Max4Speed

Hi All,

A friend of mine is looking to get a 98 GS400 and was wondering if there are any kind of issues he has to be aware of? I know 98 540i had alot of issues so wanted to clublexus's opinions. Please post here goods or bads and how much I should expect to pay for a 98 gs with 60k miles.

Thanks

koreanpers

Hi! We have both a 525i and the 98 GS400.

First of all, let me say that the bmw's come with excellent handling in the stock form.

The GS400 does not. It is a more soft and floaty ride. However, this can be fixed relatively inexpensive... adding performance sway bars.

The only other major concerns are the headlights (which can fog up w/ moisture) and the rough idle which some cars have. Some cars have the above 2 problems, some dont. Its not model year specific either. Our car had the moisture problem, but it is more a nuissance than a problem i guess. Plus our car is out of warranty so Lexus would not cover it. However, i did write a letter to the President of Lexus US operations and i did receive a $500 service credit

As for repair rating, I believe Lexus ranks 1st in quality in the luxury catagory. BMW does not.

We love both our cars. Obviously our bimmer is the v6 and the lexus is v8. I have not driven a 540i...so i cant compare power wise. BUT on reviews that i have read, i believe the GS4 is faster in 0-60. Dont quote me on it.

As for pricing...is he/she buying from a dealer or private party? Since it is obviously out of the factory warranty, either will do. However, i believe if it is sold by a lexus dlr, it might come with an extended warr.

We bought ours on autotrader.com. I found it in PA. 98 GS4 w/ 33k miles. We got ours for $22500. I talked the guy down from $25000. It had factory HID (which i highly recommend), heated seats, nakamichi sound, factory 6 disc changer, fog's, moonroof, and vsc.

Hope this helps.

koreanpers

also, go to kbb.com (kelly blue book) and they will give you a good estimate of price)...

Max4Speed

Thanks for the DETAILED reply.

Question

- If it doesnt have factory HIDs, how hard is to swap the 02 GS headlights to get crystal lights?

Thanks!

koreanpers

hi, so do are you asking that if it doesnt have the factory hids, how hard is it to put the 2002 factory hid lights on the car?

You would have to have the complete harness, hids, ballasts, etc. You have to take off the front bumper to remove the headlights. I believe that it is not that hard to remove the front bumper. there is a diy on how to take the bumper off. However, i am not a body shop expert, and i have not tried removing the bumper either

Also, i dont know if it is a simple plug and play since the original car was not set up for hids.

HoracioGS4

a friend of mine just bought a 99 GS400 with 50,000 miles on it for $23,000. I bought my 98 GS400 back in 2001 with 34,000 miles on it for $28,900. Up to this date (currently 68,000 miles) the car has had no problems, only changing the brake pads, that's it. You can't go wrong with a Lexus, like Koreanpers stated, quality is number 1.

Max4Speed

Thanks for the responses guys. Lets see where this deal goes. If he doesnt get it I might jump on the deal.

maxi-milli

Max4speed, whats up man, Its Maxi-milliyon from the Max. org. I havent seen you guys for a while cause I sold the 97 max and bought a 99GS400. I miss my max because it was trick out but I really love the GS. The power is amazing. Can't wait to start moddin. Stay in touch.

Max4Speed

Wats up man! How do you like the GS compared to the max? Also what about the maintanance costs?

maxi-milli

Its nice to hear from you man. I don't really know to many people over here. Bu yo the GS is sick. Do your self a favor buy the GS400 other than the 300 you or your friend will not regret it. Maintenace can be a little price if you have a Lexus certifed pre own cause you have to go to the deal. I havent had to bring it to the shop yet But It will not cost as much as a germany repair bill by far. The car is one of the most reliable cars on the market. Like they said before, moisture in the head lights, and horrible handling. But we been through the horrible handling part with max when it wasn't dropped (Dunn buggy mode). Sorry to say the max cannot and will never compare to the GS, but I still love the max though . Dame is nice to hear from a familar face.

maxi-milli

Did custommaxima ever get them projecter headlights ready for sale. Or are yall still waiting. I have seen pic over here, cats are putting projector from a new Q45 in to the GS. It looks so sick.

Max4Speed

Not yet. I think he is still working on it ;-)

I would like to see the Q45 projectors on GS. Any pics?

maxi-milli

Max try to do a search and type in Q45 head lights.

ivesGS400

I bought my 98 GS400 about 2 years ago. It had about 50,000 miles and I think I paid like $27,000 for it. Since then I've put on about 70,000 miles and only maintenance has been oil changes. I think I'll get the tranny serviced and radiator flushed just as preventitive maintenance. But overall, I have never had such a trouble-free, reliable car.

Max4Speed

How is the gas mileage on these bad boys? City Driving? Highway driving?