People who buy expensive vehicles usually take car of them and with the minimal kilometers is been driven chances are it should be in excellent condition.
I bought a 2013 GS 350 AWD in Riviera Red last year. It only had 34,700 miles. Was in near mint condition and the metallic paint really pops in the sun. Cost was $27,590 USD. The ride is so comfortable but not floaty or too soft. Transmission shifts are buttery smooth. Mine is one of the few 2013-2015 models that has adaptive cruise control and a Pre Collision System that warns you if the radar senses that you are going to crash. No automatic braking but it will tighten the seatbelts and apply max braking immediately once you step on the brakes. The NA 3.5L V6 has plenty of horse power and torque (306 hp and 277 lb ft, 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds). Fantastic highway cruiser for long road trips. I even upgraded the infotainment so now it has Apple CarPlay on the huge 12.3 inch screen. I LOVE this is car. I'm going to baby it and I expect a minimum of 250-300K miles with minimal issues. Only drawback is it can be a bit of a gas guzzler in the city and only takes 91 octane or higher premium gas.
I own one of these. The main issues that I’ve ran into with it are: - ball joints need replacing and should be checked regularly. - bushings for motor mounts in JZ engines often need to be replaced based off the age of them now and can break which can lead to serious damage in some cases. - suspension bushings are all getting worn and crack. - radiator are getting old, brittle and crack. Common issue with JZ engines as they age and are obvious as the radiator starts to turn yellow. - does handle like a boat. For those wanting a stiffer and more responsive ride then there are lots of aftermarket options that make a big difference. - headlight ballasts (HID) can sometimes fail and can be costly if you are going OEM genuine. - air con can have a little servo motor that has its gears stripped and so it will spin and make a buzzing noise when trying to switch between air vents (ie from upper vents to defog or to feet). - when replacing spark plugs, also replace plastic connectors as they are very brittle and can cause short circuiting if they break. - valve cover seals start leaking oil. - replacing the headunit is not that straight forward. It’s a bit more work than some other cars where it’s just plug and play. - for the modifiers, the engine is a 2JZ-GE VVTI which is the only engine of the 2JZ that has the thinner connecting rods. When under boosted applications, these can bend at around the 325-350hp. They also have a compression ratio of 10:1. - only came as automatic. There is no easy manual swap available. Can be done but requires a lot of work/money depending of the transmission you go for. - emergency brake is a foot brake rather than a hand brake. If this is something that you like but are looking for more of a turbo option then you can check out the Aristo (which they mentioned), Chaser, Crown JZS171, Blit and Mark II. They all are 4 door and are 1JZ-GTE twin turbo (with the exception of aristo which is 2JZ-GTE). Overall though, I absolutely love the car and have no plans on selling it.
Don't forget those door lock motors. Everything you listed I been through all lol! All parts replaced with OEM. I'm also keeping mines till I die. 12 years and counting. Everyone loves riding in it, seats are comfy, no vibrations, drives smooth and quiet.
VVTi Gear oil leak - makes people think front seals are leaking because slings oil everywhere - extremely common failure point. Oil Control Value - (I heard about this, but only just had it start failing on my 2002 after it's mostly sat for months) Brake booster module - the coil that spins in it eventually wears out like on the hybrid highlander gen 1 and prius gen 2? mid 2000s. Airblender actuators 6 cd changer Seems in the heat the calculator like display for the center can bleed Balljoints in the early years, still have an original on my 2002 - just keep an eye on them, they don't give noise warning signs. Yes those door lock actuators all fail That's about it... if you live in the rust belt, Toyota calipers kind of old school and need to be lubed so they don't seize, which i had happen to the front right.
@@MusicConnoisseurian Yeah, that pulley and OCV. I had an oil leak under the OCV housing too. Had to take the intake valve cover out, and reseal with silicone. changed all that and resealed with silicone on the Aristo swap... I also had experience with the brake booster too. Hard brake pedal, and that annoying alarm that stays on.
The GS 300 is such an underrated car. Has been my daily driver for years and has never let me down. Great to hear I'm not the only one who likes them and appreciates how well they drive.
Had it brand new this car still POPS! We are biying these classscis from this GS 400 to Acura Legends (GS Edition) it was some era with this car especially in NYC.
I currently have a 1999 Gs400, 6 owners and 410k miles. Original everything. Still runs like a top and has cost me next to nothing. The GS400, in my not so humble opinion, is leagues better than the GS300. It's such a wonderful experience. BUY IT!
I love my gs! Owned it for 3 years as my daily driver. Mine has 360000 miles on it and it runs like new. It is well maintained of course. Best daily I've ever had. Such an underated car and has car guy cred from the 2j and rwd.
EVERYTHING he said was spot on. 👍🏼 I've had a 1993, 1998 & 2006 GS 300. Amazing cars. Actually still have the '06, & like he said, it feels brand new when I drive it. It's smooth as silk & drives like a dream. Not a rattle or squeak anywhere. I've never had a problem with it. Just regular oil changes & maintenance, replace the tires & battery now & then & that's it. EVERY SINGLE TIME I drive it I'm like, I LOVE THIS CAR. 😃 So sad they've discontinued it. Guess I'll drive this one until... 😊🚘💘
The book states that the timing belt is replaced at 100,000Miles which is 160,000km. Tech you missed, auto on headlights which also have auto tilt according to the terrain. Auto dark tint rear view mirror and side mirrors at night when someone behind you and has their lights on. Valet lock. VSC - vehicle stability control, and a snow mode button, which I thought would be useless but turns out to be brilliant in congested traffic doing constant stop start driving and it's very useful on gravel tracks .....at wineries of course :-), and 6 delay wiper speed settings. Stereo sounds great, plenty of power, handling is great and smooth as butter.
Great video! Great car! My wife and I had an ‘05 SC430. Bought new, sold it with 210,000 miles with the only thing ever to fail was the mirror motors. Great daily driver!!
I worked at a Toyota dealer in the late 90's, the bosses drove Lexus's I remember when the Dealer Principle showed up in a red GS300 with the ivory interior simply awesome, I fell in love with them, but by then I was hooked as I got to drive his LS 400, the General manager's ES300 and other cars like the SC430. I finally got my first Lexus this year..a red with Ivory IS 350 second gen 2013MY (last model year for that shape ad it it truly great. Only gripes are not the most comfortable seat bottom (which is funny as my neighbour's 2011 feels more padded and more comfortable..and awful AM reception ..which again odd as I have the Mark Levinson Audio (it's a SPorts Luxury) and my neighbour has a Prestige (base model) with no AM reception issues. Other than that the car is MINT, is built like nothing I have ever experienced and is smooth as silk, truly phenomenal car. It's great to see how a '98 GS STILL stacks up!!
I own the exact car in this video. Transmission is smooth as butter after 24 years. 2 oxygen sensors, tires, and brakes after 7 years. This is the best car I've owned by a country mile. The engine and transmission combination is almost unbeatable. No rust after leaving outside for years as well. Everything just makes sense in this car.
I recently bought a 2000 GS 400 from its original owners with 132,000 miles. Your review lines perfectly with my ownership experience right down to the problems with the door actuators not locking or unlocking the car.
I really appreciate and endorse reusing, recycling and continuing these maintained older cars. Environmentally, keeps them out of the bin and helps your pocket book. 😶❤
Bought a Lexus GSF this year and absolutely loving it. May not be a 2s 0-60 like the EVs and supercars out there but as a daily commuter and a throaty v8, I’m very very happy with my purchase.
