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Comments
Have the Parchment Crystal & am open to suggestions as to what color tinting would look best.
Thanks
I saw 2 more LS400s today. I didnt see any Mercs because I wanted a reliable car and liked the Lexus features better.
The one I have set my mind on is a steel blue 1990 LS 400 122k with nakamichi & cd changer/moonroof. None of the other LS400s i saw had the Nak/CD- which is very important to me. The price is $7000. Is this a good price? Here is a list of whats wrong with the car. Please suggest how much would it take to correct them:
1)The LCD in the panel above the CD display..the one that displays temperature etc has leaked and needs to be changed. I can live with it- it doesnt affect any of the functionality.
2) The 122k reading indicates it needs a timing belt replacement soon. Dont know when it was done last. How much does it cost?
3) The remote key doesnt work. The person said it used to work till the last month and figures its possibly the batteries inside that need replacement.
Please advice me on this issue.
Thanks
Senthil
Take the VIN # to the dealer and he can tell you when and if any authorized dealer last changed the belt. If you ask nicely he will even give you a complete run-down on the car's history as far as Lexus knows.
The original timing belt interval for 1990 was 90,000 miles... I think.
Radio Shack carries the batteries.
The only difference between a custom and an ultra are the back seat goodies and rear and back window shades. Variable air suspension is included on the ultra and is an option on the custom. So, you're getting alot of really cool high tech goodies on your custom (I'm sure I haven't thought of all of them) without spending the extra cash on the back seat stuff.
I think pinstripes or a gold kit would spoil the "understated elegance" appearance I suspect the original LS designers intended. Remember the huge front badge on the early Infiniti that everyone hated so it quickly disappeared?
If you travel to Japan you will see that "branding" is a very BIG thing over there, everyone goes out of their way to be sure they are "noticed" for the vehicles they drive and the suits and dresses they wear, even the evening gowns.
Not the american way (I hope).
Porsche has a option to remove all badging, who needs to be told what THAT is?
For the benefit of others who are looking I will post the price I received here. Please don't flame me and tell me I'm an idiot, etc. I am just trying to provide information to others who come after me.
My price (before tax & license)for the LS430 with NV/Mark Levinson package was $56,750.
Best wishes.
You're black cherry looked awesome to me. It also had the ecru inteior which made it stand out even more. I love the pine color as well and finally had chance to wax it (used Zymol - no swirls). The wax deepened the color and it looks spectacular. Then my wife shamed me into waxing her silver one for mother's day and that looked great to. Then I saw a parchment and a black one on the road as we went out to a late mothers day dinner that caused me to get home to late for the Soprano's - and they looked real good too. You know the cars looks have grown so much on me that I like just about every color I see it in. And the more I see the S the more I see a Taurus/Sable
Happy mother's day Flint.
By the way, I may get one logo taken off. The dealer put a chrome looking dealer logo sticker on the back which looks cheap to me. The dealership I bought my other car (SC300) from uses metal logos that match the Lexus nameplate. In any case, the car should be the focus, not the badges.
If you are worried about resale value you can always have the Gold kit installed when you go to sell it.
Did the dealer who installed his shop logo give you a huge discount for advertising his shop or do you agree to do it for free. If a dealer dared do that to one of my cars, especially in this price class, I would have him FIX it immediately.
The worse my dealer has ever done is put license plate surrounds on and I make a point of removing them in a place where ALL can see and pointedly return them to the salesman.
I would not advertise any dealer in this way, paid or not!
"The car should be the focus, not the badges..."
The MSRP was $61,200 (approximately). Even though I thought the $56,750 was a pretty good price, this is still far more profit than I have ever given for a car. I negotiated hard among several dealers, however, and I am convinced that this was the best I could do in Washington state.
Pat host - re your post 1102 - flint350 and I are buddies; he was only reminding me of past times with inflexibe people. Sorry - I should have responded sooner.
Some observations:
The power and sheer quiet of the car continue to impress me most; you have to be careful in town....it's comforting to have great brakes on a vehicle of this weight. Gas mileage has been excellent...(just need to get the price down).
