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Lexus LS 400/LS 430

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Comments

  • ljflxljflx Member Posts: 4,690
    If the other companies have fully integrated phones with the LS then it's obvious that the lacking company is Verizon, not Lexus. Verizon was also last to the party on bluetooth. But I'm in the same boat as you and have the Motorola phone and have been with Verizon for 8 years. But my view is that the handsfree discussion is 90% of the value on bluetooth and I tend to receive, more so than make calls from the car anyway. I also tend to use cell phones while driving purely for business or calling my wife. Social discussions and driving should never go together imo.
  • mox1mox1 Member Posts: 24
    The V710 has problems and it is well known that it does not work with the LS 430. That is a problem with the phone and not with Lexus. Knowing this I got a Motorola V505 through cingular and it is outstanding. I have had it for more than a month and regularly use it with my 05 LS 430 without any problems whatsoever. The only thing is that intially when I uploaded the telephone book, I had to one entry at a time. But that is only once and it is only for about 18 entries which are the one touch ones. The other thing is that the names appeared backwards. Jack Smith would appear as Smith Jack. I have heard on this forum that if you get Sony-Ericsson, the entire phone book can be downloaded at once and the names apparently appear in proper order. My friends cannot make out that I am calling them thru the speaker phone in the car and when someone calls me I can clearly hear the phone ring and the audio of course mutes. Let me know if you have any more questions.
  • ljslaw1ljslaw1 Member Posts: 8
    Thanks for the info. I did not mean to suggest that Lexus is the source of the problem. As I indicated in my first post to this forum a few days ago, this is my third Lexus, and I absolutely love the car. I'm just frustrated that there is something going on between Lexus and Verizon that they can't iron this out. And now I know that it is not just Lexus with which Verizon phones/service is showing incompatability issues. I searched the Edmunds boards and found that the problems are just as bad with the Verizon interface with the new Acura RL. Hopefully Verizon, Lexus and Motorola will put their collective heads together and get a solution out to the consumer sooner than later. I am simply not comfortable leaving Verizon for a different provider such as Cingular....yet.
  • garyh1garyh1 Member Posts: 394
    From what I have read (as I recall, in Washington Post), it is just Verizon Wireless (VW) that has not fully implemented Bluetooth technology. Apparently, VW is concerned that if they fully implement all aspects of Bluetooth, people will be able to download other things (Get It Now games, ring tones) without paying VW that they are now making a lot of money on. Supposedly, VW is in the process of reviewing their policy on this, but I am guessing they are going to go slow for as long as they can get away with it. If you go to VW's web site http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/faq/bluetoothprofile.jsp you'll see that there are many aspects of Bluetooth that Verizon has not implemented, including "File Transfer", "Synchronization", etc.

    If enough Verizon Wireless subscribers complain, maybe they'll do something about this sooner. I would hate to have to give up Verizon-- they still have the best system coverage according to every test.
  • drpartagasdrpartagas Member Posts: 5
    My dealer offered me a 10,000.00 discount on a Flint/black leather, Levinson Stereo, Smart Key, 17 inch alloy wheels. Sticker: $65,594.00 on the brand new left over.

    Is this a great deal??

    I dont know if it's better taking the loaded 2004 minus 10,000.00

    or

    buying a 2005 with Premium package, listed at 57,000.00 and change.

    The price difference is 1,500.00 between both vehicles when all is said and done.

    I need a intelligent opinion, please.