I have one as my daily and I love it so much. I'd even recommend it for somebody who is trying to get into working on cars. The engine bay is massive and very intuitive. If something ever happened to my GS, I would look for another one.
Nice review and that interior does look superb. With the longitudinal engine these would be pretty easy to do DIY maintenance on; there's a heap of forum posts and youtube vids for anything Lexus of this vintage.
I had a 2002 gs 300 as my first car and it is honestly a great car. it was reliable, had good space and was surprisingly sporty for being such a "large sedan." I would take it out for late night mountain drives with friends and it took it like a champ. It was also comfortable on the highway as well. The only issues I had were the door locks started to seize up and whenever I drove for a while and turned the car off it would sound like something was boiling and bubbling behind the radio.
Thanks for the video, I own a 98 Gs300 too, my opinions My daily and project car, love it so much and drives beautifully. Pros: Looks amazing, especially with body kits Paint quality is great Very comfortable and luxurious Engine sounds great and very quick Handling is absolutely perfect after installing some coilovers and a front strut brace. Most common issues are: Brake master cylinder causing failure of brakes -$500-700 repair Fuel pump / filter going out from age - $200 ish Door lock actuators - $20/per door, easy DIY Transmission issues - Get them serviced with OEM fluid Oil leaks - Valve cover gaskets $100, Cam seals $70, vvti seals $30, timing belt needs to be done also as its an interference engine, however it’s quite easy to fix. Radiators - You can tell if its going out on these cars as the radiators start to go brown from the original black colour, again an easy repair. Airbox - Plastic on the intake resonator goes out, easy fix $100-200 max. front Lower balljoints - they can go out from age however not too difficult to repair, and should be done if no record of being done. Get OEM or 555 brand for about $200 for the set. It sounds like a lot of issues, but its rare for them to happen, and after youve done them it will last forever. Comment if you have any questions
I have a 1998 GS400 that I bought a couple years ago.. it is an amazing car and I am extremely in love with it. I originally bought it for $3000 and I'm easy $10,000 more into it. I have done a 3uz engine swap, and a complete suspension upgrade including every arm, and topped with tein flex z coilovers. Strut and trunk braces helped the car out a ton too.
I did the motor swap due to all the bad gaskets and had 170k on the motor. Now has 6k on the motor with new seals. Also I swapped over the 1uz wiring harness and accessories and it is still ran off the stock 1uz ecu.
I'm about to turbo my 1uz. I'm just weighing options on manifolds. Hack and reverse the stock ones, pay for aftermarket, or put 1uz flanges on cheap chevy LS turbo manifolds? Any ideas?
I bought a 3rd gen GS cuz all the second gen are so high km and pretty crap in my area but I’m so happy with my purchase, the gs350 is such an underrated car and just any GS in general is super underrated
I have a 98 GS300 in the UK and love it. I did have to replace a door lock actuator (video on You Tube to follow) and the aircon doesn't work but that hardly matters in the UK. It is a smooth, refined amazing car don't make them like that anymore. I have the GPS model, although limited use with 1998 maps, cool retro piece though. Oh, petrol costs are a bit of a nightmare though.
This summer I purchased a 2003 GS 300 with 260,000 miles from the original owner. Amazing car in amazing condition. My wife LOVES it as her daily driver. The valve cover gasket started leaking bad. Lost 2 quarts of oil in 500 miles. Took it to my mechanic. He replaced the gaskets as well as spark plugs and wires. Cost a total of $470. Not bad. That’s the only problem I’ve had with the car.
I had a GS300 for a few years untill it was written off early last year, I instantly went on the lookout for another and picked up a mint 2001 GS430 with 32k miles on it and its honestly the best car ive ever had. Drives way better than most new cars ive driven
I have a 98 GS400 and the acceleration even by todays standard is breathtakingly brisk with that rush of buttery torque. Things that have been replaced since purchased in 2005: Lower ball joints Door lock actuators Timing belt Starter A few batteries Brake pads 1 HID bulb Trunk taillights (tend to fade) Evap hose Engine mounts So far, 200k and it still drives like new.
the gs400 is soooo nice. My struts are fucked though so it rides like shit but I still love it. Do you remember what he engine code was for the evap hose?
@@masonwhite3795 that was so long ago but if you look at the now hard as a rock evap hose on the driver side of the engine, it'll most likely be broken in half. You can replace it with any fresh hose similar in diameter.
Got a neighbour with a black one of these. He treats it really well and even driving behind it it's really quiet. In the 10 years he's lived in my neighbourhood I've never seen the car on jacks or be towed, though the windscreen did need replacing after a kid kicked a ball into it.
The older GS models and especially the 3 litre V6 I think are the best cars Lexus ever made. Amazing quality and v6 dynamic feeling to drive with fantastic ride quality and good performance. Suspension is their weak point. Lovely ride but shocks needed changing every 50 to 60k miles, track rod end bushings and control arm bushes can prematurely fail, exhaust Y branch behind the twin mufflers has a design flaw and eventually splits needing a costly new end system replacement. ecu on mine needed reflashing when boot closer and window controls started playing up and a few hydraulic valves needed replacing. Best car I ever owned. Despite all wheel lacquer was poor quality and peeked so many will have been powder coated by nowt. Tpms sensors can fail and were costly to replace. Now got an RX450h but miss my old GS
I'd love to see an IS300 soon,. I have an IS250 as my IS200 was such a great car. But I miss the first gens shape. But as much as I loved the 1G-FE. I can't go back to being that slow lol. I feel like the extra torque from the 3.0L would be nice along with being lighter, even though it's about the same power as the 4GR-FSE in the IS250.
I love my gs300 she just turned 20 years old. I have a 2jzgte waiting to be installed in her but I can't bring myself to mod anything more that the wheels. I can see these gems soaring in value once the genie is let out the bottle. I'll never sell. I still have a tape deck and cd changer in the glove box
A nice advice to you, get the stock twin turbos rebuilt with Steel turbine wheels like in the Supras (if your not planning to do a single turbo upgrade) before you put the engine in. Also replace the turbo cooling hoses as well, any of the old turbo cooling hoses could crack/burst on you at some point who knows when. Last thing you want is to do all that work swap out the engine and the turbos are howling at a certain RPM/has that police siren noise, and the performance is kind of sluggish/oil leak due to blown seals, or coolant leak "from a very hard to get to" hose. Those stock turbos in the Aristo from Japan with the ceramic wheels are the weakest part of the engine, I couldn't risk it and wanted piece of mind. Engine pulls so hard. Fun daily.
Got mine for a steal 120k miles everything mint condition! the kid that sold it to me though the stearing wheel racks was going bad & was going to be pricey to fix. Ended up just being the ball joints which have to be changed every 40k for safety. In total ended up paying 3,200 including the new ball joints been more then 1 year with it & no problems every since! love these old school tanks!
Bought an LX570 late 2017. The way it drives around the city, in the mountains during vacations, and in the deserts when I shoot - still surprises me as it still drives likes it’s brand new. I’m old and retired but always enjoy and don’t get tired driving this lexus between 10-12 hours straight during vacations. What’s killing me is my local dealer is offering a surprisingly very tempting offer on the lexus. Can’t believe it’s still worth so much after almost 5 years!
Those LX570 build to last forever. Downside is the fuel consumption. They worth a lot now because it’s hard to get hold on new LX600. No one wants to wait 2-3 years for new LX. Having saying that LX is a good quality SUV.
Owned many cars and by far my 04 LS 430 and 01 GS 430 are the most reliable cars I owned. With proper maintenance, these cars will probably out live you. Had a 03 GS 300 but traded it this year for the 01 GS 430. Cant go wrong with any of the older Lexus's.