The exterior is no longer an issue in my opinion...I like it more each day and think the design has its own merits i.e. super drag coefficient, low wind noise, etc.. The quality of fit and finish is superb....Lexus service has been the best experience, but I've only seen them once at 1000 miles.
I'm taking a trip to the coast on hwy 17 north of Charleston....will be interested in the NAV by the ocean.
I hear what you are saying. Town Hall's boards have different hosts with different personalities and different styles - I think that is just the nature of the animal.
I should clarify a couple of things for you. L8_Apex and I cohost all the discussions here on the Sedans board. That includes the board I think you were referring to - the "High End: Japanese, vs. German vs. American" was the one, right?
One of the Town Hall hosts from other TH boards is indeed an MB enthusiast, but when he posts on any board other than those he hosts, he is posting as a guest, the same as you. He might be the one you are thinking of, I'm not sure. I know that neither L8_Apex nor I go around "defending" MBs or any other car make here on the board we host. When you see a post made by a host, you can tell whether the person is the host of that particular board or some other board by checking the signature.
I did not mean to "accuse" you of anything, although as I look back I can see how you took it that way. A few months ago, this LS discussion did veer off into some personal attacks of other Town Hall members who were posting in other Sedans discussions. All I really meant to convey was "let's don't go there again, folks" (meaning everyone, not just you). At the time, I read (and perhaps misinterpreted) your post as an invitation for what I recall happening several months ago to start up again.
There is a difference, as you certainly recognize, between heated exchanges of opinions and personal attacks. I suppose that "difference" is open to interpretation, and and that interpretation can vary from time to time even from the same host - i.e, me.
I always welcome any emails that bring to my attention something a member has concerns about and would be happy for you or anyone to let me know if you think I have missed something. Sedans is an extremely busy board, and in trying to keep up with all the posts in all the discussions every day, it is certainly possible to miss some things that should have been attended to.
I appreciate your comments. And I apologize. In retrospect, I do think that I could have held my tongue, so to speak, to see if what concerned me actually did develop before I said anything.
Could we take any further discussion of these issues offline? I don't want to disrupt this discussion any further with this conversation, but I'd be happy to continue it via email if anyone is interested.
Again, thanks for your comments.
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
Tinting the rear window likwise had no effect. Should mention that this was done on my last brand X car not the LS430. Plan to do the same on the LS.
Do you mean the Mercedes-Benz S-Class discussion? That also is part of the Sedans board and therefore is also hosted by myself and L8_Apex. Any other host who appears there (or in any other conversation under Sedans) is posting as a guest.
Pardon me for doing just what I asked us not to do by continuing this, but I just want to be sure you understand that piece.
If you do something like "Read Subscriptions" so that you just go from discussion to discussion without noticing which Board you are on, you can tell by looking at the links at the top and bottom of the page. In this discussion, at the very top of the page and also just above the Post Box you will see a link to "Town Hall" followed by a link to "Sedans" followed by the name of the discussion you are in, in this case "The Lincoln LS". Sedans is the "board", The Lincoln LS is the "discussion" within that board.
Comparing the Board name to the host's signature will tell you whether the host is posting as a guest or a host.
I hope this is a little clearer than what I said before about boards and discussions - I see that I used the wrong term myself (board vs. discussion) when referring to the "High End Luxury" discussion, so I contributed to the confusion of terms.
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
Flint350 - Don't leave the board. It needs you and as far as I'm concerned you can become the chairman of this thing. I'd also miss your great dialogue. Nuff said!
Pathost - the hosts should use sur-names when they want to join in a group discussion. The opinions don't show the proper impartiality/objectivity Edmund's should have and can only hurt its' reputation. I know that I've become somewhat distrustful as a result. My feeling is that if Edmunds lets its hosts show bias then the writers must also go un-disciplined. The bias is irritating and was very noticable on the S-class (at least when I was looking at that board when I was evaluating the S vs. the LS430) and comparo lux boards.