    THanks--Pete
  • mox1mox1 Member Posts: 24
    IMO one must get at least the Modern lux package in which lies most of the fun. The smart key, the Mark Levinson, the voice activated navigation, blue tooth phone make daily driving a pleasure. Just last month I managed to get 10% off MSRP on a 2005 LS w/ mod lux package. If you shop around you should be able to get a very similar deal where you live.
  • stevesteinstevestein Member Posts: 263
    18" wheels vs 17"- Your personal preference mostly.
    18" are a more performance oriented wheel/tire combination. The overall diameter is constant, so with 18" wheels you get one more inch of metal and one less inch of rubber. This extra metal and a stiffer sidewall give a little more responsiveness achieved by trading off a little stiffer (harsher) ride although not as much as with the sport package. Also the tires are less durable (note the tire life warning on cars with 18" wheels). The actual wheel is different as well, 5 vs 6 spoke and a slightly different finish. On my 2001 LS 16" was standard, and I had no problems or complaints about the ride or handling.
  • stevesteinstevestein Member Posts: 263
    At 65K it sounds like a custom lux. You can take the middle ground and get an 05 modern lux (in your choice of color, although flint/black is beautiful).

    Fun factor-- I agree with Mox1 - You definitely want at least the modern lux package ($5K for a ton of goodies)in either an 04 or 05, and can get them (05) well under 60K without much problem. Almost always comes bundled with with the separate options of Smart Key and a mat/wheel lock package, and many have 18" wheels also. The last two are around $200 each and the smart key is around $1K putting the sticker w/delivery at 62.7.
    The custom lux adds power door closers, dynamic cruise control and laminated (water repellant) side glass to the mod lux package for another 3K. Not as much bang for the additional 3K as what you get with the mod lux package for the first 5 IMO.

    Money factor -
    If you lease the payment shouldn't be much different as you will be taking a big hit on the residual for an 04.

    If you buy and trade every few years the same is true on the resale value. At least some of the discount will be given back when you trade in a car that is a year older, as used cars are treated like they have been in service since the first day of a model year.

    If you buy and hold, then take the money. There are hardly any differences between the 04 and 05 (availability of 18" wheels outside the sport package is the only one I can think of, and I made the dealer swap them off my '05 for 17's..see previous post for why).

    If for some reason you don't want to go for whatever the difference in cost is for an '05 with the package I would recommend the 04. Mark Levinson, the NAV/rear camera, Bluetooth, Park assist and cooled seats are worth it.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    as a lurker here, (because the LS is on my short list of potential Sedans someday)I am amazed at how much chatter you all can dedicate to your DVD Navigation system......which is pretty much useless information for me in gathering intelligence on the car as far as research. But, as long as you're all happy........
  • michael_mattoxmichael_mattox Member Posts: 813
    NV Banker:

    If you will tell us what information you are looking for I am sure someone he will help you.
  • rennyboschrennybosch Member Posts: 329
    My Verizon dealer told me that Motorola is still working on the software to implement the file transfer and ring-through features. So they made it sound like the problem is with Motorola, not Verizon. But then how can you trust what a dealer says?
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Ok, stop the press, gteach, you just got my attention. How much out the door for this beauty?
  • stevesteinstevestein Member Posts: 263
    Would you believe I can't find the switch! It's obvious on the other cars, but there are so many things going on in the trunk of an SC and none seem to be the light switch! I guess I'll have to ask the service dept when I go for my Nav DVD.
    BTW - The finally got the "personalized settings" pamphlet in..only one page even if it is small type. It's black text on a dark gray background so it didn't scan well enough to post or email.
  • stevesteinstevestein Member Posts: 263
    Howard -
    We do talk of other things, I just think that the DVD comes up often right now because of the current campaign to fix one of the few goofs Lexus has made, i.e. switching DVD suppliers and getting a product worse that the previous one. Some things may seem to be given disproportionate attention just because there are so few things to "gripe" about, and a continual chorus of blissful "Ahaaas" wouldn't go well for 6600 posts. Other common threads:
    -Still waiting on Verizon/Motorola bluetooth
    -How much we love our cars (OK 2000 Ahaaas)
    -decision process to select LS (mostly in competition with MB S-class)
    -post-graduate engineering (read some of wwests posts - he often does things and goes to places in the cars where most mortals fear to tread - probably even service techs) :)

    What kind of info are you looking for? We're a friendly group of guys and gals and would be glad to help!
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
    nvbanker, check out the "LS Prices Paid" board message #162.. I posted all the lease details over there.