Very well done...honestly Great Review ( format,editing, camera ect .) I've owed 2 of them a 98Gs400 (V8) and an 02Gs400 (2jz ge V6) An absolute Pleasure to drive and the SEATS are as close to perfection as I've experienced. _Liked & Subscribed_ Edit: * 02 Gs300
I'm commenting before watching, I have 2 Porsches, an Amarok and a new BMW. If I had to give them all up for a well maintained GS300 I would, my son drives a beautifully tidy one, my dad had one till the flood took it out and I've owned 2 as part of an 11 Lexus run. These cars are amazing, BUT! Like everything else, skip the maintenance and u will never recover. But if you treat it well, it will be a 5 star experience. Even if u abuse them they will still look after you, but eventually it will catch up with you.
I love my 2000 GS300. I bought it secondhand from original owner, who took really good care of it. Only issues I needed to address ... - hood struts needed replacement - driver's side lock actuator (LHD) needs replacement - tail lights on trunk have faded to pink and require red bulbs or red clear paint or vinyl wrapping. - radio display is blank and needs replacement.
My late uncle Joe bought one of the first Lexus LS 400 to land in Australia. It was a magnificent car. He had personal number plates, LEXUS4, personal plates in Victoria were pretty new in the mid 90s. The plates would be worth a mint today, my Aunty might still have them 🤔 I met up with my Aunty one day whilst I was on duty, I parked my fully marked police WRX in the shopping Centre and took the big Lexus for a spin. A few eyebrows were raised seeing a copper in a LS400 zooming through the streets 🤣🤣 bloody good car. We have an ISF 350 F Sport in the drive, my uncle would be proud. Thanks for the memories AK. 👍🏻
Decided to get a 01 Aristo for my first car and im in love with it. Glad I watched this video as it gave good insight on what to look for an expect. As a fan of 90s jdm couldn't be happier with the car, my mates all thought it would be a shitbox but keep saying how much nicer it is in person compared to photos. Just wanna keep driving it
I'm in the UK and own a 2006 Lexus GS300 SE-L. 3 litre V6 with a 6 speed auto transmission. The car is supremely comfortable, whisper quiet, utterly reliable and very, very fast! Mine has been timed at 163·7mph flat out, and 0 to 60mph comes up in 5·1 seconds! (4·6 in power mode). It also returns 43 mpg on the motorway and between 21 to 32 mpg around town. This is my 7th Lexus, and I can't imagine driving anything else.
Great video , one of the best cars ever made , i own 2 GS 2nd gen and i never get tired of driving them . It is a 4 dr Supra with excellent engineering , design and material .
Should you buy a used Lexus? Yes, in my opinion. I own a RX400h and I love it. Super reliable, comfortable, nice v6 and great fuel economy for a petrol 3.3 cc v6. It's fast, spacious and in my opinion, almost perfect! Great video (y). I would also love to own a s190 GS.
This was/is a great car. I purchased a 2004 GS 300 after my 2000 BMW 528i died. The GS had 32K miles at time of purchase and it drove beautifully with no major problem to over 300k miles when I traded it in for a LS 460. All the maintenance such as oil and brake changes were done in my garage. I brought it to the dealership once a year for the annual inspection and performed whatever services were needed to pass.
I've not commented on one of your vids for a while, but still watching and liking all your vids. This one, the quality quips and character laiden description of the interior were spot on. Big grin over here. 👏😁 Keep up the bloody great work.
I agree and felt supported by this video. I just got myself a 1998 Lexus GS 300 with just 60,500 km here in Perth WA this august. Though with slight almost non-visible scratches on the sides near the rear tires, I still can't avoid myself driving it to work than going back to usual public bus trips.
I honestly have always loved the styling of these since I was a kid. Have lots of experience with the engine as I own my dad's old is300 5mt, and it's been wonderful over the 20 years we've owned it. 200k kms and 10 years winter driving, and it has genuinely zero rust and not a single rattle or sqeak in the interior. The only real problem I've ever had with the car was caused by old cracked hoses and a cracked radiator, which both happened to fail while the car was in the shop for the timing belt replacement. Any car with the engine is genuinely wonderful.
That’s crazy my 2004 LS 430 radiator crack after I had gotten an timing belt change and another LS 430 owner went through the same thing with his LS 430 after it had happen to me
Have a turbo Aristo and love it. Has excellent road manners when you want, and surprises people at the lights when they mistake you for a Camry 😂 Did a 400km round trip to visit Dad. The kids and the missus slept most of the way. It's that comfy. That being said, I only get about 400km from 60L with usual daily driving.... 😬 But if that concerns you, then a 2JZ is not the engine for you.
You enthusiasm for this car is addictive. I imported a Toyota Soarer /Lexus SC of the same era back in the day (in 2000). That thing was carved from stone. Before I decked it out with the Apexi catalogue, stupidly large rims and turbo. It didn’t miss a beat.
Ive got a 99 GS400. Its got 274k miles, i got it at 199k. Ive got no idea of the previous service history. It was bounced around from used car lots and auctions for 12 years before i got it. Its been the absolute best car I've ever had. Its not fast by today's standards but definitely quick enough and torquey enough to get you in trouble. I love my car!
Yes, yes you should. As an owner of a '00 model with 267k, I can't speak anything bad about them. Given proper maintenance makes a difference long term, but I would definitely recommend.
I have the twin turbo Aristo version, and yes I have had the faulty door lock actuator, and my aircon compressor fell on its sword. Nothing much to add to what was said in the video, except that rough engine running can usually be traced to coilpack plastic plugs which have gone crumbly (easy DIY replacement), oil pressure sensors tend to leak oil, and the Aristo turbo versions have a rear wheel steer system which can go sloppy at high mileage. AK nails it, these things really do a great impression of a 2yr old, 25,000km car.
@@PanameraTurboSEHybrid yeah it's the sort of system that steers in the same direction at the front wheels at higher speed for stability, there's an electric rack in front of the diff.
I've spent, most of my hard earned Saturday watching Lexus videos. This is easily, hands down, the BEST I've seen! You had me at "wanker". Funny, informative, high prod. value, excellent. Cheers lads, from London Tahnnnnnn.......
the door lock actuators, A/C blend door actuator, the Mark Levinson sound system, oil leaks galore, ABS sensor, Throttle Body Actuator, head gasket... I bought my 2004 GS300 from a BMW mechanic... everytime I fix a problem, I get in the damn thing next day it throws another code... Ive seen them last longer than mine at 183,000 miles, and after all this, I still love it. IRS handles well for what appears to be a big car... Time for an Aristo turbo swap.
Nice review as always! I’m always shocked at how much cars have grown in size. Also I think the drive is down to both a) going to all electric everything for efficiency purposes. B) going to SUVs because that’s what everyone supposedly needs these days (inherently more difficult to make well composed) and C) cost cutting on engineering for adding more bells and whistles. People today care about what ‘tech’ a car has, not the engineering of the mechanical package. I recently read a lunch kit of *some new car* and there were fifteen paragraphs on the tech features, didn’t even mention once anything about the mechanical package. It’s rather sad. But it sure did have a lot of big screens in it, because that is certainly what makes a ‘good’ car nowadays.
