Quandry

Gentlemen,

First of all, let me comment that you all are true class acts. I've seen nothing but professionalism in most any of these posts, and truly applaud you all for helping one another.

Now, on to the the fun stuff (and important).

I was considering about 3-4 cars, a 98+ CLK430, 98+ 540i Sport, and a 98+ GS400. I, unequivocally, have settled on a GS400 for the blend I both "need" and want, of luxury, class, performance, and value.

Please do not take this post lightly, it will more then likely heavily influence the manner in which I go about purchasing my first luxury vehicle.

I HONESTLY need your professional opinions as my purchase will be happening very shortly

I would like your input on the following questions:

1) I clearly understand that 99s are considered to be superior to 98 GS400s in build quality and reliability according to the research I've done. Be that as it is, I'm asking the question

In general, what kind of mileage do you consider "trouble free" as I want to hold onto this car for at least a few years. I'm wondering, what kind of mileage can we expect to go to before a major issue (in general) arises. Please remember, this is in GENERAL (I am fully aware of the legendary Lexus reliability).

2) Is 25,000 for a 98 GS400 with 50,000 miles and Navi too much? I'm assuming it is at this point, merely because of the comments regarding the issues with the 98, and the fact that I've seen so many people on here fetch much better deals.

3) What do YOU think a good offer is (I've checked KBB, edmunds, etc.) on a 99 GS400 with 40k miles and Navi?

4) Warranties. I can't over emphasize this section, are Lexus warranties worth it? I ask this with extreme seriousness as I've heard FAR TOO MANY horror stories regarding semantics and loopholes of dealerships getting out of honoring warranties (the fine print, if you will). Thoughts on Lexus extended warranties?

5) My budget is in the 25k +/- 3-4 k range - I feel this is a very competitive amount of money to spend on a GS400, but I truly do want to know what I should be expecting for thatk ind of cash.

6) Advice, advice, advice. Just lay it on me. I've done my research but you never know what I don't know .

Very best wishes to you and yours,

Daniel

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

If the car is well maintained I wouldn't worry about it having 100K miles on it, seriously. The only down side to a Lexus with a lot of miles is stuff like stone chips, and worn leather.

Can't help you with prices since I'm not shopping.

I seriously considered getting an extended warranty, but I concluded it wasn't worth it. It's like insurance though, it COULD be worth it if something bad happens (tranny work, for example).

Good luck.

ebruce2

iTrader: (1)

warranty is DEFINITELY worth it. It's the best way to give one's self more of a "warm-and-fuzzy" feeling with your new purchase.....i.e. a sort of "cushion" against buyer's remorse. Lexus service is obviously not cheap.........i.e., the 60K mile service at my dealership is $895.00.

That said, you may want to take the VIN from the vehicle(s) you are considering and see if your local dealership will divulge whether or not the particular vehicle has been regularly and properly serviced. CarFax is nice, but it only tells you so much.

Did you use edmunds.com for your research?? If you didn't, definitely do so. They provide national averages for trade-in, dealer price, and private party seller for any vehicle detailed down to miles, overall condition, options, trim level, etc. Great place to find out what you should be paying.

Good luck.

D2-AUTOSPORT

I cant tell you much about pricing, but read this thread and see why you SHOULD get a warranty prefferably Lexus. My car is 7 yrs old and has 94k on the clock, and look at whatt I got!!
These cars are WAY to expensive to not have peace of mind. Happy Hunting!!

Tranny Replacement Thread

gs400998

My first Lexus was a pre-owned 93 LS400 with 54K miles. I traded it around 95K miles without a single problem. I bought my 99 GS4 with Navigation package earlier this year and expect my GS4 to be as reliability as my LS400. I expect many Japanese vehicles -Toyota, Honda, Nissan to be without major problems for the first ten years. I usually review the yearly reader surveys in Consumer Report and select my vehicles with higher than average rating.

What is a good price for a GS4? I would suggest to use the advanced search at autotrader and specify the maximum amount you are willing to pay, the mileage that you like for all areas.

Quandry

Amazing.

