Need serious input here from someone that knows what theyre talking about...Help!

[LS4me]

Don't let "precieved" mileage between the V6 and V8 sway you. I have both and there is virtually no difference in mpg. The V6 maybe gets a half mpg better than the V8. Highway, maybe 1mpg better. At 80ish, there is no difference. The power of V8 is well worth it. Also, the '00-'02 V6s have only 210 horsepower. That really isn't much in a 3800 pound car!

 

[ntec]

I had a LS v6 5 speed with 221,000 kms on it when i bought it & I drove it 25k more and the rad overflow bottle cracked ,headlight condensation,armrest cover latch broke,drivers heated seat busted ,abs light stayed on & leather shift boot broke other than that it was a great car.

 

[SoonerLS]

They are supposed to be very safe, and really the horsepower isn't that much compared to other V8 vehicles today.

Safe is only part of the equation. LSes have lots of aluminum bodywork, and relatively unique bodywork at that, so they're likely to be more expensive to repair. Also, there are the exotic aluminum suspension components and other parts that would be expensive to replace in the event of a collision.

 

[StinkinLinkinLS01]

I'm 20 and the LS was my first car when I was 19. I found a loaded '01 LSV8 with 60,xxx miles for $13,999 and got an extended warranty (40,xxx miles I think...) for an additional 2k. Monthly payments are now about $280 and insurance is $80/mo. Immediatly when I bought the car there was a problem with the fuel pump or something. The stealership ended up replacing the fuel pump, all the plugs and wires, and a whole bunch of other stuff costing about $2,000 before they finally found the problem...none of which I had to pay for of course. Other than that I've had to replace 6/8 coils which cost me about $400 being that the stealership claimed only 4 were covered under warranty or some BS like that. I could have gotten away with cheaper...much cheaper...but oh well.

Other than that I've had no problems. I drove the entire minnesota winter with Z rated tires (I know...big mistake...) and I've now got 90,xxx miles. I also street raced my car on the weekends and drove it very hard. I've got custom cat-back flowmaster exhaust, the XCal II, and intake and I've never had any mechanical problems.


I know these cars are tough. I've never said anything about this on here because I've felt like a complete dumbass about it but one night at a new race spot I was going back and forth with this kid in his BMW who thought he was the shiat. Anyways we raced and were neck and neck until about 100mph as we approached the intersection that about 50 people crowded on the sides of watching and he let off but my adrenaline caused me to make a huge mistake.

I blew through the intersection at 110mph + and went down and up over a dip in the road and the next thing I knew my car hit the ground terribly hard...swerved side to side as I lightly countered but overall held the road extremely well.

I immediatly pulled to the side of the road in complete disbelief because I had no idea the slight dip was coming. I also immediatly knew it was a dumbass move and I didn't even want to go back to the group of people waiting. After a couple minutes I got the nerve to go back only to be greeted by all these guys saying it was the coolest thing I they had ever seen.

According to about 25 eye witnesses my car caught at least 1/2 ft air which when you subtract the massive over exaggeration probably turns out to be at least a couple inches. My exhaust tips scraped the ground so hard when I hit they shot sparks about 10 feet into the air which apparently was "real cool" to all the bystanders.

Since this little "incident" I haven't raced the LS once and I've purchased an '89 camaro with a 350 that I use for "rough housing". I couldn't believe how stupid it was...but feel free to remind me.

The whole point is that after this the car has ran perfectly. I took it to the stealership and they found no problems...and I took it to the exhaust shop and the exhaust was perfect.

Bottom line.

I love the car...but I wouldn't buy one with more than 60,xxx miles.

 

[Fla02LS]