@@crazykenbei well they have to come at the cost of something. There is only so much market share to go around and when new things come in it is always at the cost of something else. Horse carts don't have much market share these days. Electric will do the same thing. But I agree, I hate that dumb / blind consumers have basically ruined cars because of a perceived need. Manufacturers are to blame as well though. Governments have played their part too, sadly.
yepp I have a 2000 gs300 ... still runs great! no majors issues and still looks good however the ac doesn't cool and recharging it doesn't work.. but everything else is awesome
I love seeing reviews of my car lol. I’m in the states, so I own a gs430 with the 3uz v8. I love this car, and your right about buying them heavy modified lol. I wouldn’t sell mine to just anyone because of all the modifications I’ve done. But it still quick enough, pretty enough, and I feel reliable enough to keep for another 10 years lol
i have a 2001 4.3L V8 variant of this car. absolutely wonderful to drive. i bought it 7 years ago with 65,00mi. it now has only 73,000mi on it and it looks brand new. the paint, the leather, everything like new. i can afford to go buy just about anything i want to drive. but $10,000 us 7 years ago for a practically new car, it's a no brainer. just point and drive, no worries.
I drive a 2008 Lexus GS 350 RWD with 175 000km. I bought it for 7000$ 2 years ago at 154 000km and it has cost me a new exhaust line (I live in rusty canada) rear shocks and rear brakes. It's a nice car and it holds up nicely still today.
I have the lexus ls430 2001. It has 360,000 miles original engine and transmission. Original starter and alternator. I have had the timing belt pulleys serpentine belt spark plugs and water pump replaced every 100,000 miles. Just regular maintenance in-between brake pad, oil changes and other fluid changes. These lexus ls430 are awesome cars l would buy another one in a heartbeat like 2005 or 06 model. They go for around 10,000.00 used car market.
I own one of these and can say that only thing you really need to worry about are front ball joints. Also try to have in professionally washed twice a year cause all the bolts and fittings start to rust and after that any repair on the under carriage is basically a cutting wheel involvement. The mufflers on all of these rust from the top and fuel tank seems will pop and leak. Good to have it checked and coated in some stone chip paint. Other than that its a very good and safe car. There is a crash test video on the YT also.
I'm lucky enough to own an Aristo , 2JZGTE, drove it up from Melbourne to far north NSW, 1700kms, it never missed a beat the entire way, also vehicles only done 60,000kms she's like new, amazing car
Did you want a moment alone with the GS there Adam lol 🤣🤣 and I noticed Sam couldn't help laughing at the stuff ups lol. And please no more Oasis-ish music please as that song seems to follow me everywhere lol 😆 From what you guys have said it seems like this car is almost worthy of 'saying shut up and take my money' too whoevers selling it. Good work guys as always was a brilliant review and look forward to the part 2 of the under $5k top 5 and next weeks review. Have a good weekend and stay save gents 👍.
Almost bought a beautiful gs350 last year at used car lot. Did some due diligence and called the Lexus dealer it had work done most of it’s life. Turns out it was burning so much oil in 5k miles that the engine light was coming on. Lexus made it right for the owner by taking it in on trade. The dealer used it as a loaner for a year and auctioned it off. Definitely do your research
Don’t know if this was mentioned, but the factory paint in these are known to fail on the front bumper, hood, roof, and spoiler. I live in Florida, so maybe it’s because of the weather here, but every one of these I see has clear coat peel wayyyy worse than other cars it’s age.
My first car was a GS400 that had been horribly neglected by its previous owners. And yet the interior didn't creak or rattle at all and the powertrain was still flawless. There hasn't been a car of that quality since.
You can't go wrong with a GS430/GS400 with a black interior and that melodious V8. Black interiors hold up so much better than the tan and grey interiors. Refresh that car's suspension with Bilstein shocks, Megan sway bars, and new bushings and its an even better drivers car as well. RD is right on with the looks with lowering them on sport springs and adding 18" wheels or so. The down side is that the front suspension will crash over sharp bumps. I heave-hoed my sport springs and went back to the factory ones. Don't do the aftermarket head unit. The stock stereo especially the Mark Levinson is amazing and good luck improving on it. You can add a Grom bluetooth adapter that plugs into the back of the factory stereo on 2001 and newer models and stream music just fine. These cars are awesome!!! Check out the first gen IS300/Altezza and the SC300/SC400/Soarer too. I love old Lexus cars.
I have a GS430 and my only complaint is over the bumps it’s terrible I got 120,000 kilometers on it and just don’t know whether there is anything can be done to bring it close to a LS ride!?
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![MV วิถีชีวิตใต้ - ผา อัยย๊ะ [Official MV HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nODlkOUu9B0/mqdefault.jpg)
It truly warms the heart to see a car of this age in such good condition - kudos to the owners, past and present.
People who buy expensive vehicles usually take car of them and with the minimal kilometers is been driven chances are it should be in excellent condition.
They’re the best used cars to buy.
Mine looks almost as good.
@@robcig Yes they are. I worked for Lexus for 14 years. And the quality of the old ones are definitely the best.
I bought a 2013 GS 350 AWD in Riviera Red last year. It only had 34,700 miles. Was in near mint condition and the metallic paint really pops in the sun. Cost was $27,590 USD. The ride is so comfortable but not floaty or too soft. Transmission shifts are buttery smooth. Mine is one of the few 2013-2015 models that has adaptive cruise control and a Pre Collision System that warns you if the radar senses that you are going to crash. No automatic braking but it will tighten the seatbelts and apply max braking immediately once you step on the brakes. The NA 3.5L V6 has plenty of horse power and torque (306 hp and 277 lb ft, 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds). Fantastic highway cruiser for long road trips. I even upgraded the infotainment so now it has Apple CarPlay on the huge 12.3 inch screen. I LOVE this is car. I'm going to baby it and I expect a minimum of 250-300K miles with minimal issues. Only drawback is it can be a bit of a gas guzzler in the city and only takes 91 octane or higher premium gas.
I own one of these. The main issues that I’ve ran into with it are:
- ball joints need replacing and should be checked regularly.
- bushings for motor mounts in JZ engines often need to be replaced based off the age of them now and can break which can lead to serious damage in some cases.
- suspension bushings are all getting worn and crack.
- radiator are getting old, brittle and crack. Common issue with JZ engines as they age and are obvious as the radiator starts to turn yellow.
- does handle like a boat. For those wanting a stiffer and more responsive ride then there are lots of aftermarket options that make a big difference.
- headlight ballasts (HID) can sometimes fail and can be costly if you are going OEM genuine.
- air con can have a little servo motor that has its gears stripped and so it will spin and make a buzzing noise when trying to switch between air vents (ie from upper vents to defog or to feet).
- when replacing spark plugs, also replace plastic connectors as they are very brittle and can cause short circuiting if they break.
- valve cover seals start leaking oil.
- replacing the headunit is not that straight forward. It’s a bit more work than some other cars where it’s just plug and play.
- for the modifiers, the engine is a 2JZ-GE VVTI which is the only engine of the 2JZ that has the thinner connecting rods. When under boosted applications, these can bend at around the 325-350hp. They also have a compression ratio of 10:1.
- only came as automatic. There is no easy manual swap available. Can be done but requires a lot of work/money depending of the transmission you go for.
- emergency brake is a foot brake rather than a hand brake.
If this is something that you like but are looking for more of a turbo option then you can check out the Aristo (which they mentioned), Chaser, Crown JZS171, Blit and Mark II. They all are 4 door and are 1JZ-GTE twin turbo (with the exception of aristo which is 2JZ-GTE).
Overall though, I absolutely love the car and have no plans on selling it.
Don't forget those door lock motors.
Everything you listed I been through all lol! All parts replaced with OEM.
