LS 400 Blows us away

[Guest]

Took my wife for her first trip out in the LS today, we were both amazed at this car. Whilst we have both bikes and cars to use this one spoils you. Ok there are better cars for track day blast but we are using our cars on the road and I have not driven or ridden in a better more refined car. What surprised me is its road holding and the ease it copes with speed, crap roads you name it all handled with aplomb and serenity !

They do not make them like this anymore that is for sure.

[royoftherovers]

6 minutes ago, Wisemonkey said:

Took my wife for her first trip out in the LS today, we were both amazed at this car. Whilst we have both bikes and cars to use this one spoils you. Ok there are better cars for track day blast but we are using our cars on the road and I have not driven or ridden in a better more refined car. What surprised me is its road holding and the ease it copes with speed, crap roads you name it all handled with aplomb and serenity !

They do not make them like this anymore that is for sure.

Welcome to Heaven on Earth, Simon.

[Cotswold Pete]

5 minutes ago, Wisemonkey said:

They do not make them like this anymore that is for sure.

Totally agree, I think the original LS was an experiment never to be repeated in terms of quality and build (as it was known in the late 80's when this beast was on the drawing board) and British Leyland were still churning out the Montego/Maestro and your average Rolls was a money pit from the start.

[rich1068]

I do recall snide comments at the time about it being an S Class clone that could never hope to compete. Even now I assume a period S Class still commands decent money but I know which one I'd pick if I didn't fancy putting my hand in my pocket every few months.

[runsgrateasanut]

On 12/5/2018 at 1:46 PM, rich1068 said:

I do recall snide comments at the time about it being an S Class clone that could never hope to compete. Even now I assume a period S Class still commands decent money but I know which one I'd pick if I didn't fancy putting my hand in my pocket every few months.

The S Class of the era pricewise bottomed out a few years back. The W140 model pre Suspension upgrade was a cheaper car to run than the Lexus in terms of parts. The S320 was a bit more thirsty probably than the V8’s.

 What I liked, and which Lexus never despite their incredible outlay on research, got wind of,   or really appreciate in the European and US market, was Soft Close Doors, Car Cabin Height and Car width preference.  The LS400 seems small inside compared to the W140 but is suited to the average Japanese frame. Though designed for export they couldn’t perhaps face too much space around them Japan being what it is. 

I always feel it was designed specifically for Women in the US market.  That’s not to say “its a Birds Car” if I may be politically incorrect.

Later Models have covered these few areas I believe? Or does anyone else have to have an anti static bag stuck to the headliner on newer models?

Time has shown that the LS has outlasted its rival.  Proportionately import numbers and existing road numbers I’d wager hands down the Lexus wins the ratio. Well, a £1 on that statement anyway!   

[mrdoofa]

On 12/5/2018 at 10:41 AM, Cotswold Pete said:

Totally agree, I think the original LS was an experiment never to be repeated in terms of quality and build (as it was known in the late 80's when this beast was on the drawing board) and British Leyland were still churning out the Montego/Maestro and your average Rolls was a money pit from the start.

I really must protest at the cheap shot you made at BL and it’s products. For a start, BL was defunct when the LS400 was introduced and BL never actually produced the Maestro/Montego. Austin Rover did. The Maestro and Montego may not be particularly exceptional cars to look at but were dynamically and mechanically better than the crap Ford produced at the time, and no worse than Vauxhall was churning out. They were even fairly durable old cars! Comparing either car to an LS400 is just ludicrous, of course they’re not as sophisticated or as refined otherwise they’d of charged LS400 money for them. 

[Chris Skelton]

3 hours ago, runsgrateasanut said:

The S Class of the era pricewise bottomed out a few years back. The W140 model pre Suspension upgrade was a cheaper car to run than the Lexus in terms of parts. The S320 was a bit more thirsty probably than the V8’s.

 What I liked, and which Lexus never despite their incredible outlay on research, got wind of,   or really appreciate in the European and US market, was Soft Close Doors, Car Cabin Height and Car width preference.  The LS400 seems small inside compared to the W140 but is suited to the average Japanese frame. Though designed for export they couldn’t perhaps face too much space around them Japan being what it is. 

I always feel it was designed specifically for Women in the US market.  That’s not to say “its a Birds Car” if I may be politically incorrect.

