My '04 LS430 is in good shape at 45K miles. That being said, I am seriously thinking about trading for an '08 LS460 SWB. But I read lots of problems here and wonder if this is a mistake. ?? On the other hand, bulletin boards tend to have just problems as many people who are happy never bother to post or even search out the board.

Is this wind noise thing REAL? And is it fixed for '08?

 

The wind noise issue is real. Make sure you take a long test drive. No one knows if it has been fixed for 08.

nb

 

nobuddy hit it. while it's not on every car, some people do have problem.

 

IMO the majority of LS owners are quite satisfied, however there are a number that do have the noise issue. I would recommend a significant test drive to see if the sound quality is good at high speeds, and also a good near-purchase/initial inspection. I believe Lexus is well aware of the problem and IMO it is likely that the 2008s have increased quality control with respect to this issue.

 

I didn't have wind noise when I bought mine, or so I thought. My wife tells me she noticed it early on, but kept mum about it. After finding this site, and reading what I did, I became sensitized to it. At about 10,000mi, I started to hear it and it got worse from there. Admittedly, up to that time, I played around with the ML system a lot, and it points your focus away from this phenomenon.

From that point on, when I turned off the ML, it seemed to become worse, especially in crosswind or gusty conditions over 50mph. For most cars, this is all-too-common, however it is not supposed to be as prevalent in higher end automobiles. With car companies now focussing their efforts on reducing wind resistance for greater fuel economy, the slipstream is carefully shaped around the car, creating a new set of reactions whenever that stream is broken. Try opening the rear windows at high speed, and you'll hear what I mean.

My car is in the shop now, and I expect to get it back this week. I'm sure the noise will have dissipated, and as long as the seals hold up, I will probably be pleased with the outcome. Even if the noise reduction is slight, it will be enough to satisfy me, as there are too many other features to be impressed with.

 

It's still a really good car. Depends on how picky or not picky you are. I have the wind noise, but it does bother me at all. I always have the radio or something on, and can not hear it at all, unless I turn everything off.

Lexus service has been good, and I have no complaints.

 

I traded my '04 LS430 for the '07 LS460. I lease my cars, and the lease was up. The LS430 had 22,000 miles and not a scratch. The residual was about the market price and I considered purchasing it.

I wanted the LS460 for many reasons, new style, real time NAV, quicker, the Mark Levinson iPod style music storage, better blue tooth, self parking gimmick and others.

I have the wind noise problem, mitigated after the fix, but still there.

While the LS430 never went to the dealer for any issue other than scheduled service, the LS460 went back 4 times already (including 2 for Wind noise) and one road asist (not entirely Lexus fault)

The LS460 is remarkable in many ways, and if I could have one without wind noise I would be happy with the trade up to the new model, but as it stands, I am not. I wish I still had my '04 LS430.

 

What do you consider real-time Nav? I thought that would imply instantanuous updating with the database residing on a server.

 

maybe he meant real time traffic?

maurice, i guess it's a stroke of luck huh? i know someone who got a 04 ls430 when it first came out of the facelift and he had to go back to dealership quite a few times for all the tranny and nav problems.

 

I guess so. This is one feature that we don't have yet up in the hinterlands. However, the LS is wired up and ready if it ever comes to pass.

 

I “THINK” real time traffic means that it shows places on your route where
there currently are accidents.

Also, I believe that the Lexus Nav shows weather which is another excellent
feature. When I looked at the 460 and 460L, I remember that the Nav
TOTALLY impressed me!

Cadillac is making a big deal out of their new Nav for 08 which does these
things that Lexus already has. The weather thing is a part of XM someway.
Can’t get it on Sirius cars like Mercedes Benz.

Big Jimm

 

I have both instant weather and instant traffic alerts on my 2005 LS 430 as a function of xm satellite. The traffic alerts don't always reflect immediately what real time conditions are, like when I'm stuck in traffic on I-5 and the talking head says things are fine.

 

I meant real time traffic - with suggested re-routing. It is only as good as the information it gets from the XM service. In my experince this has been hit and miss.

While the NAV in the LS is impressive, the one on the Accura RL is even more so. Allows for a lot more voice commands (you could look au POI by Voice), Zagat reviews, and works when the car is moving

 

A really great Nav will definitely be an influencing factor in my
next purchase.

I LOVE that dazzling NEW electronic stuff!

Big Jimm

 

Lexus has quite a ways to go to catch up to others in the Nav System area. As you mentioned, Acura/Honda's nav systems are much better than Lexus/Toyota units. Infiniti/Nissan has also trumped Lexus/Toyota.

Try one of the new portable nav systems, they are incredible. Though they lack some of the advantages of built-in units (big screen and dead reckoning), they are amazing in terms of what they can do and how easy they are to use.

All of the portable units, as well as Acura/Honda units allow for full usage while moving.

.02

nb