I was speaking to a mechanic around the way, and the topic of a 98 LS4 and 98 540i came up b/c I plan on getting a LS soon to replace my 540i. The guy started to tell me that the LS will cost more to maintain and the parts are 2times more then bimmer parts. Is this true? I always thought of the LS400 being the most reliable car and not much $ to maintain compared to any bimmer within the same year.

(going to research now)

 

98/99 LS is perhaps the most reliable LS model. Parts are expensive, but maintenance items aren't too bad. Suspension, steering, engine and tranny are talklike, and shouldn't give you any problems, ever. But if some stupid sensor fails, it can be costly, but not anymore costly than a bmw.

 

I don't know about the LS but maintenance on my GS is alot cheaper than it was for my 2000 328 coupe.

 

I cant say about the LS but the GS and ES parts are ALOT cheaper than the 3 series and 5 series parts. BMW also requieres more maintenance while Lexus doesnt requiere as much. In the end sometimes it's obvious that BMW will ultimately be the most expensive ride when compared to the LS but it depends on how well the previous owner maintained the LS that youre going to buy.

 

SOME LS parts are on par with BMW for price, but the UCF21 has a LOT fewer issues than with previous LS400's. biggest things u may need to do will be strut bar bush swap, motor/trans mounts, and maybe a PS issue.

all of these parts are a LOT less than the BMW counterparts and would only need to be replaced once in the life of the car.

 

Go drive both and you may throw the maintenance prespective out of the window.

 

I have a couple friends with BMW's and they pay a significant price more then what i find someone would pay for Lexus parts... As far as maintenance... these cars aren't Kia's... if it's Bmw, Mercedes, Lexus, Audi, etc... it's going to be more expensive then a "normal" car. However, the costs of maintenance between those higher companies not very noticable, the differences in prices are minor.

Another thing is consider is that Bmw tends to come out with specialty tools for various parts of their vehicles... I don't believe Lexus does that, so you might save some money and hassel if you enjoy working on your cars yourself.