    Nice to see you over here from the Navigator board. I already did a "eulogy" post over there for my '03 gator!
  • flatlanderflatlander Member Posts: 25
    Can someone tell me of any tales of woe regarding LS 400's (mid to late 90's)? I have read and re-read these columns and mainly come up with a set of gripes about a car that is so near to perfect, yet isn't. I want to relate reliability issues of those older models with my 2002 LS430. Does the drivetrain ever fail or the AC compressor fizzle? If you haven't guessed I am rethinking the wisdom of my recently purchased 3rd party extended warranty.
  • ljslaw1ljslaw1 Member Posts: 8
    Thanks for the bluetooth comments ljflx, mox1 and garyh1. Today I visited my local Cingular dealer (that new Motorola Razr3 with bluetooth is such a cool looking phone). We tried to sync a cingular phone with the car. Got the signal strength, caller/ #ID and ring tone to work (as opposed to Verizon). Also able to sync the phonebook on the cingular phone into the phonebook in the car. The remaining issue - - still not able to initiate call by voice recognition. The salesman at Cingular was a novice, and did not know if it could be done. So, I still do not have an answer to the biggest question - - can you initiate a call through the voice recognition feature in the car by using a bluetooth phone? The answer is definetly no with the Verizon phone. Still have no idea with the Cingular phone. A "seasoned" Cingular rep. is supposed to get back to me tommorrow. Anyone out there with Cingular service that is able to give voice commands to initiate calls on their LS? Maybe Lexus' system just won't allow you to do so, with any cellular service/phone. Beats me. I guess I should pull out the manuals and start reading.
  • drpartagasdrpartagas Member Posts: 5
    Hey Mox1:

    Where did you get the 10% discount? I live in N/E Pennsylvania. Many dealers are not that friendly in discount.

    Thanks-Pete
  • rgswrgsw Member Posts: 333
    #1... I don't think so. Check with the dealer.
    #2... I noticed the key knob (no key involved with Smart Access) is stuborn to turn at times because there is a bit of pressure on the wheel interlock. I now jiggle the wheel a little almost automatically. I realize the wheels may be cocked a bit with pressure on the system and a slight jiggle of the wheel does the trick. The first time, it was a shock. I thought I had a similar problem at the car wash recently; however, they had left the switch in "accessory" and I thought they had left the engine running. It won't go into drive with the engine off and in the accessory position, duh.... Enjoy the new purchase.
  • garyh1garyh1 Member Posts: 394
    First, the bad news. It looks like the LS voice command system does not interface with the phone. Can't blame either Motorola or the cell providers for this; it's a Lexus limitation. There are 6 ways to make a call, and voice command is not one of them-- see NAV Manual p.121-124.

    That new Motorola Razr sure does look nice. An article in today's Washington Post (free registration required-- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34404-2004Dec4.htm- l ) lauded the new Treo 650 smartphone from PalmOne. It does have Bluetooth capabilities, so I would be interested in how it would work with the LS. Sprint has an exclusive on it until 12/31, but hopefully other cell service providers will offer it then.

    PC Magazine loved it too. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1733585,00.asp

    I'd be interested in hearing from anyone else with experience with any other Bluetooth phones/pdas.
  • garyh1garyh1 Member Posts: 394
    FYI, check the Lexus LS: Prices Paid forum. You'll see several people providing info on 10% or more off deals. About a month ago, I did a cash purchase on a '05 for 10.76% off MSRP from Lexus of Rockville (Maryland); not too far from you. If you would like the contact info for my salesman (who was very easy to work with), you can email me (my address is in my profile).
  • mfprmfpr Member Posts: 41
    When I first took delivery of my '04 LS, I had the same problem with the steering wheel lock and brought it to the attention of my service advisor. His recommendation was to remove my hands from the steering wheel before turning the ignition off or on. That seems to have solved the problem. The steering interlock must be pretty sensitive and just a little motion or turning of the wheel with the ignition off, can set the lock. See if this procedure works for you.

