JFlo

I have decided to trade in the SC for the more "family" oriented automobile, but I have a few qustions before I do.

1. Is it true that the LX450 is underpowered? If so, is it a bother? Is it enough to stay away from the car completely? (FYI .... the dealership told me this)

2. Is the breaking sub-par? Does the small brakes get chewed through quickly? About every 15,000 miles or so? (FYI .... the dealership told me this one too)

3. Is it true that a black LX with navigation is rare? I am told that they are kinda tough to find, and that makes no sense to me.

4. Am I unreasonable to expect to find a decent LX for around $25,000?

5. Finaly, is there anything else I should know?

I am sorry if any of these questions are repeats, but I did do a search. Just want to make sure I get the best car for my money, and I know my fellow enthousiasts will help. Thanks is advance.

nicoff

Here is my take on a few of those questions:
Q: 1. Is it true that the LX450 is underpowered? If so, is it a bother? Is it enough to stay away from the car completely? (FYI .... the dealership told me this)
A: I owned a 1993 Landcruiser which had the same engine as the LX450. Yes, the 450 is underpowered, but so is the 470 that replaced it (I now own a 2000 LC with the 4.7L engine). Underpowered when you consider these SUVs are very heavy and cars which weight much less now come with 300+ hp engines! Is it enough to keep away from these models? No. Both the LX450/470 do their work, but do not expect fast acceleration or swiftness.

Q: 2. Is the breaking sub-par? Does the small brakes get chewed through quickly? About every 15,000 miles or so? (FYI .... the dealership told me this one too)
A: The LC/450 does require more brake maintenance than the Lc/470. I do not recall if every 15000 miles, but the pads did have to be replaced more often. I would not consider this as a deciding factor not to get a nice 450 though. The brakes for the Lc/470 work fine.

Q:4. Am I unreasonable to expect to find a decent LX for around $25,000?
A: You do not say what year so is how I see it. The LC/450 were manufactured through 1997 if I recall. I am sure that 1997 LC/450 should be available for much less than $25k. An early LC/470 (say 1998-99) should also be available for less than $25k. Newer LC/470 vehicles are likely to be at or above your price limit.

Q:5. Finaly, is there anything else I should know?
The LC/450 and the LC/470 drive very differently. The LC/450 has more of a truck feel as compared with the LC/470. The LC/470 is more refined (more luxury, more confortable, much quieter ride, more powerful engine). However, both are highly dependable vehicles. Do not be afraid of high mileage vehicles. They are built to higher standards than normal. I sold my LC/450 with over 140k miles. Five years later, the person who bought it from me tells me that the truck is still running great.

JFlo

Thanks for the info!! You have been very helpfull.

dougjohn

Can't say much more than nicoff did. If it make a difference, I'll add the following:
The 450 is a bit underpowered, but you'll only notice it from a standing start. Compared to the SC, it's a completely different beast -- don't even begin making comparisons. Once you're moving, you won't likely notice much of a difference. I don't own a 470, but have friends with the newer Land Cruisers (98-04) -- same engine. They say it's an improvement over the 450. If you're looking to be able to speed over 90 mph in the 450 and not really notice it...well, let me (and the officer who clocked me at 95 mph) tell you that it's easy enough to do.

Braking is pretty good. I've never had problems with a panic stop or every day use. But this is a very heavy truck and it will chew through brake pads quickly. 15,000 miles is really not unheard of. The fronts tend to wear faster than the rears. That said, pads are fairly inexpensive and VERY easy to change. It takes me less than 20 minutes to change both sets of front pads (and I'm a 1 banana mechanic ). Most people average 15,000 miles per year -- I don't think changing the pads once a year's that bad.

As for finding a LX for less than $25,000 -- you don't specify LX 450 or LX 470. A 450 can be had for no more than $20,000. We picked up our 2nd LX 450 (this one for the wife) last December for $20,000; it was spotless inside and out. You also didn't specify mileage of the 450/470 -- what's your limit? For a feel of the pricing on a decent 470, check www.carmax.com. They seem to be a pretty good gauge for pricing. Prices also vary from region to region -- something to keep in mind.

The handling differences between the 450 and 470 are most likely due to the changes to the front axles. The 450 has a solid front axle -- the 470 has independent front suspension (IFS). IFS allows for a more car-like feel on the road. Doesn't add anything off-road (some consider it a negative for hard-core off-roading/4-wheeling).

Both are nice. You'll get more niceties with the 470. But there are fewer electronic gizmos to break on the 450. Some 450s have been know to have problems with the head gasket -- I haven't heard of the same problem with the 470s.

I don't know if it's rare to find a black 470 with nav; a buddy of mine has one. You won't find a 450 with nav, in any color.

All in all, you won't go wrong with either one.

Good luck.

JFlo

Thaks for the info dougjohn!

You answered a question I forgot to ask .... can I get a navi LX450?

I am leaning towards the LX470, but the price is kinda high for what I am planning. I wouldn't want one with more than 70,000 miles on it, so I would have to pay the higher price. Maybe I am more of a 450 guy? I just wish that they came with the naivigation.