I'm also keeping mines till I die. 12 years and counting. Everyone loves riding in it, seats are comfy, no vibrations, drives smooth and quiet.
I feel you bro 😂l
Crux bluetooth plug in and the stock head unit is A+. Then you can just swap speakers and the sound is great and doesn't look ghetto.
VVTi Gear oil leak - makes people think front seals are leaking because slings oil everywhere - extremely common failure point.
Oil Control Value - (I heard about this, but only just had it start failing on my 2002 after it's mostly sat for months)
Brake booster module - the coil that spins in it eventually wears out like on the hybrid highlander gen 1 and prius gen 2? mid 2000s.
Airblender actuators
6 cd changer
Seems in the heat the calculator like display for the center can bleed
Balljoints in the early years, still have an original on my 2002 - just keep an eye on them, they don't give noise warning signs.
Yes those door lock actuators all fail
That's about it...
if you live in the rust belt, Toyota calipers kind of old school and need to be lubed so they don't seize, which i had happen to the front right.
@@MusicConnoisseurian Yeah, that pulley and OCV. I had an oil leak under the OCV housing too. Had to take the intake valve cover out, and reseal with silicone. changed all that and resealed with silicone on the Aristo swap...
I also had experience with the brake booster too. Hard brake pedal, and that annoying alarm that stays on.
The GS 300 is such an underrated car. Has been my daily driver for years and has never let me down. Great to hear I'm not the only one who likes them and appreciates how well they drive.
@Will reprogram key or get a new one programmed 🤝
I have a 430 and I love it.
i had a gs400. beast
I'm in the hunt for one need to know if I can find one for a decent price
Had it brand new this car still POPS! We are biying these classscis from this GS 400 to Acura Legends (GS Edition) it was some era with this car especially in NYC.
I currently have a 1999 Gs400, 6 owners and 410k miles. Original everything. Still runs like a top and has cost me next to nothing. The GS400, in my not so humble opinion, is leagues better than the GS300. It's such a wonderful experience. BUY IT!
I love my gs! Owned it for 3 years as my daily driver. Mine has 360000 miles on it and it runs like new. It is well maintained of course. Best daily I've ever had. Such an underated car and has car guy cred from the 2j and rwd.
Another MINT example of how Lexus just outdid themselves in the 90's.
Great review!
I'm pleasantly suprised!
With the kilometers it's been driven it should be in excellent condition.
EVERYTHING he said was spot on. 👍🏼 I've had a 1993, 1998 & 2006 GS 300. Amazing cars. Actually still have the '06, & like he said, it feels brand new when I drive it. It's smooth as silk & drives like a dream. Not a rattle or squeak anywhere. I've never had a problem with it. Just regular oil changes & maintenance, replace the tires & battery now & then & that's it. EVERY SINGLE TIME I drive it I'm like, I LOVE THIS CAR. 😃 So sad they've discontinued it. Guess I'll drive this one until... 😊🚘💘
The book states that the timing belt is replaced at 100,000Miles which is 160,000km. Tech you missed, auto on headlights which also have auto tilt according to the terrain. Auto dark tint rear view mirror and side mirrors at night when someone behind you and has their lights on. Valet lock. VSC - vehicle stability control, and a snow mode button, which I thought would be useless but turns out to be brilliant in congested traffic doing constant stop start driving and it's very useful on gravel tracks .....at wineries of course :-), and 6 delay wiper speed settings. Stereo sounds great, plenty of power, handling is great and smooth as butter.
Great video! Great car! My wife and I had an ‘05 SC430. Bought new, sold it with 210,000 miles with the only thing ever to fail was the mirror motors. Great daily driver!!
I got the same one like yours 2022 March with 11200 miles only
I worked at a Toyota dealer in the late 90's, the bosses drove Lexus's I remember when the Dealer Principle showed up in a red GS300 with the ivory interior simply awesome, I fell in love with them, but by then I was hooked as I got to drive his LS 400, the General manager's ES300 and other cars like the SC430. I finally got my first Lexus this year..a red with Ivory IS 350 second gen 2013MY (last model year for that shape ad it it truly great. Only gripes are not the most comfortable seat bottom (which is funny as my neighbour's 2011 feels more padded and more comfortable..and awful AM reception ..which again odd as I have the Mark Levinson Audio (it's a SPorts Luxury) and my neighbour has a Prestige (base model) with no AM reception issues. Other than that the car is MINT, is built like nothing I have ever experienced and is smooth as silk, truly phenomenal car. It's great to see how a '98 GS STILL stacks up!!
I own the exact car in this video. Transmission is smooth as butter after 24 years. 2 oxygen sensors, tires, and brakes after 7 years. This is the best car I've owned by a country mile. The engine and transmission combination is almost unbeatable. No rust after leaving outside for years as well. Everything just makes sense in this car.
How is the gas mileage?
@@crazykenbei Around 21 or 22 mpg. Does require premium but the reliability is unmatched.
I recently bought a 2000 GS 400 from its original owners with 132,000 miles. Your review lines perfectly with my ownership experience right down to the problems with the door actuators not locking or unlocking the car.
yeah my back doors always did that
I've had 1998 GS400 for 10 years. Great car all around. I have had the 2jzgte vvti engine in it for over a year and it's fantastic.
Eyyy, that's sick, did you do a engine swap for it?
@@SkylineLofeObviously
Soon as I find manifolds, I'm gonna turbo my gs400. I just wish the 400 ecu was tunable
Just bought a Lexus GS300 2006 and I must say I owe this choice to your great review! What an amazing car, so happy right now!!
Definitely has the 90s cool black leather jacket vibe inside 😎
I really appreciate and endorse reusing, recycling and continuing these maintained older cars. Environmentally, keeps them out of the bin and helps your pocket book. 😶❤
Bought a Lexus GSF this year and absolutely loving it. May not be a 2s 0-60 like the EVs and supercars out there but as a daily commuter and a throaty v8, I’m very very happy with my purchase.
I have one as my daily and I love it so much. I'd even recommend it for somebody who is trying to get into working on cars. The engine bay is massive and very intuitive.
If something ever happened to my GS, I would look for another one.
Same. If I get into a crash, I'm buying another.
Thank you. I’m picking one up tomorrow but was getting cold feet. After watching vids and seeing your comment I feel better
Nice review and that interior does look superb. With the longitudinal engine these would be pretty easy to do DIY maintenance on; there's a heap of forum posts and youtube vids for anything Lexus of this vintage.
I had a 2002 gs 300 as my first car and it is honestly a great car. it was reliable, had good space and was surprisingly sporty for being such a "large sedan." I would take it out for late night mountain drives with friends and it took it like a champ. It was also comfortable on the highway as well. The only issues I had were the door locks started to seize up and whenever I drove for a while and turned the car off it would sound like something was boiling and bubbling behind the radio.
How about mpg? And how much did it cost to fill up? I’m considering one for my first car
@@wyattdickey8358 I have a gen 3 2010 version I get 26 Mpg/9.6L /100km
It's not economic on fuel. Takes premium only. Costs 80usd+ for a full tank
@@wyattdickey8358it costs me about $60 here in Atl. My shit stock too so yea
Mine is awesome. Had to fix a constantly leaky rear main seal. It was a bit of a pain to fix but now it’s good as gold.
Thanks for the video, I own a 98 Gs300 too, my opinions
My daily and project car, love it so much and drives beautifully.
Pros:
Looks amazing, especially with body kits
Paint quality is great
Very comfortable and luxurious
Engine sounds great and very quick
Handling is absolutely perfect after installing some coilovers and a front strut brace.
