Tulpen

The last time I had my 460 in for its annual service, they gave me a brand new 250 Sport for the day. It's a very nice car and I enjoyed my short time with it. But..........since 1997 I have driven, first, a 400 and now a 460. These have not been second cars or 'kept for special occasions'. They have been used daily and I have become used to excellence and reliability. My advice would be to get an LS :)

Guys, this is second time in a few days that members have bought cars 'sight unseen' (Rudy got a 430 with a few problems) and been disappointed with the results. As a group, we are spread around quite a bit and I'm sure that, if a member needed a car checked out, any one of us who was near the vehicle in question would happily give it a once-over. The thought of laying out cash for a used car, 'sight unseen', makes my Scottish blood run cold...........

Congratulations Rudy, She looks absolutely great :)

Sorry, can't agree. He is just about the only sensible voice in this crazy, touchy-feely, PC obsessed world that we now live in. One of the reasons I live in Holland is because I am so disappointed in what the UK has become. And he loved the LFA.

Graham, For what it's worth, I had almost the same symptoms on my 460 last November. My local version of the AA (ASWB) came to have a look and diagnosed a failed cell in my battery. We managed to get the car started and I drove, carefully, the 20 miles to my nearest Lexus dealer. Thirty minutes and a new battery later all was well. I have had no problems since. I do understand how wary you are being, with the nearest dealer so far away. Reading the US forum, there is a possibility that it is the brake actuator........ I really hope it is something simple.

You might be interested to know how the braking system has evolved on the 460......... The parking brake is electric and actuated by a button. It has an 'Auto' function which sets the parking brake whenever the gear lever is set to 'Park'. As soon as the gear lever is moved to any other position, the parking brake is released. I have mine in 'Auto' all the time. The footbrake is electronic. It feels exactly the same as the system on the 400. It has a 'Hold' function. This is activated by an 'On/Off' button on the steering boss. When selected 'On' it holds the brakes on when the car has come to a stop. As soon as the accelerator is pressed, the brakes are released. This is really useful in town or in traffic jams. It is very smooth in operation. If you are anything like me, you are probably having two thoughts: a) That sounds really great and b) How much will it cost if it goes wrong. It's an LS.........that shouldn't happen for a long time :)

Malc, You are absolutely correct - you won't get 'any appreciably better comfort / ride / safety etc'. Let's face it, that's the 'raison d'etre' of the Lexus LS range. But, what you WILL get, are the benefits of the years of evolution and improvements since your car was manufactured. The only big decision you have is whether to go for the 460 or 600. I chose the 460. My reasoning was this - having owned a 400 for 15 years, I'd like my 460 to last at least as long. I'm just not convinced that the hybrid system will last for that length of time, without having to spend a lot of money on it. Just my 10 cents worth..........................

I have a 460 and, like Graham, I never let it self park! Having owned a 400 for years, neither my wife or myself find any difficulty in coping with the size of the car. It is very manoeuvrable and has a great turning circle (I owned an RX400 for a while and the turning circle was awful) I use the rear view camera all the time for parking, finding the direction grid very useful. One tip I have learned - just before you get in the car, wipe your finger over the camera lens to clean it. It can get quite dirty. I travel a lot all over Northern Europe and keep the nav system up to date. I use the 4 disc European package, it is very good.

'there is a screw to remove and a flap will hinge down to gain access to the filter'................. Don't you just love being the owner of an LS?

I must be a boring old f$$t...........I think that doing something like that to an LS is like painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa.

I had a 1994 LS 400. I went to see Lexus and they ordered me a re-furbished set from their own stock. They explained that the wheels did suffer from degradation after a while, so they had started to re-furbish them themselves. They gave me a call when they arrived and then changed over the tyres and balanced the set. If I remember correctly, the total cost was about 350 pounds. Mind you, that was 10 years ago.

You might have a problem getting Lexus to supply you with just the insert. During the time I had my 400 I had to change the insert twice (car wash amnesia). My local Lexus dealer, here in Holland, told me that the insert was the same as the Toyota Camry...........and much cheaper. It is a very easy job to do.

'When I've doctored the exhaust..............' Sacrilege! :)

That's an excellent piece of advice Mike.

Thanks for the comments, Mike. It is, indeed, a great seat from which to view the world. Like most LS owners, I'm always delighted to find out features of my car about which I was ignorant. A couple of days ago I was looking at the 'CLIMATE' screen and noticed a graphic, on the bottom right hand of the display, that I hadn't seen before. After checking the Owner's Handbook I discovered it is a front windscreen heat selection. The bottom inch or so of the screen (where the wipers are parked) has a heating element for use in cold weather. The idea is to make sure that, when you switch on the windscreen wipers, they don't freeze onto the screen leaving part of the blade stuck to the glass. Happiness is LS shaped :)

Paul, I hope you don't mind if I add to your thread. My Dutch 460 and I are in Scotland for a week visiting family. Today I drove up to the Cairngorm Ski Area and took a few pics:

Phil, I parted company with my beloved LS 400 in November 2012. I then bought a 2009 RX 400h. It was a nice car with all the attributes you describe. BUT.......it wasn't an LS. In November 2013 I exchanged it for my LS 460. Once you've owned an LS, somehow, nothing else will do.

Ex-Queen Fabiola's funeral is tomorrow.

Perhaps I should drive up and down the coast between Amsterdam and Dunkirk just so you guys have an LS to wave at. :)

Mike, In my case, it was Triumph Spitfires and Morris Oxfords. I lost count of how many times I stripped and rebuilt the engines over a weekend. There was always the odd nut or washer left over.......but they started :) I feel sorry for the youngsters nowadays because everything is sealed and costs money to fix. When I first got the LS 400 it just looked and felt right. The longer I had it, the more I realised how great it was. They built it right and there was no need to change it. Now I have the 460 and I feel the same. Unfortunately, mine came with 19" wheels and I'm going to change that to the originals. As many people here have said - Lexus spend a lot of time and money in their quest for perfection.

Mark, I have nothing against modifying a normal car. But we are talking about the Lexus LS 'a refined car for the discerning driver'. :)

Further to what Mark says......... It is Pages 625 - 629 in the Manual. Chapter 6-2. Customization........Customizable Features. Before I took delivery of mine, the dealer showed me the list and asked me to choose the settings I wanted. I've had a couple changed at the yearly service. The door unlocking item is on Page 626

The other day, an LS 430 pulled up beside me at traffic lights in Den Haag. Lots of waving and thumbs up before he drove off. It reminded me of when I bought my LS 400 in Scotland in 1997........every time I saw another Lexus we would wave like long lost brothers. :)

And remember.........I live in Holland! :) One mistake in 66 years of English Grammar................:)

Hmmm....... One of the things I love about the LS is that it is nicely under-stated. Like many other people on this forum, I love it when someone gets into my car for the first time. The look on their face when they get out is wonderful. Like Mark, I have been amazed at some of the things our American cousins do to their 400s/430s/460s and 600s. Britain and the USA may speak (roughly) the same language, but we are very different cultures. :)