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I didn't see the followup posts to explain the entire situation,but Right-Hand Drive for a first time driver is a really bad idea.
I'm surprised a parent would go along with that.
The reason why insurance is sky-high for 16 year old males is because they get in so many accidents. Now you want to throw that handicap into the equation?
I know everybody on Earth thinks they are a much better driver than the average motorist, but that obviously can't be true.
hey OP, I'm a young guy living in alberta as well.
My first car was a 92' toyota soarer, or for those that don't know, a Lexus SC. I sunk a lot of money into it and i love it. i bought it when i was 15, I'm 20 now, and i still have it. I got my license in the spring, and then drove it all summer, everyday, gave me no problems. life was good. Then came the snow, and you'll never guess what, i didn't want to drive my "Baby" Anymore. I ended up buying a 2001 Chrysler town and country. Not a good looking unit,Caused me a lot of problems, It was pretty lame. I saved up enough money to buy my LS430 when i was 18. My intentions were to buy a car that i could daily everyday with no problem at all. Life was good again. Had a car that was fun, and had a car that was a great daily driver. plus the "Snow" mode made it excel in the winter. Well, compared to my hunk of junk Chrysler. I ended up building my Ls up little bit and now i wish i wouldn't have, because its nothing but a pain to daily. Too low to do anything without rubbing something.
Moral of the story: Buy the LS430 or GS430. I feel like the 3UZ-FE is much superior to the 2jz-ge. But i guess thats a preference thing.
Guess I am the only one here who feels an LS for is a 16 year old's first car is absurd. Even if you have the money to afford to buy one and keep it insured, repaired and on the road, you'll look like a kid driving your old mans car. There are plenty of cars that will be way more fun to drive for a young guy.
I don't know a singe person under 40 driving a large V8 luxury car, or any who would even want to.
The LS is great, and I do like mine. I am almost 60 and I get teased about driving an old mans car, lol
lol Stu that's hilarious
I am about half your age and I LOVE the large luxury sedans, always have, always will
hey OP, I'm a young guy living in alberta as well.
My first car was a 92' toyota soarer, or for those that don't know, a Lexus SC. I sunk a lot of money into it and i love it. i bought it when i was 15, I'm 20 now, and i still have it. I got my license in the spring, and then drove it all summer, everyday, gave me no problems. life was good. Then came the snow, and you'll never guess what, i didn't want to drive my "Baby" Anymore. I ended up buying a 2001 Chrysler town and country. Not a good looking unit,Caused me a lot of problems, It was pretty lame. I saved up enough money to buy my LS430 when i was 18. My intentions were to buy a car that i could daily everyday with no problem at all. Life was good again. Had a car that was fun, and had a car that was a great daily driver. plus the "Snow" mode made it excel in the winter. Well, compared to my hunk of junk Chrysler. I ended up building my Ls up little bit and now i wish i wouldn't have, because its nothing but a pain to daily. Too low to do anything without rubbing something.
Moral of the story: Buy the LS430 or GS430. I feel like the 3UZ-FE is much superior to the 2jz-ge. But i guess thats a preference thing.
PS: where in alberta are you? I'm from Red Deer.
I've heard the Soarer's are terrible in winter, especially the ones here in Alberta! It's great to hear someone who has done what I want to do, so thank you for sharing your story! Gives me some more hope in buying a Lexus/Toyota lol. And I'm in Calgary. Do you happen to go to any of the Beyond.ca meets? Great to see someone that had a JDM first car here!
Also to answer the RHD and driving a luxury car, imports are extremely common where I live and I see honestly about 9-10 a day. There is no proof they are more dangerous and I also grew up around them which I think sparked my interest for them. My love for GS300's/Aristo's was also probably sparked then because I had a cousin who was only 21 when he had a TT Aristo. Also I think having a luxury car would be a great thing, because who would want to be fast and furious in an "old person" car (which I believe it's not).
I would like to thank everyone for their replies, I had no idea this would get so much attention and I appreciate every single post, even if I don't agree with it lol.
I got my little sister a 2002 LS430 for her first car and she loves it. Unfortunately she doesn't have her license yet so I drive it most of the time. It's a very safe and comfortable car. I think a GS would be more fun to drive for young people. If you go the GS route I would recommend a GS400 or GS430 since the 2JZ in the GS300 is extremely slow without a turbo.
I bought my 05 LS430 when I was 22 and it's fun to drive since I have coilovers, wheels, and exhaust. My sister's 02 LS430 is stock and it's very boring to drive. It handles like a giant boat, but it's also insanely comfortable and doesn't attract police attention like my modded 05 does.