Later Models have covered these few areas I believe? Or does anyone else have to have an anti static bag stuck to the headliner on newer models?

Time has shown that the LS has outlasted its rival.  Proportionately import numbers and existing road numbers I’d wager hands down the Lexus wins the ratio. Well, a £1 on that statement anyway!   

Suited to Japanese frame? Not the larger German/u-ess-A one then?

Lardy seats?

[rich1068]

1 hour ago, mrdoofa said:

I really must protest at the cheap shot you made at BL and it’s products. For a start, BL was defunct when the LS400 was introduced and BL never actually produced the Maestro/Montego. Austin Rover did. The Maestro and Montego may not be particularly exceptional cars to look at but were dynamically and mechanically better than the crap Ford produced at the time, and no worse than Vauxhall was churning out. They were even fairly durable old cars! Comparing either car to an LS400 is just ludicrous, of course they’re not as sophisticated or as refined otherwise they’d of charged LS400 money for them. 

Are we talking about the same BL/Austin Rover Montego and Maestro? I must be thinking of some other dreadful British cars of the era! And I know you can't compare the Montego and Maestro to the LS but how about the Rover 800? Not quite the same segment and I know it's an "ironic" used car favourite at the moment (if you can find one that's not dust) but that was ******* too. Or a Jag, bit more of a direct comparison but again deeply flawed and shockingly unreliable. With respect Martin please don't try and tell me that British cars of that and previous eras weren't that bad after all. The UK started making half decent cars again when foreign firms took over. Simple as.

[mrdoofa]

3 hours ago, runsgrateasanut said:

The S Class of the era pricewise bottomed out a few years back. The W140 model pre Suspension upgrade was a cheaper car to run than the Lexus in terms of parts. The S320 was a bit more thirsty probably than the V8’s.

 What I liked, and which Lexus never despite their incredible outlay on research, got wind of,   or really appreciate in the European and US market, was Soft Close Doors, Car Cabin Height and Car width preference.  The LS400 seems small inside compared to the W140 but is suited to the average Japanese frame. Though designed for export they couldn’t perhaps face too much space around them Japan being what it is. 

I always feel it was designed specifically for Women in the US market.  That’s not to say “its a Birds Car” if I may be politically incorrect.

Later Models have covered these few areas I believe? Or does anyone else have to have an anti static bag stuck to the headliner on newer models?

Time has shown that the LS has outlasted its rival.  Proportionately import numbers and existing road numbers I’d wager hands down the Lexus wins the ratio. Well, a £1 on that statement anyway!   

I’ve found that the LS400 isn’t the roomiest of cars despite its sheer size and bulk, leg room can only be described at best as average (I actually had more legroom in my old ford escort). Headroom is tight if you are over 6ft tall. Both of these things were much improved with the LS430 although they have many other problems!!!

My problems with the LS is whilst they managed to produce an astonishingly good engine they seriously overlooked things like styling and any kind of special feeling when you sat in and drove one, they produced a car which was extremely bland to say the least, the interior feels very plasticky and just feels like a big toyota, they just lack that special feeling you get from a jag or a merc. There’s no denying that the LS is a good car, brilliant in fact but like all Japanese cars they have a very mass produced feel, no heart and soul, no feeling that the car was made just for you by master craftsmen which cars at this level and price should have. People may argue saying “Yes, but the Lexus never breaks down”, well I’ve had several and none of them have been bulletproof or infallible as many would suggest.

[mrdoofa]

10 minutes ago, rich1068 said:

Are we talking about the same BL/Austin Rover Montego and Maestro? I must be thinking of some other dreadful British cars of the era! And I know you can't compare the Montego and Maestro to the LS but how about the Rover 800? Not quite the same segment and I know it's an "ironic" used car favourite at the moment (if you can find one that's not dust) but that was ******* too. Or a Jag, bit more of a direct comparison but again deeply flawed and shockingly unreliable. With respect Martin please don't try and tell me that British cars of that and previous eras weren't that bad after all. The UK started making half decent cars again when foreign firms took over. Simple as.