Thanks again for all the great advice ... the dealership was making it sounds like it would be a BIG mistake to buy a 450 .... it is nice to know that it not true.

dougjohn

You can go with an aftermarket GPS system. I have the Garmin GPSV (a little dated now) and love it. The added benefit is that you can use it outside the vehicle. And it's better than any sort of GPS nav unit that you might have found in a '97 LX 450!

A buddy of mine uses Garmin's newest portable GPS unit -- sorry, don't recall the model number -- but it has a large color screen with turn-by-turn directions. Very nice. Costs about $1000 which sounds a bit pricey, BUT it's more than half of what Lexus would charge for a nav system.

One final thing...if getting a 450 is a huge mistake, count me in for making that mistake twice. They're get trucks.

Cheers.

PitBull

Great post nicoff, I've owned a 1995 Landcruiser sold it with 136K miles I think it would of lasted me for as long as I wanted to drive it. I like to trade vehicles normally before they go over 100K miles but the LC was so good I just kept delaying. Never had a vehicle with that many miles before in my life. I looked at buying a used 100 series LC or a Lx470. Looked at 2000 and 2001 models, I could buy a real nice 2000 LX470 with 50-60K miles for $31-33K from a guy I workout with that wholesales highline vehicles. Figured the LC/LX's were so nice I could buy and run one to 150K with no big problems. I think if your looking at 70K mile range you will be closer to $30K in the LX, you might find an LC 1998-99 with that mileage for $27-28K. Your problem will be finding one, unless you are willing to buy one from anywhere in the USA, and then you have to trust that it is in the shape you are looking for, kind of a hassle. checkout his website he often has LX's and LC's www.motorwerkscars.com Good luck.

Gohawks63

When we traded in our '98 LC for the '04, the dealer gave us $18K for it and they were asking $22K. It had 85K miles on it and was loaded for that year, and clean. It even included the locking rear dif and fan control speed for the rear seat. I had seen very few with that latter option until the rear air became more popular in the later versions. I don't know what they sold it for, but I do know that it disappeared off of the lot.

pbm317

The 450 is kinda like a tank, in a good way. I think it's a solid truck. Ours is a 97, have about 72,000 miles on it. So kinda low mileage compared to our other cars. Very dependable, never really had any problems. I've always felt the brakes are strong. I believe they're replaced about every 30,000 miles. Sure the new ones are more refined, but I think the LX450 always looked tougher

JFlo

So, what is the consensus?

LX470 or 450?

Tough or Soft?

PitBull

I would suggest you buy the newest, lowest mile, one you can afford. If you are not paying cash for one and will be financing you might look at the cost of financing based on the model year. You might find that you are better off buying a newer LC and financing it longer than you would be buying an older one.

tabraha

I agree with Pitbull, buy the newest you can comfortably get into. With your price point I think you'll be able to get into a 470 that is in good shape and right at or a little over 70,000 miles. I bought my 470 with around 77k miles for under 30 a year ago. It was a 99 model. Also, I believe 1999 was the year rear AC was standard. It's a nice plus I think and something you probably will not want to overlook. Also, among the refinements of the 470 when comparing with the 450, it has an adjustable suspension stiffness and height control built in. Also, it auto levels when towing a load or even when the vehicle is loaded down in the back for that matter. Don't know if you do any of that stuff but the more info the better!

Tad

JFlo

That is something to consider.

What the cost will be in the long run .... hmmmmmm.

So I might spend more on a short loan in a 450 than I will on a long loan on the 470? That is an interesting point of view. I have my salesperson working on it right now.

DetMich1

I bought a 2000 LX 470 with 11,000 mi in 2001. Wanted the V8's greater torque for pulling our horse trailer. Fully loaded that's about 5800 #. Acceleration is definitely affected when towing, but otherwise vehicle feels quite peppy. It is my wife's primary vehicle, so does a fair amount of stop and go city driving. Gas mileage in the city is about 13; highway (if we stay at the speed limit) 18. Much lower with the two horses in tow. We now have about 75,xxx mi and except for oil changes and one set of brakes the car has been trouble free. I believe Nav became "standard" in 01 or 02. Once introduced the non Nav models took a dip in price. Have seen 2000's listed for about $30,000. It is a pleasure to drive, more like a car than a truck and very nice even when compared to my SC 400 (now with 328,xxx mi) or our prev. LS 400 which the LX has replaced.

PitBull

Something you need to know about vehicles with the NAV system. The NAV system also controls heating and cooling, etc. If your NAV system goes out, I've been told that it can't or they don't repair them they just replace them at a cost of $5,000 . I wanted a non NAV equiped vehicle and if I wanted a NAV system I would buy one of those after market systems. Example when my wifes needle on her speedo would no longer light up so she could not see how fast she was going at night, Lexus could not replace a bulb they had to replace the entire module at a parts cost of $800 If you are buying used without a long term warranty you need to know these things. Good luck.