Shaffer

Hello all. I have decided to pass on the 91 LS400 w/201K for $4900. I have found another Lexus I am considering. I found a very nice dark burgundy 1990 LS400 on a local car lot for $4995. Not sure of the miles, but it looks like it is in excellent conditions. I am going to inquire about it tomorrow. KBB shows private party value for a 90 LS w/150K to be about $4900, so I am guessing this is a fair price. Does this seem OK for a 1990 in EC? I will know more details tomorrow, such as mileage, running condition, etc. Thanks again for any info.

Pagong

I got my 1990 w/ 143,000 miles from a dealer for 4500...although this one has the cloth interior color matched to the outside paint of the car.....burgundy

NiteOwl

Its all about condition and maintenance history. 30k more miles on a car well maintained vs a lower milegage neglected one is an easy decision in my opinion. Make sure you run the VIN at a Lexus dealership to see what has been done. Highly unlikely the car lot kept the maintenance records, but you should at least ask.
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No offense, but other than the Camry, you sure have a stable of dogs...

hyperopt

I suggested that you buy at least a 91 as a few basic problems in the 90 were ironed out in 91 model. Search the forum and TSB if you want to know the changes.

Shaffer

I guess normally one would be rather ill at a comment like that, but it does not bother me, as your comment about my cars being "dogs" (if that means they are junk) is about 25% true. I do not want to ramble, but I guess I will clarify my comment. The Camry I agree 100% about, as it is a very high quality car and equal to the quality of the Lexus LS400 in my opinion. You can really see the Lexus quality in this generation of Camrys. Mostly all padded interior and no cheap plastic. Solid door panels. The build quality is amazing on the 92-96 Camrys. My Camry is still 100% squeak and rattle free, even at 211K miles. All of the interior materials are high quality. No leaks from the undercarriage, no window leaks. All lights and electrical accessories work perfectly, engine runs like new, as well as the transmission. I do however need new brake rotors and struts, but again, it has 211K and time that it needs some maintainance work. This is just typical parts that wear out. Interior also looks like new and hold up very well. I also agree, the Chrysler is not the highest quality car and it only has 92K. I bought it needing transmission work @ a very low price, or otherwise, I would not have bought it. This was my first (and last) Chrysler (Mopar). The car was not worth its $26,000 new price tag. It does have luxury items such as leather, heated mirrors, ALL power options, dual airbags, ABS, climate control, traction control, electronic compass, outside temperature, MPG computer, factory CD player, keyless entry, factory alarm, etc. It does have a lot of power and has excellent handling and smooth ride and the exterior quality is suprisingly high. Interior is OK, but some areas have too much hard plastic, but the dash top is thickly padded. Problems I have had is lights out on radio, one door lock not working with switch, signals will not cancel automatically. Also some steering creaks in the winter months (when it drops below 50) Other than that it is OK, but for the price, I cannot complain and I am selling it anyway and can easily regain my money back out of it, as it is still in very good overall condition. The Buick on the other hand is a pretty good car. Buick is rated the highest among American cars. It has good acceleration, and very smooth shifting transmission. The Buick has 148K and still runs fine, with ALL electrical working fine, as well as ALL the dash lights (which is a common problem on some of the early LS400s. Interior is good quality. My only complaint is the transmission has a slight shudder when in overdrive. Perhaps torque converter wearing out. It has done this for several thousand miles. Also bought this car for below trade-in, so again, can't complain. My 89 Pontiac is one that I really have to disagree about being a "dog". It has 165K miles and still runs perfectly. No engine leaks, no transmission leaks, perfect shifts. All of the power options work perfectly. No problems with any lights or electrical. No rust and the interior has held up very well. Also, this is one of the last real American RWD cars, with full-frame construction. The only problem I have with that car, is that the small 307 V8 is very underpowered for these wagons and the headliner problems (headliner sags), which is very common with 1980s GM cars. The Buick and Chrylser I am selling anyway. I am only selling the Buick, so I will have room for the Lexus or Mercedes I am planning to buy soon. Thanks again for the tip on the Lexus - see following post.

