Another nice example

LexusLarry · January 21, 2018

6 hours ago, mrdoofa said:

I had a mk2 GS430 which was a great car, fast, comfortable, all the toys and in the same great colour as my current LS430. I’ve also had a mk3 GS450h, although my ownership was short lived due to hybrid problems and the dealer taking it back and giving me a refund I loved that car, it was silver with cream leather and it was indecently quick!!! There really isn’t much out there that can keep up with one, with the instant torque of the electric motor and CVT transmission acceleration from a standing start was relentless and seamless. It’s also novel when you stand at traffic lights in complete silence as the engine shuts down then as soon as it’s time to go it leaps to life in an instant. I found it very comfortable too with a just about perfect driving position and it really does feel solid and inspires confidence. It averaged around 30mpg day to day and around 40mpg on a run. The ride on mine was quite firm possibly because of the 18” wheels and also the shocks on the 450h are different and are a common fault which are extremely expensive if they need replacing. I would have another but I’m a bit once bitten twice shy about the hybrid system which is absolutely brilliant whilst it’s working but can very quickly become a very expensive nightmare if it goes wrong.

Having said all that I’m perfectly smitten with my current LS430 I bought from Phil. What I feel the LS has which the GS lacks is more road presence, sense of occasion and the car just feels a bit more special to me. Also I just love the softer ride with that V8 motor which delivers its power so effortlessly, I could drive it all day long!!! It’s certainly a car where you know you’ll feel better at the end of your journey than you did before you started it.

What was this thread about again?? 😂😂😂

I found the VGRC steering on the GS450h unnecessarily heavy and searching around it seems others had the same issue. It was a 2006 model though, did you have the same problem and if not what year was it?

Malc · January 21, 2018

6 hours ago, mrdoofa said:

Also I just love the softer ride with that V8 motor which delivers its power so effortlessly, I could drive it all day long!!! It’s certainly a car where you know you’ll feel better at the end of your journey than you did before you started it.

Absolutely endorse your remarks here ............... just saying last night coming home from relatives and a meal out in Maidstone ........... isn't my Ls so smooth and comfy, powerful and easy .................. for the short 15 mile journey home at 11pm and at +1c outside temp. ............... with what other car would I get such simple straightforward pleasure and security, all round ............. certainly not this daft notion of mine to buy a 1960's Bentley S3 that i have often, now and again, thought to buy.... ( I must let that rest eh ! )

Is there really a car out there to " beat " the Ls I wonder

Malc

The-Acre · January 21, 2018

4 minutes ago, Malc said:

Absolutely endorse your remarks here ............... just saying last night coming home from relatives and a meal out in Maidstone ........... isn't my Ls so smooth and comfy, powerful and easy .................. for the short 15 mile journey home at 11pm and at +1c outside temp. ............... with what other car would I get such simple straightforward pleasure and security, all round ............. certainly not this daft notion of mine to buy a 1960's Bentley S3 that i have often, now and again, thought to buy.... ( I must let that rest eh ! )

Is there really a car out there to " beat " the Ls I wonder

Malc

Even going back to my 93 MK2 I nearly knocked a friend down as he didn't hear my car coming!! I could even hear my own watch tickling as I drove!

messi · January 21, 2018

I've had 2 mk3 gs300 and a mk2 gs430. The mk3 are great cars, to be honest the drive on it didn't feel much different to the Ls and also being direct injection, it was very good on fuel, I drive like miss daisy, so on a long run I was getting 39-42mpg. Boot space was good too, I loved everything about it, but then I think some sort of midlife crises and bought an sc430, which is lovely too, but for some reason I think the mk2 gs430 was better built, even the leather interior in the mk2 was more heavy duty if you know what I mean

Chris Skelton · January 21, 2018

Malcolm; somewhere I (may still have) a 'Car' review where they compared an LS (Ser 2, I think) with a Bentley/Rolls, and preferred the LS. The only thing you don't get is the old style hand crafted wood etc.. When you recall that Toyota were intent on making the 'best ever' car, that's not surprsing.

Rest easy, ignore the itch. It's so easy to forget that what you have is enough! It's the way of the world to not be satisfied with life-we're actively encouraged to want more/the new.

I'm often envious when(for instance) I see someone happily 'in their skin' in a Renault 4 they've had for 30 years, etc..

See Messi, above, for another example.

Find 'Desire' by Boz Scaggs for relevant song lyrics-I play it to remind me occasionally!

I recall someone coming onto this site, telling us that no one talked much about problems on the LS section - because there weren't any, it seemed, unlike the Merc section he'd been on prior-we just talked about holidays and trips......! (-:

Malc · January 21, 2018

1 hour ago, Chris Skelton said:

with a Bentley/Rolls

I know satisfaction with what one has is often key to " contentment " ...... my indy scares me with tales of customers costs repairing Mercs and BMWs.......... and the £2500 for the parts alone for a Bentley S3 brakes overhaul ( plus labour ) ............ keeps telling me not to be daft and to keep the Lexus ... it really costs me next to nothing to keep on the road year after year after year ........... and doesn't expect that to change very much for the future tbh.

Malc