meh789

As the title states; I'm considering the purchase of a '97 LS400 with 55,000 miles. However I've been lurking around the forums and I'm wondering if these cars are a wise choice for a college student; while I read reports of Lexus' being very reliable, I see many of you having to put a lot of money in for repairs... Am I just worrying too much, or should I consider something else? Also I'm under the impression that the AC in these vehicles are prone to failure; I've noticed a few of you have replaced the entire system more than once.

Reasons I'm looking at the LS are; 1. Quiet (Tired of all the noise from my old beater) 2. reliable (so I hear?) and..

3. Cheap! - I've been noticing a trend; smaller cars such as the Civic and Corolla are going for higher prices. I'm assuming because of the as prices. While larger cars - Ls400's, Avalon's, etc... can be had for reasonable prices.

I appreciate any advice you guys may have!

phobs

I am a senior in high school and with my 96 LS, gas is a big factor to me. Just keep in mind the car is a V8 and gas prices are climbing up. But with regular maintenance and gas saving tips, your car will be fine.

JBrewster

You'll be fine in a 2nd gen with that low mileage. Most cars that are having problems are older first gens with lots of mileage.

I have a 96 (2nd gen) with 138k miles and i just replaced about $1000 worth of stuff, but that is expected at that mileage. I did all the labor myself except for replacing the strut rods, so I probably saved a couple thousand there...

It was
Rotors
Pads
Parking brake (my fault, I broke it)
Strut rods
Sway bar bushings
Transmission mount
Plug wires
Plugs
Distributor caps and rotors

None of it was absolutely necessary, I'm just ****. These cars will run forever, I just wanted it to drive like new.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

With that mileage you shouldn't be too bad. Each car is different in terms of repairs so it will be a risk on what will or will not be necessary. You'll have the 60K maintenance to do soon and that is basically flushing all fluids, brakes if needed, cabin and air filter if needed.

How much you think you'll be driving it weekly/monthly. Consider that this will likely get 16-18 MPG in town and 21-25MPG HWY. Figure your local premium gas and see how the numbers work.

If the price is good, you'll wind up with a very nice car capable of 200K miles easily. The nice thing is you are getting in at a nice mileage point so you have lots ahead of you.

gqr1c3boi

If you're worried about it being reliable, you could always get a carfax report on it. See if you can find any maintenance records. It'll only be as good as it was taken care of.

As far as gas mileage goes, i have a 99 LS4 and I average in the low to mid 20's. Like RA40 said, it just depends on how much you drive, where you drive it (city or highway) and driving style.

Maintenance and repairs are going to be costly, it's a Lexus but if you could do it yourself, then you'd definately save lots of money.

How much are they asking? i got my 99 w/ ~69k for $19k a few years ago. It was in pretty good condition. An older lady had driven it before me.

meh789

Reliability is my main issue; what I don't like in my cars are 1. Being nickeled and dimed on constant repairs 2. Surprise breakdowns - which I think everyone can agree on! And then there is dislike number 3; Broken air conditioners. We get some crazy humid summers here in Michigan. Not fun when out in a car with no AC.

As far as gas goes, I know what I'd be paying; I used to drive a Lincoln Mark VIII and still do own it, however it has suspension, power steering and transmission issues - very disappointing considering the car only has 84k miles. So while it rots away in the backyard, I'm driving an old 91' Cavalier. Which is fine for getting me to and from work but I'd like to have something that I can feel confident driving on a 5 hour road trip, something the Lincoln and the Chevy cannot provide. I'd like to think that an LS400 can satisfy my needs.

Oh and ggr1c3boi asked about my driving style/needs: I do drive a lot for work (mostly freeway) but as long as the POS Chevy holds up; it'll do most of that. My driving style is quite tame; I'm not a drag racing type person or anything. (Though I will admit to getting on my old Lincoln every now and again as it was quite a beast on the freeway :-)

JBrewster

My AC is ice cold, and I wouldn't hesitate to drive the car anywhere, even before I did all the maintenance. The first thing I did after buying it was drive it 500 miles home, and it was flawless and comfortable.

19psi

i think you'll be fine. just keep up on the maintenance. sure, things will break, it's a machine after all and it's getting old. but usually it's rpetty rare when something goes wrong. also, they're actually very easy to work on if you're at all mechanically inclined. probably the easiest high end car to work on.

omarg

dude, your buying a new car. an ls400 with less than 90k and in good condition will be less problematic than a new german car!

if the car has records, and its been inspected... i say go for it. I love my car. I just hate fulling it up with gas. I would love a perfect car like yours!

heyhowyado

i agree with omar.....55,000? it's like a brand new car.

and from your description of your driving habits, it sounds like the perfect car for you.

you won't be disappointed.

can i ask how much they are asking for the car??

docdgt@com

One thing you could do to reduce driving costs is to use 87 octane fuel rather than 93. I have done so in my '97 for over a year and have had no problems whatsoever. I can't even tell the difference in performance, but then I'm not a hot-rodder. The mileage in town for short hauls is in the 18-21 mpg range and on the highway, 23-27 depending on conditions.

It would be wise to check out the service records; if maintained as they should be, these cars are very trouble free.

Good luck with it.

meh789

I appreciate everyones advice; however the car I had my eye on for 6 weeks now was sold yesterday...

It was going for $11000 and here is the link to the ad LINK

I'll keep my eye out for another LS400, but I doubt I'm going to find one with such low mileage anytime soon; also I'd really like to find a car soon! - It's my summer break and I'd like to do some traveling before I pack up for the dorms again!

omarg

dude, for 11k you can get a pristine 98-00 ls400 which is better in everyway. don't worry about mileage TOO much. Keep it under 100k and have service records. you'll be set for life. if we have enough gas.