Most common issues are:
Brake master cylinder causing failure of brakes -$500-700 repair
Fuel pump / filter going out from age - $200 ish
Door lock actuators - $20/per door, easy DIY
Transmission issues - Get them serviced with OEM fluid
Oil leaks - Valve cover gaskets $100, Cam seals $70, vvti seals $30, timing belt needs to be done also as its an interference engine, however it’s quite easy to fix.
Radiators - You can tell if its going out on these cars as the radiators start to go brown from the original black colour, again an easy repair.
Airbox - Plastic on the intake resonator goes out, easy fix $100-200 max.
front Lower balljoints - they can go out from age however not too difficult to repair, and should be done if no record of being done. Get OEM or 555 brand for about $200 for the set.
It sounds like a lot of issues, but its rare for them to happen, and after youve done them it will last forever.
Comment if you have any questions
my lexus is25 years old exceptional performance reliability & comfort what a car
I have a 1998 GS400 that I bought a couple years ago.. it is an amazing car and I am extremely in love with it. I originally bought it for $3000 and I'm easy $10,000 more into it. I have done a 3uz engine swap, and a complete suspension upgrade including every arm, and topped with tein flex z coilovers. Strut and trunk braces helped the car out a ton too.
I did the motor swap due to all the bad gaskets and had 170k on the motor. Now has 6k on the motor with new seals. Also I swapped over the 1uz wiring harness and accessories and it is still ran off the stock 1uz ecu.
I'm about to turbo my 1uz. I'm just weighing options on manifolds. Hack and reverse the stock ones, pay for aftermarket, or put 1uz flanges on cheap chevy LS turbo manifolds? Any ideas?
I bought a 3rd gen GS cuz all the second gen are so high km and pretty crap in my area but I’m so happy with my purchase, the gs350 is such an underrated car and just any GS in general is super underrated
My everyday driver for past 10 years is a 1998 lexus gs400, 212k miles now, still love driving this car everyday!
I have a 98 GS300 in the UK and love it. I did have to replace a door lock actuator (video on You Tube to follow) and the aircon doesn't work but that hardly matters in the UK. It is a smooth, refined amazing car don't make them like that anymore. I have the GPS model, although limited use with 1998 maps, cool retro piece though. Oh, petrol costs are a bit of a nightmare though.
This summer I purchased a 2003 GS 300 with 260,000 miles from the original owner. Amazing car in amazing condition. My wife LOVES it as her daily driver. The valve cover gasket started leaking bad. Lost 2 quarts of oil in 500 miles. Took it to my mechanic. He replaced the gaskets as well as spark plugs and wires. Cost a total of $470. Not bad. That’s the only problem I’ve had with the car.
Later 80s to early 00s Japanese cars was peak interior design.
Well designed and no bs redundant crap.
I had a GS300 for a few years untill it was written off early last year, I instantly went on the lookout for another and picked up a mint 2001 GS430 with 32k miles on it and its honestly the best car ive ever had. Drives way better than most new cars ive driven
Scotty would be so proud of you :)
I have a 98 GS400 and the acceleration even by todays standard is breathtakingly brisk with that rush of buttery torque. Things that have been replaced since purchased in 2005:
Lower ball joints
Door lock actuators
Timing belt
Starter
A few batteries
Brake pads
1 HID bulb
Trunk taillights (tend to fade)
Evap hose
Engine mounts
So far, 200k and it still drives like new.
the gs400 is soooo nice. My struts are fucked though so it rides like shit but I still love it. Do you remember what he engine code was for the evap hose?
@@masonwhite3795 that was so long ago but if you look at the now hard as a rock evap hose on the driver side of the engine, it'll most likely be broken in half. You can replace it with any fresh hose similar in diameter.
@@CACressida thanks! im gonna check that out cause smog is coming up for me haha
Got a neighbour with a black one of these. He treats it really well and even driving behind it it's really quiet. In the 10 years he's lived in my neighbourhood I've never seen the car on jacks or be towed, though the windscreen did need replacing after a kid kicked a ball into it.
The older GS models and especially the 3 litre V6 I think are the best cars Lexus ever made. Amazing quality and v6 dynamic feeling to drive with fantastic ride quality and good performance. Suspension is their weak point. Lovely ride but shocks needed changing every 50 to 60k miles, track rod end bushings and control arm bushes can prematurely fail, exhaust Y branch behind the twin mufflers has a design flaw and eventually splits needing a costly new end system replacement. ecu on mine needed reflashing when boot closer and window controls started playing up and a few hydraulic valves needed replacing. Best car I ever owned. Despite all wheel lacquer was poor quality and peeked so many will have been powder coated by nowt. Tpms sensors can fail and were costly to replace. Now got an RX450h but miss my old GS
I'd love to see an IS300 soon,. I have an IS250 as my IS200 was such a great car. But I miss the first gens shape. But as much as I loved the 1G-FE. I can't go back to being that slow lol. I feel like the extra torque from the 3.0L would be nice along with being lighter, even though it's about the same power as the 4GR-FSE in the IS250.
I love my gs300 she just turned 20 years old. I have a 2jzgte waiting to be installed in her but I can't bring myself to mod anything more that the wheels. I can see these gems soaring in value once the genie is let out the bottle. I'll never sell. I still have a tape deck and cd changer in the glove box
A nice advice to you, get the stock twin turbos rebuilt with Steel turbine wheels like in the Supras (if your not planning to do a single turbo upgrade) before you put the engine in. Also replace the turbo cooling hoses as well, any of the old turbo cooling hoses could crack/burst on you at some point who knows when. Last thing you want is to do all that work swap out the engine and the turbos are howling at a certain RPM/has that police siren noise, and the performance is kind of sluggish/oil leak due to blown seals, or coolant leak "from a very hard to get to" hose. Those stock turbos in the Aristo from Japan with the ceramic wheels are the weakest part of the engine, I couldn't risk it and wanted piece of mind. Engine pulls so hard. Fun daily.
Got mine for a steal 120k miles everything mint condition! the kid that sold it to me though the stearing wheel racks was going bad & was going to be pricey to fix. Ended up just being the ball joints which have to be changed every 40k for safety. In total ended up paying 3,200 including the new ball joints been more then 1 year with it & no problems every since! love these old school tanks!
Bought an LX570 late 2017. The way it drives around the city, in the mountains during vacations, and in the deserts when I shoot - still surprises me as it still drives likes it’s brand new. I’m old and retired but always enjoy and don’t get tired driving this lexus between 10-12 hours straight during vacations. What’s killing me is my local dealer is offering a surprisingly very tempting offer on the lexus. Can’t believe it’s still worth so much after almost 5 years!
Those LX570 build to last forever. Downside is the fuel consumption. They worth a lot now because it’s hard to get hold on new LX600. No one wants to wait 2-3 years for new LX. Having saying that LX is a good quality SUV.
Owned many cars and by far my 04 LS 430 and 01 GS 430 are the most reliable cars I owned. With proper maintenance, these cars will probably out live you. Had a 03 GS 300 but traded it this year for the 01 GS 430. Cant go wrong with any of the older Lexus's.
I was thinking a GS430 would be a great buy
@@richardggeorge hard to come by one in good condition but if you do find one, snag it. Took me 2 years searching and finally.
@@SirLucious666buy GS460 the timing belt is a pain on GS430
Very well done...honestly Great Review ( format,editing, camera ect
.) I've owed 2 of them a 98Gs400 (V8) and an 02Gs400 (2jz ge V6)
An absolute Pleasure to drive and the SEATS are as close to perfection as I've experienced.