You can’t compare the Rover 800 to the LS either, the 800 competed with cars like the Granada and Carlton. The LS competed with cars like the XJ and S-Class. I never said british cars were perfect but they were certainly no worse than lots of other trash other manufacturers were churning out at the time. As an example only a complete dimwit could possibly argue that a mk4/5 Ford Escort is a better car than the Rover 200. The K series engines ran rings around the crud Ford CVH engines being offered at the time, the head gasket issues are hugely exaggerated. The Rover 75 outclassed everything in its class and most of the class above, the SD1 was just brilliant with arguably the best V8 engine known to man. It’s funny you should mention the quite brilliant Rover 800 as I own one and it’s pretty far from being dust!!! This is my 29 year old Rover 827Si in fantastic condition, show it a bendy stretch of road and it soon outperforms the LS400!!! You can trust me on that one, I’ve driven both. The Honda derived V6 is a gem and much better than the cologne V6 offered in the Granada,  they are very well equipped and very comfortable, the steering is pinsharp and very precise. Like many british cars it was seriously underrated and treated unfairly at the time.

Ive had 2 Lexus cars go catastrophically wrong on me, my LS430 suffered gearbox failure thanks to water getting in from the radiator (build quality there for you) and hybrid Battery failure on my first GS450h. My last GS450h suffered a blown radiator, seized brakes, Xenon headlight issues, rattling trim and dashboard squeaks.

Here are a couple of pics of my 800:

[The-Acre]

3 hours ago, mrdoofa said:

I really must protest at the cheap shot you made at BL and it’s products. For a start, BL was defunct when the LS400 was introduced and BL never actually produced the Maestro/Montego. Austin Rover did. The Maestro and Montego may not be particularly exceptional cars to look at but were dynamically and mechanically better than the crap Ford produced at the time, and no worse than Vauxhall was churning out. They were even fairly durable old cars! Comparing either car to an LS400 is just ludicrous, of course they’re not as sophisticated or as refined otherwise they’d of charged LS400 money for them. 

I have to say I've had endless cars since 1972, and vans.  The worst by far (apart from an NSU) were Leyland cars.  Perhaps the very worst was the Sherpa van, an absolute disgrace.  You only have to go to YouTube and type in The Leyland Connection to see how bad they were. My old Fords were great.  None however have ever come close to my LS400's or 430's (or my GS)

[Malc]

12 hours ago, mrdoofa said:

I’ve found that the LS400 isn’t the roomiest of cars despite its sheer size and bulk,

sheer size and bulk ..............  I balk at the intimidation I feel sat up against a mini clubman estate at the traffic lights ..............  I'm positively tiny in my Ls400 

Malc

[rich1068]

16 hours ago, mrdoofa said:

You can’t compare the Rover 800 to the LS either...

I'm not in the game of starting arguments Martin. The 800 is a credit to you 

15 hours ago, The-Acre said:

I have to say I've had endless cars since 1972, and vans.  The worst by far (apart from an NSU) were Leyland cars.  Perhaps the very worst was the Sherpa van, an absolute disgrace.  You only have to go to YouTube and type in The Leyland Connection to see how bad they were. My old Fords were great.  None however have ever come close to my LS400's or 430's (or my GS)

My dad got a Sherpa for his business. You could watch it rusting. And he had a couple of Bedfords CFs too. The floor around the pedals rotted away so you could see the road below you. These weren't old vans either, bought new or nearly new.

Then he got a Sprinter and never looked back.

[mrdoofa]

5 hours ago, rich1068 said:

I'm not in the game of starting arguments Martin. The 800 is a credit to you 

My dad got a Sherpa for his business. You could watch it rusting. And he had a couple of Bedfords CFs too. The floor around the pedals rotted away so you could see the road below you. These weren't old vans either, bought new or nearly new.

Then he got a Sprinter and never looked back.

I have a big soft spot for many British Leyland cars and in particular Rover and I always get defensive about them lol!!! 😂😂😂

I don’t want to fall out with anybody either. That Rover 800 is a gem and unbelievably well preserved, it’s only had 2 owners before me with the first owner having it from new until January this year, he then had to stop driving and sold it to the guy I bought it from. It’s only done 74k miles and has always been meticulously maintained and garaged from new, it still smells like new inside!!! One thing I wasn’t expecting from it is how good it is to drive, I expected it to pitch and wallow but it’s a surprisingly nimble drivers car. The guy I bought it from changed all the fluids twice to make sure it was well flushed out, put new Pirelli tyres on it and fitted a stainless steel exhaust which gives it a nice subtle sporty note. The Honda 2.7 V6 is a lovely motor with plenty grunt. We are going to continue preserving it and going to hopefully be entering it into some classic car shows. Hope there’s no hard feelings mate.

