Hi Everyone ...........

[the stig]

Hello everyone , sorry if this is the wrong section to post please accept my appologies if it is .

Basically im looking for some advice if possible. About eight years ago a work colleague used to own a burgundy coloured LS400 on an "H" plate . The colour if im honest didnt do anything for me , but the driving style was symply amazing . Whisper quiet and totally effortless....with no drama after a long journey .

At that time I owned an Audi 80 TDi .... which was an "M" plate . Very economical but a hard ride .

Im currently looking for a used LS400 and have about £1,500 at maximum to spend on one . I notice on various sites such as eBay , Autotrader , Pistonheads that some range from a few hundred to some nearer the 2k mark .

The majority are about an hour to an hour plus drives away .... so not really round the corner to view . Im asking if you knowledgable people on here can give me some plus and minus points if I was to own one . We do as a familly drive to France maybe twice a year .. and would hope to take the Lexus as it would be more comfier than the john cooper works mini (BMW)we use . The Mini is not for sale .

Sorry to ramble on .... just looking for as much information as possible prior to buying one .

Many thanks Mike .

[Malc]

Hello everyone , sorry if this is the wrong section to post please accept my appologies if it is .

Basically im looking for some advice if possible. About eight years ago a work colleague used to own a burgundy coloured LS400 on an "H" plate . The colour if im honest didnt do anything for me , but the driving style was symply amazing . Whisper quiet and totally effortless....with no drama after a long journey .

At that time I owned an Audi 80 TDi .... which was an "M" plate . Very economical but a hard ride .

Im currently looking for a used LS400 and have about £1,500 at maximum to spend on one . I notice on various sites such as Ebay , Autotrader , Pistonheads that some range from a few hundred to some nearer the 2k mark .

The majority are about an hour to an hour plus drives away .... so not really round the corner to view . Im asking if you knowledgable people on here can give me some plus and minus points if I was to own one . We do as a familly drive to France maybe twice a year .. and would hope to take the Lexus as it would be more comfier than the john cooper works mini (BMW)we use . The Mini is not for sale .

Sorry to ramble on .... just looking for as much information as possible prior to buying one .

Many thanks Mike .

Hiya, £1500 should get you something amazing !

I much prefer my older style 1994 LS400 which is probably " bullet proof ".

Low mileage one's abound and should be good for '00'000's of miles ....... honest. And the ride is impeccable.

You can reckon on expenses starting at about 150 / 160 k miles with alternator and suspension stuff ..... much later than most other cars in the life cycle, and bulbs, exhausts, brakes go on forever if you're lucky !

Bits and pieces like filters are economic too and provided you get the right year ( old like mine maybe ) the tyres aren't expensive either.

And as I say, the ride is impeccable too.

I have been driving the LS400 for some 8 years now; my earlier one was 1992 with 190k when we parted company and I bought my existing 1994 one in Dec 2007 with 8542 miles ( honest ). The dash lights needed fixing ( cost £75 from Vince on here ) and on the earlier one ( 1992 ) the clock lights wore out and I didn't get them fixed.

Any problems you might ask ! NOPE with a resounding NON

and I don't expect any for many, many miles to come.

I'm sure you will enjoy your purchase ( hopes ). Just don't forget they are thirsty creatures but of much comfort and power, enough for the average mortal.

Just take care buying newer models ..... headlight bulbs can cost the earth to replace together with thingys like electronic suspension stuff at £1500 to fix when they play-up ! But you would get satnav and whatever but maybe with only £1500 to spend you will get the very best of the golden oldies !

Enjoy.

Malc

[the stig]

Thanks Malc for the reply ... much appreciated . I look forward to what other people on here also think .

So basically I should go for the older model rather than the newer style with the satnav ? Due to more problems than that of the older type ?

[Malc]

Thanks Malc for the reply ... much appreciated . I look forward to what other people on here also think .

So basically I should go for the older model rather than the newer style with the satnav ? Due to more problems than that of the older type ?

Well, that's my humble opinion, yes.

I've heard tales of £500 a side to replace headlight bulbs on the 430 and the like coz it's an amazingly long and tortuous job with a Dealer at many squid an hour labour charge !

And sorry, I forgot to mention the cambelt changes ( some say at 60k or 65k but now I read Lexus suggest 100k miles ) .... very expensive, I think it books in at a min 4 hr job but takes a lot longer generally and at Main Dealer rates it surely is expensive; but there's always an alternative local guy who will do it less expensively for you.

