Drive the car you are interested in at 60-75MPH on the freeway and check for vibration under drive (light-medium throttle), float (just barely breathing on the gas pedal to maintain speed) and coasting conditions.

 

Thats not a typical thing though, if you look at the vast majority of concerns they're 09 models, 10 models.

 

well, 12 was the last year before the significant facelift, they made over 3000 changes to the car, some including the drivetrain I would assume.

 

I have a 2015 LS460 AWD. Perfectly smooth at all speeds. I have 4 friends with AWD Ls of varying years, none have vibration issues. The AWD are much easier to live with in ice and snow than the RWD models, and we get 6 months of bad roads every year. They are also excellent on wet raods or during heavy rainfall. The Lexus AWD is a Torsen system with rear bias of 60%, so under normal driving, they feel very much like a RWD. It only sends more than 40% to the front tires if needed.

Put it in Sport+ and use the sport shift function and you will find it a lot peppier than comfort or Econo mode.

 

Perhaps it is time to get a new dealer!

 

Unfortunately not an option. Nearest dealer after them is 4 hours away.

 

My last LS460 was RWD, and I Never thought it was ever lacking power. 0-60 in 5.4 Seconds. Top speed right at 160mph. Maybe you should have taken it out of "Economy" mode

 

It's not 5.4 unless you have a literally perfect launch and exclude rollout, tuned on really sticky tires you will get around 5.7ish without excluding rollout. It's okay power wise, nothing amazing but certainly not bad, the AWD version is perfectly fine for what it is but not fast at all.

 

I had the car both in AWD and RWD and I never really felt any power difference between the two. I prefer the feel of pure RWD, but I went back to AWD with the S Class and its fine.

 

I've driven many of both and the AWD version is noticeably slower but you aren't really using all the power they feel the same. The AWD is about the same as an LS430 full out but has more low end power just tooling around under 4500 rpm.

 

As a daily, AWD is a must for me.

 

I am quite happy with the power in the LS460 RWD. It's really smooth. Yes, the Mercedes is better, and frankly a bit insane.

For reference I've owned some fast cars (M40i, long range Ford Lightning, and other EVs). The LS460 acceleration feels more satisfying to me than the EVs.

Would search for AWD based on where we live now, or ideally have a winter wheel set. Just realized we've done about 12k miles in 3 years though. So it can wait.

 

Its more a matter of perspective. For me, my 2011 LS460 AWD is the fastest car I have ever owned and at another level overall. The acceleration is wonderful to me, and more than fast enough get to 100 mph on a local highway on ramp to merge and avoid the right lane bozos.

My sister has a 2012 BMW 335ix M Sport. That thing is fast, and I was always impressed by the "press the pedal hard and boom you're there" feeling. I get the same feeling in my LS460. Yes, there are much faster cars, but honestly I'm more than happy with the overall luxury and speed it has.

 

I have never driven an RWD LS460 in the snow. I have had a lot of experience with the LS430 and LS400 in the snow with dedicated snow tires. They both ok in the snow when using the snow switch and taking it easy.

The AWD LS460 with dedicated snow tires is at a significantly higher level in the snow. It is firmly planted, sure footed and handles very well in the snow. Much better than most of the large SUVs, pickups and xDrive sedans that are common in my area. Combined with the PTC heater and other features of the cold weather package, it is a great in the snowy Midwest winter.

 

My RWD LS460L was surprisingly good in the snow. Much better than my LS400 or LS430. Thats with allseasons. Shows you har far VSC and traction control had come. I would say the RWD LS460L was 80% as drivable as my AWD LS460. Issue mainly was getting going and having to plan ahead for stops etc which wasn't neccessary with the AWD.