Aron9000

So looking to buy some sort of granny kept pristine 01-06 LS430/without the air suspension option, something that should be fairly reliable for the next 5 years or so for my daily commute. Looking for those really nice, well kept cars with under 100k.

Anyways, am I being steered wrong here for cost of maintenance for the LS430? I assume a non-air suspension car should cost about the same to maintain as a FWD V6 Camry/Avalon/ES300/ES330/ES350 of similar year. I know those FWD V6 platforms give you a bit better gas mileage, but honestly from what I've read, they are just as reliable as the big LS430 platform with the V8.

Big thing about the LS430, well is its biggness. Its also that much more refined, rides that much nicer, has that much more power, its a superior car compared to the FWD Toyotas of similar era, even though I think they offer a fuel economy benefit. Main thing I have a question about is which platform is easier/cheaper to maintain, I mean the LS has more room under the hood, those transverse V6 cars like the Lexus ES, Camry V6 and Avalon are a pain in the *** to work on.

TriC

It is likely that an LS 430 will cost more to maintain than the V-6 platforms under consideration simply because it has more features (e.g., power adjustable steering wheel and folding mirrors) that can fail. However, routine maintenance costs might not vary by much. That said, these are different classes of cars that really aren't otherwise comparable.

05ls430518

iTrader: (1)

The ls430 is not super cheap to maintain go with the camry much cheaper and the suspension design is completely different between the two. You have a fwd econo car with a v6 vs a rwd v8 flagship saloon car.

Also from experience there is 0 room under the hood to work on anything on the ls430, it is very cramped.

Jabberwock

Lowest cost is going to be running a Toyota/Lexus V6. I personally have seen a 1996 ES300 go 400K+ miles with no engine work required other than timing belt/water pump. Big RWD V8 versus FWD V6 car is a very different ride. For my money driving the LS is well worth the extra cost to run over the various FWD V6 cars but the LS will almost certainly cost some amount more to run per mile.

tallcaguy

We bought a 97 ES300 (60) w/ all the bells and whistles). Drove to 175 w/ just factory maintain, oil, tires and one battery. Still ran perfectly. Have an 04 330 (100) which is just as reliable. I've owned 2 LS's (both one owner, low mileage). There have been some repairs. Both have been more expensive to maintain. Upside is the comfort.

MikeFoxx

iTrader: (8)

If you want an ls430 get an ls430. Cost in maintenance isn't so dramatic that it should be the deciding factor. Fact is almost any used car is gonna require some up front money to get it where it should be. How many times do people sell a car after doing all the maintenance up to date. It happens but it' rare. There are only a few pricey routine services for the Ls430 but the car will never fail you.

or get the v6 Camry ... everytime you see an LS430 after that you will like the Camry a little less each time ^_^

tallcaguy

Agree. Noticed you're from Lodi. For anyone in the Sac area, there is a really first class shop in Rocklin. Good place for the pricey service routines. Name is Red Sun Automotive. Owners are both Lex certified (ex dealer) mechanics. One owns an LS. First class work for reasonable prices. If needed, they'll put the car up on the rack and show you what needs to be done.

mykvr6

The LS430 is just a special beast. I'd say go for the LS all day but then again I work on my own cars when I can and that have saved me a lot already on my LS430. Mine is a 2002 with 160k on it when I bought it. Has 167k on it now. I did the valve cover gaskets, spark plugs, replaced some connectors under the hood. Cleaned the throttle body, replaced the lower control arm caster bushings. It needs a few little things here and there now but I drive it everyday and the ride is so nice. Only visit to a shop was for an alignment after I put four new tires on it. Like I said it needs some stuff, but nothing major. I almost bought a used V6 camry or Avalon for a daily but honestly I got into this car pretty cheap. Its getting about 18mpg with the way I drive (always in sport mode - not light on the foot) and I tell you its a great highway cruiser. I cant stand when i get into my Mazda CX5 in comparison, lol. Its a nice sporty ride but so unrefined. I can't believe how much I've grown to love my LS.

Bocatrip

Agree with most of these posts. The Toyota is the way to go cost wise for maintaining over the long run. Enjoyment and the Luxo feel will be lost for whatever savings there are. It's your choice....a wonderful luxo barge with regular items to repair.... or a the super reliable forever Toyota with less sophistication, an ok/bland ride that lasts forever for very little investment.

campisi

If you don't work on your own car and this is a commute car you should buy a recent year smaller Toyota sedan of any flavor - doesn't matter they're all rock solid. No sense in buying a 15 year old luxo-barge for your daily commute. Aside, I think the LS430 is as cheap a car to maintain as any I've ever owned ... but I drive, as you say, like a grandpa and I do my own work. Just about any car will last a very long time if you go easy on it and keep up with maintenance.

