Expense of having a GS?
04-24-10, 02:01 AM
#16
@ TMF: Haha he lives about an hour away, so if I go over there to kick it or whatever it's best that I just stay the whole night and whatnot.
@ Rich: Thanks for the heads up bro, if I need anything i'll be sure to hit you with a PM.
Thanks for the info everyone I appreciate it. Sounds like it really won't be that bad once I learn how to do it all myself. I must say though.. I am really interested in the whole VIP scene and plan on doing small things to my car once I get it to put it out there. Curtains, one of those custom shift ***** from Garson or J.P., HID's, a fusa, and a few more 'small' things that are affordable for me atm, but will make my car look real nice.
I'm real excited to be going for this car and def. can't wait 'till I get it. Just a few more months of saving and you guys will see pics.
@ Rich: Thanks for the heads up bro, if I need anything i'll be sure to hit you with a PM.
Thanks for the info everyone I appreciate it. Sounds like it really won't be that bad once I learn how to do it all myself. I must say though.. I am really interested in the whole VIP scene and plan on doing small things to my car once I get it to put it out there. Curtains, one of those custom shift ***** from Garson or J.P., HID's, a fusa, and a few more 'small' things that are affordable for me atm, but will make my car look real nice.
I'm real excited to be going for this car and def. can't wait 'till I get it. Just a few more months of saving and you guys will see pics.
Last edited by LuxuryGS3; 04-24-10 at 02:06 AM.
04-24-10, 03:20 AM
#17
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OP, I'm in the same position you are and like everyone said here the parts aren't cheap but if you maintain the car regularly you shouldn't have any problems. Of course, check the car out fully before you buy it. I've been using ClubLexus as a source to find things out about my car since it last year, that site really helps. Bottom Line is the luxury is well worth the gas prices and the maintenance cost. 
04-24-10, 03:30 AM
#19
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^ That too! Especially once you see some of the concepts on here.
04-24-10, 07:21 AM
#20
I can't really speak for the GS300 (allthough the 2 Supras I've owned with similar engine have been a money pit) I can for the V8.
Our GS430 has been the least costly car we have ever owned in regards to repairs. I take excellent care of it and do all the proper maintance/flushes on a regular basis which probably has helped. Overall, the car has been a dream to own and I would not hesitate to buy another.
Our GS430 has been the least costly car we have ever owned in regards to repairs. I take excellent care of it and do all the proper maintance/flushes on a regular basis which probably has helped. Overall, the car has been a dream to own and I would not hesitate to buy another.
04-24-10, 01:07 PM
#22
Lead Lap
The current average cost for a 18 year old male in Texas to drive a 10-12 year old GS 12,000 miles per year is probably well over $5,000 not including the car's purchase price/depreciation but including maintenance, repairs, fuel, oil and insurance.
As of today, the current average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Texas is right at $2.70/gal. The GS requires premium fuel and many forecasts expect gas prices to spike upwards considerable this year as the world economy improves and demand rises. At only $3/gal for premium fuel, the annual fuel cost alone for 12,000 miles is about $1800 if you drive granny-like enough to average 20 mpg. I suspect premium fuel will be selling for near $4/gal. by the end of summer.
The cost of maintaining a GS is about the same as for maintaining an LS -- trust me, I've been driving these things since the beginning and have a CPA wife who harasses me about how expensive our Lexus cars have been to own. (Our current Lexus LS costs about 3X as much to run as our Camry.) Not including insurance, you will likely be substantially over $3000/year to run a GS -- even if you do some of the maintenance and repairs yourself. And I'm being very, very optimist.
Do you really want to try this on $12K after tax income per year?
As of today, the current average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Texas is right at $2.70/gal. The GS requires premium fuel and many forecasts expect gas prices to spike upwards considerable this year as the world economy improves and demand rises. At only $3/gal for premium fuel, the annual fuel cost alone for 12,000 miles is about $1800 if you drive granny-like enough to average 20 mpg. I suspect premium fuel will be selling for near $4/gal. by the end of summer.
The cost of maintaining a GS is about the same as for maintaining an LS -- trust me, I've been driving these things since the beginning and have a CPA wife who harasses me about how expensive our Lexus cars have been to own. (Our current Lexus LS costs about 3X as much to run as our Camry.) Not including insurance, you will likely be substantially over $3000/year to run a GS -- even if you do some of the maintenance and repairs yourself. And I'm being very, very optimist.
