grady ins.

Hello, this is the 2nd thread i've posted on this board. A few months back I posted about a 92 LS400 that I thought I would buy, but it needed engine work (blown head gaskets, oil pressure problems,etc.). So, I decided against it, but am still considering a Lexus. I am an insurance agent, and drive around 600 miles a week on business. I currently have 3 cars that I use for business, a 1994 Cadillac Concours (a deville with the northstar engine), a 1994 Lincoln Town Car, and a 1986 Mercedes 560SEL. I will be replacing at least one of these cars very soon, due to the fact that they all have over 150k miles (as I understand it, 150 on a LS is very low mileage, but on these cars, its where things start to break right and left), and I've had them for many years now. I am considering adding a LS to my lineup. I budget a large portion of my income to gasoline bills, , so I realize that the LS only gets around 20mpg. I am 6'2 and like to have a roomy car. I also spend at least 2 hours per day in my car, so it has to be comfy. I am good friends with a mechanic, who happens to specialize in Toyota products (drives a 94 camry with 250k on the clock), and he recommends Lexus. I don't think I want another Cadilllac (Northstar is just too much worry, I check my anti-freeze 3 times a week, change oil every 2k miles, and have gone 192k miles without any engine problems, yet.). I like my lincoln, but not good enough to buy another one. I love my old Mercedes, but it is a lot to keep on the road, and every month it is another 200.00 on this, 400.00 on that. I understand that the 92-99 generation of S-Class Mercedes is way more troublesome than mine. To be completely honest, I've never owned a Japanese or Asian car, and am a little scared to. I am a small town politician as well as an insurance agent, and until Toyota trucks became popular here, I would have been made a joke out of for even considering a Japanese car, but they have become commonplace, so I guess its fine. Anyway, I would love to hear some opinions about whether you think a LS400 would be right for me, and which models are better than other as far as reliability, perfomance, options, whatever.

Thank you so much,
Dave.

heyhowyado

dave
i'm positive you will love the LS400....i can't imagine anyone NOT liking one.....my last car was a lincoln towncar and it didn't hold a candle to my my lexus.
it's interesting that you mentioned your being unsure about owning a japanese car in that it concerns you about what others will think...since buying my LS400, i've gotten a few snide remarks myself from some of my "older" friends who own american luxury cars....i never even thought about it until i read your post....of course i really don't give a crap what they think anyway...they're the ones missing out as far as i'm concerned...

look for a 98-00....you won't be disappointed.

GKLCPA

I am a CPA who travels extensively between two offices and put on about 30 to 40k miles a year. I needed something comfortable and reliable.
The LS 400 fit the bill for me and is one of the best cars you can own with timeless styling. It gets good mpg for its size and is one of the most durable vehicles you can own. Check out the discussion strings for highest mileage here and on other forums. People are routinely running these cars for 250k+ miles. Just make sure to do your homework on the purchase of a used one and you'll be fine. I'm very pleased with my car.

grady ins.

Well, I was thinking about a 90-92 model, just to buy for a few grand cash, and drive into the ground, to see if I like them, before I sell what I have and put it into a nice late 90's model.

Dave.

GKLCPA

That might not be a bad move. You can pick one of them up for under $ 5,000 and still have a very decent and durable vehicle. There are a lot of people still driving the generation 1 (90-94) and happy with them.

I have a generation 2 (95 to 00) and in some respects I like the gen 1 styling as much as I do mine, so buying a gen 1 won't look "old". Only thing is that if you get a good one, you're going to be driving it for awhile which will negate upgrading later as it is sorta of a waste of money. My 96 drives and looks like a new car and it's so good that moving up to a more recent model yields only a marginal improvement as far as I'm concerned. Certainly, the more recent models have more bells and whistles, but the car was so good to begin with that these are really just marginal improvements in my opinion. You can save a ton of money going the route you propose and still have a decent vehicle.

grady ins.

That is what I was thinking. I would like to hang on to my old clunkers (sentimental value as much as anything else), and if I went this road, well, I could do that. Is there one year that is better than the rest, or worse? Also, do LS's have Coil spring suspension or an air setup? What exactly is a Nakachimi sound system?

