My LS460 SE-L

Dale_V · March 21, 2016

Always promised myself one of these so thought id buy one to run along my mk3 LS400, picked it up last week and over the moon with it

criteria was that it had to be an SE-L with the lane keep assist, full lexus service history, cream leather interior and have the half wooden heated steering wheel... obviously had to be in great conditon too.

Its currently having the wheels powder coated and ive some cream overmats waiting for me at Lexus

.

RXJasonRX · March 21, 2016

Fantastic example. Hope you have loads of fun. I have always fancied those, but I have a disability scooter and I doubt I could get my autochair hoist in it, so I have an RX. Could always get a second car one day. Well done.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

9690phil · March 21, 2016

Very very nice. One day

Malc · March 21, 2016

Dale, hi............ so which do you prefer and why ?

Malc

Dale_V · March 22, 2016

I've had the ls400 for 6 years and it's been great and it's quite cheap to run being reliable and on lpg whilst being comfy/fast. For me the ls460 feels to be on a different level completely, obviously being so much newer... More toys, alot more technology, alot more to go wrong too! So lets hope the legendary Toyota build quality and reliability follows with this one

I feel a bit sorry for my ls400, it's been very loyal so it's staying where it is

mkbean · March 22, 2016

Thats a good looking car!

Like that the boot extends back a bit compared to the IS and GS which can look a bit squat to my eye.

cruisermark · March 22, 2016

nice looking car - enjoy

Malc · March 22, 2016

Dale, thank you ..... it will be good to see how your experiences unfold, I'm quite terrified to change from my now elderly ( but fantastic ) Mk3 to a state of the art technology replacement that I fear will be nothing more than a moneypit ......... I sincerely hope it's not BUT as you know, these elderly Ls400s cost just about nothing to keep on the road and that's been my experience for 15 years of Ls400 motoring.

The Ls460 would be my immediate choice too for replacement but I am seeing Ls600 prices collapse and maybe, just maybe, I'll have courage one day to experience my own 460 or 600 too.

But like you I really can't see my Mk3 ever being too far away from me...................................

Malc

Spacewagon52 · March 22, 2016

Me thinks the LS400 should be on the drive! LOL!

Lovely looking motor, very interested how it performs vs LS400.

mikeyv · March 22, 2016

Love that interior, one gripe though, I'd probably never get to sit in the back!

GrahamG · March 22, 2016

Hello Dale, she's a Duesy! Well OK, a Lexus.

I went from a Mk III LS400 to a facelift LS430 and was disappointed that there was little or no difference in the overall quietness in the cabin. The low profile tyres have been blamed.

Your LS460 has a timing chain does it not and that will be presumably noisier than a belt.

How do you find the noise levels between your two?

Did you test drive a LS600, if so what were your impressions of that?

Look forward to hearing how you get on with your new squeeze and hope you live happily ever after.

Dale_V · March 22, 2016

Malc - you are right, the ls400 are very cheap to run, so reliable and on LPG its like getting the equivalent of 40mpg.. I went to lexus today to enquire about a warranty, that seems to be the way forward possibly in terms of LS460 ownership.

Spacewagon52 - dont worry, the LS400 is on the drive also

mikeyv - ive told the girlfriend that she can drive it, ill sit in the back... might even buy her a chauffeurs hat - that didnt go down well

GrahamG - the ls460 seems quieter than the ls400, theres insulation under the wheel arches and i presume the double glazing helps. I didnt drive the LS600 as thats just too complicated for me and even more to go wrong, plus it has 4 wheel drive which doesnt appeal to me

mr2lad · March 23, 2016

Dale lovely car , I was the same as you ref the 400... When I renewed my Lexus to a gs450h initially then back to the fold with a LS600hl I parked the 400 up and couldn't bear to part with it, unfortunately it's been parked up for 4yrs and it has taken its toll of being parked up doing nothing... IE corrosion and everything seizures up brakes etc etc so not worth putting back on road, it was near mint before I parked it up , I keep saying I'm going to get rid n scrap it but it's still down the drive at side of garage and I now have a posh n comfy smoking hut lol as not allowed to smoke in house

Malc · March 23, 2016

....................... that's the way I would be if I changed and kept Lexii Mk3

My g/f could always use my Mk3 I s'pose !!!

