What pseudo-luxury car?

I bought my v8 jag stype for peanuts. check over the weak spots and get a sweet cruiser.

You call that junk "luxury?"

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/ctd/4155737047.html

BMW 5 or 7 series would be a great luxury/performance ride. Also the first gen Lexus LS400 is a great ride.

Dr. Hess wrote: They practically give away the earlier GS', like the GS400, GS300.

Where? I've been window shopping gs400's here, and have seen no hint of anyone giving them away. Except for a few high mileage well thrashed beaters.

Well, the CL's I've been shopping (KC, St.Louis, Tulsa, LittleRock, OKC, FayAR, FortSmith, Dallas) have especially the GS300's cheap. The 400's are more rare but still out there. I'm calling 3 large "cheap." I mean, that's a lot of car. Miles are under 200, usually. I'm kinda holding out for a GS430 with <140K, and I don't want to travel more than 250 miles to get it.

FT, here's one: http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/cto/4155862596.html

It's got a phone number, so I don't think it's a scam.

My girlfriend just got her folks' 2001 Avalon handed down to her. They bought....a new Avalon hybrid. It has about 175k on it, and aside from a couple dings on the rear bumper cover, it's almost new. The interior is seriously flawless save for the paint rubbed off the radio's #1 preset button.

As much as I bag on the Beige Barge - and believe me, I do, mercilessly - it's really a great car for mindlessly cruising. The V6 will get it out of its own way nicely, gets a pretty easy 28mpg combined, has a ton of room in the cabin and the trunk, and it's quiet and comfortable with all the bells and whistles one could want, save for modern bluetooth/nav junk, which I just haven't come around to, personally.

Hell, it has a tape deck. Tapes are coming back! Drive it to your local hipster record shop.

It's basically just a big, nice Camry. Do the oil changes on schedule with the right stuff and keep air in the front tires - there's your maintenance schedule.

The biggest plus side for me: the thing is almost literally invisible on the road. I want to stick a supercharger on it just to see what I can get away with.

134K mi GS300 for <4K:
http://fayar.craigslist.org/cto/4169805769.html

If it was a V8, I'd be all over that one.

NijaEdit: 400 -> 300. Fat finger.

That post didnt make sense until i clicked the link and saw it was a GS 300.

I have driven and worked on those GS300s and i think i would hold out for a 400. The motor is very underwhelming in the 300s. It doesn't feel special in any way. Heck, that motor is underwhelming in IS300 without turbos..

So unless you plan to turbo the 3.0 i would hold out for a v8. My .02

The Lexus G series and Infiniti G or M series would fit the bill nicely. Plus they are RWD.

Sorry but I don't understand anyone could recommend a Grand Marquis or Buick to and enthusiast compared to the Lexus or Infiniti...

Saabs are a dime a dozen now.

In reply to Vigo:

When you say the 3 liter is underwhelming, is it just a matter of it not being as powerful as you expect in a luxury car, or do you think its not enough engine for the car? My standards are pretty low in general. A long time ago, I had a 95 T-Bird with the 4.6 V8. It was no hotrod, but was fine for me, as it accelerated nicely, and wasn't really working hard at 80 MPH on the highway. Thats the kind of performance I'd probably be looking for.

The i6 in the GS300 is reasonably fast, it just doesn't make a big deal about it. It's sewing machine smooth. At least in the 2nd gen GS, it's faster 0-60 than a v8 Crown Vic. It's faster than the Thunderbird by a bit.

The v8 is awesome but the i6 is no slouch.

When you say the 3 liter is underwhelming, is it just a matter of it not being as powerful as you expect in a luxury car, or do you think its not enough engine for the car? My standards are pretty low in general.

You'll probably think it's fine. It's 'enough' but it's just very mundane. Slower than a 3.0L v6 Camry for sure.