I guess i'll reflect back to your original question as far as people who know what they're talking about....i think i'd stick with the 30+yr old crowd on here as far as their recomendations. Kids giving kids advice isnt the smartest thing. At your age, regardless of what vehicle you decide on its not wise to start racking up debt. Between car payment, insurance, maintenance, gas the costs add up. Not to mention any "surprises". Dont ever use what you WILL be making in the future as a deciding factor on what you can afford today, things can change quickly. If you do go with the LS dont count out the V6. I have an '02, and they have 220 hp and are plenty quick for daily driving. The V6 will get way better mileage, i drive around 500 miles a week and get about 25 mpg per tank. I PROMISE there arent any V8 guys on here that are getting close to that, especially the people with any mods. The prices of an LS near you seem to be really high, so the deal you found might not be that bad. Its all about supply and the LS might be rare up in Wash. I see about 8-10 LS's everyday around here, which is why a 2002 LSE with 31000 miles is only $16,000. Anyway, i think a smarter (not cooler) way to go is a nice low mileage newer car. Here are a few non LS cars i found within your price range. I think the first Sable is the best deal.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/safet...vanced=&max_price=&model=SABLE&ref=srl#vdptop
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/model...=&search_type=both&model=INTRE&ref=srl#vdptop
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...advanced=&end_year=2007&max_price=&cardist=11
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...advanced=&end_year=2007&max_price=&cardist=31
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...advanced=&end_year=2007&max_price=&cardist=31
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...nced=&end_year=2007&max_price=12000&cardist=7
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...2007&start_year=1981&isp=y&lang=en&cardist=21
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...2007&start_year=1981&isp=y&lang=en&cardist=37
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...=2007&start_year=1981&isp=y&lang=en&cardist=4
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...2007&start_year=1981&isp=y&lang=en&cardist=44

They may not be on par with the LS but they sure the hell are better than a '88 chevy celebrity. You need to be realistic and not be dead set on the LS.

 

[itsnotmydaddys]

Just did some looking for ya and like Fla02Ls said they are really and i mean really high up there. You might want to think about taking a road trip and gettin your LS. I drove a distance to get mine. It would be worth it in the long run.

And wy does Fla and only Fla always bring up the age thing."i think i'd stick with the 30+yr old crowd on here as far as their recomendations. Kids giving kids advice isnt the smartest thing." Kids? Who are kids. You were just like us. We are the people he is asking. He is more our age, we are goin through the same thing he is. Y does he always bas h age. Like you skipped from 16 to 30+ in one year. No you went through the same things we are. I hate this whole age thing that comes up here. It doesnt come up in the town car forum, nor the Mark, navi, zephyr, nor any or the Caddy forums, but for some reason its brought up here at least twice a month.

 

[Fla02LS]

With age comes wisdom. Remember that. My comment wasnt age bashing, its giving opinions by someone who has been there, done that. Do you feel someone who is 13 yrs old is a "kid" compared to you...of course. Do you not feel that you could give that 13 yr old alot of advice about high school...of course... you've been there, done that. Most people here are still young enough that they have alot to learn. At 22 your making some dumb decisions and really arent going to give sound advice to this kid. Recall getting stranded because you took out your spare tire...thats DUMB. You still live at home right? You have plenty to learn my man. But regardless of all that nonsense, lets take you and your LS. Your saying you bought your LS about 18 months ago for 14k. Your trying to sell it for $10500 now ? I am guessing that is your payoff amount. If your a/c still isnt working then dont expect to get anywhere close to $10500 not to mention all the other crap that you have said is wrong with it. You said you have spent about 5k in repairs, plus any mods you have spent money on. So your looking at around 12k spent on your LS since you got it and its now worth less than what you owe. You have averaged about $665/month since owning your LS. To me, you have no room to be giving advice on buying a car. Maybe i'm wrong but i doubt it. On the other hand i put 5K down on my LS and financed the rest for 36 months. Havent spent anything extra other than basic stuff. If i got a bug up my ass to get a new car i could go to any dealer and trade my car in and still be way ahead. Hope that helps.

 

[black_lincoln]

i can see where fla02 is coming from, but the most important thing to me is being comfortable or happy with your purchase, and being able to go out to u`r garage and see u`r ride and still say '' damn thats a nice ride'' after having it for a year. i went that way in buying something practical ( vw jetta) as my first car but after about 6 months i was dying to get rid of it to get something that i really wanted. i wasn`t able to afford the ls when i was 18 so i got the jetta till i was able to( that was 21), but i did buy my wife a 00deville when i was 20 . if you can get the ls and afford it comfortably (and that would definitely be with an aftermarket waranty) GO FOR IT. you already know what the potential problems are with the ls so dont be surprised when they happen. or you may just be lucky and not have as much. good luck with u`r purchase man.

 

[HyeLifeLS]

I would go with the GTPs that FLA posted. The LS is not the most reliable car out there. I would not suggest you buying an LS now, because the repair costs are plenty high on these cars. I spent over $6000 only in repairs in 3 years that I had my LS and that's why it's gotta go.

 

[tical3604]

is it possible to get an aftermarket warrenty if you don't go thru a dealership?

