LS400: myth or legend?
09-14-13, 10:16 AM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
LS400: myth or legend?
09-14-13, 11:35 AM
#2
Yeah, hear time and again about not having "soul". More echoed blabber from writers who bash the Japanese engineering. These same writers fail to comment on how many days a German car like Audi, BMW and MB will spend annually in the service bay. Oh but it drives like the greatest thing. Let them dig up a 20 year old BMW or MB as a comparison. 
I'm happy with ours and for every Toyota product in this household including my parents has not been a let down. They may not rip the corners or 1/4 like other cars but they can be relied on to start-up each day. The GS350 I drove was pretty fun. Not a BMW-5 or 55 series contender but for what it is
Toyota could get back into the turbo game, a GS460 or LS460 with turbo would be amusing.
I'm happy with ours and for every Toyota product in this household including my parents has not been a let down. They may not rip the corners or 1/4 like other cars but they can be relied on to start-up each day. The GS350 I drove was pretty fun. Not a BMW-5 or 55 series contender but for what it is
Toyota could get back into the turbo game, a GS460 or LS460 with turbo would be amusing.
09-16-13, 11:04 AM
#5
I myself find my LS400 quite a blast to drive... Charging up the windy roads of lookout mountain in Golden, CO with the transmission in power mode is just awesome.
I can speak from experience while working at a Lexus dealer in 06' that i had the opporitunity to drive large numbers of Luxury makes and models, and in my opinion, the BMW/Merc/Audis are touchy, stodgy, not user friendly and do absolutly nothing for me. I would take an ES250 over any of those, and im dead serious on that...
Not only that, its funny when 60% of the interior electronics simply do not work.
People like Jeremy Clarkson bash the Lexus's and Toyota's by saying "Buying a car because it is reliable is like marrying a woman because she is punctual", but you will be freaking ENRAGED when you miss a flight because your girlfriends parents less than a year old Mercedes S class breaks down while giving you a ride to the airport..... I also speak from experience.
Oh, and did i mention the same people had an ML320 that needed a near $6000 transmission job at 6 years/80,000 miles? That's unacceptable in my book, especially for a car "engineered to higher standards"
I can speak from experience while working at a Lexus dealer in 06' that i had the opporitunity to drive large numbers of Luxury makes and models, and in my opinion, the BMW/Merc/Audis are touchy, stodgy, not user friendly and do absolutly nothing for me. I would take an ES250 over any of those, and im dead serious on that...
Not only that, its funny when 60% of the interior electronics simply do not work.
People like Jeremy Clarkson bash the Lexus's and Toyota's by saying "Buying a car because it is reliable is like marrying a woman because she is punctual", but you will be freaking ENRAGED when you miss a flight because your girlfriends parents less than a year old Mercedes S class breaks down while giving you a ride to the airport..... I also speak from experience.
Oh, and did i mention the same people had an ML320 that needed a near $6000 transmission job at 6 years/80,000 miles? That's unacceptable in my book, especially for a car "engineered to higher standards"
09-17-13, 12:58 AM
#6
I've owned a 2001 BMW 540, I've owned a 2001 MB E55 AMG... And now the '99 LS400
They were fine and enjoyable cars. The BMW definitely more performance oriented. Even though the e55 had the AMG performance, it still was a tad slower than the 540 probably due to the weight the extra luxury it had. One thing I've noticed...
Between the 2, id rather take the mercedes.. In my opinion... BMW interior is very tacky, and bland... And their performance packages handle well and give great power, but I don't consider them luxury cars...
Mercedes on the other hand is no doubt a luxury brand... So I definitely will compare it to the LS400... The e55 had the performance and handling and definitely had luxury. And it had subtle accents to give it a sporty yet classy look.
But the LS just has everything refined... Even down to the steering.. I mean, you can turn the steering wheel a full 360 with just a finger. Tons of leg room, comfortable ride without sacrificing handling. Great quiet power... Just about everything that defines a Luxury sedan.
Granted, yes I am comparing BMW and MB's mid level cars to Lexus' flagship, but I undoubtedly know that even the s-class and 7-series will have a hard time measuring up to the LS. And mind you, I may be speaking from a biased perspective, but from my experience.... Lexus is Tops
They were fine and enjoyable cars. The BMW definitely more performance oriented. Even though the e55 had the AMG performance, it still was a tad slower than the 540 probably due to the weight the extra luxury it had. One thing I've noticed...
Between the 2, id rather take the mercedes.. In my opinion... BMW interior is very tacky, and bland... And their performance packages handle well and give great power, but I don't consider them luxury cars...
Mercedes on the other hand is no doubt a luxury brand... So I definitely will compare it to the LS400... The e55 had the performance and handling and definitely had luxury. And it had subtle accents to give it a sporty yet classy look.
But the LS just has everything refined... Even down to the steering.. I mean, you can turn the steering wheel a full 360 with just a finger. Tons of leg room, comfortable ride without sacrificing handling. Great quiet power... Just about everything that defines a Luxury sedan.
Granted, yes I am comparing BMW and MB's mid level cars to Lexus' flagship, but I undoubtedly know that even the s-class and 7-series will have a hard time measuring up to the LS. And mind you, I may be speaking from a biased perspective, but from my experience.... Lexus is Tops
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Overclocker
Car Chat
30
12-01-08 08:19 PM
