Lexus LS, "good in its day"

royoftherovers · April 20, 2018

1 hour ago, harrylime said:

I use my LS 400 very little nowadays, preferring my Octavia 1.9 tdi as a workhorse /local hack. However, I took a rare day off today and had a day trip with the family and two dogs to Scarborough, total driving time of over 4.5 hours in the Lexus.I have today been reminded again that if I sell the Lexus, and I have been considering it due to lack of use, what on earth do I replace it with? I am always looking at cars and I can afford something very nice if I do decide to replace the 400,. I kept eyeing up various cars on the road trip. I can honestly say that I did not envy any other driver, or lust after any other car, because I did not see anything I considered better, including Range Rovers. I saw a nice BMW 335D, but had a BMW 33oD from new, which cost £5000 in repair bills before it was two years old, under guarantee fortunately. Plus, it does not have the "luxury " of a spare wheel, and runflats are a disastrous idea in my view.My car has only 67000 miles on the clock and although it is 20 next year, I had utter confidence that it would reliably get us to the coast and back, in almost complete silence, and in great comfort. It's barely moved for months but never missed a beat. The trip was so much easier and more pleasant than in an "ordinary" car, and all was serene, even in the inevitable occasional traffic jam, which usually stress me out. My Octavia is a good car, but cars like the Lexus make a difference to the whole experience of driving on modern roads, in modern traffic, they just do.

The dogs also approved, and slept most of the time. Even with mpg just the wrong side of 30 mpg (very hilly roads across the Wolds), based on what the car cost me,in terms of overall economy / cost of ownership, nothing comes close. The LS 400 does fall down on techie stuff, such as Bluetooth, infotainment system, cameras etc, which many reviewers now seem to focus on, rather than the things that really matter, like reliability, ride comfort, refinement etc. Blind spot monitors are nice, but I have mirrors, and am blessed with a neck that seems designed to swivel, to check for traffic in my blind spot.

I agre that the LS 400 was a top car in its day. In my opinion, it still is.

I do enjoy reading contributions like this .Many thanks Harry. An LS400 owner and his money are not often soon parted.

The-Acre · April 20, 2018

1 hour ago, royoftherovers said:

I do enjoy reading contributions like this .Many thanks Harry. An LS400 owner and his money are not often soon parted.

Well I've parted with 4 LS's now and it's not a pleasant experience. It really is so strange the way they get deep under your skin. I've been driving since 1972 and nothing has come close. The GS is nice, much easier to take roundabouts with enthusiasm, a lovely cabin and spritely, but its not got that LS magic.

Spacewagon52 · April 20, 2018

Hugh has hit the nail on the head! I had a very brief thought about selling my LS 400. The RX300 is a lovely drive and more practical with a large dog ... but .................. there is "something" about these cars that is very difficult to explain. Yes, many car have a lot more gadgets to play with but for ride comfort, effortless cruising, instant power when needed, it is very hard to beat. The other factor for me is the smell of the leather ........ an LS 400 has a very distinctive smell that gives me a very happy feeling. My previous LS MkIII had the same smell but not the RX!

The-Acre · April 20, 2018

7 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

Hugh has hit the nail on the head! I had a very brief thought about selling my LS 400. The RX300 is a lovely drive and more practical with a large dog ... but .................. there is "something" about these cars that is very difficult to explain. Yes, many car have a lot more gadgets to play with but for ride comfort, effortless cruising, instant power when needed, it is very hard to beat. The other factor for me is the smell of the leather ........ an LS 400 has a very distinctive smell that gives me a very happy feeling. My previous LS MkIII had the same smell but not the RX!

The leather in the 400 series was just fantastic, and I think the MK4 was the best. The seats are just so comfortable.

Spacewagon52 · April 20, 2018

A friend bought a brand new Golf and handed it back in exchange for a Polo, as she could not get the seat in a comfortable position!

She is still not that happy!

The-Acre · April 21, 2018

9 hours ago, The-Acre said:

The leather in the 400 series was just fantastic, and I think the MK4 was the best. The seats are just so comfortable.

I think I have to go a step further and say they perfected the comfort with the 430, with two double lumbar settings and an extending cushion for the driver. It really has to be experienced to appreciate it.

The-Acre · April 21, 2018

3 hours ago, The-Acre said:

I think I have to go a step further and say they perfected the comfort with the 430, with two double lumbar settings and an extending cushion for the driver. It really has to be experienced to appreciate it.

You can tell I'm going all wistful now can't you!

royoftherovers · April 21, 2018

1 hour ago, The-Acre said:

You can tell I'm going all wistful now can't you!

And you have sold 4 ?

Sleep well Phil. :):):)

The-Acre · April 21, 2018

3 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

And you have sold 4 ?

Sleep well Phil. :):):)

I know, I know! At least I can sleep well knowing I've sold good ones.😴😴

Malc · April 21, 2018

21 hours ago, The-Acre said:

I've been driving since 1972 and nothing has come close.

well, I've been driving since 1967 ( was age 17 then ......... or was it 18 in 1968 I wonder ) and these past 16 years driving my Ls 400s has been quite a magical journey.

Over 50 years I have driven very many cars, from top to bottom in stature and cost ( mainly through my car sales business quite a few years ago now ) and I would say that absolutely none of them have or could have given me the satisfaction in ownership and all round comfort of my Ls 400 experiences.

Some have come close in comfort stakes, Bentley, old Rovers, Jaguars, big big Mercedes but they all come with big big recurring bills too. These old style Ls' are quite frankly second to none.

Malc

Spacewagon52 · April 21, 2018

1 hour ago, Malc said:

well, I've been driving since 1967 ( was age 17 then ......... or was it 18 in 1968 I wonder ) and these past 16 years driving my Ls 400s has been quite a magical journey.

Over 50 years I have driven very many cars, from top to bottom in stature and cost ( mainly through my car sales business quite a few years ago now ) and I would say that absolutely none of them have or could have given me the satisfaction in ownership and all round comfort of my Ls 400 experiences.

Some have come close in comfort stakes, Bentley, old Rovers, Jaguars, big big Mercedes but they all come with big big recurring bills too. These old style Ls' are quite frankly second to none.

Malc

Excellent! But ............ try to keep it quiet or even the brilliant 430's will increase in value! Shhhh...............

The-Acre · April 22, 2018

14 hours ago, Malc said:

well, I've been driving since 1967 ( was age 17 then ......... or was it 18 in 1968 I wonder ) and these past 16 years driving my Ls 400s has been quite a magical journey.

Over 50 years I have driven very many cars, from top to bottom in stature and cost ( mainly through my car sales business quite a few years ago now ) and I would say that absolutely none of them have or could have given me the satisfaction in ownership and all round comfort of my Ls 400 experiences.

Some have come close in comfort stakes, Bentley, old Rovers, Jaguars, big big Mercedes but they all come with big big recurring bills too. These old style Ls' are quite frankly second to none.

Malc

And with their build quality they can still be enjoyed for years to come!