Quite interesting, LS400 owner should read

 

yes it was

 

Good read and comments. I've NEVER felt bored in my LS, it is very relaxing though.

 

Same old clarkson BS, no soul, what does that have to do with anycar? you drive something exciting and raw and its all cool for a while, maybe feel some "connection" but I bet you start to hate it after a while (like my 95 WRX Sti, very exciting until I drove it around in City traffic for a few years and started to somewhat dislike it)

The 1st Gen air suspension on mine was not tuned very well, too soft without much feel, rest of the car was great though. I think my new 98+ Celsior has it more right, better feel, less roll but still pretty cushy with more steering feel. The #1 king of sitting in traffic.

 

Soul or not... I'll keep mine and probably buy more... when the time comes... and I love the relaxing and comfort part of the ride. When I want exciting, I hop on the Valkyrie...

 

Kingsoup I totally agree with you. I LOVED to drive my Z28 on the highway but I hated it anytime I had to drive in traffic to the point where I no longer wanted to drive it at all unless it was open road. Our LS on the other hand is great in heavy traffic. Takes some of the stress out of it which is one of the major goals of a luxury car right?

 

I'm not sure I see the author's point of reviewing a 25 year old car?

 

I'll never forget the first day I drove a Mercedes(prom), a BMW(detailing cars for a used car dealer), and a Lexus(my LS 400). This article is full of praise, then ends with a big crappy doo doo on the Lexus' soul. I guess he needed an excuse for not bringing one home. Dubbayoo, I think he was getting at the lasting effect of Lexus that is still not done. It has forced other luxury car-makers to get on the reliability bus. Notice he didn't review a crapped out 1991 Mercedes S420.... or a 1990 BMW 735i, because they're both crap.

 

I own two and have the best of both worlds;one is a daily driver and the other is a road car.I'll keep and enjoy both!!

 

good read!

i have to admit i didn't buy my LS for the comfort, but i was well surprised by it among other world class characteristics. the car has put my faith back in the toyota/lexus brand. i'm proud to say i am most loyal to it now after being a die hard honda guy in the past.

 

well i've been obsessed with the LS400 since I can remember. The champagne glass commercial did it for me when i was but 3 years old. I didn't get to drive an LS until 2006 when a friend got a pristine 92 from her Grandma. The gauges were stunning, the motor was silent and unbelievably smooth and it was already 14 years old! From that moment, my search began in June of 2006 and I found a rusty 93 on ebay with 210k miles. My winning bid was $2175. i drove that thing to about 300k and my dad still drives it. Original engine and tranny. Power steering pump failed @ 170k with previous owner, and 290k for me. Fan bracket failed at 245k. AC failed around 280k, not worth fixing.

The LS is called bland, boring and without character. I disagree its character is "speak softly and carry a big stick."

My 95 has been incredibly reliable for 4.5 years now. Starter went out summer 2012. Other than that, she's been amazing. Only routine maint. needed.

I have to say though, I'm getting tired of the LS. I don't drive long distances like I used to when I first got an LS. I bought a 2006 Scion XB as my dad mobile (expecting a baby boy in about a month) and I really like the view, space and simplicity. I'm in a different place now but the LS will always be dear to me. I'm considering selling my 95, since my lady has a 2000 LS that is superior in every way. On the other hand, My LS has been so good to me, and she's worth so little now, I might as well just keep her.

thoughts?

 

in my country, car is crazily expensive. I bought my 90 ls400 for $16.5k 8 years ago (about $5k in US at the time)

I fell in love at first sight :-) as I had run a 88 nissan bluebird, which I bought for $8k, for 5 years. it was a world difference with a full size luxury sedan.

4 liter engine gave me the opportunity to own this car. in my country, fuel consumption appears to be the most concern about owning a car, so they did not favour drinkers like her. they would go with 2 liter and below with manual transmission. If lexus made LS200, it would cost double :-)

I have spent a lot of my time and money to keep the car enjoyable on the road everyday. I have no plan for a replacement in the next few years, but my next car would likely be another LS.

 

Uhg... I would like to find the 1st magazine article or car reviewer that started this "Toyota drivers choose to drive souless, lifeless machines simply because they are reliable" and slap them in the face.

It all depends on your personal tastes. I myself grew up with only Toyota products in the family, so i naturally find just about any of them quite soulFUL! I even thought my 1990 Toyota Tercel with its rusty body, no A/C and two speaker am/fm radio was a blast to drive.

All these people are just trying to classify everything as a whole, and are making their decisions off what other people are saying, rather than deciding on their own. "Heck if Jeremy Clarkson doesn't like it, then that means i don't like it!"

I would take a Toyota Previa over a Mercedes or a BMW anyday. I've had my fare share of time behind the wheel of many of them, and I don't like them!!

 

Too many people choose cars, or think that they enjoy them, based on how other people will perceive them and their car. I like to choose cars that I enjoy to look at, are pleasurable to drive and are easy on my time and budget when it comes to maintenance. Lexus earned its reputation because of the reliability and quality of their cars. Something Mercedes used to have many years ago. Not sure you could ever say that about a BMW or Audi. I love 740i Sports, E36 M3's, E39 M5's but wouldn't rely on one as a DD.

 

I loved my old LS 400. Since it was totaled years ago, I could not wait to get another Lexus. Finally after about 10 years I got an LS 460. Still miss the comfort of the old LS.