lexsee

ok guys/girls, i have around 10-11k to spend on a car now.

would you a: get a ls400 93-96 with 90-120k miles
or.....
a much newer and less mileage corrolla or civic????

im leaning to the ls400 cuz i here from everyone the reliabilty and smoothness/quietness

please give me some pros and cons for you owners out there. thanks

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Depends what uses and qualities you desire in a car.

As a commuter plenty of FWD sedan choices that are lower mileage and with updated safety equipment. The Corollas are nice and I rented an S variant a bit back. Had all the basic features and was great with gas. ~35 MPG I recollect. You are leaving out choices like Avalon, Camry, Maxima or Altima too.

As nice as a Lexus is, if you cannot obtain detailed service records, I'd be shy of buying one in the 100K mile range.

unrealii

I would definitly go in the middle of your choices and go with a camry, altima, or maxima. You can get a year 2000 maxima for that price range. Maxima already has a lot of stuff standard like 4 wheel disc brakes, abs, remote entry, and v6. If you spend a little bit more you can get a 2001 maxima which adds steering wheel audio controls and an auto dimming mirror. But in my opinion, 93-96 is in the 10 year mark which is pretty old. If you can find a 96ish in good condition jump on it, but keep in mind there may be a few parts which need replacing and everything on a car starts to wear out. Dont forget these cars have timing belts, so that should be something to consider when buying a high milage ls.

usermel

Yo man, have you thought of a 1997-1999 ES300, they may range retail between $11,000-$16,000. I know you didn't ask about the ES300 but that was my first Lexus and one of my favorite ones. So reliable, i mean mucho grande reliable. Its the only Lexus i never had a problem with, and a typical conservative car buyers choice. Just a thought, you will also save on maintenance and repairs that will pop up. Good shopping whatever you decide. The ES300 is a car a person who can afford to buy bigger buys at times for the issues i mentioned, and they know also cars are depreciating items. So why spend so much, i wish i kept my ES300, the LS services are pretty up there. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME.

lexsee

how does the es300 stack up to the ls400?

is it as quiet.
as smooth.
same reliablity?
accelaration?
fit and finish?

GRAND_LS 4

iTrader: (2)

$11K will get you a nice 96 with 85K. make sure you go for the 95+, theres a big difference.

The difference between an LS and ES is approximately the difference between a corolla and an Avalon.

Lexusfreak

The ES is a very solid & reliable car (were basically talking a Toyota Camry dipped in GOLD here ) However the ES shares only about 25% of the Camry's components & the rest is all Lexus. Before the RX came along, the ES was the best selling Lexus model & there was a very good reason.......overall value! & the car is a fantastic ride.......a baby LS if you will.....something to seriously consider in this members opinion. The LS is georgous no doubt......just a tad thirsty & big for my tastes.

lexsee

so the es is to the ls what a corolla is to a avalon????

thats a huge diff.

so the 95' and up is way better then 94 and down?
give me some reasons please. and the changes that were made.
thanks for the replys guys.

GRAND_LS 4

iTrader: (2)

Yes sir. The LS was redone in 95.. some engine upgrades, major breaks upgrade, interior upgrade ( dash and console layout was completely changed, looks very much like a 3rd Gen) Exterior upgrade... pretty much everything you see was changed.

Im not exactly sure on ALL the changes but some include…

Redesigned better front and rear headlights with integrated foglights
Dual climate control zones
CD changer is in the glove box
Seats are different
I think the subwoofer diameter increased by 2 inches
Wheels

too many to mention, check out ebay and look up a 94 and a 95 and check them out for yourself.

if you have a specific difference questions, let us know... its just that the entire car was upgraded, its too much to list everything.