Do you have any plans to modify the car or did you want to leave it stock? You can't go wrong with either choices. The GS is faster, more sporty, and has big power potential if you turbo the 2JZ on the GS300. The LS430 isn't as sporty stock but it rides very smooth. The LS is also roomier and looks really nice lowered with a set of wheels. Keep in mind insurance will be high on both cars despite being older cars. My insurance is still high on mine even though it's a "grandpa" sedan.
I think my plans for an LS would be to keep it stock for a long time until I'm out of University and making better money, and then bagging it and making it a VIP car, but of course thats some time away LOL. It's great how your sister has an LS as her first car! I've actually been quite surprised at how many teens and younger people have these different luxury cars. If I do decide on the Aristo I think I might still go with the non Turbo because honestly it's probably much safer that way. I had a friend who owned the TT model and he said it was a slouch whereas my cousin thought his first Gen was quite fast but I don't know I would just be better to go as low power as possible (LS430 excluded of course ahahaha)
Sorry if I can't respond to everyone I'm trying to be as detailed as possible but I appreciate the questions. My budget for the car ready to drive past inspection is 8500. That's for a very good condition vehicle from Japan. I can get an Aristo in brand new condition with 23000 kms on it with the plastic still wrapped on the seats for that much so I guess you can tell why my budgets a little high for a JDM car
Again, I really do appreciate all the answers I don't think any of you know how much it means to see all the different experiences and cars you all have. I feel so welcomed on this forum especially since any mention of "teen" and "nice car" on some forums (not naming names) cause a complete uproar LOL
Good luck with every thing and please let us know about the import process.
But why do you want a car with a US equilivent? Have you read much about the Crown Majesta, Crown Comfort, Chaser, or Century? You could get a much more doper Century than an LS, and the century is probably better in every single way.
Or why not get a MPV? Like a sick nasty Previa/Estima that's stanced out?
I follow a question on quora, 'should I get my son a lexus' and the thread is full of geezers saying, 'never have i ever'
(which is the geezer way of saying, 'omg i can't')
But if you've been around RHD cars and you got your heart set on one, I say go for it. Being careful is worth its weight in gold, and it's still safer than a motorcycle.
An $8,500 limit will get you some really nice Japanese cars, for sure. I wonder why more canadians don't get JDM cars. But oh well. not my country, not my problem. In fact, thank god they're not buying all the toyota centurys.
Guess I am the only one here who feels an LS for is a 16 year old's first car is absurd. Even if you have the money to afford to buy one and keep it insured, repaired and on the road, you'll look like a kid driving your old mans car. There are plenty of cars that will be way more fun to drive for a young guy.
I don't know a singe person under 40 driving a large V8 luxury car, or any who would even want to.
I do. Bought my LS when I was 30. Why? If you're an active member on this forum (or drive an LS daily) you should know full well how amazing of a vehicle the LS430 is, in so many ways. Name a better-built full-boat luxury car (or any car, really) that does everything (except take the turns, etc, which it WAS NOT designed to do) with such utter perfection and refinement, and will last 20 years running virtually the same as new (if maintained properly). Other than a Phantom or Mulsanne or brand new S550, I can't think of a better car to slog through LA traffic every day I go to work. My car is 11 years old, I might add.
And wow, WTF with some of these posts. The guy is 15 (like we all were once) and wants to spend his hard earned money on an LS or GS. Who are you people to judge this man's tastes? When I was 15 I lusted after luxury cars more than any other type.
I say you can't go wrong with either car (GS and LS are both about the most reliable cars you can buy), but be careful. My LS has never had any issues, but I have spent a good amount of money on normal maintenance. Make sure you have a FULL service history, and you can't really go wrong. I'd say the GS upkeep would be slightly less, but with the LS it's "flagship" expensive to maintain. But, it's also "flagship" that you can own other Lexus drivers with at lights. Even the hotshots with their brand new IS250s who think 204HP cuts in in 2015, and aren't smart enough to de-badge. Smoked like 40 of them, lol. Wasn't even close. Forgive me for sounding juvenile, but it's true. What can I say, I live in LA.....car capital of the world.
I've been in GSs before and while awesome cars, they just don't feel special like an LS does.