So best to check that the cambelt really has been changed appropriately to fall within your budget.

Good hunting.

Malc

[Mybikesacx500]

Hello everyone , sorry if this is the wrong section to post please accept my appologies if it is .

Basically im looking for some advice if possible. About eight years ago a work colleague used to own a burgundy coloured LS400 on an "H" plate . The colour if im honest didnt do anything for me , but the driving style was symply amazing . Whisper quiet and totally effortless....with no drama after a long journey .

At that time I owned an Audi 80 TDi .... which was an "M" plate . Very economical but a hard ride .

Im currently looking for a used LS400 and have about £1,500 at maximum to spend on one . I notice on various sites such as Ebay , Autotrader , Pistonheads that some range from a few hundred to some nearer the 2k mark .

The majority are about an hour to an hour plus drives away .... so not really round the corner to view . Im asking if you knowledgable people on here can give me some plus and minus points if I was to own one . We do as a familly drive to France maybe twice a year .. and would hope to take the Lexus as it would be more comfier than the john cooper works mini (BMW)we use . The Mini is not for sale .

Sorry to ramble on .... just looking for as much information as possible prior to buying one .

Many thanks Mike .

I have a '92 MkII with LPG, 175k and love it. My ideal would be a '94 with LPG

[ROYT]

Hello everyone , sorry if this is the wrong section to post please accept my appologies if it is .

Basically im looking for some advice if possible. About eight years ago a work colleague used to own a burgundy coloured LS400 on an "H" plate . The colour if im honest didnt do anything for me , but the driving style was symply amazing . Whisper quiet and totally effortless....with no drama after a long journey .

At that time I owned an Audi 80 TDi .... which was an "M" plate . Very economical but a hard ride .

Im currently looking for a used LS400 and have about £1,500 at maximum to spend on one . I notice on various sites such as Ebay , Autotrader , Pistonheads that some range from a few hundred to some nearer the 2k mark .

The majority are about an hour to an hour plus drives away .... so not really round the corner to view . Im asking if you knowledgable people on here can give me some plus and minus points if I was to own one . We do as a familly drive to France maybe twice a year .. and would hope to take the Lexus as it would be more comfier than the john cooper works mini (BMW)we use . The Mini is not for sale .

Sorry to ramble on .... just looking for as much information as possible prior to buying one .

Many thanks Mike .

I have a '92 MkII with LPG, 175k and love it. My ideal would be a '94 with LPG

I have a '94 and it's the best car Iv'e ever had and I've had a few assorted, from

big American to Jags etc.

Stay away from air suspension, check the starter a few times, if it clicks and fails to engage

at any time its a long painfully slow job to fix it.

The rest is as the other posts tell you, drive gently for economy, it will swallow as much

petrol as you can pour into it, if you floor it!

...

[bazgtr]

If you need info of to view or test drive one before purchase then feel free to give me a call. I'm based in Swansea if that's near you.

If you need adivce on repairs or even need repairs then feel free to get in contact.

Barrie.

[SteveLS400]

As with any used car (and some new one's for that matter), you will be very lucky to obtain a perfect example, with full service history, a new cambelt and starter motor, with all electrics fully working, a fully serviced air-con system.

Due to the age of the vehicle, there are bound to be a few issues. A properly serviced engine in these is fairly bullet-proof but if you cannot pin-down the last cambelt change then you will have a significant cost - £500 in my case - for peace of mind. So you wouldn't want to be paying more than a grand.

[the stig]

Out of interest , are these engines ok for high mileage . I have spotted one on pistonheads with around 250,000 miles .

I have owned a few Volvos in my time , all the older rwd models... all of them where on high mileage and didnt miss a beat . Im wondering if the 4.0 litre V8 would be as reliable .

[the stig]

If you need info of to view or test drive one before purchase then feel free to give me a call. I'm based in Swansea if that's near you.

If you need adivce on repairs or even need repairs then feel free to get in contact.

Barrie.

Thankyou for your kind offer .

[ROYT]

Re your query on high mileages, there are reports of 400,000 milers!

The key is look after the engine oil, plenty of changes..

[hydrostat]

Do as much research as you can and look at as many cars as you can. I've owned 4 LS400's but for my recent purchase I looked at a lot of cars and traveled a lot of miles but considered it worthwhile as the car I now have is top notch (touch wood), spent more than I wanted but it had just 57k on it and was almost as new.