    Mike
  • rennyboschrennybosch Member Posts: 329
    gteach26, here's another fun feature waiting for you. When you have a destination set in the Nav system, push Map View, and then Preview Route. It's awesome!
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
    I'll be sure to give that a try. I have a zillion questions on the nav, but I'm pretty good at taming techno gadgets so I should be okay in a few weeks.

    I'm sure I'll stumble across this answer in the nav manual but, is there a QUICK and EASY way to register my current location into nav address book? For example, let's say I stumble upon a great out-of-the-way restaurant and I'm not sure of the address but I want to "save it" to the system so that I can find the restaurant in the future. Is there a "save current location" button somewhere in the system?

    Also, I just finished reading that Lexus does NOT recommend installing tints on the windows if you have a navigation system. It states that the metallic content of some tints may cause interference. HUH?! I thought the antenna for the nav was on the roof. Any one out there with dark tints having GPS reception issues?

    Meanwhile.. I'm still being a silly little kid with this car. Thanks to the "anonymity" of the internet I have no problem admitting here that today I found myself just sitting in the car just looking at the interior. The fit, the finish, the birds eye maple trim, the chrome "L" on the steering wheel, the way that darn cup holder just silently swooshes out of the center console. The feel of that center armrest leather on my elbow, the SMELL of the leather....Man oh man, what a vehicle!

    Yes, I am a grown-up with a family folks. Now I know why my wife calls me a "big baby" more often thatn not!!! :))))
  • sv7887sv7887 Member Posts: 351
    Flatlander,
      Honestly nothing really substantial breaks on these cars. I've told the story of my near bulletproof 1992 LS400 many times on this forum so I'll spare the rest of the forum from hearing it yet again..I had a 1998 LS so here is what I do know:

    The 95-97 from a powertrain perspective was more or less the same as the 90-94. It was only in 1998 that they went with the new engine and five speed automatic. I've never heard of a powertrain issue on these cars...The A/C does tend to go out around 150-200K..

    A few issues though:
    Radio display frequently fade. Your LS 430 likely has the touch screen so this isn't a problem.

    Gauge backlighting tends to wear out.(Say around 11-12 yrs old) Costly to replace at over $1,000...But you can get them repaired for $200-300

    Power Steering pumps leaked on the old models simultaneously taking out the alternator if neglected..Costly repair but can be avoided by frequent changes of the P/S fluid...The Lexus people (at least my S/C) liked to claim it was a lifetime fluid...Lifetime of the warranty perhaps!!!
  • oacoac Member Posts: 1,594
    Here is a guide based on my ownership experience on my 1999 LS400 with 95K miles:

    Service history/cost:
    30K service ~$200
    60K service ~$600
    90K service ~$1,300
    Regular oil changes @5K intervals ~$60

    Repairs:
    New Tires @ 60K miles = ~$600 (Michelin MXV4)
    New front brakes @ 75K miles ~$300

    Current needs:
    New Tires ($650 estimated - Bridgestone Turanzas)
    New rear brakes ($315 dealer quote)

    Miscellaneous expense:
    Nav upgrade from 1998 release to Sep 2003 release ~$280 dealer-installed (HD-based)

    Everything works perfectly. The car remains rock solid, no rattles, no shakes, just purrrfect.... By far the most reliable car I have ever owned. I am solidly a Lexus-ophile :), hence I am looking forward to the 2006/2007 release to retire this for the new one. Decided I won't trade out the '99, simply pass it on to my teenage daughter in a couple of years from now.
  • garyh1garyh1 Member Posts: 394
    Javier, I've had mine for 5 weeks now and I know exactly how you feel. It is just a lovely piece of technology. I'm still doing things for the first time virtually every day; today, I used the B trip meter to measure the length of my commute to my office (for insurance co. purposes), while keeping the A trip meter recording my mileage since the last fill-up. (And yes, I know that the multi-display also has a setting that keeps track of mileage since the last fill-up, but so far I like to keep that display generally set to show the miles remaining until empty.)

