Blue

I'm a new LS 400 owner, actually I bought a 95 with only about 38,500 miles, Chrome aftermarket wheels, Nak, in dash CD changer, flawless exterior, Sapphire Blue. I sold my 93 MK 8, 4.6 liter DOHC V-8, Traction, moonroof, Cd...all the bells and whistles + that car hauled a$$. (Can I say that here). Only complaint was excessive door dings and limited back seating for my 2 sons, that I only have 4 days a month.
My dilemma is that now there is a 97 LSC, 290 HP Bright Red Metallic Paint, (My Dreamcar for the last five years) 58,000 miles, moonroof cd etc. on E-bay for about $8,000 less.
If I go trade, my payments will drop, and the two cars spec out remarkably close. 135 Lb.s weight difference. 1 inch wheelbase, larger trunk vs, gas tank, and so forth.
If I trade out of my Lexus after only 2 months will I regret it for 4 or 5 years? If so, Why? Or, why not?

ShowGSLuVv

NOOOOOO mark 8, My friend has one and those things are the biggest POS u will ever see, those cars cannot hang with the LS400 with quality, refinement, or anything else for that matter, my cousin has a 93 LS400, with 140k miles, and he has never had a problem with it at all, the only thing he had to do is change the battery and the altenator, and belts, other then that nothing ever broke down in his car and it still runs perfect, my friend that has the Lincoln is very upset with the purchase, the LS drives so much better and it's alot older and has alot more miles but it still smoother, im telling u man u will regret it when u have to fix little stuff like the AC and what not, stick with the lexus if u want to be pretty much problem free


ShOwGS

seanl

Blue,

The Mark is IMO a good looking car, and had all the right specs on paper, plenty of HP, comfort etc. But the build quality isn't close to the Lexus, and it will be expensive in the long run to maintain the Lincoln.

Keep the Lexus.

JAC JZS

I agree with selewis, but also want to note that my '96 MarkVIII never gave me a problem(although I did only have it for about 5 months). It has good power(LSC 290) but some weight to go with it(3768). I also like the exterior revisions they made in '97... the '97 MarkVIII was the first car to come with HID's standard. Blue, I think you have a tough choice because I love the Sapphire Blue LS400's...a true rare gem... I almost bought one but they are hard to find. The LSC MarkVIII will be a little faster than the '95-'97 LS400 but not by much. As you mentioned Mark VIII's are going for very cheap... low mileage ones can be had for nothing, plus you have really wanted the Mark8 for a long time. It's(Mark8) a big enough car that whenever I had occupants in the rear, seating for them was adequate. In the end if you really need the extra utility for your kids and plan on keeping the car for a very long time I would say to go with the LS400 .

BTW I had a friend that had a Black/ Black '98 LSC MarkVIII that he chipped, lowered, did intake and exhaust, etc... car had 350hp... pretty nice car

wwest

Ever since I bought my first car, a 56 Ford, up until 91, I was a very loyal Ford customer. In 91 I ordered a Lincohn MK X(?) but when it came in the dealer reneged on the prior deal. I then went out and bought my first Lexus, a new 92 LS400, and I have NEVER looked back.

The LS400 is in a class by itself, all alone, throughout the world.

If you want cheaper payments trade down to an older LS.

My 92 has NEVER been back to the shop for maintenance, regular oil and & filter changes by myself, 3 batteries, and one left front oxygen sensor.

My brother has a 91 LS400 with over 100k, it went back into the shop for the 90K and that's all, in total!

seanl

Hey Willard, how many miles are on your '92 now? I bought my '97 used with 53K miles 21 months ago, and I have just reached 73K miles. I plan on driving in another 100K+ if at all possible!

wwest

The 92 is fast approaching the point where it will need to go in for the 90k and risk Lexus finding a way to do some serious damage.

wolver1ne

Just purchased a "used 91"and I don't regret it!

gene_n_ga

Bought a 93 Mark VIII brand new off the lot for $36,500 in Nov 93.
Wife drove it until we sold for $4000.00 (yuk) July 2002 with 91.5k miles. Had changed oil every 3k miles, scheduled maint. etc. Car started misbehaving around 80k (alternator, oxegen sensors, tranny slip, rearend clunk, rough idle. started to get the feeling thing might peter out by 100k.) In contrast bought a 92 SC400 with 60k miles in 98 for $17250. Same maint. as Mark. Sold SC400 in May 2002 with 140k miles for $8,500. Still ran as good as day i bought it. Bottom line - Mark VIII 91,000 miles and $32,500 depreciation. SC400 80,000 miles and 8,700 depreciation. u be the judge...

Blue

Yeah, I think you guys are right, I justed waxed my new "Blue LS" And I have grown very fond of it now. I'll keep her I guess. 4 months 13,000 trouble free miles so far. Thanks for the 2cents worth's.

jslionheart1

I bought a 1991 LS 400 in July 2001 and have since traded up to a 1999 LS 400. I will always have at least one LS 400 for the simple reason that I love the car!

