I was driving our BMW today, but filled up next to a lady with an LX470. I asked her what grade she was putting in - 89 octane. She said she had called the Lexus dealer and was told it would be fine. Her car was a 2000. Does anyone alternate? Since the manual states to run 91, I usually fill with 93, at half tank do 89 then back to 93 next time. 91 octane isn't normally a choice up here.
You might notice a difference at higher altitudes/mountainous terrain like in the West. I can notice a big difference between 87 and 91 here at 3K ft in AZ. You guys are lucky to get 93 octane, as it's typically the same 10 cents/gal more than 89. I haven't seen that in so long. 76 used to sell it a long time ago in CA.
If you can get an 03, you should do it. The lower first gear is nice on the 5 speed transmission. They come stock with 4.10 r&p's, so if you ever go bigger on the tires, you can switch to 4.30's easily without any other modifications. I would love to have that setup on my 01.
i can count on my fingers and toes the number of tanks of 91 i've run through our LX. the ONLY time i do it is on road trips where the engine is going to be able to burn through the good stuff for extended periods. otherwise, we use shell 87 and i have not noticed a single knock, ping or problem otherwise. if i'm missing a coupe of ponies due to timing retard, then so be it.
I found a 99 and 00 when I was looking, they were the same price but the 99 had 58K miles on it and the 00 had 85K miles. I bought the 99 with the lower miles and it lived in southern AZ so no rust, plus it was a silver compared to the 00 that was charcoal. Also I have a 04 4runner with all the VSC and trac, etc. so I wanted the manual rear locker. I know this LC will be good for the next 5-6 years since I do around 10K per year so it makes a good cheap vehicle. I would recommend you buy the newest lowest mileage LC you can afford that lived its life in the western desert
PS- I alway run premium in the LC and regular in the 4runner. Just following the owners manual advise. I live at 5000 ft. and often drive up to 8-9K ft. no pinging with either vehicle.