Shaffer

I took a closer look @ the 90 LS400 today and it was only in fair conditions. The car looked black in the photo, but it was actually a unpleasant dark burgundy color. Almost like a plum color w/gold trim. I could not see the mileage the car had. The car was parked toward the rear of the car lot, perhaps where it was very dirty. Tires had a solid coating of light brown, as if they were stained. Inside the wheel wells was very dirty, as if had been driven a great distance in muddy conditions. The car also had several scratches, especially around the door handles, as well as a few small dents. Interior was also a little dirty, but no tears in the interior. It also looked like it had a leak under the engine, toward the center front. My mom went with me to look at it and she did not like it. She said it looked like it was in poor condition. My 93 Camry is a much nicer car and I would not want to pay $4995. for that Lexus in that condition. I am guessing it is worth about $3500.-$3900 - if it runs good. I guess I will probably pass on this car. I have also found a very nice, 75K mile 1992 LS400 locally for around $2500., but it has been in a accident. Was hit high in the front and will need new radiator, headlights, grille, bumper, fenders and probably more items. Probably cost big $$$ to properly repair. Search continues. I am also considering a 91-95 Acura Legend, 96-97 Acura RL, as well as a late 80s to early 90s Mercedes S-class sedan. Thanks again for the information.

NiteOwl

Damn if you arent the "King" of high mileage cars. Not trying to be *****ty about your cars, its just been my exprience that Japanese cars are clearly higher build quality than American, especially when the mileage piles up. In my youth, I owned many american cars - mostly of the muscle car variety. I also have owned several japanese econo-boxes. One being a 1980 Toyota Corolla, that had 178k when I decided to junk it. It still ran strong at that time, but needed a starter/brakes/clutch and was rusty, so I deemed it not worth fixing. Anyways, not sure where my ramble is going, but back to your car search. You obviously have transportation right now, so my greatest piece of advice is to be patient, and wait until you find what you are looking for at a good price. NEVER be in a rush to buy a car, unless you are willing to pay retail (then just go to CarMax). I always buy cars for thousands under bluebook, because I wait until I find a great deal. Both Acuras you mentioned are solid cars. I would steer clear of the Benz though - VERY expensive to repair and maintain. Also, unless you are a mechanic and/or body man, or are related to one, I wouldnt mess with the wrecked LS. Fixing accident damage always ends up costing more than it looks like in the end. You are not trying to find a rare car, so don't settle for less than a good one. For $5k to $6k, you should be able to find a good car, without 175k miles. Best of luck...

Shaffer

They are all higher mileage cars, except for the Chrysler @ 92K. I also agree that *most the 1980s and 1990s Japanese cars are a much higher quality than the American cars of the same era, but sadly, I cannot say the same about the 2000-2003 models. Seems like many of the Japanese cars quality has deteriorated during the very late 1990s and early 2000s. I have often read complaints of severe dash rattles and cheap trim the latest Camrys, Tundras and Siennas. Also some door rattles in the new Accord, which was non-existent on the late 80s thru mid 90s Hondas and Toyotas. As mentioned, my 93 Camry has 211K and has absolutely no rattles, no squeaks or pops in the interior, but most of the 02-03 Camrys w/less than 10K do? In addition, it seems like the many of the (not all- Chrysler excluded) most recent American cars (GM especially) are rating higher in the quality department. You are also right about me not needing a car. All four of my cars run fine and are dependable, nice cars, especially the Camry, which is still like new and I could probably sell for $3500-$4000 (despite the high miles, because of the mint condition)- enough to pay cash for a older Lexus. One of the main reasons I am wanting another car, is to mainly get rid of the Chrysler and I want a larger luxury import car or even a pickup truck. There is a low demand for these cars (Chryslers and resell low) and I am having difficulty selling it, with all of these cars lots offering 0% financing and all of these specials. I want at least $2800. for the car and trade-in is $3000, so I may trade it, even though I know typically, you get nothing for a car when you trade it in. I could sell all of my cars for approx. in the $8500-$9500 (below book value price for each) range and pay cash for a nice Lexus, but again, want to keep the Camry and wagon (keep Camry for a work car). About the mileage- I do not really mind high mileage cars, as typically the Japanese cars will last well over 200K. Even my old 1994 Chevrolet Lumina had 170K when I sold it 3 months ago and the engine was still in perfect order, with no leaks, no strange noises and it did not use ANY oil between changes. It had the 3.1L V6. My dads 1988 Nissan truck now has 250K and still runs prefectly. My uncle bought it new and it received little maintainance. Also- the Mercedes diesels can go well over 500K, if properly maintained. I know several people with Mercedes with over 500K. I do know that the Mercedes have high repair costs, but people on the Mercedes site have said the same about Lexus. My aunt has a 1990 Lexus LS400, bought with about 65K a few years ago and now has about 130K. I have heard my uncle mention that parts costs are high, but seems like they are for most cars these days. Thanks again for the tip about the wrecked Lexus. I am sure that could run into big $$$, when replacing parts. I am sure I will find a low mile, good price LS400. Like you said, I am in no hurry.