Malc

cruisermark · March 23, 2016

1 hour ago, mr2lad said:

Dale lovely car , I was the same as you ref the 400... When I renewed my Lexus to a gs450h initially then back to the fold with a LS600hl I parked the 400 up and couldn't bear to part with it, unfortunately it's been parked up for 4yrs and it has taken its toll of being parked up doing nothing... IE corrosion and everything seizures up brakes etc etc so not worth putting back on road, it was near mint before I parked it up , I keep saying I'm going to get rid n scrap it but it's still down the drive at side of garage and I now have a posh n comfy smoking hut lol as not allowed to smoke in house

are you a professional photographer?

mr2lad · March 23, 2016

Nope , just a proud Lexus owner with a Iphone camera 😁😁😁😎

Dale_V · March 23, 2016

Ha dont worry, the LS400 will be used pretty much everyday.

moriwaki · March 24, 2016

I had my 400 MK3 for 6 years and it had 120,000 on when I bought it....I did another 90,000 of the happiest motoring I had ever experienced in 30 odd years of driving...

The main reason I ended up going for a 460 was a bit of rust on the 400....around the arches and the windscreen....I paniced a bit over nothing....if I had the chance again....and know what I know now...I would have spent as much as it cost treat the 400 to a full Top Notch respray....and still own the best car I have ever owned.

Fact is a friend of mine has always admired the car....and when I was set on a 460 I gave it to him as a gift....

the 460...was a one owner car with 9,000 miles on....I did not even test drive it....went on the train from Cumberland to Turriff....near Aberdeen....and drove it back through the night...

I knew in the first mile I had made a mistake....but I thought wait a minute....this is a 460...ten years younger than my old 400....with only 9000 miles on....it MUST be Me.

We set off for Venice a few days later....drove there non stop...took 26 hours from Cumberland....and every mile was full of thoughts of what a pleasure this would be in the old 400....and what a poor experience it was in this 460....BUT I still ...over the next year or so....tried to convince myself I was mistaken.

What I didnt like about the 460 : Brakes are almost impossible to judge....like you have no real connection to them....terrible.

Steering was a mystery....some days it was OK ish...other days it had a a mind of its own....over one bridge I regularly crossed ...it would dart around as if the Mysterons were driving it !

The steering also felt like an old car with worn out Track Control arms ....worn ball joints etc....wandered around over road irregularities....awful sensation through the steering wheel.

Cruise control was so bad I gave up using it...and oh boy did I try to master it....but it mastered ME in the end....far too complicated for its own good.

Wind noise around mirrors...tried the well known Internet fix by using a caulking gun on the trim etc....a little better....but still there....better if you put the windown DOWN a few mm ?

Tyre noise is a given....and was expected with the quite frankly "Stupid" on a car like this ....low profiles rubber....

Engine lacked low down torque....needed to get it revving to make progress...again....in a car like this...Stupid IMO.

Far too many gears....always hunting around...

And Mark Levinson my arse....the 400 Stereo was better too.

At this point I must again apologise to anyone who is enjoying their 460....I am not here to upset anyone....but to find someone who was a dissapointed as me....

in thinking he was trading UP to a 460....is a relief....I thought I had imagined the whole thing.

Things I didnt like about the 400 MK3.....cant open the boot with the engine running.....that was annoying....but thats IT.

Again..... just my opinion.....but that 400... is one of.....if not The Best Car ever made.....and to think you can waft around in one... for less than the price of one years depreciation on any new car on the market....well....quite frankly.....if you dont have one....your Crackers.....err...hang on....I havent got one right now.....excuse ?...need a Jeep for the muddy Hounds to jump in the back of.

Things I liked on the 460....the looks....it is a Great looking car....with a great interior.....and the rear view camera was a Godsend.

Sorry for long post lads....but hey lads......who else would listen ? ?

royoftherovers · March 24, 2016

1 hour ago, moriwaki said:

I had my 400 MK3 for 6 years and it had 120,000 on when I bought it....I did another 90,000 of the happiest motoring I had ever experienced in 30 odd years of driving...

The main reason I ended up going for a 460 was a bit of rust on the 400....around the arches and the windscreen....I paniced a bit over nothing....if I had the chance again....and know what I know now...I would have spent as much as it cost treat the 400 to a full Top Notch respray....and still own the best car I have ever owned.

Fact is a friend of mine has always admired the car....and when I was set on a 460 I gave it to him as a gift....

the 460...was a one owner car with 9,000 miles on....I did not even test drive it....went on the train from Cumberland to Turriff....near Aberdeen....and drove it back through the night...

