A Bit of Background on the Lexus LS
It’s no secret that Lexus enjoys much more success than its Japanese luxury cohorts (Acura, Infiniti), and the brand owes much of that to the original LS. Acura got on by selling cars that were entirely rebadged versions of premium JDM Hondas. As such, they didn’t look appreciably different from the Honda lineup, which turned many buyers off. Infiniti did the same, and while the products were often more avant-garde than the Acuras, styling-wise, the marketing was terrible. It should be noted that Infiniti’s first advertisement, in 1989, didn’t even have a car in it.
Well, Lexus also mostly got by on selling premium versions of JDM Toyota cars, with a couple of notable exceptions. The first was the introduction of a kind of customer service to which even exotic-car customers weren’t accustomed. The second was the original 1990 LS 400. Put simply, the LS 400 was a better Mercedes-Benz S-Class, then the standard of the world. Hiding behind the LS 400’s handsome but understated styling was a couple billion worth of development costs on what was likely the highest-quality car ever. Not only that, but it was also silent, comfortable and effortless. One of the first LS 400 commercials featured an LS traveling at 145 MPH on a dynamometer with a pyramid of full champagne glasses balanced atop the hood.
Rolls-Royce, eat your heart out.
What a concept; what a car!
It was that car that came to define Lexus’ image, and a general commitment to quality throughout the lineup was all it took for the LS 400’s halo to pay dividends. Interestingly, the LS 400 was actually “downbadged” into a car called the Toyota Celsior in Japan, as Lexus wasn’t a thing there. And while the Celsior featured some truly wild options not available on the LS 400, like a fax machine, the cars were one and the same. The LS had a Celsior twin for its first three generations, the original LS 400 (1990-1997), the subsequent LS 400 (1998-2000, largely a heavy facelift), and the LS 430 (2001-2006). In all that time, though, the LS was never really as luxurious as the German cars: the aforementioned S-Class, the Audi A8 and the BMW 7 Series. The LS didn’t have the same absurd levels of decadence and it only came in a single size with a single (RWD) powertrain. It also looked like a Toyota, because Toyota and Lexus were sharing styling and cars, if not necessarily in the same markets.
L-finesse changed all that. In 2003, Lexus debuted a concept that shook up its heretofore reputation for staid styling. That car was the LF-S, whose sleek roofline, large wheels, angular lighting elements, and tasteful blend of curves and angles was in sharp contrast to anything it had done before, and it received plenty of praise. Lexus stated upfront that it was a preview of upcoming cars, and just in time, too. Because in July 2005, Toyota decided to launch Lexus in Japan, making it the first premium automaker to make it back to Japan. And now that this was the case, the Lexus products needed to be thoroughly differentiated from their Toyota counterparts. The first L-finesse car to hit the market was the third-generation GS (2006-2012), which was as honest a production translation of the LF-S concept as was practically possible. It was shortly followed by the second-generation IS (2006-2013). 2007 brought us the fifth-generation ES (2007-2012) and the subject of our article, the fourth-generation LS.
The LF-S Concept. Lexus’ breakout moment.
The fourth-generation LS introduced quite a few firsts for Lexus. Buyers now had a choice of two wheelbases: a standard size and an extended “L” size. There were now two variants: the base LS 460/LS 460L, sporting a new 4.6-liter V8 engine with either RWD or AWD, and a range-topping LS 600hL, comprising a 5.0-liter V8 AWD hybrid setup that was meant to compete with its cohorts’ V12 offerings and the standard LWB body. (It’s worth noting that Lexus did sell a SWB LS 600h, but not here in the ‘States). The in-house 8-speed was the first such production transmission ever. And the LS was now truly high-tech, with interior design and accouterments to battle the best from Germany, England or Italy.
This car put Lexus on the world-class stage for design as well as luxury.
This generation of LS enjoyed a long life, lasting from 2007 to 2017. The early models were the 2007-2009. 2010 brought a very subtle facelift that lasted through 2012. The 2013-2017 models were more drastic, sporting Lexus’ controversial spindle grille, as well as the mouse-based Enform infotainment system and the option of the F Sport package for the first time. In 2018, the LS was finally redesigned for a fifth generation.
