LiquidSmile

Hi Everyone,
This is my first post as I am moving on from the Jeep community to the Lexus country club I have helped many make decisions on Jeeps Unlimited , so I figured I would try the same on another forum.

I've always wanted a SC-400, but when I saw the New GS Lexus Come out I have wanted it since I first layed Eyes on it.

I am currently looking at a 1998 Lexus GS-400, it has 101,000 miles on it and is in excellent condition. The guy selling it wants 26K for it. Is this too much for the mileage? It is White with Gray Leather interior and has the Navigation package. Is there any sites that I could keep an eye on for a good deal.. One of my friends who is in the Auto market place says that this car is only going to be worth about 14K next year due to the high mileage.
I need some advice since I am Lexus Deficient.
Any Help would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks In Advance.

damnboy

Hi LiquidSmile,

26K for that is too much. I'll buy it only if it has under 60,000 miles. There isn't many good sites for used car. I get the most lists from www.autotrader.com You can give it a try there.
Wish your shopping go smooth~

DB

GS4Will

good advice by damnboy.....for the miles ~$20-22k

for $27k , i can get a ~60-70kmiles 98gs400

make sure you check:

carfax, service record, all the serial #s tag on the body panel

william

D-MAN63

god damn, 101000 miles? Where did he drive it too? If you are going to buy it, you should definately take the car up on a lift and have several mechanices check the in and outs.

damnboy

I recommend you be patient and keep looking. Maybe you can bring it to your local Lexus dealer for inspection and check out before you buy it, anyone done that before?

LiquidSmile

Thanks Guys, I'll keep looking. GS 400's are so hard to come by here (For a good price anyway) .

Three More questions for the Experts...

What is the difference between the GS-400 and the GS-430?

What is the big difference in Tailights between the 00's and 02's?

What are some features I should look for that I would not want to live with out or that you wish you got when you were Lexus Shopping?

I used to drive a 98' Cherokee with 33" tires so this is a whole different world!

D-MAN63

The only noticable difference engine wise is the torque. It increased by 15 lbs. Others are mainly cosmetic, like rear taillights, better/bigger nav screen.

The main difference in the lights is the 01-02 has a big red spot and the reverse light is now at the bottom, whereas the 98-00 the reverse light is in the middle.

The features depends on you. If you go to areas unfamiliar alot or are always getting lost (like me), you would rather have the navigation system. If on the other hand you are a music lover and like nice strong system, you would choose the nachamichi(but you can always upgrade your premium poineer to a much better one).

For the 01-02, I like that you can combine the nav and the Mark levenson stereo in one package.

LiquidSmile

OK, another dumb Question

I have the Alpine CVA-1005(Monitor that Folds out from the In-dash Deck)

I also have a DVD Player, and 12 Disc CD-Changer.

Would I not be able to use this if I have the Factory Stereo and/or Nav unit?

biggie27

if you have the flip out screen and all the necesaties for it I would suggest you get a GS400 without the Nav. since it would be cheaper and have that stuff installed on it, I would get rid of the 12-disc cd changer and get a small 6-disk changer to go into the glove box instead, since the stock one wont work with aftermarket stereo's

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Hey LiquidSmile,

Welcome to ClubLexus!

If you're available, you should come to our SE ClubLexus meet in Asheville, NC next weekend. You can check out many of the mods (and factory options) you'll read about on this board. Might want to check out Flow Lexus and Hendrick in NC; both of them have a decent stock of pre-owned GS400s.

Here's a link to more information -->Southeast ClubLexus Meet Details

Biggie's right on with the Alpine answer. Take a look at the Gallery GS section and you'll see several pictures of GS's with the same Alpine units installed.

Options I wish I had - most you can add aftermarket if you can't locate exactly the car with them.

1) Nav, but I'm adding an aftermarket head unit similar to yours.

2) Heated Seats. Some of the Premium package cars like mine didn't have these. Only occasionally (seldom) do I miss them.

3) 17" wheels. Lexus come factory with either 16 or 17. Chrome is an option on either vs alloy. I added these after I bought the car (anyone need a set of 16's ) IMO they look better, they definitely handle better. However they don't ride as smoothly as the 16's and tire wear is much faster on the 17's.

4) Factory spoiler: I aded this too, but adding at the dealer (vs from the factory) leaves the stupid rear deck 3rd brake light sitting up there as well, instead of a smooth rear deck.

Hope this helps - and we see you in Asheville!

David

LiquidSmile

Thanks For all the Help Guys! I might actually be in Asheville on the 19th since my Girlfriend is taking me up there to see the leaves change.. I might have to "Accidentally" stop by and check everything out.

bobma2c

Go to the Luxus USA home page and get a list of all Lexus dealers in a 500 mile area. Go to each website and search their used cars. The Lexus USA site lists only certified cars, so you need to go to each dearers website. It takes some work, but I just bought a 2000 GS400 for thousands less than the local dealer wanted for a 1999. I had to drive 640 miles roundtrip, but it was worth it. I searched the Lexus websites for about 5 weeks before I found the one I wanted.
Bob