LS400 vs 3.5RL

Hey all,

Looking for a new-to-me DD to make the 70m round-trip nicer than in my '05 si. I'd own the car for 1-2yrs at least, hoping the resale value will make things worth it (opinions on this?)

Due to apt. living, I can only do small maintenance items such as brake pads, oil changes etc, all else will be through the local repair shop.

I don't mind if all features are working (e.g. sunroof motor, tilt wheel motor etc), but the car will need to pass NYS inspection each yr. The rwd vs fwd is a non-issue.

The three main players are: 1997 RL, 87k miles, asking $5.5k 2002 RL, 98k miles, asking $6.9k 1993 LS, 88k miles, asking $7k

All are single owner, full service hist, great shape.

I'm leaning towards the LS because of the build quality, but local examples seem a bit pricy.

In reply to paul:

7k for 1993 LS400 is really really high around these parts, but I'm on the opposite side of the country and we don't have rust, ever think of a fly and drive? I own, er... bought, rehabbed and gave to my dad a 1993 LS400 and the main issues it had were; ECU bad capacitors (solder in low ESR caps from Digikey,) Speedometer needles not illuminating (conductive paint and black paint/marker over it,) lcd for climate control dead (New LCD is $40 DIY) and power steering pump leaked due to a faulty vacuum valve that can be deleted and plugged, all issues common to that car. The fixes are well documented at this point but your workspace is limited compared to mine, most of it is soldering, the PS pump requires you to remove the leaky valve and plug the hole with a bolt as well as cap off the vacuum lines. The timing belt and starter are bears though. In town gas mileage is awful. I got mine for $1300 with a dead ECU. 93 and 94 are different from 89-92 models, some parts will not interchange.

No experience with the Acura though.

$7k is double the money that ls400 brings. They rock at being nice comfy and bulletproof for short money, so get one for 1/2 that and enjoy. I consider the LS400 to be one of the most under rated values in the automotive world right now.

If I were shopping in that feature/price range, I would add Infiniti products to the list, like the Q45. They really seem to depreciate the fastest but no less quality.

Thanks for the input guys! I'm guessing it would be prudent to limit myself to LS's w/ less than 150k miles?

I have been shopping for one (LS400) for a few months. I see them on CL with >300K all the time. I just bought one and brought it home tonight. I'll start a thread on it as soon as I can get some pics uploaded.

7k for that LS400 is more then twice the average asking price in my area. I'd also add the Mazda Millenia to that list. They are a lot of car for the money.

from what I've seen, I'd buy a 150k LS in a heartbeat if it was to keep and drive, I've seen a couple in the 5s. There's a thread on clublex bout high mileage LSs

Search around a bit more for an LS400. I love Hondas, but if I want to commute in reliable comfort for about 6K it will be in a '98-'00 Lexus LS400.

The RL is a great cruiser. It's not particularly frugal, it's not RWD and it doens't have a V8. But it is a great cruiser.

Do be aware that both are due for their timing belt service. That's A.) expensive and b.) a bit of a PITA. EGR passages clock on the regular when people cheap out and run cheap gas. the early cars (96/97) had a hard shifting trans that liked to break mounts. The later cars did not. If you want something to run 350k miles, there's a lot worse vehicles to choose.

At $7k you should be able to get a '98 - '00 LS400 which has 40 more horsepower, a 5-speed auto, and a much more modern looking and comfier interior. The '95 - '97 models are a step up from the '93 as well, with a bit more horsepower, less weight, and a bigger rear seat.

The one-owner 88k miles thing is pretty nice, but I would not be at all afraid of a 150k mile LS400. My current DD is a 245k mile GS430. Zero issues in ~7k miles so far.