These days, the LS is probably a rounding error on Lexus’ (and Toyota’s) bottom line. The LS doesn’t sell in nearly the numbers of the brand’s less-expensive wares, like the UX, NX, RX, GX, ES, IS, etc… nor is it likely anywhere near as profitable. Lately, several brands have had to contend with iconic models that once came to define them in the past, but that no longer make sense in the lineup (VW with the Beetle, Chevrolet with the Impala and soon the Camaro, Bentley with the Mulsanne, Volvo with its wagons, Lincoln with all its sedans). I suspect Lexus will be asking itself that question not long from now and may conclude that it no longer needs the LS.
But let’s get to my story.
My LS
I remember when the fourth-generation (XF40) LS came out. I was just about to enter high school. And while most high-schoolers dream of a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, or even a Mustang…I’ve always liked myself a large, world-class, wood-and-leather-trimmed luxury car. So thought the design was beautiful. It looked kind of like a BMW 7 Series…but it didn’t. It did its own thing. And I remember looking at them in 2013, when I was in college, and seeing the earliest examples descend to around the $35K mark, retail. That said, I never got close to one. I didn’t know anyone who’d had one and couldn’t afford one.
Not until roughly nine years later, in January 2022. As is often the case, I was playing around on FB Marketplace or AutoTrader, and an LS 460 came up. I looked at it like one would an old crush. Huh. This depreciated luxury car had now fallen to the level where I could buy it with cash. More than that, the fact that it was a Lexus meant that this was a less scary proposition than any number of other similar cars I could have bought, such as the 2006 Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas that it would likely replace.
I knew the hybrid LS 600hL wasn’t in my price range (under $20K), at least not for good ones, so it was down to the gas-only LS 460. I definitely wanted the LWB L body style, because…why not? The problem was that while the XJ, 7 Series and A8 were plentiful in LWB style (and Mercedes-Benz began only importing the LWB S-Class starting in 2007)…the vast majority of LS 460s are, for whatever reason, SWB. So that one factor limited my search to, I’d say, 15% of the market. The other thing I wanted, which was more of a “nice-to-have,” was the adaptive cruise system…and it became apparent within five minutes of searching that this just was Not Going to Happen, for sheer rarity.
I wound up at a respectable used-car dealership I’d heard of before, which did (and still does) a brisk business in fourth-generation LSs and so had four of them on the lot. I zeroed in on the one they had that was an L. Specifically, it was a 2011 LS 460L AWD. It was a very dark grey with a light grey interior and it had one very rare feature: the matte interior trim. I thought that made the interior look ten times better, because it didn’t appear nearly as dated as the glossy stuff in the overwhelming majority of these.
Look at that comfy backseat.
I love the matte wood grain here; it just makes it look so much more modern.
After I managed to finagle the keys, I sat inside and enjoyed Lexus’ just-right ergonomics. The seats weren’t as adjustable or complicated as the Multi-Contour ones in the BMWs I’d had, and yet they just felt nice. Beyond that, everything was incredibly well put-together. The buttons had a high-quality glittery-grey finish and looked as new as the day the car had rolled out of the Tahara plant. The interior surfaces were unreasonably immaculate and gave the car an appearance of being babied for all of its 108,000 miles.
I started the car up and was pleased with the sound coming from its 4.6-liter V8…which was none. The cabin was that well insulated against noise. On the road, the suspension seemed well-dampened, but comfortable, and it handled quite well for what it was, without all the trickery of air suspension (optional on the LS, but not equipped on this one) or pricey active roll bars. I decided I liked it and circled back to the dealership to work out a deal. We settled on $18,000 or thereabouts, and the LS 460 L was mine.
As I’m sure you folks have noticed, most of my stories seem to have more excitement around acquiring the car than actually driving it (I really should just go ahead and start a car dealership of my own) and this will be another of those.
At one point, this was my driveway. Briefly. The Town Car and XJ were prior COALs.
A few days later, I noticed a suspicious puddle in the driveway, and took it straight to the Lexus dealership, who promptly gave me a loaner (a new ES 350, gosh, I love those folks). They told me the valley pan gasket was leaking coolant, and then showed me where said coolant had leaked alongside the transmission bell-housing. My service advisor told me that it was a very common maintenance item on the Toyota V engines at that mileage.