_Liked & Subscribed_
Edit: * 02 Gs300
I'm commenting before watching, I have 2 Porsches, an Amarok and a new BMW. If I had to give them all up for a well maintained GS300 I would, my son drives a beautifully tidy one, my dad had one till the flood took it out and I've owned 2 as part of an 11 Lexus run. These cars are amazing, BUT! Like everything else, skip the maintenance and u will never recover. But if you treat it well, it will be a 5 star experience. Even if u abuse them they will still look after you, but eventually it will catch up with you.
I just bought a 1999 lexus gs 300 with 177000 miles on it. It's in mint condition. It drives like a dream and so smooth. I absolutely love it!
I love my 2000 GS300. I bought it secondhand from original owner, who took really good care of it. Only issues I needed to address ...
- hood struts needed replacement
- driver's side lock actuator (LHD) needs replacement
- tail lights on trunk have faded to pink and require red bulbs or red clear paint or vinyl wrapping.
- radio display is blank and needs replacement.
My late uncle Joe bought one of the first Lexus LS 400 to land in Australia. It was a magnificent car. He had personal number plates, LEXUS4, personal plates in Victoria were pretty new in the mid 90s. The plates would be worth a mint today, my Aunty might still have them 🤔 I met up with my Aunty one day whilst I was on duty, I parked my fully marked police WRX in the shopping Centre and took the big Lexus for a spin. A few eyebrows were raised seeing a copper in a LS400 zooming through the streets 🤣🤣 bloody good car. We have an ISF 350 F Sport in the drive, my uncle would be proud. Thanks for the memories AK. 👍🏻
Decided to get a 01 Aristo for my first car and im in love with it. Glad I watched this video as it gave good insight on what to look for an expect. As a fan of 90s jdm couldn't be happier with the car, my mates all thought it would be a shitbox but keep saying how much nicer it is in person compared to photos. Just wanna keep driving it
I had a GS400, about 200k 0 issues. only money I spent on was on coilers and wheels/exhaust. the v8 is basically a legend (same motor as the ls430)
I'm in the UK and own a 2006 Lexus GS300 SE-L.
3 litre V6 with a 6 speed auto transmission. The car is supremely comfortable, whisper quiet, utterly reliable and very, very fast!
Mine has been timed at 163·7mph flat out, and 0 to 60mph comes up in 5·1 seconds! (4·6 in power mode). It also returns 43 mpg on the motorway and between 21 to 32 mpg around town. This is my 7th Lexus, and I can't imagine driving anything else.
Im rolling at 278k miles on mine and I love it! The body/interior ia in great condition
Mine is 1998 model & is made still is everything new ❤️❤️❤️❤️my Lexus
Great video , one of the best cars ever made , i own 2 GS 2nd gen and i never get tired of driving them . It is a 4 dr Supra with excellent engineering , design and material .
Lexus has phenomenal build quality.
Should you buy a used Lexus? Yes, in my opinion.
I own a RX400h and I love it. Super reliable, comfortable, nice v6 and great fuel economy for a petrol 3.3 cc v6. It's fast, spacious and in my opinion, almost perfect! Great video (y). I would also love to own a s190 GS.
This was/is a great car. I purchased a 2004 GS 300 after my 2000 BMW 528i died. The GS had 32K miles at time of purchase and it drove beautifully with no major problem to over 300k miles when I traded it in for a LS 460. All the maintenance such as oil and brake changes were done in my garage. I brought it to the dealership once a year for the annual inspection and performed whatever services were needed to pass.
I've not commented on one of your vids for a while, but still watching and liking all your vids. This one, the quality quips and character laiden description of the interior were spot on. Big grin over here. 👏😁
Keep up the bloody great work.
Good on you Steve! Thanks for the kind words!
I agree and felt supported by this video. I just got myself a 1998 Lexus GS 300 with just 60,500 km here in Perth WA this august. Though with slight almost non-visible scratches on the sides near the rear tires, I still can't avoid myself driving it to work than going back to usual public bus trips.
I honestly have always loved the styling of these since I was a kid. Have lots of experience with the engine as I own my dad's old is300 5mt, and it's been wonderful over the 20 years we've owned it. 200k kms and 10 years winter driving, and it has genuinely zero rust and not a single rattle or sqeak in the interior.
The only real problem I've ever had with the car was caused by old cracked hoses and a cracked radiator, which both happened to fail while the car was in the shop for the timing belt replacement. Any car with the engine is genuinely wonderful.
That’s crazy my 2004 LS 430 radiator crack after I had gotten an timing belt change and another LS 430 owner went through the same thing with his LS 430 after it had happen to me
Best car I’ve ever had of so many brands .
Recommended 💯 % this car
Have a turbo Aristo and love it.
Has excellent road manners when you want, and surprises people at the lights when they mistake you for a Camry 😂
Did a 400km round trip to visit Dad. The kids and the missus slept most of the way. It's that comfy.
That being said, I only get about 400km from 60L with usual daily driving.... 😬 But if that concerns you, then a 2JZ is not the engine for you.
You enthusiasm for this car is addictive. I imported a Toyota Soarer /Lexus SC of the same era back in the day (in 2000). That thing was carved from stone. Before I decked it out with the Apexi catalogue, stupidly large rims and turbo. It didn’t miss a beat.
So you ruined a perfect car basically lol
Ive got a 99 GS400. Its got 274k miles, i got it at 199k. Ive got no idea of the previous service history. It was bounced around from used car lots and auctions for 12 years before i got it. Its been the absolute best car I've ever had. Its not fast by today's standards but definitely quick enough and torquey enough to get you in trouble. I love my car!
The beauty of these late 90s Lexus cars is that the first and second owners took impeccable care of them.
Scotty Kilmer would be proud!
Wow, I miss all my GS's.
I gave my 2001 GS300 to my Neice and she still drives it.
I sold my 01 LTuned GS430 to my buddy.
Great cars.
Yes, yes you should. As an owner of a '00 model with 267k, I can't speak anything bad about them. Given proper maintenance makes a difference long term, but I would definitely recommend.
I have the twin turbo Aristo version, and yes I have had the faulty door lock actuator, and my aircon compressor fell on its sword. Nothing much to add to what was said in the video, except that rough engine running can usually be traced to coilpack plastic plugs which have gone crumbly (easy DIY replacement), oil pressure sensors tend to leak oil, and the Aristo turbo versions have a rear wheel steer system which can go sloppy at high mileage. AK nails it, these things really do a great impression of a 2yr old, 25,000km car.
Whoa what? Aristo has rear wheel steer? Lol! Damn!
@@PanameraTurboSEHybrid yeah it's the sort of system that steers in the same direction at the front wheels at higher speed for stability, there's an electric rack in front of the diff.
I've spent, most of my hard earned Saturday watching Lexus videos. This is easily, hands down, the BEST I've seen! You had me at "wanker". Funny, informative, high prod. value, excellent. Cheers lads, from London Tahnnnnnn.......
the door lock actuators, A/C blend door actuator, the Mark Levinson sound system, oil leaks galore, ABS sensor, Throttle Body Actuator, head gasket... I bought my 2004 GS300 from a BMW mechanic... everytime I fix a problem, I get in the damn thing next day it throws another code... Ive seen them last longer than mine at 183,000 miles, and after all this, I still love it. IRS handles well for what appears to be a big car... Time for an Aristo turbo swap.
Nailed it again AK. Loved your love of the leather! I wonder if the Lexus of today will age as well as this...
