Tee

The LS is a touring sedan, the longest I have been in mine is hrs one way and it was like being in my fav chair with all the features comforts minus the TV. I'm sure the LS can take it and you will be fine BUT that is a lot of miles & time on the road! I have my cut off for mileage on the road, then I have to fly to where I need to be.

Before I vote Are you a road warrior?

What percentage out of 100 are you leaning toward really driving vs flying?

Ay-nako

iTrader: (25)

Id just drive it, Ive put almost 33k miles on my LS the first year of ownership, its fun to drive your car and not baby it, i don't mean beat it but you bought the car to drive it and not stare at it in your driveway!

Jabberwock

The latest 2010 Auto issue of Consumer Reports shows per mile cost ranges from about .29 per mile to as high as 1.30 per mile for all cars - this is total cost of ownership of which gasoline cost is actually a very small part . Some of the high dollar, high depreciation cars like Benz, Jag, Land Rovers costs are at 1.00-1.30 per mile while cars like a Honda Civic are around .29 -.39 per mile. Another data point is that standard auto mileage reimburse rate from IRS is .50/mile this year - I think that right - that's what my company is using and we usually are in compliance with current IRS rate. These are real costs per mile - it adds up to a lot more than tanks of gas. So I used .50/mile for the 05 LS 430 but actually an LS 430 might be a little more (might be .70 or so depending on the exact car and its current miles). Its not likely to be less than .50 for an 05 LS.

Having said all that if cross counrty road trip feels like a fun adventure than I agree - go for it!

3lexus43

As long as your orders give you ample amount of time, the per diem would be worth it. I've been in your boat driving like that before for the Army. The LS is nothing but a great highway cruizer. I enjoy taking trips like that (20 hours +) and you can honestly bank some good money, enough to take care of all the maintenance needs you are considering. You just may have to wait until you turn in your travel voucher after completion of all of the schools. Check your 1610 for allotted amounts. Bottomline I say go for it 100%, I mean thats what life is all about! Have fun, be safe, and ENJOY the LS! That's why you bought it. Plus enjoy the opportunity that the service provides, the ability to travel!

Oh and I started my journey with 55K on the odometer. Now shes at 87K and never had any problems.

Tony

LS430inDE.

I think I could be considered a road warrior. When I was active duty in the Marines, driving between Memphis and Philadelphia was not a big deal for me. It took about 13 hours if I recall?...and I did it numerous times, stopping only a couple times for food/drink/bathroom breaks. I feel that I could probably drive 10-12 hours a day during this potential cross country voyage.

Although it pales in comparison, I also routinely drive (6x a year) from the Philly area to Syracuse..which is ~4 hours. If it were up to me, I'd stop ONE time for a bathroom/fuel brake, but my best friend has the kidney and liver capacity of a little girl..wanting to make a bathroom stop almost every hour.

In all...when I think this over to myself, I am 90% wanting to do it. I have reserved the other 10% for considering the unknown factors like Jabberwock mentioned.

I really think it would be amazing to do it, in general...and here, I have a REASON to do it. If there's anyone that has the motivation and willingness and desire to do it, it's me. To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld....it's the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns and the unknown knowns, that are unknown.

Gil Smash

Ive got an 01 LS and I've driven it from New Jersey to Kansas multiple times which is a 24 hour drive. Its the perfect car for long drives as it gets good highway mileage and its comfortable as hell (although Im sure you already know )

stock_sc

iTrader: (2)

i would say yes.. you paid for the car why not enjoy it. i plan on doing a road trip in the summer.

caddyowner

Improvise, adapt, overcome. DRIVE!

Tee

Ok I say go 4 it!

If you don't have a clear bra I would get one before the trip, then again you can always get a few rolls of 3M painter's tape.

LS430inDE.

Hi Tony. Appreciate your opinions! Like you, my worry was how long they were giving me between the schools...and turns out I have SIX days to report/drive from Texas to Washington state. That is more than enough time.

As of today, my mindset is that I'm going to drive it. I am now THINKING if I should take her to the dealer and, as a good preventive measure, have the tranny fluid flushed/filled, have the rear diff oil changed, and do a coolant fluid flush/fill. I will change the oil myself with synthetic next month..probably a week before I depart. (YES---I know some of those items should last 100k miles, etc, but I think a trip like this with sustained high speed travel at 75mph+ for extended periods of time would warrant these preventive measures).

One side of my mind says to get those preventive measures done at the dealer. The other side of my mind says DO NOT TINKER with anything aside from changing the oil, for now! Tinkering may create/cause some other problem once a tech starts wrenching around under her? They may not torque a nut/bolt to spec, they may ruin a gasket, or something on those lines, and it will be discovered/uncovered while driving 85mph through the middle of nowhere, like Montana or Wyoming?..........