My service advisor also told me that the reason my interior looked so clean was that the car had gotten the entirety of its interior replaced under an extended campaign in 2021 at that dealership, just the prior year. Several mid-aughts Toyota and Lexus products are susceptible to an issue wherein large panels will begin to melt and go tacky. It’s like the sticky-button issue that plagues some contemporary Mercedes-Benz, Fiat, Maserati and Jaguar products…but turned up to eleven. Anyway, the interior looked new because it was new. Good to know.
Sticky dash. Ick.
What seemed unreasonable, and the reason I didn’t have the car fixed at the Lexus dealer. was their $2,800 repair bill. I took it to a local independent who specialized in Toyota and Lexus products, and they got the job done for a third of that. I had to take it back twice because they inadvertently damaged a fuel rail in so doing, causing the car to have a vapor leak that permeated the cabin.
Sometime here, I learned something I didn’t previously know. The AWD LS 460 was down about 26 hp to its RWD counterpart. Both had the 4.6-liter 1UR-FSE V8, featuring both port and fuel injection, but the RWD’s was tuned for 386 HP, while the AWD had 360 HP. If the LS is anything like the contemporary N-platform IS and GS, AWD ones also have entirely different floor pans. Furthermore, in some markets, such as the Middle East, the LS 460/L got the 1UR-FE engine, which lacked the direct fuel injection. This is the exact same engine that’s in the outgoing GX 460 (301 HP) and that was in versions of the prior Tundra and Sequoia (310 HP).
A 2UR-FSE engine, undressed.
Shortly after that, the car began doing something very odd, which was vibrating quite noisily whenever the transmission was in gear. I didn’t realize it until it started in earnest because the Jaguar that preceded it wasn’t nearly as refined in the first place, but it had been doing it the whole time. It just got louder and far more noticeable. My first thought was motor mounts or transmission, and the cheapest of those to solve was definitely the transmission mount, and I could do it myself. Little did I know that the AWD one had a completely different transmission mount, which made a huge difference. It did not solve the vibration issue.
Once I got the quote for new motor mounts at $3,800 and it still might not fix the issue, I decided I didn’t love the car enough to fire the parts cannon at it. If I could have definitively known it would solve the vibration and gotten it done for less, I might’ve risked it. So, I sold it to a used car dealership for about what I paid. Well, I consigned it to them. It took two weeks before someone flew in from Kentucky and bought the LS and paid me off, and that was that.
I would own another LS 460L—perhaps with just RWD—but I’m highly interested in owning the LS 600hL. That one seems like an interesting experience, and I’d love to see what it’s like.
Ive thought of getting an early Lexus but the fuel bill would be a killer here,
Some have had all the Lexus removed and other ideas substituted like the LS400 I was behind at a traffic light recently on the floor and making brapp brapp noises, LS400s fell thru the bottom of the market some time ago, we have all the alternatives ex JDM and all the Toyota models with and without Lexus badging, Infiniti and Acura rebadges have made their way here too new or used? I have no idea from seeing them in traffic,
That’s a bit disappointing…
Clearly, high luxury cars have associated expensive repair regimens with their far higher complexity, a factor which comes into play frequently, even with Japanese makes, though far less so than with the German and “UK” (Indian/German) makes. The only way to own such cars is by leasing them. Personally am glad not to be obsessed with possessing these kind of automobiles, they are a lousy value and best avoided by those whose ego does not require owning one.
I do think people forget that even the mighty LS, at least at this point, is still an expensive car to repair.
You yourself have spoken of possessing Jaguars if I’m not mistaken… If someone can afford the cars and enjoy the purchase and ownership and overall experience of them, it’s more than a little presumptuous to assume it’s all merely “ego” driven. Some people just enjoy experiences and owning a luxury car can certainly be one. For others an expensive (to you) car is merely a drop from their bucket of money and a rounding error in their personal finances.
If people can’t afford the cars, well, then they perhaps should get rid of them, learn a lesson, and perhaps not indulge in them but that’s all really their call and their money. I have not seen Kyree complain about any financial aspect of his cars that I can recall. Lots of people “waste” money on travel or golf or football games or hookers or blow, Kyree and many others choose to make cars part of their budget; it all comes down to perspective and one’s own personal preference. Taken to its extreme, very few people really “need” anything more than a Toyota Corolla. Which itself, if new enough, would be considered a quite high end luxury vehicle in some other locales and cultures, never mind the Highlander or whatever it is that you yourself currently drive.
