Dockof-bay

While surfing youtube, i came across this video that looks likes a promotional shoot for our beloved LS430. Enjoy

Bob04

Awesome. Thanks for posting.

Bob04

Kinda sad though. The 460 certainly isn't as beloved by the automotive media and world. Almost an afterthought in the luxury market now. Instead of leading, Lexus decided to follow and chase the Germans, and now it is way behind cars like the new S Class.

airchomper

This is a great find, thanks for sharing.

It's great to see a race car driver agree that things don't need to be stiff and heavy to communicate and perform well. I think Acura exemplifies it a bit better than Lexus, though.

This inspired me to go shin etsu my car and clean it out. I have the car listed for sale locally, just to see if I can sell it at a fair price and get into something cheaper (thinking about a first gen Prius!). But I'll be sad to see it go. One part of me wants to get better tires on it, I have some very loud and old Goodyear Assurances on it, and I'm not pleased with them.

I saw some awesome deals on tires a few months back, I should have pulled the trigger. Oh well.

Awesome car though. Can someone talk me out of selling my car? Quick, tell me that the prius is a ticking time bomb and everything else is a tin can compared to the LS

dfkd

So nice to hear testing that doesn't involve the Nürburgring but actually tests the car in the areas it's designed to be focused on.
First tell: they based the review in Newport Beach.

Really (somehow) enjoyed the occasional VCR tracking distortions. Kinda miss that... lol

LSDoc

"to see if I can sell it at a fair price and get into something cheaper (thinking about a first gen Prius!). But I'll be sad to see it go."
airchomper, surely you jest!!

tcr101

iTrader: (2)

Dont do it. Aside from the better mileage, everything in the prius (2005) shakes at 90+. With 204k on the clock, mine burns 1qt of oil every 600 miles. The ride is no where near as luxurious and lacks power to pass. Seats in the prius leave something to be desired

Jabberwock

...that should do it...

airchomper

Thanks for the perspective, guys.

I realized that I got into the car for a good price, and I've really set myself up well to easily double my milage (I'm at a hair under 90k right now).

The gas milage isn't great, but it's not bad either. I'm getting the same milage I'd get in any suv except the smallest, and newest ones. But it's also amazing how well these cars hold their value. It seems like 1994 LS400s sell for $4k when they're in running condition.

I really can't lose much money in depreciation. And frankly, I haven't had a mechanical issue ever in this car. I had to replace a tail light once, but that's it in the past 20 months and 20k miles. The car has never thrown a code for any reason, and I checked with Techstream.

And it's so quiet. That's unbeatable.

The only thing I don't like is members on this fourm hoarding the 2005/2006 LS430s. At least they're in good hands. I bet when 2020 rolls around, we'll be talking about how are cars are magic carpets and everything else is a tin can and how we've all had an uneventful 200k+ miles.

SW17LS

I don't see how you would be happy with a Prius after being used to an LS. Its hard to go to any different market segment afterwards, but the Prius is especially light, unsubstantial, unrefined, loud & cheap. My wife had a 2004 and it was the crappiest least enjoyable car I've ever had. She loved it, but she's not a car person.

For a car person, its the absolute antithesis of something you can get excited about. I've driven the new ones too, just ugh. I don't care if they get 100 MPG...

I've watched a lot of YouTube videos and reviews of the 460 since I just bought one. That Speed program is a paid advertisement for the LS430, and there are plenty of very gushing, complimentary reviews of the 460 from when it came out, and even up until now.

The reason the 460 is more of an afterthought now is because the chassis has been out so long, its the oldest car in the segment by far. Sales wise you'd be surprised, its not as slow selling as you would think...the S Class is the leader, and the LS and 7 series typically jockey for second place. That means the LS outsells the A8 and the XJ, seeing that they are significantly newer chassis thats quite an accomplishment. Sales in this segment are nothing like they used to be before the financial collapse. the S Class leads with high teens per month (like 1600-1800) and nobody else breaks 1000 units a month. Contrast that to 2007 when the LS460 came out, the LS sold like 47k units and it was still outsold by the S Class.

