I didn't really think of it until I spent the last 13 days in a rental...a Kia Sportage 4 banger to be exact.

One becomes accustomed, in our situation to the LS400 rolling when the gas is pressed. In the Kia, it would down shift, then down shift again to get the R's up. Freeway merging was scary...distances the LS could cover easily, I'd see the car behind still gaining on me.

You talk about driver courtesy...I saw little of it driving this car. While I'm cut off in the Lexus, by far it occurred with much more frequency in this car. Tail gaters also were the norm.

Each day in the LS, it's enjoyable to go from A-B locations. This ride while it was comfortable, it felt lacking. One aspect of this I did like was the non-descript nature it has. It blended well with the many other SUV's on the roads and parking lots. It felt safe from prying eyes.

We've heard how boring Toyota/Lexus has been compared to BMW...well, these same should devote 1K miles to driving a base car such as this then say Lexus is lacking excitement. IMO, our aging LS has plenty of where it counts in driving. When I step on the gas, it goes. The stock intake sucks air in and I feel my back being compressed into the seat as I watch the tach and speedo sweep up. Having become accustomed to the 4 banger, similar pedal movements in the LS had it at illegal velocities in moments.

After 1k miles in the KIA, I was happy to return it. This was a car I would not want to drive long term. I have come to the realization that our Lexus is not void of driving passion in the least...I enjoy the seat time. Whether it occurs at sub 20 MPH as common in LA/OC commutes or taking it out of town where the scenery flows by in a blur. (Well, maybe not that fast. )

I'm thankful to the planning that went into our aging ride. To the Toyota engineers.

 

I feel what you're saying every day. I drive my 1995 Camry to work every day and although it is bulletproof and a nice commute car, it is not even in the same universe as my GS. The smoothness of a Lexus and especially the V8 torque is missed. The car is so quite at highway speeds and although I like driving sports cars, I wouldn't trade one for the smooth and comfortness of my baby.

Although people talk about Lexus lacking a excitement in driving, I think it is just nothing for an opinion. Some people view comfortable cars as "fun". A co-worker of mine had a 1996 Cadillac deville and I convinced him to get a 98 LS400. He told me the LS was not only fast but very fun to drive. People have their own tastes when it comes to spirited driving and excitment. Not everyone thinks going around in an S2000 is more enjoyable than cruising on a couch with a V8

Smooth, quite, powerful, comfortable = fun

 

I understand how you feel.

I bought Lexus because of the comfort and amenities.

Pure sport and performance are always nice. However, when reality hits, when you're stuck in L.A. traffic, comfort and practicality trumps sport.

Other than sport, the amenities of a luxury car definately spoils you. I hate it when I approach a car and touch the handle, only to find that I actually need to insert a key into the door. I hate it when I have to adjust the seat manually. I hate it when I put the car in reverse and I have to turn my head to look behind, rather than looking at the rear camera view on the Nav.

Yeah -- I'm spoiled...

 

You would have had a similar (if not worse) experience had you driven a new Corolla.

It has nothing to do with the brand and more to do with what's under the hood and chassis. Drive a BMW for a few weeks and head back to the LS and you may be compelled to start a similar thread.

 

Fun is certainly subjective and we're lucky to have so many great options these days. Competition is a great thing.

Philip, you don't turn your head around? Even when I drive my gf's IS, I still feel uncomfortable without turning around.

 

Exactly. I was a Camry owner for 16 years and my ES350 is my first Lexus. Before, my drives were always something I had to do to get somewhere. Like getting a haircut, driving was something I had to do, not something I wanted to do.

But now I look forward to my morning commute. My car is no longer something to be endured, but something to be enjoyed. I loved my muscle cars back in the 70s - they were the torque monsters of my youth. But they can't compare with the overall ahhhhhhh I experience when I slip into my Lexus. Crank up the iPod, turn on the ventilated seats, and it's back on the open road!

 

Like many others here, I experienced a phase of my youth in which performance was everything - first in brutal straight line acceleration where driver participation was limited to pinning the throttle and shifting as rapidly as possible. In time, I learned to appreciate the joys of properly clipping an apex and setting up a four-wheel drift out to the berm on a narrow country road. Every road trip was an athletic competition between myself and the roadway.

As I mature, I begin to understand some of the more adult aspects of motoring - smoothness, comfort, efficiency of movement. Making a pass in a single arc, driving just below the speed cop's radar; I learned the joys of touring. Getting off the interstate slab and exploring the backroads, enjoying the countryside rather than focusing exclusively on that next corner, not being concerned so much with schedule as being in the moment.


Old Fall River Road

Maybe it's a sign of age, or the slow creep of luxurious indulgence over cheap thrills. There is nothing so satisfying as a long trip to new vistas. The Lexus plays a large part in this - with smoothness, silence, grace, and capability. Even stuck in a Friday evening traffic jam, I can now relax, call up another CD, and to the accompaniment of Vivaldi, Coltrane, or Segovia, ride the twilight home. I’m going to live a whole lot better – and longer.