2 Jags as vintage cars to be re-sold, never as drivers. As to affording luxury cars? the wealthiest fellow I’ve ever known, whose mother was a Vanderbilt and could own anything he wished, drove a stripped stick-shift ’65 Falcon with R&H, no air, and wore khaki Dickies work clothes until he retired from practicing medicine at Bellevue in NYC in 1983, then he gave up driving. He felt no compulsion to show off and had no particular need for sybaritic experiences. Our newest car is a 12 year old xTerra, bought when our 230k mile ’98 Trooper got tired (burning oil) when my wife was on call as a rural Family Practitioner in rural Vermont.
My bad, I got the impression the Jaguars were regular drivers for at least some time from your prior posts. A car one names generally is not a short term investment.
“Had a ’62 Mk II 3.8 with a 4 spd. Navy Blue finish with red leather, a spectacular combination. A wonderful car to drive, we called him “Morse”. The problem was it needed a full and correct restoration, and with all that wood, leather and wool, all of which gave it the ambiance of a proper English library, it would have cost a fortune to refurb it properly, so it moved on. ”
And most would include Saab, BMW, and Volvo into the european “ego cars” grouping that you yourself have written about numerous times. A ’60s or ’70s Saab may not have been such necessarily but by the GM years they certainly were if that’s the working theory…
“The first car bought with my own $ was a ’67 96 3 cyl in 1971. Followed by a new ’73 99, 3 C-900s, a 9000, 2 9-3s, a ’01 9-5 Aero, and lastly a ’07 9-3 Aero wagon. Suffice it to say I have a pretty good knowledge of these cars. I’d love to own a last Gen 9-5 but am afraid of the parts situation.
GM never understood SAAB or their buyers, but the company was sucking air by ’90 and the C-900 was a very expensive car to build, untenable, but that’s why the doors would still opne after being dropped on it’s roof from 20 feet (shades of Eric Carlsson!), the real SAABs were safe, durable, and loads of fun to drive. We still have our ’87 900, and son’s have a ’82 900 Turbo, ’03 9-5 and the ’07 wagon.”
I’m not knocking the cars or your ownership of them, just the holier-than-thou impression you tend to give when suggesting that solely “ego” is behind the purchases of anything non-Japanese or non-American whenever someone else writes about them.
Goodness Kyree, you might as well start, not only a car lot, but a car review service as well. Appreciate the research, time and keystrokes you put into this!
Been a Lexus fan for a long time. Had a 2000 ES 300 for quite awhile. Parents bought it new and drove it sparingly. I inherited it in 2008 after they passed. Such a nice car. Only shop time it served was to replace a couple of coils. Was used to driving sporty cars and big floaty luxo cruisers. The Lexus was a nice compromise.
Latest purchase. Between a Honda CR-V and a Lexus ES. CR-V won for space and a little higher off the ground.
Keep up the good work, Kyree.
You really can’t go wrong with a CR-V!
Going to dealers and/or taking test drives is an unpleasant activity for me; this is probably why I keep cars a long time.
The internet helps a lot now-a-days researching cars and I try to stay up-to-date on what’s going on in the world of wheels, motors, and reliability.
But back in the early 1990s my easy access to a world wide network was mostly limited to Digital Equipment Corporation’s DECnet, a business oriented “instant” network. Not much new car data on that network.
Then one day I saw a TV interview of Bill Gates, and while it focused on his Information Highway thoughts and direction, a few shots showed him driving a Lexus LS400.
That’s all I needed to know; if I can ever afford a new luxury car, that’s what I’ll get.
Alas, other more affordable new car options reared their less-than-perfect heads and the results were predictably less-than-perfect vehicles.
I was wary of used cars; my early driving years had lots of troublesome used cars. My father also confirmed this caution as he was always working to repair the used brougham monsters my mother was fond of buying from used car lots.
His words stuck with me: ” There’s usually a reason someone has gotten rid of this car; if it was a great car they would have kept it.” .
