massshelti

I'm about to cut an order for an LS. I'd like to acquire a Euro handling package, but that precludes getting a Custom Luxury Interior. Also, the 2004 Euro handling comes with 18 inch wheels, which are expensive to replace, and don't easily support snow tires. I'd prefer the standard 17 inch all seasons.

Has anyone seen, or had any experience with a 2004 LS with the Euro Handling?

Thanks

dseag2

If you go into the Advanced Search and enter "sport suspension" in the "LS400/430" forum, you'll find discussions on this very topic. Good luck with your decision!

eblue

I test drove twice on side by side comparo with base suspension and didn't like it. Bought the base car.

massshelti

What didn't you like? Can you provide some specifics?

Thanks

eblue

the ride was less smooth as it let in more road harshness when going thru ruts on the freeways(tires?); going thru bumps you could feel it more plus the e33 turanzas had more road noise. the improved handling during turns were not enough to "sway" me to offset the loss in the "luxury" ride. having owned 3 3-series and 2000 540 sport pkg and a mini cooper s in a decade, i think i know a little about handling . having owned an es300 and (still an) lx470 has shown me what the lexus ride is about. the ls430 euro-sport suspension is still not there in terms of the germans and loses out much more on the famous ls "ride".

note that the sway, coil and strut modifications alone will probably cost you around $2.5k+ afterpurchase in a lexus dealer, not to mention the tire and wheel pkg is probably worth ($1000 tires;$2500 wheels for 5) $3.5k ,replaced(no tradeout)- which is enough to pay for(and then some) the ML (240 watts vs 178); gps(best in the business) ; the smart access; back-up camera;bluetooth- additional options you have to get to the euro-tuned; but then i thought i was buying the ls430 for the luxury ride,interior and reliability.

also the financial downside was that resale in 3 years historically tends to discount these options a lot far worse than the car itself.

the better buy for me would have been modern luxury pkg without the euro-tuned-but i wanted a moonlight pearl exterior and a dealer offered me $750 over invoice on the premium pkg and there were no cars in the color that wanted in about 10 dealers i was researching. believe me, before all of this, the only car i wanted was the moonlight pearl euro-tuned.

note also that i still have a mini cooper s which allows me to get all the rough ride and tight handling i want during weekends-so different strokes for different folks. if you're happy with the euro-tuned and bargain the price to $56K+ , you've got a great deal!

Jennifer G

If the 18 inch tires are the high performance tires (I believe they are), they will render the car useless in even the lightest snow. Believe me I know. You can switch them out for snow tires, though, but who needs it?

stanatl

I've had my '04 LS 430 with Modern Luxury, Smart Key and Euro Tuned Suspension for about 10 days now. I'm very happy with the ride. I had wanted the Custom Luxury package mainly for the Laser Cruise Control, but they weren't allowing that with the Euro Tuned Suspension. I test drove both with and without the sports suspension and preferred the handling of the tighter suspension. I had an Audi A6 4.2 without the sports suspension and couldn't stand the floating when cornering. It is certainly somewhat tighter over bumps, but is still a very nice ride. With respect to the 18" summer tires, they should not be considered if there is any significant snow where you live. I'm in Atlanta, so it is not that much of a consideration for me. I believe the standard LS still comes with Bridgestone Turnaza's, but they are not summer tires.

I've been very happy with my car. Ther bottom line is that it is a matter of personal preference. Good luck with whatever you choose.

massshelti

Thanks for the info. I'm from New England, and have to drive in snow. As a result, I really don't want the 18 inch tires. They also wear out too quickly, and are more expensive than the standard 17 inch tires. I'm going to test drive the LS Custom Lux this morning to make a final determination, and will start shopping the car at the end of the month.



Thanks for the input.

massshelti

I drove an LS with a custom luxury package this morning. It did have the upgraded interior, but did not have the sport handling package. I had mixed feelings. The car was quiet - even quieter than the standard LS. The antique walnut wood is fantastic, and the aniline leather wonderful. I really liked the car a lot. I loved the black cherry exterior. Unfortunately, I wasn't as pleased with the handling.

To me, an Audi A6 4.3 L is the best handling luxury sedan that I've ever driven. I like this particular car because no matter what kind of terrain you find yourself travelling over, the car ALWAYS feels in control. When the car hits a bump, corners, stops and accelerates, it's almost as if the driver can predict exactly what the car will do in those circumstances. When you corner, there is no body roll, and the car tracks around the curve as if the car is on rails. The car does not float, it does not bounce, and although the ride is firm, it is very, very comfortable. I love this car with a passion. (Unfortunately, Audi's are notoriously unreliable, expensive as hell (for the size of car), and very expensive to fix. As nice as they are to drive, I would never consider one seriously. I keep cars for 200,000 miles, and I don' t think that an A6 would go that kind of distance without costing huge amounts of time and money.)