I knew in the first mile I had made a mistake....but I thought wait a minute....this is a 460...ten years younger than my old 400....with only 9000 miles on....it MUST be Me.

We set off for Venice a few days later....drove there non stop...took 26 hours from Cumberland....and every mile was full of thoughts of what a pleasure this would be in the old 400....and what a poor experience it was in this 460....BUT I still ...over the next year or so....tried to convince myself I was mistaken.

What I didnt like about the 460 : Brakes are almost impossible to judge....like you have no real connection to them....terrible.

Steering was a mystery....some days it was OK ish...other days it had a a mind of its own....over one bridge I regularly crossed ...it would dart around as if the Mysterons were driving it !

The steering also felt like an old car with worn out Track Control arms ....worn ball joints etc....wandered around over road irregularities....awful sensation through the steering wheel.

Cruise control was so bad I gave up using it...and oh boy did I try to master it....but it mastered ME in the end....far too complicated for its own good.

Wind noise around mirrors...tried the well known Internet fix by using a caulking gun on the trim etc....a little better....but still there....better if you put the windown DOWN a few mm ?

Tyre noise is a given....and was expected with the quite frankly "Stupid" on a car like this ....low profiles rubber....

Engine lacked low down torque....needed to get it revving to make progress...again....in a car like this...Stupid IMO.

Far too many gears....always hunting around...

And Mark Levinson my arse....the 400 Stereo was better too.

At this point I must again apologise to anyone who is enjoying their 460....I am not here to upset anyone....but to find someone who was a dissapointed as me....

in thinking he was trading UP to a 460....is a relief....I thought I had imagined the whole thing.

Things I didnt like about the 400 MK3.....cant open the boot with the engine running.....that was annoying....but thats IT.

Again..... just my opinion.....but that 400... is one of.....if not The Best Car ever made.....and to think you can waft around in one... for less than the price of one years depreciation on any new car on the market....well....quite frankly.....if you dont have one....your Crackers.....err...hang on....I havent got one right now.....excuse ?...need a Jeep for the muddy Hounds to jump in the back of.

Things I liked on the 460....the looks....it is a Great looking car....with a great interior.....and the rear view camera was a Godsend.

Sorry for long post lads....but hey lads......who else would listen ? ?

This seems to me to be a refreshing,honest and thought provoking story.Many thanks.

Regards

John

Titch LS · March 24, 2016

I know what you mean as regards the 400. When mine is eventually recycled to become a dozen or so washing machines, I'll be in a quandary choosing which car to replace it with. To me, my mk4 represents the pinnacle of driving pleasure. I guess I'd have to go for a late 430 to come anywhere near close. Mercs, Beemers and Audi's are definitely out.

Tulpen · March 24, 2016

Refreshing and honest - yes.......but still only an opinion.

I owned a 400 for 15 years and loved it. Three years ago I changed to a 460. Compared to the 400, I find it an improvement in almost every way. My big gripe, initially, was the tyre noise on the 19" rims. Recently I changed tyres from Dunlop Sport Maxx to Dunlop Maxx - problem solved.

As for the Cruise Control.......it's the same as the 400 and, in fact, every Toyota and Lexus. I find it very easy to use.

Brakes - as good as the 400

Steering - ditto.

You paid all that money for a car and didn't do a test drive?

You see, opinions are like a...holes - we all have one :)

Verbout · March 24, 2016

Gorgeous looking car Dale, good luck with her, don't neglect the 400

moriwaki · March 24, 2016

Mr Tulpen.....I paid all that money and didnt think for one moment I would fault a Lexus LS some Ten years younger......and with 195.000 less miles on the clock than my 400.

Just shows how wrong you can be I suppose.

I was starting to think it was just me until another member on here said he had the same experience.

Glad you are enjoying yours....but after 30 plus years of driving I know what feels right.....and that car "felt " terrible to drive.

But for looks....they are one good looking car.....and no mistake.

Dale_V · March 24, 2016

moriwaki - Good post, its nice to hear other owners opinions... I did read a while ago that you had concerns on the LS460, and to be honest your thoughts have always been in the back of my mind when looking/testing LS460's. Do you still have the LS460 or have you traded it in?

ill agree with you about the LS400 lack of boot opening while the engines on, quite annoys me does that!

I cant quite agree with your other points on the 460 though with the lack of torque, sound system, cruise control and noise... but then their are so many variables, and also that other big thing.... opinions, they differ