Hello,
I have never owed a Lexus before, but I have owned two Camry's,
I Found a 1990 LS400 with 125,000 miles on it locally that appears to be in good shape, although I have yet to look at it or call on it and have just seen the pictures posted online...they are asking 2,600, I have researched Lexus and am aware of the debate over how expensive they are to maintain.... there seems some controversy over this, with many being of the opinion that they are no more expensive than a Toyota as long as they are not maintained at the dealership.... anyway..... what does everyone think... is this worth a look? or is the fact that it is as old as my daughter, lol enough to stop me in my tracks? I am in the market for a quality used vehicle, but do not want to buy garbage,,,, hence, my interest in the Lexus..... Advise much appreciated , and Thank you in advance

 

They really are quality vehicles, so long as they have kept up on maintenance. It really just depends on how well the previous owner has taken care of it.

My 95, for example, was about the same price, but still needed about $1000 worth of parts to bring it totally up to speed... It was rather neglected though, and i do all the work myself.

I would rear around on the FAQ posted at the top of the thread list, and see what kind of problems you may be facing.

Just my two cents, if you wait it out a little longer and are willing to spend a bit more, the second generation LS's (95 and up) have quite a few significant improvements over the first gen, such as bigger brakes, larger interior, duel zone climate, and updated engine electronics to name a few.

 

Thanks for the Input..... I think I might, what really intrigued me was the low miles for the year..... that is really important to me even though If taken care of they go on forever it seems.. I am ok with putting money into it upfront... just not too much.... lol. what is the highest miles you would buy?

 

I bought my 92 for $1000 with 217,000 miles on the odometer. I spent $600 at most in parts, and took a few days to do ALL the work myself. My build thread has all the details. I would most definitely buy that LS if it looked good and they had proof the timing belt/water pump had been done recently. Other wise i would tell them to knock off at LEAST $1000 off the price.

 

the LS400 did improve every couple of years, however, you need to know about 3 pairs of years that are virtual twins, so that you only pay for a newer year if it is gaining you something, so keep in mind the following timeline:

1990 introduction
then minor improvements made
● 91 LS400 is virtually identical to 92
then improvements made
● 93 LS400 is virtually identical to 94

then significant improvements made
● 95 LS400 is virtually identical to 96
then improvements made notably in theft deterrent system
1997

then very substantial improvements made, especially in safety, traction control, horsepower and engine modernization
1998
then minor improvements made
1999
then minor improvements made
2000

 

i would buy it....125k? change the TIMING BELT....fresh tires, brakes....YOUR GOOD

 

my 90 ls400 is a excellent vehicle. and its 6 years older then me. im 18. Just so you know it is a 25 year old car and will require some more money put into it if you want it in excellent condition. I put about 300 in mine and theres really not more then 3 issues with the car. they are passanger seat doesnt recline(**** is broken) i dont feel like spending another 60 just to fix it so i opend it up since the seat was reclined all the way forward. and i super glued it together. Then i reassembled and it lasted just enough to recline it to where i wanted. and snapped right off. My tilt ecu seems like its bad. it was fine when i got the car. Now it only goes up and in and out. if i want it to go down i have to click down 8 times and then it works so its obviously a ecu issue. I leave my steering wheel where it is so it doesn't bother me. And the last issue is the mirror ecu is out. I just adujted my mirrors by hands and there you go. just know that the car is old and will have issues