I have also the Lexus GS. Still going strong. No problems.
Nice review as always! I’m always shocked at how much cars have grown in size. Also I think the drive is down to both a) going to all electric everything for efficiency purposes. B) going to SUVs because that’s what everyone supposedly needs these days (inherently more difficult to make well composed) and C) cost cutting on engineering for adding more bells and whistles. People today care about what ‘tech’ a car has, not the engineering of the mechanical package. I recently read a lunch kit of *some new car* and there were fifteen paragraphs on the tech features, didn’t even mention once anything about the mechanical package. It’s rather sad. But it sure did have a lot of big screens in it, because that is certainly what makes a ‘good’ car nowadays.
Ay. It's a shame interest in sedans are waning. I mean don't get me wrong SUVs and crossovers are cool but it shouldn't be at the cost of the sedan
@@crazykenbei well they have to come at the cost of something. There is only so much market share to go around and when new things come in it is always at the cost of something else. Horse carts don't have much market share these days. Electric will do the same thing. But I agree, I hate that dumb / blind consumers have basically ruined cars because of a perceived need. Manufacturers are to blame as well though. Governments have played their part too, sadly.
Yeah Lexus GS! Love my 2010 GS460
Just bought a 2003 GS430 and it's the most glorious car I've ever driven!
How has it been so far ? Reliable ?
@@19keverick91 It was great for the 6 months that I owned it haha! I had to sell to move country.
@@shizukesajdm ahh fair enough!
yepp I have a 2000 gs300 ... still runs great! no majors issues and still looks good however the ac doesn't cool and recharging it doesn't work.. but everything else is awesome
I had this car as a wallpaper when it first came out. Crazy how it's been 20 years
Love this channel, honest useful reviews. And yea, these are outstanding vehicles. I had an IS300 about 15 years ago and that car was just amazing.
it's amazing what a difference the right set of rims and stance make to this car
I love seeing reviews of my car lol. I’m in the states, so I own a gs430 with the 3uz v8. I love this car, and your right about buying them heavy modified lol. I wouldn’t sell mine to just anyone because of all the modifications I’ve done. But it still quick enough, pretty enough, and I feel reliable enough to keep for another 10 years lol
i have a 2001 4.3L V8 variant of this car. absolutely wonderful to drive. i bought it 7 years ago with 65,00mi. it now has only 73,000mi on it and it looks brand new. the paint, the leather, everything like new. i can afford to go buy just about anything i want to drive. but $10,000 us 7 years ago for a practically new car, it's a no brainer. just point and drive, no worries.
I drive a 2008 Lexus GS 350 RWD with 175 000km. I bought it for 7000$ 2 years ago at 154 000km and it has cost me a new exhaust line (I live in rusty canada) rear shocks and rear brakes.
It's a nice car and it holds up nicely still today.
I have the lexus ls430 2001. It has 360,000 miles original engine and transmission. Original starter and alternator. I have had the timing belt pulleys serpentine belt spark plugs and water pump replaced every 100,000 miles. Just regular maintenance in-between brake pad, oil changes and other fluid changes. These lexus ls430 are awesome cars l would buy another one in a heartbeat like 2005 or 06 model. They go for around 10,000.00 used car market.
Massively underated... And they have a 2JZ like the Supra!
That VS Ute with a long tray behind Jim is pretty rare, please review it!
I only noticed the Cruze behind Jim, which they have reviewed … and boy was that fun 🤣
@@fabianchow512 No, that was another Cruze... They reviewed a hatch...
The White VS Ute further away has a long tray...
I own one of these and can say that only thing you really need to worry about are front ball joints. Also try to have in professionally washed twice a year cause all the bolts and fittings start to rust and after that any repair on the under carriage is basically a cutting wheel involvement. The mufflers on all of these rust from the top and fuel tank seems will pop and leak. Good to have it checked and coated in some stone chip paint. Other than that its a very good and safe car. There is a crash test video on the YT also.
I'm lucky enough to own an Aristo , 2JZGTE, drove it up from Melbourne to far north NSW, 1700kms, it never missed a beat the entire way, also vehicles only done 60,000kms she's like new, amazing car
Did you want a moment alone with the GS there Adam lol 🤣🤣 and I noticed Sam couldn't help laughing at the stuff ups lol.
And please no more Oasis-ish music please as that song seems to follow me everywhere lol 😆
From what you guys have said it seems like this car is almost worthy of 'saying shut up and take my money' too whoevers selling it.
Good work guys as always was a brilliant review and look forward to the part 2 of the under $5k top 5 and next weeks review. Have a good weekend and stay save gents 👍.
I still have my ‘06 GS430 and just turned 100k kilometres a couple days ago. Still looks and feels new. Doubt I’ll ever sell it.
Awesome reviews.Keep up the good work.
I have 2001 GS 300, 197k miles and it’s still a fun sporty luxurious drive!
Nice video, always love the comments on smoking 😄 I have been waiting reviews on used Lexus!
Do you have a Lexus RX review coming up soon?
Our 2000 GS300 has 219,000 miles on it and is still going strong. Best car we have ever owned.
I have one as a daily and I absolutely love it.
I have a GS---300/2008 and I absolutely love it.
Had an 03, still the best car I've ever had...was originally purchased for 112k!!! I paid 3k!!
What market are you in that it was that expensive
Almost bought a beautiful gs350 last year at used car lot. Did some due diligence and called the Lexus dealer it had work done most of it’s life. Turns out it was burning so much oil in 5k miles that the engine light was coming on. Lexus made it right for the owner by taking it in on trade. The dealer used it as a loaner for a year and auctioned it off. Definitely do your research
The GS430 is perhaps one of my all time top 10 cars EVER. It drives great, feels great, and looks great inside and out.
Don’t know if this was mentioned, but the factory paint in these are known to fail on the front bumper, hood, roof, and spoiler. I live in Florida, so maybe it’s because of the weather here, but every one of these I see has clear coat peel wayyyy worse than other cars it’s age.
My first car was a GS400 that had been horribly neglected by its previous owners. And yet the interior didn't creak or rattle at all and the powertrain was still flawless. There hasn't been a car of that quality since.
I really like the GS. Large rear wheel sedans are to me, still ducks nuts.
Just bought an 01 clean low mileage LS430 just a really nice car and super reliable much better than garbage today
You can't go wrong with a GS430/GS400 with a black interior and that melodious V8. Black interiors hold up so much better than the tan and grey interiors. Refresh that car's suspension with Bilstein shocks, Megan sway bars, and new bushings and its an even better drivers car as well. RD is right on with the looks with lowering them on sport springs and adding 18" wheels or so. The down side is that the front suspension will crash over sharp bumps. I heave-hoed my sport springs and went back to the factory ones. Don't do the aftermarket head unit. The stock stereo especially the Mark Levinson is amazing and good luck improving on it. You can add a Grom bluetooth adapter that plugs into the back of the factory stereo on 2001 and newer models and stream music just fine. These cars are awesome!!! Check out the first gen IS300/Altezza and the SC300/SC400/Soarer too. I love old Lexus cars.
I have a GS430 and my only complaint is over the bumps it’s terrible I got 120,000 kilometers on it and just don’t know whether there is anything can be done to bring it close to a LS ride!?
@@Jack14432 I don't know about making it ride like a LS but the Bilstein shocks on the factory springs is really good. Firm but not harsh.
Cant complain if car holds 25 yrs with excellent condition. Hats off to owners as well.
I would have listened to that song on repeat in the 90s.
Always liked these cars from new, but never loved one enough to buy it.