Your LS460 L was beautiful, inside and out. Kudos to you for giving it a shot.
https://www.autospies.com/news/Bill-Gates-Finally-Gives-Up-His-1989-LS400-For-A-Taycan-And-Musk-Pulls-A-Trump-Style-Tweet-In-Anger-101557/
I had an uncle who I went to for car advice. In one year he would buy and sell more cars than I have in my whole life. One of his best pieces of advice was that you should always budget for one major repair if you bought a used car. If you did not have one you were ahead and if you had 2 you were unlucky.
“There’s usually a reason someone has gotten rid of this car; if it was a great car they would have kept it.”
Truer words have never been spoken. Always budget for some sort of repair on any used car older than 6 years, I always say.
Nice write up. I actually own a 2007 LS460 L that’s pretty much fully loaded with air suspension. It has around 152,000 miles on it now and I bought a little over 2 years ago now from a dealer as well.
I have to say, this has been one of the most comfortable, smoothest riding and powerful driving cars I have ever owned and I have owned many over the years.
With all the well known common problems that this generation of LS’s such as the control arm bushing failures, brake actuator, air suspension issues, oil burning on the early versions, my 460 has been flawless so far.
I do know that some repairs were made prior to me owning my car which has help matters out in my case, but in the 2 years of ownership, I still enjoy driving the car every day and it has been extremely reliable with just basic oil changes and regular maintenance items being replaced such as the brakes.. The engine and transmission is buttery smooth, the 4.6L V8 has loads of power for its size. The car is quick off the line and is sleeper.
The car rides like an old Cadillac or Lincoln from the 70’s especially with its air ride suspension in comfort mode.
With all the positive that this car has, they’re some pitfalls which I do not like about it. Yes, my car does have the sticky dash issue and sticky panels on certain parts of the interior, which does hamper the experience and perception of quality I have about the early 2007-12 models interiors. So you need to be somewhat extra careful on how you touch certain panels to help minimize scratches and finger nail markings. These marks are permanent and won’t come out.
In order to reduce some of that stickiness, I’ve been able to mitigate it by using certain vinyl and trim serums that soak into the material which helps smooth out the surface to prevent the stickiness almost like a barrier of some sort. Because I have the L model, the door panels are mostly entirely wrapped in synthetic leather like the arm rest, I don’t have the problem of melting issues like in the non L models, where the arm rest is that rubbery vinyl that is known to basically disintegrate and melt off like the dash panel.
Some small items just don’t feel all that nice to touch such as the window switches which are cheap plastic, some knobs and other things like the glove box has a poor fit in finish to it. It also doesn’t feel substantial at all for a flagship luxury car. The car is plagued with wind noise for some reason too.
But overall these are nice cars to drive and own. You just need to make you find one that has been very well maintained and taken care of. It’s best to buy ones that have ideally had the common problematic items replaced.
These aren’t the kind of cars you want to ever buy beat up and abused, they are far too high tech to buy used and think it’s a Camry that will go 300K miles with just regular oil changes. The control arms will be the most likely parts to fail and it’s a very expensive job to do.
Although I love my LS460 and probably will keep it forever just because it runs so well, it feels like a limo in the back seat with all of its features and massive amounts of leg room.
The LS430 is the better built, and constructed car. The quality is far better as well. I drove one recently and it actually drives smoother and is quieter than my 460.
The leather seats in the 430’s are softer and thicker. They have more padding for better comfort, and the car absorbs bumps and isolates you better than any new Lexus I’ve driven including my 460.
The LS 430 is certainly less troublesome than the LS 460/600hL.
I’m definitely aware of the XF40’s pricey control arms, and mine were probably starting to go. I believe Lexus superseded the original control arms with superior ones starting sometime in the late-2011-year production run, but there’s plenty of new-old stock of the bad ones, so you may even get the bad ones from a Lexus dealer. I’m told the aftermarket ones all fail and aren’t worth the trouble.
The AWD has different control arms in the rear that ultimately require an alignment after installation, so that’s another thing with which to contend.
Wow that car really speaks to me! Beautiful, though the ownership experience was not what you expected. I had that “sticky button” issue on the steering wheel in my 2000 S500, very annoying. I can’t imagine it being on all the larger surfaces. The 2007 S550 never had that problem. Maybe it bears relation to how often the buttons are used or touched? The 2015 X5 COAL I wrote up had sticky and worn steering wheel buttons, especially on the cruise control. The buttons are fine in my son’s 2015 328i GT and my 2018 740e.
