Lexus LS400 Is One of the Most Reliable Cars From the 1990s

Stone Cold Reliable

Among the many automotive legends that have come to fruition over the past few decades, the Lexus LS is one of the more famous, and certainly one of the more notable debuts of brand and model that we've ever witnessed. The original LS - the LS400 - is also widely heralded as one of the most reliable vehicles ever made by anyone, and as such, it's not a huge surprise that it made the cost as one of Yahoo's most reliable cars from the 1990s, too. 

Photos: Lexus

Rare Deal

In a world where used and new vehicle prices have reached new record highs over the past few years, it's incredibly difficult to find a good, reliable, and affordably priced option of any kind. However, the LS400 is old enough that it has depreciated considerably, though lower-mile examples are still going for big money as surefire future collectibles. 

Photos: Lexus

Impressive Start

Of course, Lexus did a masterful job of marketing the LS400 from the start, with its famous champagne glass commercial, which touted the car's smooth operation. It was enough to cement Lexus' success from the get-go, but quite a few years would ultimately pass before everyone also discovered just how dead reliable the LS400 is, too. 

Photos: Lexus

Million Miler

Since then, we've seen many LS400s go the distance, whether that be hundreds of thousands of miles or even a million-plus. It's become somewhat of a game for YouTubers to buy up high-mile sedans and see just what has worn out or broken on them, and in the case of the LS400, that isn't much. 

Photos: Lexus

By Design

Of course, this was all by design, as Lexus placed tremendous emphasis on building a luxury sedan that could truly take the fight to its established European competition at that time. Then-Toyota president Eiji Toyoda famously asked his workers to create the best car in the world years prior to its development, and they certainly responded in a big way. 

Photos: Lexus

Long Test

Engineers even went so far as to form an "anti-aging team" that was tasked with inspecting used examples of cars and figuring out ways to prevent the wear and tear that they had experienced, which is quite impressive. Over years of development, the LS400 team built hundreds of prototypes, which were subjected to grueling testing in a wide variety of climates, too. 

Photos: Lexus

Still Holding Up

Toyota reportedly spent a cool billion developing the original LS, a car that's still celebrated as perhaps the most over-engineered vehicle ever conceived. That extreme attention to detail produced a vehicle that still holds its own in comparison tests to this day, decades later - a testament to all of that hard work, for certain. 

Photos: Lexus

>>Join the conversation about the LS400 right here at ClubLexus.com.

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