interesting comments on the LS460......does it kick down when cruising and you enter the slightest hill or slight acceleration? the other makes i've driven with 8 sp tranny will kick down to 7th gear with a slight wind gust. constantly busy tranny drives me nuts. Would be a deal breaker for me.

 

With so many gears it shifts quite a bit but not easy to feel; it accelerates well but I prefer the ride of the 430. Hard to explain.... Go test drive a '13-15 model and compare it to a 430 (either a 5 or 6 gear) to see for yourself to judge.....

 

Ok follow up on my first post. I've driven 1,500 miles and had a drain/fill. Also the TSB. It seems to be shifting more smoothly. For me, there was a learning curve. After 3 years with an 01 Base, an 04 Sports is a very different drive. Still getting used to it. One way to get smooth is manual upshifts at around 3k (close to automatic shift points). The lag is a factor. Another smooth trick is manual downshifts at MPH that doesn't use the trans to slow the car down but gets the right gear to accelerate hard if desired. MPG is noticeably better. Still impossible to match the buttery smooth of the 5 speed. My question: I sometimes get a very slight "clunk" when I shift from reverse to Drive. Is this typical of the 6 speed?

 

Not sure if the clunk is normal. I don't think I notice a clunk going from Revers to Drive, but I do notice a slight lurch or lunge and am told by the service manager that it's normal because the engine and tranny haven't warmed up enough yet and the idle is higher and will produce the little lurch/lunge.

I have an appt tomorrow morning for a drain and fill and hope it smooths things out. I had a drain and fill a few months ago and things got smoother but only lasted a month or so. My independent mechanic said I don't have any outstanding TSBs that need to be performed relating to the tranny but I notice sometimes that when I'm accelerating at a slow gradual pace, suddenly the 2nd or 3rd gear revs/accelerates faster despite my constant throttle position. It's like slow easy acceleration in 1st, slow acceleration in 2nd, then 3rd acts like it wants to speed up more than what I expect at the current throttle position (almost as if it downshifted, but didn't). I was in a Chrysler Town & Country minivan rental that did the same thing but more exaggerated (and so annoying).

 

Read your post about Lexus of Roseville and the trans fluid work. Glad to hear the transmission now shifts smoothly. LOR did the 90K and LCA's on my '01. They did a great job of delivering the "Lexus Customer Experience". I didn't calculate the cost of the "free" water tho. I went to Sac Lexus 1x and will never go back. 400 to replace a brake sensor. Overpriced (even for Lexus) and rude people. I now use Red Sun Automotive (Rocklin). Lexus certified mechanics. Costs have been much lower than the dealer. For example, disconnected the tilt/telescope and no charge. 04 Trans TSB for 105. They put a previous LS up on the lift and explained the problems. I sold the car based on that review. Again, glad to hear the transmission now shifts smoothly. I'm going to check out the white 06 Lex (12.9 on CL) and see how it drives. I'm down to just one LS which may not be enough

 

I didn't know we have to pay for TSBs, I had always assumed they're free and covered by the factory. I guess not. Completely agree with your assessment of Lexus of Sacramento. I came in contact with 8 different employees at Lexus of Roseville today and every one of them was polite, cordial, and took time to listen to any questions I had. I forgot to refill the gas on the '16 RX loaner and the tech said "don't worry about it". I even asked a salesperson if they knew of any '11 LS460L. He said they get one in maybe once every 6 months. They could look nationwide for new models but used models are dependent on specific dealerships. I just appreciated that the salesperson didn't try to rush our conversation.

 

That's a great opportunity on that white 06! That was exactly what I was looking for, although 93k is more miles than I would have liked. Still, at least they already took care of the timing belt in a timely manner. Appears like they took great care of the car. I thought it's listed as $15k, yes/no? Man, if I had only waited 6-7 months longer. But no regrets, our silver 06 was bought with 48k miles for 16.9k. Good luck with the white 06 and hope it impresses in person as much as in the ad!

 

I'm no expert as I prefer manuals. 8 and 9 seem typical today. My BMW is a 6 speed manual which I prefer over my Maxima's 5 speed. Note 6 is not any more of an overdrive, it simply provides gears spread out over the same range.

I spent over 3 mos with a '16 BMW 328 which was a 8 spd auto. In a way I felt it was shifting too much.

the LS I notice barely spends any time in first. The 6 spd seems ok to me, 7 and 8 is better in theory, not sure in practice....

 

TSB maybe free at a dealer? I don't know. My other LOS comment is about salesmanship. I casually looked at a nice LS. After the initial (plastic) polite, I got totally pressured to buy the car. Contract on the desk. I said (politely) "if you keep pushing me, I'm never coming back". Then the sales manager looked in. More pressure. I stood up and walked out. Never back. Like you said, LOR polite and cordial. Sales guy there was an ex-tech and knew the cars. Lexus of Marin the same cordial and genuine interest (at least it felt like it) in helping.

 

A follow up to my original post. After the TSB, 2 D/F's (one by dealer) and 5k miles of driving, the 6 speed shifts very well. I do shift manually sometimes. Don't know if that helps. Not "invisible" like the 5 speed but very little difference. It's now Lexus smooooooooth.

 

this is normal on cold starts, i always wamr my car up,i always wait for the temp needle to go up a little, then you wont feel the prolong shifts also prolongs your tranny.

 

On cold starts on the 01-03s, the car doesn't shift from 2nd to 3rd until at least 2000 rpm. It's just how it is. I heard that it's a check on oil pressure for the engine and the transmission but I don't know. There are some rates of acceleration where the shift is imperceptible but that's unusual.