Looking for a 99/00 LS and looking for help. I will concentrate on cars in the 120-140K range and wanted to know if these cars are very dependable if maintained well? Also, how are maintenance costs? I live in Portland, OR, so no snow here, but lots of rain. Any issues with rainy/slippery conditions?

First time Lexus buyer, have owned many Hondas/Acuras before. Can't add a signature but we currently own a 2000 Acura NSX, 1994 Accord Wagon (JDM H22A engine, transmission and LSD swap) and 2011 CRV. Looking to add a 4th luxury comfortable car with lots of rear seat space as kids are growing taller.

Please let me know if there is anything to look out for in these cars. Also, looking for guidance on suspension and audio upgrades (I am sure there are threads here, so please point me to the best ones). Also, do these models come with HIDS?

Thanks.

 

Welcome to Club Lexus.

The 2-LS FAQ will apply to the first gen as well in many areas of maintenance and discussions about various issues:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...questions.html

 

If you aren't used to rear wheel drive the LS can take some getting used to. She's got a big engine and can swing her *** around pretty easily on slippery roads when you hit the gas hard.

 

I used to have a S2000 and now own an NSX, so I am familiar with RWD, but dont drive these cars in very wet/slippery conditions. I need to drive a LS soon.

 

BTW, is there any reason why the next gen (2001-2005/6?) does that cost that much more than the LS400?

 

You will see quite a difference even within the same generation sometimes. For instance, 1995-1998 is much cheaper (on average) than 1999-2000. These later years of 2nd gen. were better cars with most bugs ironed out (although not all of them) and many options that were not there in prior years such as vehicle stability control, GPS, side airbags... And then the 3rd gen was a whole new beast with bug eyes for headlights, but relatively reliable air suspension and many had navigation (which from what I gather can still be upgraded to latest maps), and obviously bigger engine (4.3 L) which meant 290hp, 320ft/lb of torque but with some smart electronics it should still give ls400 type of gas mileage (if not better due to 5sp A/T). It was also some 3 inches longer, giving 30% bigger trunk and more legroom in the cabin. While 2nd gen was more of an evolution, the 3rd gen was a compelte redesign I would say (they should've left the headlights the same as in 2nd gen though).

Funny enough, on Lextreme you can find comparisons of engine components between 1st gen and later years and it seems that 1st gen had the beefiest components which were built to last forever and take any amount of abuse. This is why the 1uz engine is highly sought after by turbo enthusiasts...

I own the 1st gen, but 2nd gen 99-00 in my opinion are the best ratio of price-performance. You get the great engine, with most problems already taken care of, and big brakes, and tons of space. All you need to do is wait for that one lawyer, or doctor who finally decided to get a new car to sell his old one for next to nothing.