Hi all:

I have a 99 GS4 and a dying 92 Nissan MaxSE as a second car. I'm thinking about replacing the Max with a 1st gen GS.

Could you all give me some good advice on what to look out for in a 1st gen GS, pros and cons? Also, I need it to be quite reliable and good in winter weather as my 99 stays in the garage from Dec to Apr.

Basically I'm deciding between a 1st gen GS or a 4th gen Max (95-99 body style).

I'd really appreciate any and all good advice so I can make a good decision.

Personally I really like the 1st gen GS but it's quite a bit more expensive than a younger Max so I'm hesitant. Also worried about repair bills racking up on an older car, but maybe you can convince me otherwise!!!

:-)

Many many thanks to all in advance,

Paul

99 GS400 BLACK ON BLACK

 

These cars are freakin solid. no problems at all. just change oil and pump fuel and go.

i'm a little tired now so i'm not going to go in details of pro's and con's and what to look out for. but just for your info this is a rear wheel drive car that is not that great in winter. i've taken my car to the snow 1 time and it wasn't even snowing and it was pretty scary.

 

I love mine, and what sets it apart from other cars is that the design is timeless. You may get the same amount of compliments in a first gen as in your 99. I would make sure you get all of the keys, or make someone compensate you. Also, the trunk shocks and hood shocks tend to go out quickly. Besides that, I have 120,000 + miles with no problem. Now that is solid craftsmenship.

 

First off thanks for the info Jmai and Seminole.

Being a Lexus, I'm expecting the solidity you guys are talking about from the 1st gen. I'm glad to hear that you've only had to do minor repairs and that's it. BTW, I'm also specifically worried about: exhaust corrosion, premature brake wear (a usual problem with Toyotas), and brake and fuel line corrosion.

OTOH, I'm a bit afraid of the winter weather issue. I have to contend with snow quite a bit and I guess I was hoping the traction control would do the job. Are there any others on the board who would think twice about using the 1st gen GS3 as a winter car?

And BTW, I totally agree with the timelessness of the design. The 1st gen is a beautiful car, it's what a classic sedan/luxury saloon should look like. I wonder what the ES designers are thinking about these days. (I'm really sorry latest ES design drivers but it's just not to my taste.) They should just use the 1st gen GS3 as a model for future ES's.

That said, even though I may love the looks, if it's impractical I don't think I can take it on. I'll just have to suffer the indignity of having only a 99 for summer driving and look totally uncool in the winter in a 4th gen MaxSE!



Thanks again and hope to hear from some more of you,

Paul

99 GS400 BLACK ON BLACK

 

That's a good question about traction control. I don't have it on my GS and I'll tell you last night it was raining and I was taking a long curve at 35-45 mph and the back end went loose. I had a full tank of gas, too, so that extra weight was in the back.

You guys with TC think I could have left the gas down instead of letting off, assuming I had that option?

I'd rather have front-wheel drive in winter conditions; I live in Dallas so winter's not a big deal.

 

same here, the one time i took my car to the snow it don't have traction control eighter. remember this is a heavy rear wheel drive car.

 

with a little under a 130,000 miles on it. Had my friend do a 120k service (got a discount...he's an actual certified lexus mechanic) Only problems that I had was a bad 02 sensor and that was it. Other than that, no issues whatsoever not even a minor thing such as alignment...Well that's my experience! Just my 2 cents!

Regards,

-Seize

 

Hey guys:

Just wanted to thank you for your input.

Since I still have some time before the winter (when my 92MaxSE goes to pasture ;-) I'll continue to think about it.

But with your advice, I'm leaning away from the GS3 due to the rear wheel drive in the winter issue. I know that my 99 is apparently quite awful in the winter from others (as I don't dare drive my baby in salty snow)! It doesn't surprise me that a heavy rear-wheeler like the 1st gen GS3 has the same traits.

I'll have to put my thinking cap on though cuz I'm not thrilled with the 4th gen Max. In fact, I don't like it. Only looking at it because it's front wheel drive and has enough luxury with a stock 3 litre 6 for a reasonable price (around $10k or less). Maybe you all have some other ideas?

Thanks again and drive safely,

Paul

99 GS400 BLACK ON BLACK

 

why not an audi quatro try the 1.8 or 1.8t.