I didn’t realize sticky buttons were happening as late as 2015, or on BMW products at all. Wow!
The ones in my ’16 535i were fine, as are the ones in my (practically new) ’22 X5, which was last week’s COAL.
I believe it may have to do with the prior owner’s personal care habits. Supposedly the MkIV era VW’s issues with their soft-touch button finish had a lot of issues due to moisturizers many owners would apparently use that “reacted” with the finish and caused it to wear very quickly, I believe GM had similar issues with some of their buttons in the later 2000’s, especially on the HVAC and door buttons.
Early Lexus LS 400s are seen in modified form quite a bit around here. Some are done to a high standard of quality, some are very rough. I’ve seen a few stance cars, lowered with the canted wheels. I don’t get that, it would seem to wear out tires rapidly. Some are just lowered with custom wheels. I saw one set up like a desert runner. Raised up with big off road tires. One thing that they all had in common, that Lexus V8 is loud when it’s uncorked!
Used cars are just that, used. I remember seeing a sign at a used car dealership on Mission Blvd in Hayward, (Hayward is the gravitational “Black Hole” for used car lots in the South Bay) “Everyone drives a used car!”
The longevity of modern cars is better than ever, and lower mileage, recent, models are usually a pretty safe bet. A buyer walks the line between the advantages of avoiding the big initial hit of depreciation and mileage low enough to ensure that the trouble free “new car” reliability can still be enjoyed for a few years more.
As new cars get filled up with all sorts of electronic controls and assists, it’s inevitable that as these cars age into used purchases, future buyers will have to deal with getting these systems repaired. That’s not a future that I’m looking forward to.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to find an LS 400 in unmolested form, true. I was looking just this morning, and most have been stanced or given unflattering paint jobs. It’s unfortunate.
I’ve had both LS400 and LS430 Ultra and they were of course spectacular. The 430 even had the radar cruise.
I’ve considered a 460 but have yet to pull the trigger. If I ever do I hope I don’t travel long distance to buy one with Thousands of dollars of vibration issues!
Oh I also had a 2006 XJ8, BRG of course, and it may be my most favorite car. The DID have air suspension, which never bit me. Same for the LS430 Ultra.
The later LS 430 Ultra Luxury often still transacts for above $10K. On one hand, that’s a testament to how good it is. On the other, that’s a lot of dough for a car that old and that dated. I’ve considered it, but never could pull the trigger.
As for air suspension, my ’04 XJ Vanden Plas was just awful; you read about that. My ’06 XJ Vanden Plas never had an air strut go wrong, although the prior owner had recently replaced all four, and the air compressor.
That “sticky dash” vinyl/plastic issue is a weird one I’ve never heard of until now. Will watch out for it because Lexuses have long been the one used luxury car I’d consider buying; maintenance/repairs on the European brands tend to get scarily expensive (I still really like some Audis though). I’m hoping the recent upscale Korean cars will have Lexus-like reliability. It seems though that even these have some common expensive failure points.
Oh, yeah, there’s plenty out there on the sticky buttons. Here’s someone dealing with them on a 2011-era (X351) Jaguar XJL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIEkbgI_fQI
Audi, you say? Stay tuned…
I’d never have thought to use makeup remover pads to fix this, although nail polish remover (a.k.a. acetone) has many well-known alternate uses.
My Dad bought a Genesis new several years ago and loves it- never a problem. If my DD Camry XLE was to ever break (which is seeming unlikely) I think I’d look at a Cadenza as a step up-
That’s a lovely car, Kyree, and I envy you the ownership experience. Well, the good parts anyway, not the tranny mount etc…
But really, the styling is just about perfect in my book; it started out good, got better with the refresh and frankly is more “germanic” in that aspect than most anything else Lexus has put out, either before or after. I’ve considered this vehicle myself and your spec is just about exactly what mine would have been, in the end I think I decided its fuel consumption aspect relative to the actual “need” I have for such a vehicle anymore didn’t make sense (for me, anyway).
What I’ve long found curious is how a Toyota and a Lexus can on occasion use the same engines, yet in the Lexus premium fuel would be “required” while in the Toyota regular was fine, even when outputs would be published as either the same or insignificantly different.
