Help To Make Up My Mind Please

[murph]

Hello

I am very happy with my 1996 LS400 at present and am currently trying to repair and sell some of my other cars to maybe get another Lexus.

So here is the area I need your advise, do I buy an LS 430 with high miles (over 100K) or do I buy one of the last LS400's with low miles?

My gut feel is to go for the LS430 as it's the later model and the LS400 is looking a little dated in comparison. I do plan on doing about 35-45,000 miles a year.

Many thanks in advance for any of your thoughts and advise.

MURPH

[MrADeveci]

Although it could be argued that 100K is not a lot of miles for a 4.3 lex ...... I wouldn't like to buy one with that many miles.

I would however chose the 430 over the 400 ............

[chips229]

Hi,

Its six of one and half a dozen of the other

I really do like the mk4 LS400,but ive read on the US forums that there seemed to be alot of problems,but again the guy could just be to fussy or have bought one which hasnt been looked after that well.

From what ive seen if your going to buy a updated version of a model,new shape etc secondhand then id not buy one sold in the first year as most of the time there are still small niggles with them.That a year later after customer feedback and from what they have had to replace warranty wise they tend to uprade and fix any high wearing parts.

The engines are pretty much bullet proof on all the models.

I would have a bit of a longer think about which model your going to buy,because the way the petrol prices are going up they wont be able to give them away soon :D

Chips..

[Kazi]

The 430 gets my vote. High milage on a car that has been serviced well should be fine engine wise. (In theory of course)

And as you point out, the LS400 are looking a bit more dated. You may feel that getting another 400 is not much of a car change.

Good luck!

[jamesholden]

I would go for the LS430.

Toyota have always said that you should buy new with high mileage than old with low mileage.

My dad's got a MKIV LS400 with 160k on it and so far the only thing to go has been a backlight on one of the temperature displays for the climate control.

My theory and a few others has been, a high mileage car will have spent its life pounding up and down the motorway on nice smooth roads, a low mileage car may have been town pottered going over speed bumps etc which means lots of steering wear, lots of braking, huge amounts of gear changes and lots of short runs which are not good especially for big engines.

[maneesh]

One could also argue that a car that is at the end of it's model run (i.e. mk4 Ls400) will have had all the problems ironed out, compared to a car that had only just been introduced (i.e. early LS430) which may have initial bugs (and initial road testers did point out the 5 speed box wasn't good enough for that car - so Lexus changed it to 6 speed in 2004 facelift).

[murph]

Thanks for all of your feedback, I do seem to have a lot to consider!

I will still keep the LS400 and give to my wife to use.

I have added a post to find out what the differances are between my Mk3 and the Mk4 which I hope will help me further consider buying a last of the model with all bad points sorted out or an early new model with high miles and maybe a few bad points (all relative as we are talking Lexus I know)

All the best

Murph

[Monster-Mat]

430 high miles every time

[Chris Skelton]

430 high miles every time

I must try driving one (430 high mileage) to see if the experience bears out the concept.....

any volunteers in Bristol area?