Potential LS400 owner with some questions...

[Aaron D]

Hi all, I'm Aaron and new to the forum. I've been looking at LS400's for some time and am currently leaning toward a '98 or newer LS400. Mostly due to the added 30hp and 30ft lbs thanks to the VVTi as well as all the other little refinements vs. the previous MkIII, II, and I.

Currently I drive a '98 BMW 540iA. Well, I should say that SOMETIMES I drive a 540... The thing breaks down constantly. I've had it about a year now and haven't had a day 1 yet where Something wasn't broken or impaired. It was supposed to be my wife’s car, her pick of whatever she liked. She liked "the white one". It was going to be my 3rd BMW so I didn't think twice about it since my other 2 BMW experiences were great. Boy was I in for a surprise. The E39 is a HUGE maintenance whore. I've found this to be true due to the many web forums of people with constant maintenance woes. I now know that anyone considering buying a 2nd hand 5er should get a full pre-purchase inspection by a good BMW dealer or Indy shop. Once I get this BMW all fixed up it's going on the chopping block.

I know from what I've read that the LS400 has a 1000% better reliability record than the 540i, but I've only recently started looking into the '98-'00 versions. Are there any troubles people are having in regards to the VVTi set up on these, or any other maintenance woes? Is it as necessary to get some kind of Pre-purchase inspection by a dealer to avoid a nightmare? I'm a real DIY kind of guy. To date on the 540 I've changed the intake manifold gaskets, CCV, Valve cover gaskets, Thrust arms, transmission fluid/filter change, oil pan gasket, diff fluid change, O2 sensor change, Plugs, Coils, etc etc.. Before that I swapped a 383 into a camaro with all kinds of goodies. Converted my C1500 truck from automatic to a manual w/upgraded clutch, underdrive pulleys, hard-lowered suspension. Did a V8 S-10 swap etc. So I'm not at all afraid to tear into things. Just want some reassurance that the '98 LS400 is just as good as the previous gens and still have the option of adding a SC or headers without any added complexities from the VVTi feature.

Thanks!

Aaron D.

 

[jibbby]

Hey Aaron welcome.... It's very simple, do you have plans to supercharge or turbo the motor in the near future? If so it's alot easier to boost a non VVt-i motor.... Also, the earlier model 1uz-fe are stronger for boost applications over the newer VVt-i motors... Stock rods and pistons are a bit stronger...

If your going just for straight N/A power then I would say go with the newer VVt-i motors...

Depends on what your final goals are.....

 

[Aaron D]

True. In all reality I should leave the "Family car" that the LS will be as it is and focus the "hot rod" intentions on a true project car, it's just the HP greed monster in me. The 540 has 282hp weighs 3450lbs while the LS has 290hp and weighs 3650lbs. Headers for a 540 cost $3,000+, no joke. I'd like to at least do headers on the LS. I think that would make up for the additional 200lbs of the LS vs the 540. The 540 has plenty of power for my use really, again it's the HP monster in me that wants add do-dads and get more.

So strictly stock configuration, is the VVT-i as reliable as the Previous ones? I've heard many testimonies of the older 1UZ-FE's racking up 3-400k and running perfectly. That's the kind of reliability I'd like to see in the VVT-i engine.

 

[Aaron D]

And thanks for the input! You basically gave me the answer I wanted to hear. So outside of Modding the engine, are there any common trouble areas with these cars I should be aware of? I'm kind of worried only because of the bad experience with the 540 and being conscious of my blind trust in BMW that I've TRIED to find things wrong with the LS400 and simply cannot seem to find any fatal flaw. Am I just missing something?

 

[Lextreme II]

I would say welcome to Lexus world. I recently got a 1995 LS400 (second gen) and absolutely love it. Its 12 years and its still smooth as silk and quiet like a brand new Camry. With only 260 hp, this car felt alot faster then the previous generation. I would say anything from 1995 to 2000 would be a great choice.

Here is my friend's site about the different LS generations.

 

[Aaron D]

Yeah! I actually already found that site when I was looking at Lexus. I was considering either a GS300 or LS400. I was expecting the 540 to be more of a Luxury car than it is. It's more of a Sport Sedan and isn't that comfy. The back seats are more comfortable than the front. The fronts are German hard, your butt will go numb and your back will start hurting within 30mins of highway driving. I'm 29yrs old, I shouldn't hurt like that in a car! That's why the LS won out over the GS, more comfort from what I've read.

 

[Lextreme II]

Depending your on budget. I think the 1998 to 2000 LS400 is very nice. Those cars should be flawless. Here is my daily driver:

 

[UZZ30-Québec]

The Lexus LS is know all around the world as the most reliable car on the planet. (JD power and others)

 

[Aaron D]

Thanks, I knew they were extremely reliable. I was mostly concerned if the added VVT-i on '98+ models might have changed that since they were the worlds first production V8 engine with VVT-i. I'm really not that worried about it, I just know that the "Vanos" (BMW Version of VVT-i/Vtech) has caused many troubles for BMW V8 owners. Fortunately for me they didn't start the Vanos until '99 and mine is a '98.