Cotswold Pete

Have just had Maxxis Premitra fitted to front (Still got Nexen on rear - due to be replaced after Xmas). Had them done for £170 fitted. Thrupp Tyres near Stroud always seem to get tyres for a good price. Noise, they seem to be on par with Falken spares for a week, though they appear to have a softer sidewall, so though grip is good, it does seem like you roll a little more on hard corners. They are summer tyres, but in wet seem fine, and never found the LS any good in the snow (just drive like a granny when it does). I would add a very mild amount of tramlining which I never got with Falkens or Nexen, or maybe it is just me getting used to slightly different straight line behaviour. Rolling resistance seems okay, still find myself creeping up on car in front when foot off the gas. Only been on for 200 miles, so way to early to say about wear, but I got 28K out of Nexen Blue, though the front wore through the edges (to the cord) even though I had 3mm left in center (care has been fully aligned twice in last 3 years). Does seem to be harder to get 225/60/16 and do always need to remind tyre depot not to fir weights where their marvelous computer says, as it always rubs the caliper.

Sounds like you do not need to go to Longleat to have animals try and vandalise your car!

Good to see there are some nice examples of earlier LS models, though mostly a little pricey compared to what you can get. I guess in years to come prices at this level will be normal as good examples get rarer. I would still want to poking about underneath to check for rust etc.

As far as I know having using compression of the engine (by shifting up) does give you more control, though I never slam my LS about enough to need it, though in my days of owning SRi and such like was forever dropping into 3rd on corners at 70plus, to make sure if i needed to brake or slow, taking of the pedal to engage brake made a difference. Not being an engine expert, I would have thought the V8 is low compression, so engine braking not the same as you get out of a 2litre tuned up hot hatch, but be interested to see what experts on forum say.

I wonder if not having passengers (that often) means the seat moves a little more and works loose (on our lovely pot-holed roads) due to not being pinned down by human backside!!! On the squealing brakes, I get that from time to time (less now I have Pagid rather than Blueprint), and have been told the shims look okay, but I would think after 20 years the shims are a little compressed, so not quite doing the job they did when brand new.

According to this link there are a fair few of the Lexus range with no spec for towing Towing capacity Looks like even hitching a trailer to go to the tip might not be allowed, if insurance is invalidated. My LS has tow bar fitttings, (I just do not have the hitch fitted), were on there when I bought it, and never used it, but at least I have the fittings to put a trailer plaet for when I put bikes on back. Maybe the 400 was designed to everything from work-horse to luxury car. Seem to me if I ever buy a 460, i will need to keep the 400 as well!! Personally towing caravans is anathema to me, as I think (possibly wrongly) the wear on brakes, suspension etc, is not a good thing in the long run.

I might give it a go if I wanted to pick a fight every day on the way to work😎

Only ever seen two LS600 once on M5 about a year ago, and previous to that (also on M5) about 3 years aog. Only see 460 every now and again (430 a little more), but LS400 usually see one of two a week, mainly because I think there is a bit of a concentration in my neck of the woods. Always nice to see another driver who appreciates the quality of these cars

have read it has drag coefficient of 0.28 or 0.29 which is better than 911 which is about 0.32 Explains why it has such good mpg. I would think more modern cars are better as with computer CAD systems you can pre-model drag (etc) before you even cut the first bit of steel, where as the LS was being put together well before computers and computer software were up to the job they do today.

Have used manual on really long hills (such as the A39 between Porlock and Lynmouth), as you do get a bit of brake fade if you rely soley on brakes. I have to descend the W near Minchinhampton every day on the way home from work, and I do it with gusto most days, and my brakes are lasting way more than expected (though they do get blinking hot) As said the LS range seems to have low rolling resistance, and I do find a lot of the time when 'coasting' you have to keep an eye on car in front as it seems the LS creeps up with ease.

Not sure if this previous post has some ideas for you to consider https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/108258-horn-not-working/?tab=comments#comment-958146

I have just started the get that creaking on driver window, and lowering it by a smidgen makes it go away. I am going to try a silicone spray, but I wonder if it is more down to the seal has worn a bit (after 18 years) so a spray expands the seal by a smidgen for a while until it dries out. My car is developing other rattles and squeaks as well, which spoil the silence now and again.

I have Mk4 (2000), nearly 190K on clock, paid £2.2K 5 years ago. I do a daily drive of 25 miles to work and back. Worth having for traction control (wrote off my Mk3 in a spin - at 25mph). Look out out for rust in rear arches, regardless of age of mileage, poke with screwdriver. Leaky boot syndrome on all models, any easy fix, but the spare may have very damaged surface. Mechanically these beasts tolerate have aged running gear, but they will not be as nice to drive as a jsut off the production line car, but perfectly safe. Parts are not an issue, just use OEM for any running gear or braking systems, they are not cheap, but should last 15 or more years. So many LS owners in USA, that parts are not going to be an issue anytime soon. The one thing about an LS (from my experience) is that is does not break down (I am sure they do) but it will keep going until you really have not looked after it. I would not worry about mileage, just take it for a test drive, it will feel different to anything else you've driven, not just in a floaty sense (you can chuck them around corners), whci I found took about 3 to 4 weeks to get used to. Plenty out there do not jump at the first one, and maybe just pick one take it for a test drive to see what if feels like, so you can benchmark for when you find the 'perfect' one

