Few years back looked into “upgrading” from my ‘01 to an ‘05 or ‘06. Located a couple of candidates but between interior issues and premium pricing being asked along with risky maintenance histories decided to stay with the car I knew.

Invested in new brakes, wheels, and tires so will stick with this for a few more years. Almost traded it in for a new RX350 but could not pull the trigger (the ride and comfort is just too good). Still get a lot of positive feedback from total strangers….

 

@sig3 , echoing a few others here, you are shopping for a niche car, so I agree the time to buy is whenever you find it. The advice above about December applies to 2022's and 23's. I shop these all the time for years as a hobby and yes, the prices are up since pre-pandemic, but that's the way of things. Maybe they've dropped a few bucks since last summer....? Hard to tell.
These cars were predominantly owned by seniors, so it is not hard to find them in good shape with low miles, but they are getting more and more scarce. The truly good ones go quick. Mid teens for all the criteria? Grab it! I have stated this on a couple other threads; if mine got totaled tomorrow, I would take my check and shop for another one, happy to pay $20k if needed. The quality, fit, and finish is rare and the materials are top-rate and will last. There is NOTHING in the $15-20k range that will provide more value.
As for 01-03 vs. 04-06 debate, several threads on this, but I'll briefly comment. I have owned both, but for me the styling queues in 04-06 just did it for me. I loved my 03, but I love my 04 more. The 6-speed is great and will bump up your highway mpg's a tad. The smart key system is great. Other than that, same car.

@TominPT , SWEET! Nice score. You didn't get rid of your 05, did you? So you are now officially a collector? 460 next? That's a great 400, man. I always thought those wheels had a certain 'ugly beauty' thing to them, but they are a must for those years, perfectly representative! I miss 2-tone paint jobs SO MUCH!

 

^^ yea I have the same thoughts. The ls was supposed to be my winter beater lol. So the cheapest car in the fleet but I can't think of anything else similarly priced that has the quality, features and fit and finish. I love the soft close everything. I used to like that feel and vault feeling sound of closing German doors but now the action of not even having to slam the door is just so much more effortless. I always have to remind people to not have to slam the door cuz it has soft close. And I always forget that other cars don't have soft close and I have to reopen and slam.

I have the itch to get a manual car or an AMG but I don't think I can right now cuz I lose so many of the features. Is 4ls much of an upgrade? However, I still haven't found one in the spec I want. Lwb, ottoman. Or should I just save up a few years and jump to a 5ls

 

CA2WALS430- yep, I still have the '05. Planning on keeping both the '05 and the '98 for the indefinite future. I had plans for the trifecta - '98., '05 and a LS460, but I am now leaning against the 460 it as I want to have vehicles I can repair and service most things myself. Unfortunately, the complexity of the LS460 and its big ticket items that go south on them (brake actuators, suspension, valley leaks, etc) that would be beyond my skill set are more than I want to deal with. The '98 has a really nice classic look, drives wonderfully, silent but powerful powertrain, and get this - everything works as original except for the tape deck, which I am going to fix.. The car was bought new at Lexus of Seattle in Lynwood, and both prior owners lived in the Montlake Terrace/ Bothel area and the undercarriage looks brand new. Unbelievable. More details on the purchase and some more photos here,
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ming-soon.html