Do you really want to try this on $12K after tax income per year?
04-24-10, 10:42 PM
#23
The current average cost for a 18 year old male in Texas to drive a 10-12 year old GS 12,000 miles per year is probably well over $5,000 not including the car's purchase price/depreciation but including maintenance, repairs, fuel, oil and insurance.
As of today, the current average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Texas is right at $2.70/gal. The GS requires premium fuel and many forecasts expect gas prices to spike upwards considerable this year as the world economy improves and demand rises. At only $3/gal for premium fuel, the annual fuel cost alone for 12,000 miles is about $1800 if you drive granny-like enough to average 20 mpg. I suspect premium fuel will be selling for near $4/gal. by the end of summer.
The cost of maintaining a GS is about the same as for maintaining an LS -- trust me, I've been driving these things since the beginning and have a CPA wife who harasses me about how expensive our Lexus cars have been to own. (Our current Lexus LS costs about 3X as much to run as our Camry.) Not including insurance, you will likely be substantially over $3000/year to run a GS -- even if you do some of the maintenance and repairs yourself. And I'm being very, very optimist.
Do you really want to try this on $12K after tax income per year?
As of today, the current average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Texas is right at $2.70/gal. The GS requires premium fuel and many forecasts expect gas prices to spike upwards considerable this year as the world economy improves and demand rises. At only $3/gal for premium fuel, the annual fuel cost alone for 12,000 miles is about $1800 if you drive granny-like enough to average 20 mpg. I suspect premium fuel will be selling for near $4/gal. by the end of summer.
The cost of maintaining a GS is about the same as for maintaining an LS -- trust me, I've been driving these things since the beginning and have a CPA wife who harasses me about how expensive our Lexus cars have been to own. (Our current Lexus LS costs about 3X as much to run as our Camry.) Not including insurance, you will likely be substantially over $3000/year to run a GS -- even if you do some of the maintenance and repairs yourself. And I'm being very, very optimist.
Do you really want to try this on $12K after tax income per year?
04-24-10, 11:04 PM
#24
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Re:
I have had 3 lexus's in 18 months and the only problem I have had was waiting for the next service....I change everything when l do a oil change...trans drain and fill, diff drain and fill, power steering fluid drain and fill...it gets addictive
....
....I change everything when l do a oil change...trans drain and fill, diff drain and fill, power steering fluid drain and fill...it gets addictive....
04-25-10, 10:05 AM
#25
Lead Lap
You can compare relative fuel economy data for Lexus models of the same model year on the Lexus website. Over type the year and model in the URL to toggle between models and model years: http://www.lexus.com/contact/pdf/1999/1999GSspecs.pdf Amazing, isn't it, that the gen 2 V8 GS gets poorer gas mileage than a larger/heavier LS -- must be the gearing or aerodynamics. Unfortunately, the fuel economy figures on the Lexus website are optimistic -- 20 mpg overall on either a GS or LS is a reachable goal.
I've known many GS owners and LS owners since I bought my first Lexus LS over 20 years ago. We talk cars and compare notes. My next door neighbor bought one of the first Lexus LS in 1989 a few months before I bought my first Lexus LS.
Some of my information comes from looking at completed repair orders at independent Lexus repair shops owned by friends although I don't do that anymore. And my CPA wife and I have tracked every dollar spent on driving Lexus V8 cars 265,000 miles during the past 20+ years. I've tracked almost every gallon of gas I've ever put in cars and usually pass my log books on to the new owners when I sell cars.
We've spent right at $7,000 on repairs, maintenance and tires on the 2000 LS400 we purchased in 2003 at 38,000 miles and have driven to a little over 121,000 miles. Not included in that $7,000 are 12 engine oil (Mobil 1 synthetic) and OEM filter changes and some simple repairs (e.g. hood strut replacement, bulb replacements) I've done myself. I've kept the tire prices fairly low ($1,200 total since 2003) by buying name brand tires on sale or closeout -- usually from Tire Rack and more recently from Costco where I get a cash back rebate at the end of the year.
Almost all the non-warranty work on our Lexus cars have been done at independent repair shops that charge about 80% of what the Lexus dealer charges; most of my Lexus owning friends currently use the same indie Lexus shop I use. Except for having the transmission and differential fluid changed more often than recommended (every 30,000 miles), I follow the recommended maintenance schedule exactly. If you have a Lexus dealer service a car, they will often do all sorts of unneeded work to pad their profits.