I say do what you want. Obviously if you are paying for it yourself you will treat it well or learn an expensive mistake. These cars are easy to work on, especially with a longitudinally mounted engine. At least if you crash an LS430 you'll be a lot safer than if you were driving a beater. I've loved big boats since before I could drive, and I am so happy that I finally converted from driving Cadillacs to a Lexus. FWIW, I'm 33 years old.
heck if you're set on going JDM I would widen the aperture a bit and check out other models, as others have suggested. I bet you can find some awesome Toyota Centurys, say ten years old, utterly perfect maintenance history (because they are basically only corporate CEO cars) for dirt cheap. now that I'm thinking about it...wasn't the Century available with a V10 or V12 engine? hand built car, would be totally reliable for years and comfy.
I sat in the back seat of those bad boys more than once....think of it as one up from the Ultra..believe it or not.
that would be pretty cool to have one of those in Canada.
I've heard the Soarer's are terrible in winter, especially the ones here in Alberta! It's great to hear someone who has done what I want to do, so thank you for sharing your story! Gives me some more hope in buying a Lexus/Toyota lol. And I'm in Calgary. Do you happen to go to any of the Beyond.ca meets? Great to see someone that had a JDM first car here!
Also to answer the RHD and driving a luxury car, imports are extremely common where I live and I see honestly about 9-10 a day. There is no proof they are more dangerous and I also grew up around them which I think sparked my interest for them. My love for GS300's/Aristo's was also probably sparked then because I had a cousin who was only 21 when he had a TT Aristo. Also I think having a luxury car would be a great thing, because who would want to be fast and furious in an "old person" car (which I believe it's not).
I would like to thank everyone for their replies, I had no idea this would get so much attention and I appreciate every single post, even if I don't agree with it lol.
Well the beyond meet is kinda hard to get to as they're on wensdays and working as much as i do makes it hard to get up there at a time that is worth the trip. Sometimes i come up on weekends to hang with the club I'm a part of and we hit up barlow. Ill let you know next time I'm up, maybe we could meet up.
I do. Bought my LS when I was 30. Why? If you're an active member on this forum (or drive an LS daily) you should know full well how amazing of a vehicle the LS430 is, in so many ways. Name a better-built full-boat luxury car (or any car, really) that does everything (except take the turns, etc, which it WAS NOT designed to do) with such utter perfection and refinement, and will last 20 years running virtually the same as new (if maintained properly). Other than a Phantom or Mulsanne or brand new S550, I can't think of a better car to slog through LA traffic every day I go to work. My car is 11 years old, I might add.
And wow, WTF with some of these posts. The guy is 15 (like we all were once) and wants to spend his hard earned money on an LS or GS. Who are you people to judge this man's tastes? When I was 15 I lusted after luxury cars more than any other type.
I say you can't go wrong with either car (GS and LS are both about the most reliable cars you can buy), but be careful. My LS has never had any issues, but I have spent a good amount of money on normal maintenance. Make sure you have a FULL service history, and you can't really go wrong. I'd say the GS upkeep would be slightly less, but with the LS it's "flagship" expensive to maintain. But, it's also "flagship" that you can own other Lexus drivers with at lights. Even the hotshots with their brand new IS250s who think 204HP cuts in in 2015, and aren't smart enough to de-badge. Smoked like 40 of them, lol. Wasn't even close. Forgive me for sounding juvenile, but it's true. What can I say, I live in LA.....car capital of the world.
I've been in GSs before and while awesome cars, they just don't feel special like an LS does.
Good luck!!!
As real as it gets. I registered for this forum almost a decade before I could afford the one I wanted. Lust is the right word lol, for years I would lurk on here reading about realiablity & watching people build their rides. I couldn't wait to waste money on one. Consider that some people drive these cars because they are the largest Japanese car. At 6'5 90% of cars don't fit right. I had a modded 00' Avalon, it took the fun out of driving. The LS does almost everything well. A great first car if you can respect it. Maintenance is key.
With a JDM purchase it might be difficult to find one with full service history. Vancouver is the Mecca for JDM cars, it's common to see dozens a day, with many low mileage ones popping up on Craigslist over the years. You will even see smaller JDM a commercial trucks up here.
airchomper- I've yet to see a Century up here, it probably won't be long before I do...
