Warhawk

Howdy, I'm in the market for a second car and a Lexus is leading the pack right now. I've been reading up on the forum and have learned a lot.

About me and my needs in a car:
- I already have a 2001 Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 that I'm keeping.
- I am 47 years old, 5'10" and about 240 pounds.
- I drive about 1000-1200 miles per month for work.
- I drive about 20K per year total.
- About once a month I do a 300+ mile trip for work.
- I very rarely have more than 2 people in the car.
- I am a long time fan of Toyota (and Honda) vehicles.
- I'm not afraid of a high mileage vehicle, if it's been well maintained. But I still don't want to buy anything with over approx 130K, as I will be racking up a lot of miles on this car.
- I have about $7500 to spend, and do not want to go over that as I don't want a car payment.

Questions:
- I'm trying to decide between an SC400 and an LS400.
- Will a man my size who is used to a pickup be able to get in and out of an SC400 without feeling like I'm rolling on the ground?
- I'm not a hot rodder and don't plan on making any performance mods to the car, how does an SC300 compare performance wise to an SC400. I don't mean drag strip times, but real world performance.
- As much as I would like an SC, I wonder if an LS400 would be a better choice?
- How does an Infiniti Q45 compare to an LS400?


Thanks

RedPhoenix

iTrader: (10)

im 6'1 240lbs, i have no problem with the SC.

2JZ_SC

I'm 6'1 250 and drive my SC 50 miles a day with no problems.

iasc300

iTrader: (1)

Hello and welcome to ClubLexus-
"Will a man my size"
Well it will be a big change from a pick-up to a 2-door coupe- I have given my father multiple rides in the sc and he always complains about getting out-he is 55 and about 250 granted he has back problems-

"I'm not a hot rodder and don't plan on making any performance mods to the car"
I would go with a 400 then- plenty of power if you dont plan on any upgrades performance wise-

"As much as I would like an SC, I wonder if an LS400 would be a better choice?"
Depends on what one you like better-

Warhawk

I'm going to have to find a cooperative dealer that has one of each (SC400 and LS400) on the lot and take them both for a spin.

Can anyone shed any light on the real world performance difference between an SC300 and an SC400? I'd hate to pass up a nice SC300 if there isn't all that much difference.

my_shaldan

iTrader: (4)

send me $6500 and i will ship you my sc300 to your front door

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=305096

aznxenon

the LS is more for old people. There I said it.

na4now

LS is a nice car, too. Id go for a SC400, if I were keeping it stock. For $7500 you can get a SUPER clean one, if you shop.

Btw, Im 6'2" and 200lbs, and I have no problems fitting in the car.

Dx3

iTrader: (13)

Personally, I think you would be more comfortable in an LS400. I have owned both so can speak from experience.

Jonny

DriftGirl

iTrader: (6)

I have to agree with Dx3. I currently own a sc3/sc4, but I daily drive an LS4

TRD_Power

For a daily get the LS400 hands down... I am about 195 lbs. at 6'4" and my head scrapes a touch in my '95 SC400, but it's not the best daily I could have chosen. You say you're not a hot rodder but the '98-'00 LS400s are actually faster than the SC400s (I forget if that applies to the '98-'00 SC400 or not) and that might get to you eventually. If you're looking for a more comfortable car, I say go for a GS or LS, if you want more of a sporty car and aren't worried about hauling people around, Get the SC.

EDIT: I just saw the price you're willing to pay. I say get an older LS400... Good luck on your search!

Fireblaze

You should have no problem getting in and out of the SC. You just may feel cramped because you are used to the spacious cabin of the pickup. I have the 300 and it provides plenty of power. Then again, it is manual which allows me to control where I am in the gearing. The con about this compared to the 400 is that you kind of have to hit higher RPM's to get some good power (TQ band i@ 4800 and HP @ 6000)

I would suggest to you a 400 as they are much torquier and allow you to cruise effortlessly. Also, the engine in the 400 is one of the most reliable engines ever made.

Let me put it this way: If you find a really clean 300, take it.
But... you may not enjoy it as much as the 400.
Still both are great cars.

As for the LS400, that is one of the smoothest cars ever made. I drive the 430 and the 460 and to tell you the truth, they are not as smooth. The goal Lexus was trying to achieve with their flagship model is comfort. If you do not care for sportiness as much, go with the LS. An excellent and reliable car as well.

Warhawk

I'm about 3 weeks out from having the cash in hand. If your car is still available then, we'll have to talk.

You seem to have worked with a lot of these cars. Is the 6 cylinder SC300 significantly easier to work on (under the hood) than the SC400? I do all my own work, so that's an important consideration for me.

Warhawk

I spent this afternoon out looking at cars. It being Texas and Sunday the car lots were closed, but I was still able to look at several cars and even caught the owner working at one car lot.

We also saw a lot of clapped out lexus's too. I can't believe people would spend that kind of money on a car and trash it.

When I have the cash in hand I intend to concentrate on private sellers, where I should be able to get a better deal.

The two nicest cars I found were:

92 SC400 Gold with 184K For $6000 ... I would never believe that this car has that kind fo mileage, it was immacule. No door dings, leather seats were perfect, etc. A far cry from the other 3 SC's we saw today.

92 LS400 White with 133K for $4500 ... Obviously a very well maintained car. The hood was popped on this one so I was able to look at the engine compartment, it was clean but did not appear to have been detailed. Beautiful car.

Another beautiful car I saw today was a 93 Mercedes 300CE 2 door coupe, this car is immaculate and has 97K for $11,900. I know absolutely nothing about these cars, but this one was a beauty.

The V8 seems to be a very tight fit in both the SC400 and LS400 models. I do my own wrenching ... how difficult is it to do routine maintenance, oil filters, spark plugs, etc.? I didn't get to look at the straight six in a SC300, but I suspect that there would be a lot more room in the engine bay?

I saw an awful lot of ES300 and GS300 cars. The ES looks like it's based on the Camry, and from what I've seen the GS seems to share the drivetrain with the SC, is this correct? I may want to expand my search to include the GS models, but the ES didn't impress me too much.

Warhawk

I'm really leaning toward the LS400, but the SC sure is a sharp looking car!

I'm going to have to go drive them both back to back and see which one is right for me.