1990 Lexus LS 400 with 332,000 miles featured in Consumer Reports
10-07-07, 07:23 PM
#1
Lexus Champion
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1990 Lexus LS 400 with 332,000 miles featured in Consumer Reports
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/lo...-9276018c.html
Couple gets the most of their ride
This story was published Sunday, October 7th, 2007
INGRID STEGEMOELLER HERALD STAFF WRITER
Keep the car happy, and you're going to be happy.
Those words of advice have helped guide Tom and Ruth Bushaw, whose 1990 Lexus sedan is still running smoothly with 332,000 miles on it.
The Kennewick couple's commitment to getting routine car maintenance also landed them in the October issue of Consumer Reports in an article about extending a car's life past 200,000 miles.
The Bushaws' Lexus LS400 was one of three reader cars featured in the article.
"Get things fixed as they crop up, even the little things. If it gets too expensive or too much of a hassle, then it's probably time to replace the car," Tom Bushaw told the magazine.
The quote is printed just below a photo of them standing by their white four-door. The picture also appeared in the table of contents.
"I was hoping Lexus would call and offer me a brand new car, but that hasn't happened yet," Tom said. "I thought it was kind of a neat thing to be in a national publication."
A subscriber to the magazine, he happened to see an ad for the story on the Consumer Reports website in June and decided to respond. He didn't think about it again until the magazine called him in July.
A photographer from Seattle then drove to their house twice to take pictures, he said.
Few people have commented on their national appearance, he said. But the couple did receive a letter from a friend in Texas, as well as a call from a man in New York who read the article.
Tom Bushaw bought the car in Texas 17 years ago when it was new.
Most of the miles came from commuting with Ruth about 70 miles to and from Hanford, where they work.
But the car has also seen some countryside.
Tom decided to take a trail through Canyonlands National Park in Utah when the car was 3 years old.
He got some funny looks from Jeep drivers he passed.
Another time, he and Ruth drove to Mount Adams to find a spot to pick huckleberries.
They took a wrong turn and ended up driving through some pretty big ruts, Ruth said.
"It's covered some ground but most of it was Highway 240," said Tom, who also writes Sudoku puzzles for the Herald.
The couple bought a Toyota Sienna minivan in 2003, which they started driving more than the Lexus because it has more space and better climate control.
"It's a really nice car," Ruth said of the Sienna. "But the Lexus still drives more smoothly."
Having a trustworthy mechanic is also important to keeping a car healthy, Tom said.
He takes the Lexus to Genesis Auto Inc., where Jeff Faries and Brad Solbrack work on the car.
Faries credits the good condition of the car to routine maintenance and Bushaws' driving style.
Commuting more than 20 miles is better for a car because it can warm up, he said.
Even though the Lexus spends most of days in the middle spot of the Bushaws' three-garage, the couple still takes it out to stretch its legs from time to time, Ruth said.
And Tom plans to take the car in Thursday to have a rattle checked out.
"If you just ... have the fortitude to fix the little rattle, then you catch things early," Tom said.
"Then you're driving a nice car that runs well and you're happy with it, and 17 years later, you're still driving it."
This story was published Sunday, October 7th, 2007
INGRID STEGEMOELLER HERALD STAFF WRITER
Keep the car happy, and you're going to be happy.
Those words of advice have helped guide Tom and Ruth Bushaw, whose 1990 Lexus sedan is still running smoothly with 332,000 miles on it.
The Kennewick couple's commitment to getting routine car maintenance also landed them in the October issue of Consumer Reports in an article about extending a car's life past 200,000 miles.
The Bushaws' Lexus LS400 was one of three reader cars featured in the article.
"Get things fixed as they crop up, even the little things. If it gets too expensive or too much of a hassle, then it's probably time to replace the car," Tom Bushaw told the magazine.
The quote is printed just below a photo of them standing by their white four-door. The picture also appeared in the table of contents.
"I was hoping Lexus would call and offer me a brand new car, but that hasn't happened yet," Tom said. "I thought it was kind of a neat thing to be in a national publication."
A subscriber to the magazine, he happened to see an ad for the story on the Consumer Reports website in June and decided to respond. He didn't think about it again until the magazine called him in July.
A photographer from Seattle then drove to their house twice to take pictures, he said.
