Hello everyone!

It has been a few years since I have posted. I joined when I had my 08 is250 awd, but now many cars later, and a couple of kids I am back looking at act Lexus.

I have been torn between rx 450h and ls600hl. I really am leaning towards the ls, but my price point for what I want to spend makes the available inventory over 100 miles.

I have seen some ls for sale that has 101k, 151k, and 181k miles.

How many miles is too many? Also, of course there are the kbb prices, but what is Isa realistic number I should pay when considering a ls with over 130k on the dash?

I have looked at the ls 460, but I am interested in the hybrid as I do a lot of mixed driving and like th e mpg better.

Please help with any suggestions or thoughts!

I have tried to find any threads which talked about this, but was unsuccessful.

 

The drivetrain isn't the issue..... Everything else is.

I just took an 08 with 73K in on trade and I'm wholesaling it; need an air strut, front upper control arms, ML amp and I forget what else but it's uneconomic to repair and then sell.

This is an otherwise well maintained 1 owner car.

Meanwhile I saw one with 200K recently that was flawless.

 

So it appears to be the luck of the draw...it reminds me when I purchased my 06 VW Phaeton..

 

^^ +1
LS is a high maintenance automobile.
Get a CPO LS if your budget allows you.
I believe the 600s have air suspension and they are very expensive to fix.
I have an 08 LS .
Replaced 8 front lower control arms ($4,363.58), brake actuator ($3,153.23) and ML amp ($705.40).
All replaced under CPO warranty.
You will spend $$ even if you take it to an indy mechanic or DIY.
Hope you get lucky and find one without these issues.

 

Wow... well this is a lot to think about...

 

Guess it depends who you talk to, My 08 has close to 110k miles and has cost me zip (other than a water pump) and normal maintenance (battery, tires etc). The LS is FAR less maintenance than any other car in it's class (and most other cars in other classes). My wife's 2012 CT200H I expect will provide us with MANY reliable miles, just like it's brethren Prius that blesses many taxi companies around the world. Many of those cabs with 500k HARD miles.

 

I'd say the car has one "issue" at this point and that's the brake actuator. And the brake actuator repair is something that right now Lexus is extending warranties for - there's a thread about it right now on this site - it's not exactly clear the details of what Lexus will do for the customer, but it appears they are doing something.

The control arms are something you can get repaired easily by an independent mechanic for around a grand, which isn't bad considering you are essentially replacing your entire front suspension. And only speaking for myself, my original control arms lasted 114,000 miles, then I replaced them myself for $600 (easily). In fact that's the only repair I've had to make on this car...knock on wood...and I'm now at 127,000 miles...the thing runs and drives like a brand new car. Brand new.

As for the hybrid? That's a different story - there have been reports of expensive repairs - I think there's a thread that's been started recently that talks about some of those issues. But otherwise a regular LS 460 may be the most reliable large luxury sedan in it's class. I've seen some of the stuff that people go through on Mercedes and BMW forums...my lord! Some of those guys are spending $7,000 dollars a year in repairs and thinking nothing of it...just the normal stuff they do to make it through a year. It blows my mind.

 

Wow, I didn't realize that the CT200h had the Prius drivetrain. The Prius's reliability is no joke, it is a very well respected car in terms of reliability and what it can handle...it's what I would call an over engineered vehicle...a vehicle that was built with the expectation that its reliability and function would be heavily scrutinized, and it certainly has passed those tests. And I just did some research on the CT200h; that's an outstanding alternative to the Prius...looks pretty nice. I always considered buying a Prius due to my long commute, but I couldn't love with the way they look...the CT200h is a different story.

 

I wouldn't touch a 600 if you paid me. Do your research here and search.

This thread linked below is staring at you in the same page and from a mere few days ago. There are others as well, same problem. Saving a few bucks on gas to spend $$ on guaranteed repairs seems economically unsound.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...n-ls600hl.html

 

I would buy one but I definitely would not buy an early example of one.

I prefer the F-sport anyway.

 

Just because you can buy a $100k car for twenty grand doesn't relieve you of $100k car repair bills.

The repair costs on that thing, especially the hybrid components, are flat-out mind boggling scary. This car, in my opinion, fits that old adage, "the most expensive car you can buy is a cheap, used Mercedes."

In any case, buyer beware. Get a warranty that explicitly covers the hybrid components, especially the one that seemingly keeps breaking at $6k-$10k in repairs or make sure it has already been replaced prior to purchase or walk. Or just figure in the price of repair in the purchase price. Batteries too IMO. They definitely have a finite life.

 

It'd have to be a CPO car for me to consider it, I would also extend the warranty as much as possible with the unlimited mile plan.

 

Yes, I remember when I owned a 745 and just the inspection was just about 1k. It was always something. I was always thinking something else was going to break.

I thank everyone for their input. I really desire a ls but there are a lot of things that could go wrong...

 

Thank you for the link.....reading now.

 

Can't go wrong with a 10+ 460.