The LS came up short. On flat pavement, the ride was fantastic, smooth, and gave the impression that the driver had complete control over the vehicle. One bump however, caused the car to react like a Cadillac. Not quite as bad mind you, but the car did not react predictably. I felt as if I had to allow the car to stop moving before I could predict what the car was going to do. Cornering was not very impressive. Body roll at 40 mph was signficant, and I had to slow the car down in order to make the corner on the freeway offramp in a controlled fashion.

I personally find this kind of ride tiring. It's almost as if you have to keep yourself on the edge of your seat in order to constantly be ready for one of those unpredictable movements that occur from changes in the road surface. My friend's LS with the sport package (2003) did indeed offer a noisier ride, transmitted more bumps into the cabin, and was not as smooth as the standard LS. Even so, it was a much more relaxing ride.

I'm trying to find an LS in the Northeast that has a sport package so that I can test drive the beast. I'm starting to think that an LS with the sport package and dealer substituted all season radials would be the best compromise. I'll report back if I can find one. So far, no one has a sport package LS in inventory.

stanatl

I assume you're talking about the Audi A6 4.2. That's the car I had. It was loaded, but without the sports suspension. I had many problems with the car and when you're dealing with Audi service you're basically dealing with Volkswagon service. All in all, a terrible experience.

Your reaction to the LS with the regular suspension was the same as mine. Again, my feeling is that what you pick up with the sport suspension is much more than what you give up. It is still not as nearly stiff as some BMW's that I have driven. It is somewhat of a hybrid between the ultra soft ride of the LS with the normal suspension and the harsh ride of the BMW. I have driven it for 10 days now and would not say it is in any way an uncomfortable ride.

Don't forget that the LS doesn't come with the sport package with any option package above Modern Luxury. My perfect car would have been the Comfort Luxury with the Euro suspension. Lexus would not do it even as a special order. Good luck!

slayergtr

i rode in one of them while testdriving the other LS430s, all i can say is, its one bumpy ride

Jennifer G

When I was looking for my LS last Sept / Oct, all the dealers had was the sports suspension vehicles. Dealer said they were releasing all the sport equipped cars first, which is why you might have a more difficult time finding one.

eblue

masshelti

i believe the reson the custom lux is quieter than the base car is because they have laminated windows which is not available on the base or premium pkg options.

also there are 2 handling options- 1) the $220 euro-tuned (tire/wheel) suspension and 2) the air suspension set up with 4 settings (like the lx470, ibelieve)). they're part of separate options here in the west coast, the first is merged (for now) with the modern lux, while the other is merged with the ultra lux i believe.

the guys at road and track and automobile mag think the euro-tuned is a better "handling" pkg thean the air suspension....

stanatl

If you go to the Lexus.com web site and go the LS430 screen, there is a link to a write-up on the car from the Testdrive.com website. It goes into a significant amount of detail and compares the ride with the standard suspension, the air suspension and the Euro Tuned Suspension. Their conclusion was that they preferred the latter. They felt the responsiveness was better and the ride was not unduly harsh.

massshelti

I drove three hours to the only Lexus dealership in the area that had a Euro Handling Lexus available for a test drive. Although the test drive was abbreviated (I didn't get it onto a highway), I was able to get a feel for the car.

The difference between a standard LS and a Euro handling LS is signficant. You do feel every bump in the road with the Euro ( I think this stems from the tires on the car), and the car does not have the soft, spongy ride that shows up with the normal LS. If you're expecting a soft, cushy ride, you'll be disappointed. The road noise is slightly elevated from the normal LS (especially if you compare things to a Custom Luxury with the laminated glass which is amazingly quiet).

On the plus side, the Euro handling package substantially reduces body roll while going around corners. It's not as good as an Audi A6-4.2, but it gives you a confident feeling while going around corners (especially for such a heavy car). When the car hits bumps, it reacts predictably, going up / coming down exactly how you'd expect. I would feel completely comfortable taking the car around a bumpy New York City expressway with pot holes, expansion joints, debris from the burned out cars, bumps, and cars three inches from every side at 90 mph. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing this with a straight LS. Steering response is very, very good, offering just the right amount of sensitivity. Small movements of the wheel immediately translate into altered motion on the car. The Euro car does not "wallow" like the normal LS when you change lanes quickly at 40 mph (What's wallow?? You move the wheel. The wheels start to turn, but the body, seats, and fenders want to keep travelling as they previously were. Three seconds later, the car has finally moved in the direction that you wanted).


Don't get me wrong. A Lexus LS Euro is not a BMW or a Merc. Even so, there is something to say for the handling option. You really need to drive one to make up your mind.