IIKings920

Ultimate luxury, beautifully crafted, and great features all wrapped up in a package that floats and bobs down the road like a 30 year old Sedan DeVille or a Greyhound bus. It is simply too soft, isolated from the road, and floaty. It is the perfect car for those who like those ride attributes. Of course this is my opinion (for which I am the world's expert on). I am not posting this to bust the LS 460's chops, it is as close to perfect in every other respect as one can expect-it's too bad that a stable ride is a major criteria for me when it comes to making a purchase decision.

I had a 1990 LS400 which can not compare in terms of luxury, but it road great without all of the float. I also drove the Hyundai Genesis 4.6 today which had a much more buttoned down feeling- not BMW harsh but it did not porpoise down the road like the LS either. I would take it hands down over the LS460L based on ride only. I have had a Porsche, BMW, et.al and I have attended racing school at Mid Ohio so I am not expecting a luxury or family sedan to serve as a go cart. I was, however, surprised at the Carribean cruise bobbing of the LS going down the freeway. I was also not impressed with the steering which was Avalon light without any feel. Of course, the other extreme is My X5 which has excessively heavy steering requiring hand over hand effort when parking (which is a serious flaw) as well as a choppy ride. Can I not be satisfied?

The LS I drove was the LWB, I hope the SWB which I am scheduled to drive next week does not drive like it. I have driven all of these cars in the last 2 weeks and all have a better road feel than the LS: Avalon (which is soft but controlled without up and down bobbing on the freeway), Taurus, Lacrosse, Genesis- yes I am driving for information but not necessarily cross shopping these brands. Were I to buy today, it would be the Avalon, followed by the Genesis. The surprise of the bunch was the Taurus which was 100% better than I anticipated (I am not a Ford guy and had very low expectations, just the opposite of my LS460 expectations).

I am holding out hope that the SWB LS460 will ride at least as good as my 1990 LS400 (good meaning smooth and stable- The LWB was smooth, quiet, but not at all stable which is a deal breaker).

cmasten

The SWB does not have the air suspension, depending on how you had that set on the LWB, it could be firm or floating..

I have the SWB and love the ride, the handling and especially the feeling of the steering. I came from 20+ years of European models, but this is completely unique, does not ride or handle like any other car and not at all like European rides, which is what attracted me to it and why I respect it so much.

Lextrician

I agree I came from a dropped fx45 on coilovers and although I miss the ride at times the ls460 is smooth like butter. I think a drop would fix the floatiness.

IIKings920

Thanks for the input, that is good to hear. I will drive the SWB with renewed anticipation. I too have had many European cars from Alfa to BMW to Citroen to MB to Peugeot (best seats in the world) and appriciate a well controlled if not taut ride. Now that I am approaching the big 5-0, I am more into serene smoothness and butter which I now expect the SWB to do just like the very impressive Avalon and Genesis.

jlawr

Sounds like you'd like the Sports Model. Definitely give it a test ride.

Silverpaws

This is exactly why I purchased my LS and I have no regrets. I might add that my car does not porpoise but then again, the majority of roads I travel on are relatively smooth

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

I'm past the big 5-0 and I also like a luxury/sport riding car. I love Lexus because you get the luxury from the manufacturer....then I lower it and change wheels to give it the sport I desire. If I ever get an LS, the same will happen.
Like someone else said, don't drive the one with air. Try the LS Sport. It may still require a spring change to give you the ride you're looking for bu I think it's worth it.

Lextrician

I remember when I had a 96 ls400 wayy back and it didn't handle good until I dropped on the eibach and it wasn't nothing too sporty but if felt perfect in every aspect. it by no means a sports car so if it is lowered it will handle better while keeping that smooth ride. try a sport I think the reason the swb floats a bit is because it needs to be lowered then it will be okay.. let us know what you end up doing though..

Nick2JZ

I bought my LS460L because of the smooth ride, reliable, and Mark Levinson system just to name the three most important things for me. And everythings you dislike about the LS is the reasons i like the car. If i wants a handling car, i would looks at BMW, Audi, or Infiniti, etc. It comes down to buyer picking the right car/brand for his/her driving style. BTW, when you test drive the LWB, did you set the suspension on "SPORT" mode? Between COMFORT mode and SPORT mode is pretty different.

randomwalk

Ughh...when you test drive did you flip the switch to "sport"?? I think your case you drove on the wrong mode and making wrong judgement may be?

I8ABMR

I will admit that my LS460 is floaty at times, but she still manages to never lose grip or composure in corners. just a lot of roll

Nospinzone

Drove my first LS460 today: Very disappointed

Kind of like someone saying he drove his first Ferrari and was disappointed with the stiff ride and all the engine noise.

JFNash

Apparently the LS460L wasn't meant for you. Give the SWB & the sport versions a try. You'll like one of them more than the L version, but I think you've already made up your mind about the 460 in general.

Silverpaws

Yeah, if you are accustomed to the ride of a porsche and bimmer, you may have difficulty making the transition to an LS460 until you are a really old codger with a sore back caused by the stiff ride of the porsche and bimmer.

cmasten

Funny stuff! but true... I don't miss feeling the road as much, I really enjoyed the European experience and had some wonderful drivers cars, the LS is really about feeling refreshed when you get to your destination (smooth, quiet and dependable). The new Bridgestone Serenity tires I just added took the smooth to a whole new level.. for road trips with the family I would take my LS over my S Class any day, I find that I make up excuses to just drive this car!