You can understand why Lexus chose to re-refresh the LS vs an all new car in 2013. Everybody else has sales elsewhere in the world to make up for the deflation of the segment in the US, Lexus really doesn't. Hard to justify an incredibly costly redesign when you might sell 15,000 of them a year.

They're behind the S Class sure, the S Class was all new for 2014, the LS is still the same basic car as it was in 2007. New LS is coming, and I'm sure they will give the S Class a run for its money.

Bob04

While I agree with a lot of what you are saying, the difference is that the automotive world echoed almost exactly what thay paid commercial said with the 430. Not so much with the 460. The LS is no longer the class leader it was when the 430 was in production. In fact, I've seen reviews were it came in dead last. I think Lexus really screwed up the redesign.

And it's not just behind the S-Class. The S-Class makes the LS460 look like it doesn't even deserve an invite to the party. Hate to say that, but after spending some time in both, it's not really even close. I think the only reason the LS460 is still surviving at all in the market place is becuase of it's reputation of reliability, and from my personal experience and what I've read it, that ain't what it used to be either. Sad.

SW17LS

None of that is really the case. I understand you don't like the car and thats fine, but there are PLENTY of reviews out there that are just as gushing as that LS430 commercial.

Its no comparison I agree, but the current S550 is all new, the LS is 9 years old basically. The S550 also stickers $20,000 more than the LS, and average sticker prices are over $100k, the LS is signifcantly cheaper than that. In a lot of ways, they really aren't in the same segment anymore, the S Class sits above all the other competitors.

I just shopped all the stuff in the segment, the LS holds up against what its peers are pricewise, the A8, the 7 Series and the XJ.

As for screwing up the redesign, the LS460 outsold the LS430, it had some really good years at the beginning. Then the financial collapse happened, took the wind out of the segment, then they refreshed it in 2013 instead of it being all new like it should have been, and there you have it.

Its still the #3 car in the segment, which it really always has been.

I had an LS430 and now I have an LS460...really they are very similar cars. The 460 has a sleeker look to it but when it comes to how they drive they are very similar.

Some gushing LS460 reviews:







If you look at sales. Best year for the LS430 was 2001 when it sold 31,110 units in the US, best year for the LS460 was 2007 when it sold 35,226 units. In 2008 you had the financial crisis hitting, and the 460 didn't have the staying power the 430 did, but neither did the other cars in the segment.

The LS remains a leader in IQS and dependability studies, as well as resale.

Nothing to detract from the 430, but the 460 is hardly this "shame" you seem to think it is.

Dockof-bay

[QUOTE=SW15LS;9088154]None of that is really the case. I understand you don't like the car and thats fine, but there are PLENTY of reviews out there that are just as gushing as that LS430 commercial.



Its no comparison I agree, but the current S550 is all new, the LS is 9 years old basically. The S550 also stickers $20,000 more than the LS, and average sticker prices are over $100k, the LS is signifcantly cheaper than that. In a lot of ways, they really aren't in the same segment anymore, the S Class sits above all the other competitors.

I just shopped all the stuff in the segment, the LS holds up against what its peers are pricewise, the A8, the 7 Series and the XJ.

As for screwing up the redesign, the LS460 outsold the LS430, it had some really good years at the beginning. Then the financial collapse happened, took the wind out of the segment, then they refreshed it in 2013 instead of it being all new like it should have been, and there you have it.

Its still the #3 car in the segment, which it really always has been.

I had an LS430 and now I have an LS460...really they are very similar cars. The 460 has a sleeker look to it but when it comes to how they drive they are very similar.

Car and Driver: '04 LS430 No. 1 in $70K Luxury Sedan
Nice to hear the '04 LS430 beats the "BMW 745i and MB S430".http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...mparison-tests

Bob04

I see the 2004 as the best year of the LS430, with 32,272 sold. And while the LS460 did sell more it's first year, that doesn't mean it was better or that buyers liked it more. Everybody jumped on it because it was the next iteration of a car they KNEW was great and the class leader.

Now, it's not really even a contender for the lead spot. For Lexus, that is shameful. If it isn't, there is a problem in it's leadership.

Tom57

I only want one more 2006 ... and I promise you airchomper, they're all in good hands!