So, which do you think is harder on a car, the years or the mileage?
Assuming you find two pretty identical LSs, one 5 years older with 30,000 miles, and the newer one with 80,000 miles, all other things considered equal, which car would you rather have?

 

I tend to choose low miles over age - but miles and age only tell part of the story -

Cars age differently based on their environments - Age (years) affects the condition of almost every component most particularly plastics, leather, rubber, sheet metal and steel parts based on specific environmental exposures. But there are big differences in the environment a car is kept. For example consider a 5 year old LS430 parked and driven 24x7 on the street through five downtown North-side Chicago winters and summers - snow, ice, salt spray, blazing sun, heat, freezing cold, pollution, pot holes, lots of heavy stop and go traffic, etc. And then consider at opposite end of environment the same LS430 in Birmingham Alabama for 5 years parked indoors 24x7 in a suburban home garage and driven same miles but on smooth streets with rare heavy traffic. Those 2 cars after 5 years are going to have aged differently.

Same is true of miles driven based on who is driving - A car with 40k miles on it can have very different levels of wear on the suspension, trans, brakes, and motor based on how it was driven. if it was driven gently or if it was driven very hard. We have all seen d-bag aggressive drivers in cities - always on the gas, rabbit starts, then driving too close behind other cars, so always on the brakes, abrupt moves weaving between lanes like junior NASCAR bonehead. 40k miles of aggressive driver is very hard on the car.

 

I agree with you completely. I just bought a 77,000 mile '02 LS North louisiana car driven by a 60 year old woman. I keep thinking I could have gotten a higher mileage later model for the same money, but I believe I did the right thing. However, I like to hear others' opinions.

 

5 years, does it cross over generations, so a 04 430 vs a 08 460.. or 02 430 vs 06 430. Cross generation, its harder to compare as style, features etc come into play, but if same generation and no significant changes that are must haves, then I would in you example take the newer with more miles. Extra five years with such low mile seams the car is driven seldom and sits for long periods or, takes seldom short trips. Both of which are bad for the vehicle. A highway driven high miles vehicle is going to be much better than a low miles all local vehicle.

 

The problem is how do you really know as they can clean up pretty well on a dealers lot(anyone can tell ya they are driven by lil ol ladies all highway miles but the days of calling previouse owners are gone).

The benefit of buying FSBO. You can see the home meet the folks and see if they are kept up people and get records. If it still is under powertrain warrantee not have to worry they are selling it with problems. The 06 with powertrain warrantee left fits the bill but they are going fast. They would have to have a pretty late in service date.

 

I'd rather go for low mileage. I bought my 2001 LS from a 72 year old Japanese woman with only 35k miles. Here's a shot I took this past weekend because it was so hot out here