I like my Mk IV but was undecided between that and a mk III in the end the available car dictated. With all the best intentions in the world the satnav in the mkIV even with up to date data is pretty crap. It will certainly get you home but not always by the fastest route. The VVTI engine in the mk IV is awesome.

Recent Cam belt change is most important and look for gearbox oil colour brown is not good. A tatty interior would cost a lot to put right unless you can live with it. A lot of the cars I saw were described as in good condition :tsktsk: but how can I put it, many have been driven and "serviced" without any consideration of the future.

I liked this buyers guide http://www.ls400data.com/buyersGuide.html it's pretty warts and all. There are several others if you do a search.

Shop around for your insurance, quotes of £1500 can appear, Best I managed was £340 with 7 years NCB for a 46 year old. If your history is not good or you are in your 20's you have a problem.

Cheers

Dave

[the stig]

Hi .... after reading the buyers guide im scared to death now if im honest .

[Malc]

Hi .... after reading the buyers guide im scared to death now if im honest .

WOT !!!! don't be. The LS400 is bullet proof and will probably cost you far less to run ( apart from petrol ) than almost any other " big " car today. The earlier cars ( up to 1994 I think ) have non-interference cambelts ..... so's if it was to snap then it wouldn't bugger the engine.

You never see one on the back of a breakdown truck either.

Just go for the best and lowest mileage available. I doubt you will have a better or more enjoyable driving experience EVER............. Well, that's if you like the shape of course !

Just enjoy.

Malc

[Malc]

Hi .... after reading the buyers guide im scared to death now if im honest .

WOT !!!! don't be. The LS400 is bullet proof and will probably cost you far less to run ( apart from petrol ) than almost any other " big " car today. The earlier cars ( up to 1994 I think ) have non-interference cambelts ..... so's if it was to snap then it wouldn't bugger the engine.

You never see one on the back of a breakdown truck either.

Just go for the best and lowest mileage available. I doubt you will have a better or more enjoyable driving experience EVER............. Well, that's if you like the shape of course !

Just enjoy.

Good GOD, I've just read that link to ! On that basis you wouldn't ever buy any car at all. Believe me, the earlier LS400 with a simply lowish mileage will ( hopefully ) be absolutely bullet proof provided you do some simple homework on the one you eventually buy.

Mine was so good and low miles when I bought it from a 2nd hand car sales in Windsor, with 8542 miles, that I didn't even test drive it before I took it home and had paid for it. The car was impeccable ( apart from knackered original tyres ) and hasn't caused me a moments grief in approaching 3 years of trouible free motoring.

But it was my second LS400, and I was a car dealer too and just knew the car was a good'un !

Malc

[hydrostat]

Hi .... after reading the buyers guide im scared to death now if im honest .

Oh no don't be, buyers guides are all about worst case scenarios, inevitably a few things will be wrong the point is it's best to be prepared and at least look informed when you look.

The LS is without doubt the most reliable and comfortable car I've owned not for nothing have I just bought my 4th.

But they are getting older, equivalent replacement is £80k + so spend £1500 or so and my what a bargain.

If only all cars were such a solid product.

[the stig]

Im just the ever worried guy im affraid lol ......... I have noticed this one on the bay of E ...My link Below is what the seller sent me as a reply . Problem is the car is about 3 hours from me .

Hiya I have just put 6 months tax from July and a full Mot about 10 days ago Intention was to keep it but managed to get a good deal on my BMW so traded up,No problems known with Car drives well and dead reliable as per reputation

The AC is not as efficient as when I bought it so may need a recharge, I haven't needed it so never bothered other than that all electrics and mechanicals fine,Wheels not damaged and body unscuffed reason for sale just today picked up a new Car.

Thanks for the contact

[TeamDax]

i will repeat what others are saying..... the LS400 are amazing cars..... ive had a mk1 (which tbh wasnt in great condition.... but was under £400) it went through 3 MOTs without a single problem.... I now have a 98 mk4 and it drives like a new car (less rattles than some new cars tbh)

I like the mk4 better..... the inside is imo a nicer place to sit. As for bulbs.... im hoping i dont blow one lol.... but i will say, they definitly light the road better than the old halogens in my mk1

[Malc]

Im just the ever worried guy im affraid lol ......... I have noticed this one on the bay of E ...My link Below is what the seller sent me as a reply . Problem is the car is about 3 hours from me .