I think my plans for an LS would be to keep it stock for a long time until I'm out of University and making better money, and then bagging it and making it a VIP car, but of course thats some time away LOL. It's great how your sister has an LS as her first car! I've actually been quite surprised at how many teens and younger people have these different luxury cars. If I do decide on the Aristo I think I might still go with the non Turbo because honestly it's probably much safer that way. I had a friend who owned the TT model and he said it was a slouch whereas my cousin thought his first Gen was quite fast but I don't know I would just be better to go as low power as possible (LS430 excluded of course ahahaha)
Sorry if I can't respond to everyone I'm trying to be as detailed as possible but I appreciate the questions. My budget for the car ready to drive past inspection is 8500. That's for a very good condition vehicle from Japan. I can get an Aristo in brand new condition with 23000 kms on it with the plastic still wrapped on the seats for that much so I guess you can tell why my budgets a little high for a JDM car
Again, I really do appreciate all the answers I don't think any of you know how much it means to see all the different experiences and cars you all have. I feel so welcomed on this forum especially since any mention of "teen" and "nice car" on some forums (not naming names) cause a complete uproar LOL
So thanks!
That's a good plan. It can get expensive to mod an LS, even compared to my SC or a GS/Aristo.
My sister and my younger friends were never interested in cars like the LS430 until they saw mine. Now they all want a big body luxury car, but most can't afford to mod them.
If you can get a TT Aristo, I would highly recommend that over anything else. In the U.S. it's extremely rare to see an Aristo or even a turbo GS. An Aristo with a 2JZ-GTE has tons of potential and it will still be fun to drive stock. Don't bother with getting an NA GS300/Aristo. The 2JZ-GE is pure garbage in it's stock form. It's so slow and the gas mileage isn't that great. I have a 2JZ-GE SC300 and it's embarrassingly slow for a car that looks fast.
A GS400 or GS430 would be an excellent choice if you don't go with the turbo Aristo. The UZ engines are hard to mod compared to the 2JZ since everything has to be custom made. Luckily they have a good amount of power from the factory and are extremely reliable.
heck if you're set on going JDM I would widen the aperture a bit and check out other models, as others have suggested. I bet you can find some awesome Toyota Centurys, say ten years old, utterly perfect maintenance history (because they are basically only corporate CEO cars) for dirt cheap. now that I'm thinking about it...wasn't the Century available with a V10 or V12 engine? hand built car, would be totally reliable for years and comfy.
I sat in the back seat of those bad boys more than once....think of it as one up from the Ultra..believe it or not.
that would be pretty cool to have one of those in Canada.
I wish I could get a car that isn't in the Canadian market as well, but that's the main issue. If I buy a JDM only car, I won't be able to afford getting parts for it whereas here with the Celsior and Aristo I can easily find parts for it whenever I need to. And I can get it serviced at Lexus.
VanCityLS4, I do the same thing! you've obviously been here much longer LOL but yeah I'm always on forums looking for every last thing I can get to know about these cars.
That's a good plan. It can get expensive to mod an LS, even compared to my SC or a GS/Aristo.
My sister and my younger friends were never interested in cars like the LS430 until they saw mine. Now they all want a big body luxury car, but most can't afford to mod them.
If you can get a TT Aristo, I would highly recommend that over anything else. In the U.S. it's extremely rare to see an Aristo or even a turbo GS. An Aristo with a 2JZ-GTE has tons of potential and it will still be fun to drive stock. Don't bother with getting an NA GS300/Aristo. The 2JZ-GE is pure garbage in it's stock form. It's so slow and the gas mileage isn't that great. I have a 2JZ-GE SC300 and it's embarrassingly slow for a car that looks fast.
A GS400 or GS430 would be an excellent choice if you don't go with the turbo Aristo. The UZ engines are hard to mod compared to the 2JZ since everything has to be custom made. Luckily they have a good amount of power from the factory and are extremely reliable.
I can see why they'd be interested in them after seeing them! The car had the same effect on me when I first saw it and all the features they had. It's such an amazing car.
And I actually never considered the TT until someone close to me told me how extremely slow they are. I obviously didn't listen because I was like no I'm a teen and I need a slow car but is it actually that slow? Especially in a car so big. I think I may reconsider it, and plus having a twin Turbo anything sounds really cool LOL
I can see why they'd be interested in them after seeing them! The car had the same effect on me when I first saw it and all the features they had. It's such an amazing car.
And I actually never considered the TT until someone close to me told me how extremely slow they are. I obviously didn't listen because I was like no I'm a teen and I need a slow car but is it actually that slow? Especially in a car so big. I think I may reconsider it, and plus having a twin Turbo anything sounds really cool LOL
The NA 2JZ is crazy slow. I have a 1993 SC300 and it's incredibly slow. It gets around in traffic just fine, but that's it. It's too underpowered for a car like the GS, Supra, or SC300. A GS400/430 or TT Aristo is the way to go. Plus the TT has a ton of potential and it's not a car people would expect to be fast.
04-07-15, 09:22 AM
