Arcadian

My 2000 GS4 has 300,000KM and drives like new. Dealer maintained, and I've spent a lot on maintenance, but not a lot compared to making lease payments. The car is stone reliable and, as you guys know, these things drive like new forever. I'd keep mine for another 200,000KM, but the damn roof has Toyota rust across the header at the top of the windshield. I think from a sloppy windshield change before I got the car. So, thinking to get a new car next year. Preference is the best GS430 I can find, or a 2003-5 LS430.

4ntvings

iTrader: (6)

2003 gs3 160k on the clock. probably replace her next year. its about time. great engine though. leather is too soft for my tush lol

dtwolf

It's good to hear your car has lasted a long time with regular schedule maintenance. I hope you find a decent GS430. Preferably 03-05 with lowest maintained miles you can find.

dtwolf

Still have my gem. After 5 years & some setbacks, my whip is done being hooked up

DMPesso

Glad to hear there’s others that love the 2GS as much as I do! I don’t think I’ll ever get another car unless it’s electric in the future. Anytime I drive a new car that doesn’t have a V8, like a bmw or the new GS I always miss that smooth V8 ride and quality leather which is hard to find in new cars. They just don’t make them like this anymore and they never will. I’m hoping I’ll be able to teach my son to drive in my GS in another 10 years or so 😅

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

I’m hoping to sell my 01 GS300 in a few months only if I can find a clean black on black GS300 or GS430 to replace it. I truly love these cars but I hate my white on tan car.

The problem I run into is that 90% of the local GS’ that pop up for sale are high mileage junk with body damage and a blown out interior for $4,000-$8,000. My GS has lower miles and in better shape than most I see for sale.

dtwolf

Your right about this. I bought mine back 2017 with 107,000 miles & today I have 129,435. I was lucky to find mine at the time locally. And I always wanted black interior. But try broadening your search to other states.

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

That’s a good idea. I see a lot of decent cars in the north Texas area and that’s not too far from me. I live in Oklahoma City so Texas and Kansas cars pop up in my searches sometimes. I’ll go further anywhere for the right car at the right price.

You’ve kept your miles low since you bought your GS. Mine just hit 135,000 but was bought with 132,500 almost two years ago.

DMPesso

there is a black GS400 with a new paint job it’s very clean for $5000. Can prob get it even cheaper. Black on black is very hard to find I never see any clean ones for sale. This is black with tan but it’s a new paint job that’s a great deal

https://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/c...513773493.html

edit: just seen your from Texas. That’s far but it may be worth it to take a trip to NYC haha.

SoCal Cyco

iTrader: (20)

I have been kicking around the idea of selling mine for a while now... but I have so much invested with so many rare parts, I just know it could never replace it once it is gone

dtwolf

Yea not trying to put up a lot of miles on it. This is my weekend car but with this heat being in triple digits, I'm not driving anywhere. And you haven't put a lot of miles on yours either. Your in the same boat.

jefthim

Just some thoughts on the subject. If anyone is interested check this youtube video on the story of Lexus:

I have been car shopping for the last several months and after owning three 2nd Gen GS I bought another - this one with 46,000 miles. I gave a good look at the 04-06 LS and if I could have found one with low mileage and a black interior I might have gone that direction. I drove a 14 gs and although they say it also has 300 horses, it was not quiet and refined like the 1uz and 2uz. I looked at an 08 LS but the quality of the interiors are clearly substandard to previous generations of the flagship LS. Clearly Lexus has shifted its strategy away from its charter - Relentless Pursuit of Perfection. Their bread and butter comes from the RX & ES 350 and they no longer are trying to compete with refined V8 power. I'm far from being able to afford a LC or a GSF but for a quiet silky smooth motor - I'm not aware of anything that can complete with the 1uz or 2uz.

DMPesso

you hit the nail on the head, well said! It’s exactly how I feel. When you see the amount of engineering that went into making the LS400 and the 1UZ engine and you compare it to modern cars, there is no competition even 25 years later! Pretty damn amazing if you ask me. I can imagine the late 90s price tag of around 50k would be at least 100k in todays money.

I was also looking at a GSF to maybe replace my beloved GS4 one day but I just can’t bring myself to spend that much just to have a modern reliable V8. Plus it comes with really low profile tires which I think might be a nightmare in NYC compared to what I’m used to. I also agree about the 14 GS. I drive my friends 13 GS all the time and it’s too jerky and not smooth enough like the V8. Handling is great but it doesn’t compare. Don’t even get me started on how garbage the quality of the 2008-2012 LS is. I was going to get my wife one before she got an RX but when you sit inside it feels very cheap, but it drives good!

8M6

iTrader: (2)

It's because the '90s were a different time at Toyota Motor Corporation. They were trying to establish themselves as a player in the luxury market with Lexus and hit all the right points to accomplish that. I feel like they were naturally going to fall off as their production and demand increased, and they would eventually start coasting on the strength of their brand. I mean, how long can you sustainably build over-engineered rather than just acceptably engineered without taking a loss on each sale?

I think the UZ engines have gotten a small resurgence in popularity recently thanks to Elate Mfg in Australia, and I'm thankful for having those options because I could be considering them. As far as knowing when it's time, I counter with a different personal philosophy, which is that I don't care whether something is new, but whether it's good.

This car has been straightforward and relatively inexpensive to maintain especially compared to newer cars, I owe nothing on it and never did, and it's not missing much if anything that is a part of the modern-day driving experience that actually adds convenience or value. I guess I'm just not getting cooled seats, adaptive cruise control, auto braking, and a bunch of annoying sensors. That's all fine by me.

In the relatively minor areas where it was deficient versus more modern vehicles, I've modded and upgraded my way to contemporary standards. I never really thought of my GS400 becoming a head-turner, but I've done just enough to make it so and I have the novelty of having one of a dwindling population of them in a (positively) head-turning condition.

The only time I seriously considered going in a different direction was with the IS F, but in hindsight, I'm not sure that it would have been worth the $20-25K used it would have cost me at the time. I've liked that car ever since it debuted, but it isn't without its own convenience issues or other esoteric things that bother me. I still like it, but I can't say that I've missed not owning one.