Q: Well i've been looking for a good and reliable car to drive as an everyday drive and i came across this 1990 lexus ls400. I didnt end up buying it but ive been looking at ls400's since and i have to say i like the price they are going for. For a car with a little less or a little more then 100k miles is going from anywhere between $1000-$4000. I like that price and one person told me that the engine on that car is fantastic. He said you can put 300k miles on it. Now is that car on heck of a deal or is something i should know? The only thing im worried about im only looking at the 1990 t0 1994 models. Are they too old to still be reliable?
A: Thing with 100K mark is that it's not high for an LS of any year, but when you go back 15-20 years it then comes down to more age than mileage. Over time, rubber dries, rots, and hoses just break or tires crack and things just need replacing. There is also rust and corrosion under the body to consider that you don't necessarily see easily. I would say, before buying anything that old, take a good look and get it inspected by our mechanic first to see how good everything is. $4000 at first glance might seem like a good deal, but the LS is also expensive to maintain, so you might easily run up $4000 in repairs if things start going. Engine, the LS is bulletproof. The transmission, like any transmission, just will not last as long as the engine. I'd say engine 300K easily, tranmission will probably always require some "rebuild" at around 200K or earlier.