I won’t presume to think that you don’t actually enjoy the looking, purchase process, and then a generally relatively short ownership experience (it seems you certainly do), however if I’m mistaken here I’d suggest the next time force yourself into a minimum one week “consideration” period after any test drive. It does tend to often change one’s thinking and as a bonus if the car is still there a week later, frequently can lead to a better deal. And if it’s gone, then it wasn’t meant to be, usually it isn’t like it literally just arrived when you stumbled across it.
Thanks for yet another great read Kyree! I’ve found myself tempted by their generation of LS as we have a few 600hLs over here but of course the cost of entry is a lot more over here.
You make a pretty good point about how even a Lexus is an expensive car that will need fixing with expensive parts. Been fighting the urge to pick up a Toyota Celsior that needs some restoration, by telling myself that I can’t afford it right now and I’ve got responsibilities. Have gotten a bit burned in the wallet by the last couple of old cars so thinking of taking a break for now and focusing on what I have in hand. I recently re read our “contact avoiding” mutual acquaintance’s old piece about the million mile Lexus on TTAC to remind myself about parts costs for those
I have a 2005 330 s (the sedan). I found out that the 330 Lexus car built in Japan had a great reputation for lasting for many a mile. After 2006 Lexus cars are made here in the US. There is a lot if video on the internet regarding 500k Lexus cars. And some claim that these year Lexus to be among the most well engineered and reliable car ever made.
I bought a 2011 LS 460L in 2013. It was a two year lease return with only 25k miles on it. The Lexus dealership wanted $55k for it. I offered 50k for it, (financed), of course and it took them nearly a week to accept my offer. I was very surprised that they didn’t have any other offers. It still smelled like a new car and drove like one too. I currently have over 295,000 miles on it and is parked in the garage. I’ve only had two repairs that cost over $1,500 and has been worth it.
Timing sensor? And CV joint boots. I’ve driven it across country from the west coast to Minneapolis, during the winter and was pleased on how well it’s AWD handled on the snow and ice! Went out to start it on a cold winter morning of -28 degrees and started right up, while some poor souls were trying to start their vehicles. One disadvantage that I learned the hard way is, when the battery does die, like they all eventually do, it locks you completely out, because the door actuator does not get the necessary juice to open. The little metal, manual key does not work either. You must hire a tow company to come and use their tools to come and unlock the doors and then jump it.
I replaced the small battery under the hood with an RV/Marine battery and have a battery source that has lasted 7 years to date. My car is a little outdated, compared to the latest technology of today’s cars, but I’m still very pleased with it and the best part is, I’ve paid it off in 7 years, so it’s been cheap to drive for the last 3 years now.
I Have a 2010 LS460 AWD that I bought in October 2017 with 88,000 miles which had only been the original owner. It now has 178,000 on it and just had my 1st repair done on it. I was on my way home to Fort Meyers from Minneapolis when the rear suspension gave out which left it riding directly on the axle. Turned out to be an air line got a leak in it so the air pump continued running till it finally burned out. $4500 repair but in a 13 year old car I don’t think that’s too bad 🤔
Man I must be from mars. Everyone that owns a nice car doesn’t have an ego. If that is the case I and all my neighbors are assholes with nice homes and families and we are all egomaniacs for working hard enough to have nice stuff. Cars being one of those things. I enjoy the hell out of being able to drive the type of cars that I could only dream of as a kid. I enjoy the fruits of my labor. Some of us motorheads have grown up made money and now we drive nice stuff that obviously bothers some. But I don’t get the attitudes about nice cars, all these myths about maintenance. Cars come with warranties and there are enough specialists shops these days that nothing is impossible to maintain if you maintain it. Yeah my tires cost more than yours but who cares, I have 200 on the dash, my tires need to be able to handle that, it’s a given. Driving a nice car with safety and comfort features that you probably can’t imagine is out there makes every drive fun. No matter what I’m doing every time I get behind the wheel of my nice ass cars they do stroke my ego, massage my back, heat and cool my ass all while having enough torque horsepower and smoothness to pass you or to let my car automatically cruise in traffic jams while I’m chilling thinking damn I earned this! Every hard working person should own the car of their dreams at least once in this lifetime you will not regret it!
I like to think that that I am relatively knowledgeable about cars, but I had never heard of a valley pan gasket, so I learned something today. My excuse is that I have never owned a vehicle with a v-engine.