 

[StinkinLinkinLS01]

I paid $13999 for 01 LSV8 when I was 19 yrs old. It was my first car and of course now I'm only 20 but I bought my LS with 60,xxx miles and it now has 90,xxx miles and I've only had to replace some engine coils and the fuel pump. They were covered under my extended warranty that I paid an extra 2k for. My loan ended up being around 17k with taxes and warranty...my monthly payments are now around $280/mo and insurance is $80/mo. Gas is crazy...sometimes $400-$500/mo and I have to admit its not necessarily the most economically sensible car for a kid my age but luckily I haven't had any problems making ends meet. Living at home and paying little rent helps...but I'm also a FT student on top of working FT.

 

[black_lincoln]

they might offer some kinda waranty through the dealership. if they do, ask them what components are actually covered under what circomstances. not because you get the car from the dealership means that u must go through their financial company. you can check you local banks or personal bank to see if they have a relationship with an aftermarket waranty company. well once they can give you a decent interest rate. i paid 1800 for a 2 year or 100000 mile coverage through my local bank. they covered all major parts, towing and rental for 2 days. :-s ( better than nutten) it ended up being like 30 bucks more per month. just weigh u`r options man.check around and ask questions.

 

[TheRebel]

I guess i'll reflect back to your original question as far as people who know what they're talking about....i think i'd stick with the 30+yr old crowd on here as far as their recomendations. Kids giving kids advice isnt the smartest thing.

If you do go with the LS dont count out the V6. I have an '02, and they have 220 hp and are plenty quick for daily driving. The V6 will get way better mileage, i drive around 500 miles a week and get about 25 mpg per tank. I PROMISE there arent any V8 guys on here that are getting close to that, especially the people with any mods.l

Age has nothing do with wisdom or not knowing anything. I know a lot of kids that have more sense and decency then you because they wouldn't assume that people are ignorant because of their age. Some people have a lot more life experience by the time they are 20 vs some some people in their 50's. Take a kid that is 24, works 40's a week, and has family vs some guy who is 35 and has rich parents that helped him out his whole life. Who do you think is going to be more tuned to the real world? Kids giving kids advice is prefectly fine. Do you not ask your friends for advice? I figure your friends are close to your age. Us kids are close to tical3604's age so we are giving him very useful advice in how we afford or can't afford the LS. I still think college should be his #1 priority. As far as gas mileage goes I average 23-24 mpg in my 03 V8 LS. I usually get 26 on the highway and 20 to 22 in town and I drive about 400 miles per week. I guess what I am trying to say is that your sh!t stinks too, Fla02LS, no matter how old you get or how great your V6 is. So quit bashing the kids on this forum. Sorry tical for ranting on your thread and to Fla02LS for both of us being jackasses.

 

[Fla02LS]

Age has nothing do with wisdom or not knowing anything. I know a lot of kids that have more sense and decency then you because they wouldn't assume that people are ignorant because of their age. Some people have a lot more life experience by the time they are 20 vs some some people in their 50's. Take a kid that is 24, works 40's a week, and has family vs some guy who is 35 and has rich parents that helped him out his whole life. Who do you think is going to be more tuned to the real world? Kids giving kids advice is prefectly fine. Do you not ask your friends for advice? I figure your friends are close to your age. Us kids are close to tical3604's age so we are giving him very useful advice in how we afford or can't afford the LS. I still think college should be his #1 priority. As far as gas mileage goes I average 23-24 mpg in my 03 V8 LS. I usually get 26 on the highway and 20 to 22 in town and I drive about 400 miles per week. I guess what I am trying to say is that your sh!t stinks too, Fla02LS, no matter how old you get or how great your V6 is. So quit bashing the kids on this forum. Sorry tical for ranting on your thread and to Fla02LS for both of us being jackasses.

Your rambling makes no sense little boy. This guy is looking at an '00 which has pitiful mileage compared to the '03+ V8 not to mention the V6. Also dont fudge your mileage just to rant, you know damn well those arent accurate numbers.

 

[TheRebel]

I wish you were here so I could show you and it makes prefect sense because you said V8 owners. You didn't specify a year and my reply was to you. Is there any way I can prove the mileage to you? Lets start a new thread so we let tical get his answers here and we don't feel it up with our arguing.