    Just remember to concentrate on driving and don't get too distracted by all the fun goodies!

    Regarding your specific question, there is a button on the NAV map that is called "Mark"-- that puts a memory point wherever your cursor is. But in all likelihood you'll find even the out-of-the-way restaurant already in the system as a Point of Interest (POI). A few things you might want to do right away: 1) Be sure to save your Home (and Office) as destinations; 2) set the NAV to show the 5 types of POI that are of most interest to you; 3) If you would like to see the Audio or A/C screen for a while without it automatically going back to the NAV map after a few seconds (this drove me crazy while I was setting up the radio), you can change the default setting by pressing Option/Information/Screen Setting/Auto Transition to Off.

    One thing I noticed: if you live on a residential street with house numbers that don't go linearly from 1 to 99 (assuming the next block starts at 100), if you try to set Home by inputting the actual address, it will be off the mark. The best way to set this is to stop in front of your driveway and "Mark" the location as "Home"-- the address number it assigns will be wrong, but at least the system will know that you are home when you actually are!

    Regarding window tints, see messages #6512 and #6513, etc. Apparently, you need to make sure the rear window doesn't get a metallic-based tint.

    Have fun!
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    Just came off I75 near Tampa in my BMW. Was passed by a new white LS430 doing at least 95mph. Looked like fun. Decided not to compete.
  • ckennedyckennedy Member Posts: 82
    Do the bottles come with directions? I am leary of touching the seats. In the manual it says to use a 5% dilluted detergent. Did the cleaner take out any stains are is it used mainly for prevention?
  • rennyboschrennybosch Member Posts: 329
    Re. location of the Nav antenna: Apparently it is not the one on the roof. Nobody seems to know what that one is for. It has been speculated that it used to be for the Lexus Link system, and has been retained for some possible future feature.

    Somewhere in the manual I think I saw a statement that the Nav antenna is under the front dash board. That did seem strange since the roof would block reception from any satellites behind you. Or is the roof non-metallic??? So keep reading the manual and if you find something let the rest of us know too.
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
    I found the "Mark" button. Of course, it was right in front of me all along! (DUH!!).

    Also, I'm tinting my windows tomorrow (Wednesday) so I'll see what they tell me about metallic tints. I'm curious what it'll cost for a high quality 5 window job with full warranty against peeling. I'm guessing around $150 bucks. We'll see....

    Fade in that annoying Mcdonald's commercial riff..
    Ba-ra-bap-ba-ba -- I'm Lovin' it!
  • flatlanderflatlander Member Posts: 25
    Sam, I appreciate your response. I had the feeling that I would be expelled from this web site for having put "Lexus" and "Break" into the same posting. I am now convinced that with proper maintenance that the 6yr /100K warranty will expire long before I could claim $2000 back from it. Of course the warranty people had already figured that out for themselves.
  • ljslaw1ljslaw1 Member Posts: 8
    Just a follow-up to the prior discussion. My calls to Verizon, Motorola and Lexus have yielded the following non-committal response: Motorola says that Verizon is working on a software fix that will fully enable the bluetooth functionality/interface in the Lexus. According to Motorola, the new software is supposed to be available before the end of the year (I'm not holding my breath). Verizon will neither admit nor deny the statement from Motorola, although it "is well aware of the compatibility issues due to numerous customer complaints." Stay tuned.....
  • flatlanderflatlander Member Posts: 25
    I have a a black module attached to the windshield behind the driver's rear view mirror. I assume that is the GPS antenna even though it doesn't have a 360 degree access to the sky.
  • flatlanderflatlander Member Posts: 25
    OAC
    Appreciate your input along with Sam and others who have obliquely answered this question. I am calling Warranty Direct to get a refund.
  • flatlanderflatlander Member Posts: 25
    The latest NAV DVD versions 4.1 and 4.2 are incompatible with earlier versions. I assume this is because of Lexus changing from NavTeq to a new supplier of a database, and new control functions run by GPS.