Hiya I have just put 6 months tax from July and a full Mot about 10 days ago Intention was to keep it but managed to get a good deal on my BMW so traded up,No problems known with Car drives well and dead reliable as per reputation

The AC is not as efficient as when I bought it so may need a recharge, I haven't needed it so never bothered other than that all electrics and mechanicals fine,Wheels not damaged and body unscuffed reason for sale just today picked up a new Car.

Thanks for the contact

Hiya again. I would get a copy of the recent MOT Advisory, either from the owner or the garage if they will let u c it ! AND , essentially, when was the cambelt changed ?

Malc

[sir john]

Everyone has their preference re model. For me its the MK11 circa 94. Mine cost £950 2 years ago. I bought the first i saw becasue i wasnt planning of keeping it. It was just a stop gap til I decided what new car i would get on contract. (last one was a merc). I wont have anything else now. like everyone says, buy the best you can. £1,500 will get you a cracker if you are careful.

As for reliability, when i look at old cars i ask myself "if i had to drive around the world none stop what would oi have to buy" The answer is easy. I know a bit about the LS now and what faults they are likely to have because i bought the 1st i saw. Im on the look out for another Mk11 at the moment. This is what i will be check before i buy;

1. front upper wish bone ball joints

2. rear suspension control arms

3. exhaust flanges between the cats that the "Y" pipe. the bit after the cats. they rot away and blow like mad.

4. rear springs

5. LCD readout for the clock and AC. Doesnt affect the AC but you cannot see what temerature you have set it at.

6. lights on teh dash. mine are fine but a lot arnt.

When i find one betterthan mine its going to be gased.

Get yourself a LS. The best car in the world bar none. The most reliable. And not expensive to fix if you get teh older models. Good look mate.

[JellyBean]

For your budget, you can get a very good Mk3. Lexus made a whole raft of improvements to the suspension for the Mk3 and it therefore has rather better handling than the previous two iterations of the LS.

Mister Chris Skel(e)ton has a very good Car/Setright article about this.

Of course, if you had £2500, you could get a very nice MkIV... etc, etc...

[Luke Jones]

I have a mk4 and have fallen in love in a matter of weeks. Don't let some of the worst case scenario stories put you off too much. Some of it is outdated information. Replacement HiD bulbs can be had for under £30 now, I even bought an entire headlight to replace a cracked one, HiD Mk4 unit, £40 delivered.

Mine has 210k miles on the clock, still drives great, out handled a Leon on dual carriageway islands last night, not using the power, just taking the outside line smoothly while he tried to cut up on the inside line, squealing and understeering. Two roundabouts close together, not speeding at all, I came out of the second 8 lengths ahead, he pulled in well behind me and dropped to the legal limit after that. The lads from the club took a look over her last night too, we tried the pound coin balanced on the engine trick, it didnt move at all, even at 4000rpm, took two short sharp rev's to 3k to make it roll off.

The engine is so quiet and refined that you have to lift the bonnet to hear it running. The last MOT emmisions results were so good they beat our 25k mile Rover 25 1.4 all were under 10% of acceptable level, mixture was 0.999 with a target of 1.000

You could say I am rather impressed by these cars.

[JellyBean]

I have a mk4 and have fallen in love in a matter of weeks. Don't let some of the worst case scenario stories put you off too much. Some of it is outdated information. Replacement HiD bulbs can be had for under £30 now, I even bought an entire headlight to replace a cracked one, HiD Mk4 unit, £40 delivered.

Mine has 210k miles on the clock, still drives great, out handled a Leon on dual carriageway islands last night, not using the power, just taking the outside line smoothly while he tried to cut up on the inside line, squealing and understeering. Two roundabouts close together, not speeding at all, I came out of the second 8 lengths ahead, he pulled in well behind me and dropped to the legal limit after that. The lads from the club took a look over her last night too, we tried the pound coin balanced on the engine trick, it didnt move at all, even at 4000rpm, took two short sharp rev's to 3k to make it roll off.

The engine is so quiet and refined that you have to lift the bonnet to hear it running. The last MOT emmisions results were so good they beat our 25k mile Rover 25 1.4 all were under 10% of acceptable level, mixture was 0.999 with a target of 1.000

You could say I am rather impressed by these cars.

Interesting. Perhaps a good mantra for us all could be "If you're not seriously wealthy and you like the idea of wafting about in a luxury car, then buy the most reliable one".

[John Lawley]

get a mk3 or 4 there beter engineered over the 1's and 2's, if you get a mk4 probably best ignoring the satnav and just buyign a tom tom or simular.

I have a mk3 thats on 231k which i've converted to LPG by far the best car i've ever had.