Legender

You just need to drive them and see which you'd rather spend your time in. For me, the value for daily driving leans toward my LS400. Cheap to purchase, do most of my own work, reliable with less bells and whistles to deal with. Works great for me and my situation. You just need to find out what's going to work best for you. Years ago I tried a Honda Accord as a commuter. EX, top of the line... and just couldn't stand it. Boring, boring, boring. Dumped it and found a 93 LS400 and never looked back. We can't decide for you, but we can certainly share our experiences.

TLguy

I've personally owned a 2006 Avalon Limited and now a 2005 LS. At the time I was amazed at the Avalon. And it is a great car. Roomy. Nice on the highway. Good MPG. Not many complaints except that it looked dated even being only 6 years old in 2012. After driving the LS, it would be hard to go back. It's just a nicer car. Still amazes me how good it looks at 13 years old. Really depends on what you value and your purpose. If MPG is important an Avalon is a great choice for a commuter in my experience.

Aron9000

Just judging from past experience with my 1992 SC300/5 speed manual. Bought it with 60k miles in 2012, currently has 103k on it. So far I've fixed/replaced:

Brake job on all 4 wheels, turned the rotors, new pads, shade less than $500.

Power antenna broke. Did not fix, car has another antenna in the rear glass, picks up radio stations in town just fine

Tires, had stock 15" wheels with out of date tires when I bought it. Swapped to 18" wheels, wore out a whole set of tires in less than 30k miles. That's more on me though for going with staggered wheels and low profile tires.

Power window plastic part thingy, not the motor, but the winder mechanism for the driver's side. $100 at Lexus dealer, did it myself. Also replaced blown door speakers at the same time for about $150 for new speakers.

Replaced clutch hydraulics at a shop for about $300, only item that would have left me stranded.

Recharged and converted A/C to R134a, about $200. Also fixed a leak somewhere in the system, as the original R12 had leaked out.


If you total it up, running costs on that Lexus(excluding tires/wheels) was a very cheap $1200, lets say $1400 with all the oil changes I did myself.

I don't see how a Lexus is THAT much more expensive to run than Toyota, especially something like a Lexus ES or RX vs a Camry. Main thing that has ate me up cost wise is the 20mpg average with premium fuel on that SC300. I'd assume that an LS430 would get similar mileage on premium swill in a 50/50 mix of interstate and in town driving.

Still love my SC300, love the styling, love the great service its given me despite being 20+ years old. Still though, I want something more practical for a daily driver, and something a lot smaller, lighter sportier for a weekend car.

Johnhav430

I can speak from 1 1/2 yrs. of ownership....the LS430 seems to be predictable. Every issue on the forum, seems to apply to everyone--speaks to the consistency imho that they were built. With that being said, yes, it would be expensive if not cost prohibitive to service the LS430 at the dealership. From my experience many jobs cost more than BMW.

The trick, however, is to find an indie garage who installs customer parts. Now the costs have been contained, because OE parts can be purchased on eBay and online. Then, this is not a "modern" car where jobs always need a dealer style computer and software.

In 18 mos. of ownership, only park assist sensors (2 on front left corner) went bad, nothing else. Again, predictable, it's not a surprise for anyone to say yeah I had this car 3 years nothing broke. There are no exciting stories to be told about how you broke down at the worst time in a precarious location, so this is the wrong car to purchase if you want exciting tales of danger!

For a buyer, it has a couple things going for it that make it unpopular to the general public--large, RWD, V8, grandpa styling, bad handling. But to the buyer, they are able to pick up a flagship car that they can afford to operate. Even though the epa was 16/23, many here get 28 on the highway, and 19 city/combined.

Seeing that many are starting to get their 2005-06 for 4 figures, I don't know if that's the sweet spot, or the sweet spot has passed, not sure. What I mean that it would be desirable to snag the car when the original owner traded it in, because I bet they did so due to the Lexus dealership recommending some high $ jobs (when I rolled in they suggested around $6k and none of it really required).

My choice was 2006 LS430 with 81k, or 2014 Camry with 35k, same price, in 10/16. So this is not an uncommon decision--the "wise" person goes Camry, because that's a sure bet. But not everyone wants or even likes Camrys...

Aron9000

Ugggh, not a damn Camry. Right now my budget is $15k cash, its kind of between what sort of "newer" car I can get for that price, what sort of truck I can buy for that price, I know an LS430 is a good bit less for a really nice one. But then again I can buy something like a 2016 Mazda 6 with 30k miles on it for $15k or less. Of course I'd really like a newer truck, but those damn things are stupid expensive, even for a used one, doesn't matter if its a Tacoma, Chevy, or Dodge Ram.