Caddy--------you mentioned taking whatever (gun, shampoo, etc) and however much I wanted on the trip. That is another reason why I want to drive, however....I was worried whether or not the carry & conceal permits I possess would be honored in the states I'm travelling through----Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington state, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota & Wisconsin. I was pleased that my permits legally allow me to carry in all the states except Illinois, Washington state and Minnesota. I'll just be extra vigilant and try to prevent encountering trouble in those states. It's amazing (in a bad way) how different some states regulate handguns...but that's conversation for another forum...

caddyowner

I believe you won't have a problem in those states if you are transporting guns, unloaded (including mags), in locked cases in the trunk, with ammunition in a separate locked case also in the trunk. I have not opted for the additional responsibility of holding a CPL, so this is how I transport.

The only bummer for you is that you will be in Washington for an extended period.

rcpeters

A couple of years ago, I bought a 2002 SC430 near Philadelphia, registered it in DE and drove it by myself on the route you are taking except I turned west at Oklahoma City, destination west coast. In no hurry, I took a week to do it, driving about 500 miles per day, pre-planning the overnight stops. Now, this was in February, really tough the first 100 miles due to weather.

I would not want to do it again, but do not regret making the trip as it was boring. My trip was inexpensive, even the flight to PA was less than 200 bucks. Gas, motels and eats can run up though. Your trip back will be better if the girl friend will share the driving and if you are interested in stopping to see the sights along the way.

Like others have said, it is nice to have your own car with you and to be able to take a trunk full of stuff.

jstjohnz

I've made two cross country round trips in my LS430, and just did a 4,000 mile one-way in my 460 that I bought in San Francisco in January. I don't mind long-distance driving at all as long as I'm not rushed and/or dealing with major traffic or construction. The freedom to stop when and where you feel like it is great, the sightseeing can be fantastic, and the car is a pleasure to drive on long highway trips.

I did add a Vais-Tech for MP3s and Nav over-ride to the car, and activated the XM subscription before we left. We started in Northern CA, drove down the coast to San Diego, East on I-10 all the way to Florida, spent a week or so in FL, then home to IN.

An internet-enabled laptop in the car is great if you want to use sites like Priceline to get really cheap lodging.

LS430inDE.

Russ and Jim....I totally appreciate hearing about your experiences. I'm basically allocating 4 full days of driving from Wilmington, De to Witchita Falls, Tx. I think that will be plenty of time. After 5 weeks there, I will have 7 days to drive up to the Tacoma, Washington area.....so in both cases I should have ample time, no need to rush/push it...so long as I don't encounter some unexpected incident (car breaksdown, accident, blown off the map by a twister, etc).

I'd imagine the ride back home should be the most relaxing...as I will have no schedule or timeframe to return back home.

I don't have a Vais-Tech nor any satellite radio subscription. I'm just hoping some of the country stations have powerful transmitters. I can listen to anything..including NPR. That should keep me awake because I'll probably yell in response to what they say on there. I will be bringing my wi-fi enabled laptop, so while on the road I'll have to find a hotspot usually found in hotels, McDonalds, etc. to get online.

If there's a single suggestion or advice you could give, from your experiences, what would they be? I'm basically planning to let the LS take 100% control of the navigation, let it identify the most convenient eats, and also the lodging along the way.

On the trip home, the gf will probably want to stay in 5-star hotels that we encounter on the leg home...especially through the great states of Montana and North Dakota...(lol @ my gf...not those states)..although it looks MIGHTY LONELY through those states!

Time, conditions, electronics permitting, maybe I'll post pictures of the LS in the various stages of progress through each state, with the state's welcome sign in the background, etc, and post it here. I think THAT would be cool.....but I know she will think I'm a dope.

caddyowner

You have chosen wisely to drive. Some suggestions:

- Get a AAA membership. That will provide you with basic free towing (about 5 miles), a source for backup paper maps and guidebooks, and discounts at hotels, tire stores, etc.

- Look into a national mid-level hotel chain membership program. I knew road warriors who racked up lots of free nights by letting work pay for their stay at job sites and then using the points on vacation.

- Stay at hotels that offer a free breakfast buffet. It beats wasting driving time and $$ in the morning. Take a couple travel mugs so you can fill one for free as you hit the road.

- Buy some type of satellite radio and/or ipod integration solution. There are parts of the country with very limited AM or FM reception. A low cost solution is a satellite receiver with built-in FM transmitter. The cords are a bit messy and you will have to reset the FM transmitting station if you encounter a NPR station broadcasting on the frequency you pick, but it worked fine for me in my CTS on road trips.

- Consider getting some books to listen to. My sister and her husband do this when they drive between Arizona and the midwest.

- Don't eat gas station sandwiches, hot dogs, etc.

- Take a few minutes each evening to clean out your interior. You will thank yourself in the morning.