    Does anyone know if the older versions (1.0 upto 3.0) can have just their topograhical data upgraded whilst leaving the Lexus proprietary features untouched? In other words will owners of pre 2004 models be permanently limited to only being able to upgrade to version 3.0?
  • rgswrgsw Member Posts: 333
    I think what you are seeing is the "rain sensor" so that your windshield wipers can come on automatically when there is rain present. As you know the WW selector has to be in the proper position for this feature to work. To check it out, you can put some water on the windshield at that spot while the engine is running, assuming the WW selector is in the automatic position.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    That's probably just your compass.
  • vchengvcheng Member Posts: 1,284
    ....located under the rear parcel shelf, a little towards the right side of the car. It can be accessed through the trunk.

    The little rubber antenna on the roof is part radio antenna, part LexusLink antenna.

    The black box on the windscreen behind the rear view mirror is the rain sensor for the automatic wiper setting.
  • stevesteinstevestein Member Posts: 263
    And the cappucchino machine is where?
  • vchengvcheng Member Posts: 1,284
    ... is at a nearby Starbucks!

    (PS: there is JDM add-on for Toyota/Lexus that will provide that facility inside a car too, if you're really interested!)
  • stevesteinstevestein Member Posts: 263
    Does the add-on come with another warning you have to accept on the Nav?
  • garyh1garyh1 Member Posts: 394
    Yes, a la McDonald's--

    "Caution-- cappuccino may be hotter than you think, and if you spill it onto your nether regions, you may injure yourself and cause an accident, which would not be very nice."

    BTW, how about we start a campaign suggesting that Lexus let owners go to an authorized dealer, sign an affidavit that they have owned the car for at least 30 days and have read the NAV disclaimer at least 100 times, and then let the dealer reprogram the NAV to remove that nag screen. Or at least use some of that wonderful Japanese ingenuity to have the screen only come up once every 100 times after the first 50 times of use! That has to be the most annoying thing about this otherwise delightful car.

    As an attorney/businessman myself, I can't believe that any lawyer would think that having to press "I Agree" every time the car is started is really necessary to limit liability. Even Bill Gates' lawyers don't make you sign away your rights every single time you turn on a PC! And let's start a poll of how many people read the disclaimer each time before pressing the "I Agree" button; perhaps a scientific study showing 0% do it would convince Lexus' counsel that this is not meaningful disclosure of anything.
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
    Ditto, ditto, and ditto.
  • ljslaw1ljslaw1 Member Posts: 8
    Amen!

    Coming from a fellow lawyer.....
  • oacoac Member Posts: 1,594
    I believe you are up to something here. This should not be taken lightly. When you own a 6-yr old LS with Nav, you get to be first in line to VOTE for this proposal here.

    Does Edmunds permit such a letter writing campaign here ? Or do we need a band of attorneys to move this idea forward in/outside of Edmunds ?

    I'd really hope others find this idea a great one and make our voices heard to the bean counters at Lexus corporate to get rid of this legalese jargon once and for all...
  • ljflxljflx Member Posts: 4,690
    Maybe it's a Japanese lawyer.
  • rennyboschrennybosch Member Posts: 329
    My brother-in-law borrowed my car yesterday and drove on the freeway. He then pushed the Map button and a CAUTION! screen came on. So he strained to read it and got into a terrible accident. Emotional pain in the billions.

    We are now suing Lexus for a criminally irresponsible caution screen.
  • stevesteinstevestein Member Posts: 263
    Never thought of that last one!
    All you JD's would jump on the case of the first non-owner driver that didn't get the warning after the owner signed the affidavit. If it was Bill Gates he may have deeper pockets than Lexus (he still drive an LS?).
    The percentage of people that actually read the screen warning each time is exactly equal to the percentage of people who read the terms and conditions before hitting "I agree" when loading software on their pc.
  • rcf8000rcf8000 Member Posts: 619
    Liability is determined by courts, not by disclaimers. This is well established law. Get rid of that screen!
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