The mechanicals of V8 GS and LS models of the same year are essentially the same and the costs of maintenance and repairs are very similar if not a little higher for a GS due to sometimes shorter spark plug change intervals. A 6-cylinder GS is slightly less expensive to maintain than a GS.
I certainly don't want to discourage people from buying and driving used Lexus vehicles -- they can be quite a bargain compared to comparable European cars.
I've known many GS owners and LS owners since I bought my first Lexus LS over 20 years ago. We talk cars and compare notes. My next door neighbor bought one of the first Lexus LS in 1989 a few months before I bought my first Lexus LS.
Some of my information comes from looking at completed repair orders at independent Lexus repair shops owned by friends although I don't do that anymore. And my CPA wife and I have tracked every dollar spent on driving Lexus V8 cars 265,000 miles during the past 20+ years. I've tracked almost every gallon of gas I've ever put in cars and usually pass my log books on to the new owners when I sell cars.
We've spent right at $7,000 on repairs, maintenance and tires on the 2000 LS400 we purchased in 2003 at 38,000 miles and have driven to a little over 121,000 miles. Not included in that $7,000 are 12 engine oil (Mobil 1 synthetic) and OEM filter changes and some simple repairs (e.g. hood strut replacement, bulb replacements) I've done myself. I've kept the tire prices fairly low ($1,200 total since 2003) by buying name brand tires on sale or closeout -- usually from Tire Rack and more recently from Costco where I get a cash back rebate at the end of the year.
Almost all the non-warranty work on our Lexus cars have been done at independent repair shops that charge about 80% of what the Lexus dealer charges; most of my Lexus owning friends currently use the same indie Lexus shop I use. Except for having the transmission and differential fluid changed more often than recommended (every 30,000 miles), I follow the recommended maintenance schedule exactly. If you have a Lexus dealer service a car, they will often do all sorts of unneeded work to pad their profits.
The mechanicals of V8 GS and LS models of the same year are essentially the same and the costs of maintenance and repairs are very similar if not a little higher for a GS due to sometimes shorter spark plug change intervals. A 6-cylinder GS is slightly less expensive to maintain than a GS.
I certainly don't want to discourage people from buying and driving used Lexus vehicles -- they can be quite a bargain compared to comparable European cars.
04-25-10, 11:09 AM
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04-25-10, 02:39 PM
#28
Mortgage Slave
2001 GS300
They're not too bad on maintenance. I purchased mine about 4 months ago and had the major service done along with fixing the VVTi cam gear seal, replacing all engine seals and mounts and all pumps. Should last me a very long time
We'll see though, I've covered just under 10,000km in 4 months (that's a LOT for Aussie standards, dunno if it's the sames overseas) but during the short time I've owned one they're great.
04-25-10, 11:25 PM
#30
This mad me lol IRL.
As far as everything else thanks for all the info and help guys.
@ Kansas: I appreciate all your statistics and deep info on the car and what it could possibly run me. You're not discouraging me at all tbh, just giving me the info on what's real about the car and how much I should be ready to possibly throw out there if I do get it. I'm still planning on getting it though. This car is like the love of my life, lol.
I was looking at a few of the DIY threads and i'll try my 'best' to do some things myself. I'm a huge noob at all this like I said. I might get my grandpa to help me on a few things. Either him or my uncle. (G-Pa owns a BMW and Uncle owns Benz) So they should have a little experience in DIY.
Thanks again guys I appreciate it! I know I won't regret getting this car.
Except I might
a bit whenever I have to fill up my tank, haha.
~Daniel~
As far as everything else thanks for all the info and help guys.
@ Kansas: I appreciate all your statistics and deep info on the car and what it could possibly run me. You're not discouraging me at all tbh, just giving me the info on what's real about the car and how much I should be ready to possibly throw out there if I do get it. I'm still planning on getting it though
. This car is like the love of my life, lol. I was looking at a few of the DIY threads and i'll try my 'best' to do some things myself. I'm a huge noob at all this like I said. I might get my grandpa to help me on a few things. Either him or my uncle. (G-Pa owns a BMW and Uncle owns Benz) So they should have a little experience in DIY.
Thanks again guys I appreciate it! I know I won't regret getting this car.
Except I might
a bit whenever I have to fill up my tank, haha. ~Daniel~