on proper service.

randal

~ 365,256.7