2000 Lexus GS 400 4.0 Liter V8 from North America

Summary:

Best bang for the buck in the used car marketplace

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car so far. But since I have owned it, I have done a bunch of work on it. I replaced all the front suspension bushings with polyurethane ones from TM engineering, front rotors, front brake pads, brake fluid flush, spark plugs, transmission fluid and pan, fog light, oil change.

General Comments:

The biggest upgrade has been the polyurethane bushings. I read a lot about these having that highway speed vibration and braking wobble under hard braking, and being very floaty. I had all those issues, and they HAVE ALL BEEN CURED WITH THE POLYURETHANE BUSHINGS!!! If you own this car, get these bushings; the car now glides and handles 100% better. When I brake, the car actually stops, no steering wheel wobble, no need to worry about hitting the car in front. Gone is all the highway vibration, and the car tracks beautifully.

The only downside to polyurethane bushings is I have heard that they squeak, but the cure is have a good mechanic install them, and have them use silicone grease and nothing else. They will not squeak if greased properly, and if they ever do in the future, just periodically spray a bottle of white lithium grease and you are good to go.

I actually considered selling my car because it handled so sloppily. Even backing out of the driveway, there was the floaty feeling. But now I know how this car was built to handle, and it actually rides better than before. This car glides over the road now.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th August, 2011

2000 Lexus GS 400 V8 from North America

Summary:

Upper level luxurious sports sedan

Faults:

My rotors and brake pads needed to be replaced at 140,000 miles.

CD disk changer malfunctioned at 154,000 miles.

Its been a pretty reliable car. Just normal maintenance.

General Comments:

I've owned BMWs, Audis, Acuras, Honda, Infinitis, Porsches, Chryslers, Saabs, Volvos, and Mercedes. This car is one of my all time favorites. It's as quick as my e36 M3, as reliable as my Toyota Camry, as luxurious as my Saab 9-5 Aero, and as stylish as my Audi. This car seems to check all the positive boxes.

The cabin is very well laid out and the seats are very comfortable. I almost feel like I'm sitting on my leather sofa couch in my living room. Every option is available to you. Power tilt, telescoping steering wheel, adjustable power seats, heated seats, sunroof, nice stereo. You will feel like a high level executive sitting in this car. P.

The acceleration is phenomenal. 0-60 in less than 6 seconds. If you want the car next to you to be a tiny speck in your rear view mirror, just push your foot down on the accelerator. WoW. I don't even use the ECT (extra power button) that's on the gear console. Another nifty feature is putting the car in manual mode. There are steering wheel buttons that mimic formula one racing. I try to drive the car leisurely, but it's just nice to know you have that power if you need it.

The only draw back to this car is that it's not as nimble as other cars (BMWs, Acuras) that I have owned. That's to be understood since it's a V8. It's a lot heavier car, so that was something to get used too as well. My last car was a Lexus is300. I'm thinking about upgrading the suspension, but I hope that doesn't interfere with the ride quality.

All in all, one of the best cars to get used on the market. I would highly recommend it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th May, 2009

1st Dec 2009, 00:46

Addition: I changed the tires (Pirellis), placed performance springs on the car. Handles every bit as good as my BMW. This car is phenomenal. No problems.