This has been suggested by my good lady for a trip to Eire, she just hates ferries. I just need to negotiate extra holidays from work to be able to fit extra days in, but all my experiences of long drives in Europe and USA (on my tod) are fondly remembered, you can stop whenever, deviate whenever, listen to whatever. My problem is being totally distracted by vistas, interesting bridges, buildings, or the sight of vultures/eagles soaring in the sky, or stopping by a lake to see what waterfowl are here-abouts. I am just as bad when going up to Arbroath, never do it without many a stop to gawk at something. Took me a whole day once just to get from Dundee to Newcastle stopping off here, there and everywhere. I wish I had the luxury of the time to take the LS for 10/12 weeks away in Europe, sure it will happen one day, but not just yet. That view going down into Tarifa is always amazing, first time I did it, could not work out what the heck the land was, then realised it was North Africa. Spain is (I believe) the second most mountainous European country after Switzerland and was amazed years ago to see snow on hills around Madrid in spring.

Derek, some of the links do not work I assume you can use Blackberry Gateway and for Isolator Ground Loop Isolator

Comments put into DRIVING IN SPAIN Thread

I must say I enjoy being a passenger, happily let my wife drive up to Chester or down to Cornwall. As to Andalucia, my wife hates me driving in Spain on those quite roads. I love the A369 from Gaucin to Ronda, but the missus panics that I'll end up going off the road, as no traffic and a nice bunch of sweeping bends to 'whizz' through as well as some lovely reverse curves as well. I think if I was to drive all the way to Spain, the wife would have murdered me before we got to be half way through France, probably the boredom setting in, and she just wishing she was their. Have talked about driving to Picos de Europa sometime, but maybe flights and hire car safer for the marriage!!

All in all a lovely looking car, love the interior, much nicer on the backside on a cold winters day. Not so good for going to the tip - as you can see I do not treat my LS with the respect it deserves, but not enough room where I live to keep a beatup runabout. Enjoy (as our Amercian cousins would say)

Matt, Only just seen the thread, best of luck. I would say be yourself, be armed with knowledge of the product and then it is as much luck as hard work/effort. I have a mate who used to be chief purser on QE2, and he walked into the Aston Martin dealership in Los Angeles and got a job in sales there and then. He got the job becuase he had an english accent, and he made top salesman within 3 months. Mainly becuase he knew little about cars (a shed load about ocean going liners) and so he listened to what the customer was saying and trying to find out what the client thought they might be wanting to drop a load of $$$ on. A good salesman has two ears and one mouth, and should use them in that ratio. The customer will have a WANT list and then there is a seperate NEEDS list which can be different. (Read Rob Jolles book - Customer Centered Selling) I assume Lexus are not looking for the Smooth-Approach salesmans, but the conversationlist sales person who engages with the customer. I would imagine most people looking for a car in a Lexus dealer are not looking for a deal (initially), but more a discussion of what might suit them. Also treat all prospects the same, I have noticed that going into a Lexus dealership dressed like a man on how way to a DIY shop, I kind of get ignored, maybe they think I am not carry a big enough cheque book. I was looking fo a car for the wife at the time, and decided I did not like being ignored. However at the Ford dealership nearby I was talked to death by a salesman until they could not actually work out how serious I was (not really listenting to me), so then ignored me. You may well get profiled by something like a Myers-Brigg test, so see whether you are too extrovert or too introvert and so on, as part of a filtering process Be interested to hear what your experience is after Wednesday. I would say that I spent 12 years training Hi-Tec sales people around the world, and I think it is not an easy thing to say 'what as salesperson is' other than the right fit for the right company and the right culture. Fingers crossed for you

30K on Michelin primacy is that a record, also I would suggest the tyre walls are not as good as when new, so no doubt tyre noise/rumble will change when you get some new tyres on there.

Yep, in 1974 Dukinfield was put under Tameside. Cheshire cars by name, but not by nature. Maybe they are grinning like Cheshire cats they way they seem to get away with it, lets hope the battle can be won on this one.

Heck, seems like a lot of engine lights coming on once the car is a few miles off the forecourt. Google reviews are either 5 star or 1 star, which I have never seen before. seems like a lottery buying a car from them.

What was the cost of doing that. When you say insulated, is it more wafty, or actually more secure ride and less jiggy on rough roads. My missus finds car too wafty, and roll bars have been suggested as key to her comments.

Matt, You kind of describe how I feel about my LS, which is soft but harsh (very dependent onroad surface), and my wifes X-type is the same. However having been in new cars of recent I would say Audi Q7 - seems never to be harsh, but never totally smooth like my LS can be Mazda 6 - worse than my LS on just about any road, no good for having conversation in above 40mph due to noise from road. BMW X1 - less noise than LS, but feels as harsh on som surfaces (earlier X1s were naff on just about any road surface) Range Rover - okay on really rough surfaces but no better than my LS on your average road Merc CLS - Seemed like the best for ride but not my kind of car (though my mate would not drive anything else), but it is 14 years younger than my LS. I do think modern cheap(ish) cars have better designed running gear than was around in the first two decades of the LS, but a cheaper car will probably get more ragged in ride before it is 20 years old. My dad's Peugeot 406 is same age as my LS, but a lot more clang-bangy than my LS on rough roads.

Cannot see how that link would snap and then cause a crash. Bet he was miffed at such a short time driving that around. Each to their own, but that style was not my thing.