Thanks, Dave.

tcbted

Consider the powertrain improvements on the 98-00 models.
The variable valve timing boosted HP ... my car pulls incredibly hard at all
speeds. The 5spd transmission gives me wonderful hwy mpg, and the motor revs very low at hwy speeds.
With your commute, you'll appreciate the better drivetrain, HID lights, and trip computer on the newer model.

Iansaltes

I have a 92LS... I make a drive to and from Virginia (from FL) about 5 times a year...and around town here at home I put a ton of miles visiting my different offices. I can tell you the LS is a GREAT car for that... highway MPG is surprisinly good, reliablity is amazing (in 4 years, the only thing to fail is the power steering pump).

But dont take MY word for it... buy one and you will see too!

steveski

Well Dave - to add to what the others have said, the LS is powerful, quiet, roomy and reliable. It is one of those cars that never seems to lose its appeal. Additionally it is the most reliable car in the market. Consumer Reports just came out with an updated list ~ shockingly, Mercedes was at the bottom. It is a shame they engineer such a great car to drive but neglect longevity.

Enough of that though. The first gen LS can be bought cheap and still give you what you want. Although a 98+ would give more bells and whixtles as stated. I have a 95 and it is approaching 200,000 miles. It still drives like it did when it was new and it gets very good mileage. I imagine you will be delighted in either one you choose.

Zoraone

My '95 was just purchased with 58k miles on the clock. I had been looking for an LS for quite some time. They are wonderful cars. My family history has always been GM (Buicks, Cadillacs, Chevrolet, etc) and I even convinced my father he needed an LS. He drove mine and actually sold his Buick Roadmaster for a 96 LS400.

The LS does not feel cheap or like a poor mans Mercedes/BMW. My 95 feels even smells like a new car.

I too looked at 98-00's. The VVT-i 1UZ and 5-speed auto is nice, as well as the updated front end and optional HID's. But to be honest, I'm quite happy with my 95.

I still own a 2005 LS2 Pontiac GTO and a 1995 Z28 Convertible that my dad and I bracket race, so performance wise I'm happy with my original 260hp LS400.

Best bet, buy one and enjoy it.

jeffls400

Hi Dave,

With all the great and helpful comments above, there is not much to add. I purchased my 1991 LS400 with 135,000 miles (June 2006) with a good service history with the idea in mind to get 250,000 miles out of it before trading up for a newer generation. I drive roughly 33.5K miles per year and after 16 months and 45,000 miles later, I am thinking that the trade-up horizon is alot further down the road...maybe 350,000-400,000 miles. At that point if the body and interior are still holding up as well as they have to this point, maybe I'll just replace the engine / transmission with a low-mileage JDM unit and keep on rolling. Once you read the history and mission behind the design of the Gen 1 LS and the subsequent versions, you will realize that the LS is the finest car ever made from an "all things considered" point of view.

Jeff

grady ins.

Update- I test drove a 1990 LS400 today at a used car lot and LOVED it. It was silver with gray leather, and had that wonderful rich scent in it like all of the lexus' I've driven. It had 185k, and they wanted 4,100.00 for it (was 3900 but new tires added 200 to it). Everything worked, although the front shocks seemed worn out (btw how much do they cost to replace?), is this about right on the price? The car looked good and drove GREAT.

Thanks, Dave.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

i wouldnt drop more than 3large on a car like that.
especially if it needs work (shocks and the like)

akxx

iTrader: (1)

Dave,

You'll find that the 1st gen LS400 should suit your needs and interests just fine. I just got back from a weekend 1100 mile trip. It is one of the few cars that I can honestly say I can drive for 500 miles in a sitting and feel great at the end of that stretch. It's just that comfortable for long hauls.

As for MPG, you'll find closer to 25mpg on the highway, not 20.

grady ins.

Well, I looked up the car on Edmunds, and in good condition at dealer retail, its only 2800.00. The thing is, all of the LS I've seen in my area (SE North Carolina), are priced at a premium, whether they deserve it or not. Anybody know an area where LS sell for reasonable prices? If I could find a good deal, I'm game to fly-take train out and drive back.

Thanks, Dave.