Few people have commented on their national appearance, he said. But the couple did receive a letter from a friend in Texas, as well as a call from a man in New York who read the article.
Tom Bushaw bought the car in Texas 17 years ago when it was new.
Most of the miles came from commuting with Ruth about 70 miles to and from Hanford, where they work.
But the car has also seen some countryside.
Tom decided to take a trail through Canyonlands National Park in Utah when the car was 3 years old.
He got some funny looks from Jeep drivers he passed.
Another time, he and Ruth drove to Mount Adams to find a spot to pick huckleberries.
They took a wrong turn and ended up driving through some pretty big ruts, Ruth said.
"It's covered some ground but most of it was Highway 240," said Tom, who also writes Sudoku puzzles for the Herald.
The couple bought a Toyota Sienna minivan in 2003, which they started driving more than the Lexus because it has more space and better climate control.
"It's a really nice car," Ruth said of the Sienna. "But the Lexus still drives more smoothly."
Having a trustworthy mechanic is also important to keeping a car healthy, Tom said.
He takes the Lexus to Genesis Auto Inc., where Jeff Faries and Brad Solbrack work on the car.
Faries credits the good condition of the car to routine maintenance and Bushaws' driving style.
Commuting more than 20 miles is better for a car because it can warm up, he said.
Even though the Lexus spends most of days in the middle spot of the Bushaws' three-garage, the couple still takes it out to stretch its legs from time to time, Ruth said.
And Tom plans to take the car in Thursday to have a rattle checked out.
"If you just ... have the fortitude to fix the little rattle, then you catch things early," Tom said.
"Then you're driving a nice car that runs well and you're happy with it, and 17 years later, you're still driving it."
10-07-07, 08:30 PM
#5
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There is nothing really impressive about a 1st gen LS400 going over 300,000 miles. Honestly, this type of mileage from the 1st gen LS400 should almost be expected, given how reliable the car is. Also sounds like the owner of the car has mostly done highway driving on it.
If this was an article about an LS400 with 600,000 miles that drove through all kinds of weather and on all kinds of roads, it would be a different story.
If this was an article about an LS400 with 600,000 miles that drove through all kinds of weather and on all kinds of roads, it would be a different story.
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10-07-07, 09:40 PM
#9
Super Moderator
I remember a few years back at my wonderful local Toyota dealer, Toyota Interlomas here in Estado de Mexico just west of Mexico City, someone had a nationalized 1991 LS400 and that had about 3xx,xxx miles from what I remember. What amazed me more is that Toyota opened its doors only in early 2002, so this guy had really been taking care of this vehicle (or perhaps it had been taking care of him). Only thing I remember was some issue with the wheel bearing and brakes, and he had ordered the parts so that Toyota could fix it for him.
10-07-07, 11:38 PM
#10
Moderator
10-08-07, 05:55 AM
#12
Lexus Champion
I don't understand why 332,000 miles is exciting unless it has done so with almost non-existent maintenance and repairs. I personally have more friends than I can count on two hands with various vehicles (mostly domestic trucks, actually) that have anywhere from 250,000 to 500,000 miles and are still running great on the original motor, transmission, and most other original components for that matter. It's really not an uncommon ordeal. And best of all, they usually barely did more than occasionally change in some cheap oil and other fluids... none of them spent much money on maintenance. And when they do break something - it's usually cheap and easy to fix, too.
Maybe the LS400 is unique to high end luxury cars since most of the comparable Cadillacs, Benzes, and BMWs would have had several expensive to fix problems by now (not that the Lexus they're driving probably hasn't cost 15-20 thousand dollars in maintenance by now if they've followed their Lexus dealer's guidelines).
Maybe the LS400 is unique to high end luxury cars since most of the comparable Cadillacs, Benzes, and BMWs would have had several expensive to fix problems by now (not that the Lexus they're driving probably hasn't cost 15-20 thousand dollars in maintenance by now if they've followed their Lexus dealer's guidelines).
10-08-07, 11:15 AM
#13
Lexus Champion
I think that white LS had only around 450k miles or so, as this is what the salesman said when I was there last year.
Nevertheless, it's still impressive for a car that looked almost like a brand new car in that showroom.
Jon
Nevertheless, it's still impressive for a car that looked almost like a brand new car in that showroom.
Jon