 

[02LSE96LSC91SE84TC]

I know plenty of older people that don't have much more than a pot to piss in, and plenty of younger people that really have there crap together. Maybe thats not the norm, but it does exist. Age doesn't always=Wisdom. Your immature to assume that.

 

[SoonerLS]

Age does not necessarily bring wisdom, but it does bring experience. So does seat time in an LS, which doesn't necessarily have anything to do with your age. I'm a part of that "30+ crowd," but I only have about 16 months of seat time in an LS, so I'm sure there are younger members who have more seat time in the LS than I do. I probably have more seat time in internal combustion-powered vehicles than they have time on their beating hearts, but that doesn't mean that my experience is any more or less valuable than theirs.

Personally, I would listen more closely to the older members, because they do have more experience in general, but I really haven't seen anything that I would consider really bad advice in this thread. Of course, I am in the "30+ crowd," so my memory may be slipping.

 

[cpgoodman]

Highway mile eh. Has anybody ever bought a used car that didnt have mostly "highway" miles?

 

[TheRebel]

Age does not necessarily bring wisdom, but it does bring experience. So does seat time in an LS, which doesn't necessarily have anything to do with your age. I'm a part of that "30+ crowd," but I only have about 16 months of seat time in an LS, so I'm sure there are younger members who have more seat time in the LS than I do. I probably have more seat time in internal combustion-powered vehicles than they have time on their beating hearts, but that doesn't mean that my experience is any more or less valuable than theirs.

Personally, I would listen more closely to the older members, because they do have more experience in general, but I really haven't seen anything that I would consider really bad advice in this thread. Of course, I am in the "30+ crowd," so my memory may be slipping.

Sorry if it sounded like I was bashing the 30+ crowd. That was not my intent. I agree I haven't really seen any bad advice either. Just sticking up for my generation and V8

 

[SoonerLS]

Sorry if it sounded like I was bashing the 30+ crowd. That was not my intent. I agree I haven't really seen any bad advice either. Just sticking up for my generation and V8

FWIW, it didn't sound that way (like bashing) to me. Age ain't nothin' but a number.

 

[Iwantmymarkback]

The age thing is irrelevant. There are some young guns that are more than okay taking care of themselves. But, I'm avoiding confrontation here.

Hey, did you ever think about getting a Mark VIII?

Just a suggestion

 

[AnderbrA]

Bought my 2002 LS 8 Sport with 21,500 miles the end of March for $18,300. Has about 34,000 miles now and I have had absolutely no problems. I love it. Normally can get 23-24 MPG on the highway at 75-80 mph. 17-20 in town.

As far as the age issue goes, it really has nothing to do with anything. Im 23, somewhat responsible, work full time, self employed part time, make around 50k/yr, have 2 car payments, motorcycle payment and insurance on everything + normal bills.

Bottom line is anyone is capable of anything as long as you put your mind to it and go about it the right way. If you really want something you will find a way to make it work.

 

[StinkinLinkinLS01]

I'm 20. i bought my LS when I as 19 and it was my first car. I payed $13900 for my 01LS V8 with 60,xxx miles. I love the car. I payed an extra 2k for an extended 40k mile warranty and so far its paid off. I've really only had to replace some engine coils and something wiht the fuel pump 2 days after I bought the car. That was fixed with no deductible being the problem was there when I bought the car. I go to school FT in pursuit of my MBA and I work FT as an account manager for a collection agency. I made around 30k when I as 19 living at home (which really helps going to school and all..) and currently my monthly payment is around $280 and my insurance is $80/mo...with my dad listed as the primary driver and me the secondary to help save about $100mo - seriously.

I thought I might regret buying something so "flashy" and expensive but to date...I have no regrets.

 

[StinkinLinkinLS01]

:F

HA. Why do I always see Fla02LS arguing with the younger crowd and no one else??

Something tells me this guy had a rough childhood...

:ballon

 

[StinkinLinkinLS01]

Bottom line is anyone is capable of anything as long as you put your mind to it and go about it the right way. If you really want something you will find a way to make it work.

Couldn't have said it any better. To satisfy my need for speed I just bought an '89 camaro with 15,xxx miles on its crate motor and new trannie for $5500. Can I afford it? if I really work hard at it and I really want to do it. Of course I'll sell it when I move out but for now I'm focusing on going to school and work and to do that consistently without burning myself out I need to enjoy life enough to keep me motivated to never quit. If you don't wanna do it...you won't do it....if you do...you will.