[Guest]

We are I suppose lucky here as we own a number of varied cars and motorcycles, having got both bang uptodate cars and motorcycles along with some older stuff I prefer my circa year 2000 bikes for their top build quality and their overall ability. I class the LS in this mould as well, top design and build quality and yes it does have style its sleek and luxurious and  mega refined. To be honest if you are going to throw a car this size around at excessive speeds on our crappy B roads perhaps you have made a mistake. I have made more than decent paced safe progress in the LS on some naggery Peak District roads subjecte to cow Kak, potholes, excessive surface water and the rest. No luxury car from any manufacture in the late 80's through to the early 2000 is as good an all rounder as the LS IMHO. 

[rich1068]

1 hour ago, mrdoofa said:

Hope there’s no hard feelings mate.

Never! It's not that kind of forum.

[Spacewagon52]

I have only seen one other LS 400 in my area. It is always parked in the same place, where I walk my dog. The owner happened to come out and open the boot. We exchanged a few words about the car. It is a "V" reg - he has had it since it was four years old and it now has over 300,000 on the clock. "As long as you change the timing belts they just seem to keep going" he told me!  I will check the mileage again just to make sure. He is NOT on the forum. It is in good condition considering it lives nearly on the beach!

[Malc]

1 hour ago, Spacewagon52 said:

now has over 300,000 on the clock

 

1 hour ago, Spacewagon52 said:

It is in good condition considering it lives nearly on the beach!

mine's lived right on the sea/beach/.town quay now for the 7.5 years I've had it, some 95k miles of it's 216k life ..  it previously came from Bournemouth ( on the beach too maybe ! )

............ and we all understand it's not just the timing belt , there's a few other issues like UCAs etc BUT it seems to keep going and I'm thinking it will last me at least another 10 years fingers xd

Malc

[plastic orange]

I've owned my 1999 Lexus LS400 for 9 years now and in 47 years of car ownership it has probably been the best value for money out of any car I've had. It cost me 2600 pounds back then and is probably worth 1500 now, and probably going up in value, so depreciation of about 120 quid a year can't be bad. Consumables haven't been too many, and barring suspensions parts hasn't cost too much. Only problems I'm getting just now is corrosion above windscreen and some electrical components coming to the end of their life. It still polishes up well and provides relaxing transport anywhere. I suppose the only real comparison is with pre mid 90 mercs which were similarly bullet proof. I've never been a Ford man and like others here preferred the offerings of BL - particularly the Rovers. I had a really nice Rover p6B for 14 years with rust the main problem, but very similar to the Lexus in a lot of other ways.

I think I may spend a bit on a general tidy up rather than getting a newer LS as I'd not get a 10 year old one now for what I paid for mine in 2009. 

 

Pete

[Guest]

Took the LS out to Buxton for a run, here some pics as promised :

My guess is this is one of the best examples of this brilliant car that is in superb but original condition in the UK. I suspect its rivals are owned by other Forum members on here.

 

 

[The-Acre]

Same colour combo as my last LS400, beautiful car!

[Spacewagon52]

27 minutes ago, Wisemonkey said:

Took the LS out to Buxton for a run, here some pics as promised :

My guess is this is one of the best examples of this brilliant car that is in superb but original condition in the UK. I suspect its rivals are owned by other Forum members on here.

 

 

What mileage do you have on her?

[aido]

Blimey I'm amazed you found a car park in Buxton as quiet as that looks at this time of year 👍

There's a very similar LS400 I see parked up near the football ground in Guiseley a lot, that also looks in very good condition for the age and not sure whether the owner is on here.

[Guest]

Chaps, Thanks for the replies. I am glad I came across this car and the forum BTW (Great Info) The LS has 80800 miles on the clock, a mere wipper snapper. I have spent a few quid on her to ensure she is looked after properly. Full Dinitrol treatment, full service including brake strip and clean, 8 new mega plugs,  new rear discs, new bonnet stays, new boot seal, full cam belt kit and water pump and one of the big pulleys. I loved fettlling the car and really love driving her, all I can say is what a car !

 

[Guest]

Filled her up today with premium unleaded, according to the computer average 23.5 to the gallon on the first tankful. Not bad on mixed roads use me thinks.