Why do I love the car? Besides its aesthetic appeal, the navigation system, and the smooth ride, the LS 400 and other Lexus models provide reliability almost unmatched by any other vehicle. Lexus service is unparalleled by any other car manufacturer that I have dealt with. Although repairs may cost more than other cars, those repairs are few and far between.

I have seen plenty of 1st generation LS 400s with over 200,000 miles and I intend on keeping my 1999 until the wheels fall off. I don't think Lincolns are that reliable.

Besides, does the Lincoln ride as smoothly as the LS? My guess is no.

Good luck.

42N8

This post got me to finally register and stop lurking~

Don't regret your decision for a moment to keep the LS. I've owned several Marks, including 2 Mark VIIIs- a '93 and a '97 both were crap. Don't miss them at all! While I agree the resale "bargains" are very tempting for the apparent standards, you do have to contend with the "relentless pursuit of parts" for the Lincolns, and keep in mind that Ford will only have parts available for 7 years after production then it gets very difficult to get parts when they become "dealer obsolete" or ungodly expensive when you do find the part.

I can't believe that you had only 2 complaints about the M8! I actually HATED the '93 and would have fantasies of testing the airbags by running it into a brick wall! There were all sorts of problems with both cars- the '93 was in the shop atleast once a month for one thing or another- engine hesitation, poorly shifting tranny, sunroof, seat problems, computer errors, and crap just falling off and not lasting. After 4 years it looked (and felt) 20 years old. IMO, 4 years, 56k miles should NOT be long enough for paint fade, disappearing plasti-chrome, leather disintegration, power seat replacement, sunroof module replacement, and radio and Climate control units to fall apart!

The '97 seemed to be significantly different enough, but TRY to get it to align/ track properly! The traction control system was a joke and the interior console just sucked like the '93.

13,000 miles in 4 months? DEFINATELY keep the LS!

Rice

I applaud your decision to keep the Lexus!
I just can't pass up the opportunity to bash Ford.
My previous car was a 99 Q45, which I leased used (second lease). While walking around the dealership with my friend, we stumble upon a 99 LSC. It looked cool, sort of like 740IL, and my friend said that he always wanted one of these. I told him not to bother, for all the reasons that were listed in the prior posts. He still got into the car and started it. The car ran well and everything seemed OK, until I told him to turn the steering wheel... We all know what happened next:eek: There was that trademark Ford power steering whine. Somehow, Ford just can't figure out how to get rid of it. This sound has been the staple of Fords for the past 20 years. I am starting to think that it is a design feature and that Ford only wants customers with nerves of steel, who can tolerate this noise, along with all the other defects.

JBrady

It is a SHAME that FORD and GM cannot get it together and build good cars. I owned what I consider to be one of the best cars Ford has built in the last 40+ years... a 1987 TBird Turbocoupe. I bought it new, actually ordered it in February 87 and it took 2 months to get. It was Motor Trend's COTY and had just underwent a major facelift from 86. It had a turbocharged 2.3 liter 4 cylinder making 190hp/240tq, a 5 speed manual tranny, 4 wheel disk brakes with ABS, 225/60-16 tires on alloy wheels, automatic ride control with adjustable shocks, LSD with 3.55 gears, autoheadlights, keyless entry, dual power bucket seats, premium sound system. For a Ford... it was a NICE car!

I drove the car 200,000 with the original turbo and engine. I replaced the headgasket at 155,000 miles but I was running 20psi of boost It did suffer the "whiney" power steering and the alternater was not up to the amperage needs of the car... but other than that the car was totally reliable and solid. I swapped in a 300hp FI V8 at 210k because I was worried the 2.3 must be near major repair needs. Turns out the engine was just fine, didn't burn oil, heck, it didn't LEAK!

I sold the car early this summer with 250,000 miles, original brake rotors (all 4) original shocks, original paint, wheels, interior...

Now, my LS400's have been WAY WAY nicer... but BOTH Ford and GM have the capacity to build cars every bit as nice as Toyota / Lexus... they just don't choose to do so... shame.

BTW, the car was no slouch and rarely lost a race, it would beat the 1st generation Q45s with 278hp/290tq, ran a best of 14.65 at 93mph with the 4 cylinder and 13.76 at 102mph with the V8... not bad.

Here is a picture of the TBird with 210k just after the 5.0 engine swap.

stevec

I've owned 2 Mark VIIIs, a '93 and a '96 LSC. I loved both of them. They had great engines, a hot rod sound at high RPM, a decent suspension set up with air springs, a cool looking cockpit, and they were great looking cars in my opinion. Unfortunately, the build quality and was not world class. It improved through the life of the car, but even the '98s (the last year of production) seemed to have more than their share of problems. Lincoln should be shot at sunrise for letting that happen. I also owned an '88 Mark VII LSC which felt much more bolted together than either of my VIIIs (go figure). The Mark VIII was a worthy competitor to the SC 400 but could not measure up to the build quality of the Lexus. Unless you are crazy about the Mark's styling, love the sound of 290 horses screaming at full throttle, and love coupes, I'd stay with the LS. It will age much more gracefully and retain its value better than the Mark. And it's really an apple to oranges comparison anyway.

Regards,
Steve