Keep it coming .

fireballs gs400

my gs400 is used, alot of highway miles. i purchased it about 18 months ago, i have babied the car, and taken great care. my car had a great lexus history and i have also kept it up as well. These are tanks and will last over 200k miles i would bet on it actually. warrenty is nice but is something really going to happen to it if you take care of it. good luck and great choice

Fa-suto

I agree with Bitkahuna, warranty is like insurance. You may or may not need it, but keep in mind nothing is cheap when it comes to replacing parts on a Lexus. Just ask everyone who has been in an accident.

Sorry I can't help you on pricing either, but if you scan the classifieds and dealerships on used cars you can probably get a fairly accurate average of cost based on options, mileage, year, etc. then compare that with Edmunds and KBB.

For comparisons, my friend had a used 98 GS300 that the transmission went out on him and he only had 68k miles on it. He bought an extended warranty that cost around $900 which pretty much paid for the $6k repair job. Again, I'm not saying it'll happen, but be prepare to spend a lot if it does if you aren't covered.

Good luck!

TidaLXWaVe

Any Gs you purchase, you will get more out of it than what you initially invested! Once you get your car though, the mod disease will strike you

Warranty is important! Because you are buying it used, you might know what MIGHT go wrong. If you have the warranty and your car is stock, all is well because they have to fix it and wont blame it on aftermarket parts. Glad to see your wise investment and be sure to take pics and post them!!

RIPP7399

bought a 99 gs about 3 months ago and think it was the best decision i ever made,
price wise cant help either.... dont mind saying i paid 25k for mine w/ 35k miles, and i have been extremely pleased with my investment.... looks, ride quality, interior everything has more than lived up to its reputation..... but be warned ......once you start MOD disease will consume you.. but that a good thing.. and the guys/ gals on this site are extremely knowledgeable in every aspect of GS's .... when you do purchase one... im sure you will..... run anything by these folks before you do it and just how much experience and info is thrown you way...... good luck on your decision

LexFather

I got a 98, bought it with 12k, it now has almost 112k. No major problems. I beat up my car, it just keeps going. 99s have much better option packages not to mention standard HIDs on the 400. BabyPowder has a 98, he got it with 50k I think, it's been perfect.

99 with 50K and Nav, 30k tops, IMO.

I had the 100k warrenty and it came out handy for a couple of things (mainly the pearl white paint problem, that the outstanding dealer Hennessy Lexus took care of).

Since most miles are hwy miles, the cars should be fine. Make sure they got their oil changed and maintenance.

SICK

mooretorque

Presumably you mean in terms of subjective enjoyment. Very few cars can be considered appreciating assets.

And Quandry, the odds are against you actually needing the extended warranty (the folks that sell these things aren't in the business to lose money, after all), but Fa-suto and ebruceii have pointed out what happens in the eventuality that you DO! You'll have to find your own comfort level there. (I might add that I'm on my 4th and 5th Lexus since 1991 and would never, to date, have used the extended warranty had I purchased one.)

Hameed

I went through the exact same process as you and I had the exact same set of cars as my choices.
I cannot comment on this as I bought a 99GS400
I don't think you have anything to worry about regarding reliability. My reasoning is very simple and straightforward.

This is my story -
Once I had decided I would buy a GS400 I searched the local dealers used inventory online and found one that had low miles (approx. 32K), was in my second choice color (alpine silver) and was bought at the same dealer and serviced by them on a regular basis. That was the clincher for me. The car was bought at the dealer back in 99 by a doctor and he traded it in late 2002 for a 2003 GS430. That was enough for me in terms of the assurance and guarantee that I would get a good car.

I did not even think twice about getting an extended warranty - I did not need it. Waste of money in my opinion.

Bottom line? I think if you did what I did - find a car that was sold by the same dealer selling it, you eliminate a lot of uncertainty and can save yourself some money by not buying the extended warranty. As another member suggested, it boils down to your comfort level. If you still feel you need the extended warranty, then by all means get it.

I know a couple of CL members that have racked over 150K miles on their 98 and they are not having any significant problems - just minor stuff.

Good luck with your purchase and please give us an update once you buy the car!!

LS4fun

Welcome to Club Lexus! I'm sure you'll enjoy your new purchase when you indeed do decide to take the plunge. Don't forget to take pictures when you do purchase it.

RIPP7399

definitely takes some pics.....