1. Make the turn signal noise louder (either a louder relay or hook it up to one of the electronic chimes. I can't hear it (partially because I'm at that age) and have found myself driving with it on.
2. Some sensitivity adjustment for the automatic wipers (I confess -I'm lazy and tend to leave it in auto all the time). Sometimes it tries to clean the windshield when there's just a little dirt on it.
3. Change the brightness level at which the car changes from day to night modes. I'd prefer the headlights to come up just a little sooner.
Of these only one is serious in any way, and that's the first. It's a safety issue. I know I hate when someone else has a turn signal on and doesn't turn, particularly if I pull into traffic based on their signal. My service rep said I should call the Lexus Customer Satisfaction 800# and tell them my feelings. They take customer input seriously and use this info when deciding changes for the next model year. If you agree, please take the time to call them. Better yet, if by any chance you find that your dealer can do anything about the above let me know. I suspect no dealer knows all the parts of C-best.
Seadog7 - I'm feeling better about my decision not to wait for the Custom. The laser cruise and Park assist (and the other goodies) would have been nice, but the car is great even without them.
All - Let's give the host some appreciation. Imagine having to read every post on a busy board like Sedans and keep all the threads straight. I have a hard time with the few I follow.
Even though it's past the time when I can apply the knowledge, I started to read the discussions on smart shopper under questions for a dealer and inconsiderate buyers/salespeople. They provide a very interesting look at the car business and provide a different perspective on the sales process. Anyone still in the buying process should scan these discussions.
Brand Defects
1. Lexus 85
2. Jaguar 108
3. Acura 118
4. BMW 119
5. Saab 121
5. Toyota 121
7. Buick 123
7. Infiniti 123
9. Cadillac 126
10. Mercedes 129
Hmm... looks who is tenth. I vowed not to post to A.R.Coates' board any further, but feel free to cut and paste there!
I'm done with that board too so I won't bother to post it. They don't want to believe it anyway so why bother. I took a look at the S-Class board today since I alluded to it on my prior post. Those people have more problems with 1 car than 100 LS430's would have. The funniest problem was a guy a while back who had a popcorn making dashboard. Today another guy was complaining about his car doing a lot of shake, rattle and rolls. It's almost comical to read posts like that about $75-100k cars. MB must have those people hypnotized. Thank God I stayed with Lexus.I'd be mad as hell at myself if I didn't.
Flint350 - How are you doing?
ljflx, I'm fine, thanks, and still here (all bark, no bite). I read those S Class posts as well. I almost bit the bullet and posted today, but got control of myself. They were talking about the ABC in the Benz and how it's too bad that it causes a harsh ride, with rattling doors and other parts, but oh what fun to drive. Someone else mentioned the LS430 is smoother and quieter, but of course, it has no soul. So, as you correctly state, why post the reliability numbers and other factors, when they will be ignored. I enjoy reading about all these problems they have though and the intriguing reasons why they aren't really problems after all. I'm sincerely glad they like their cars despite all, as I sincerely love mine. A couple of pilot buddies of mine came to town last night for a few hours and I picked them up for dinner. The car was, naturally, the subject of many questions and admiring remarks. Being pilots, the Nav system was especially entertaining. And for once, I actually got to use the back seat stuff a little. The other big attraction turned out to be the radar cruise when an SUV decided he needed my lane more than I did and cut in front of us rather unceremoniously. The downshifting, braking and warning from the system were perfect and then it calmly resumed cruising. Needless to say, they were envious and I was in my glory! We were unsuccessful at only one demonstration - they asked and I thought for a long time - but still couldn't come up with..........a defect or problem. And I tried so hard, too! LOL.
1. quicker trans downshifts (sport mode doesn't help seems to only help when upshifting and going down hills)--since fly-by-wire, this can be "reprogramed"
2.cruise control--make it always on, and just a flick to set( I DO like the way MB, vw, honda does it), and resume even when using the brakes (if i stop, or brake, i have to reset the cruise won't resume)
other wise perfect---6.5k miles not a squeek, or qlitch (unlike my MB)
And Flint - like in that other soprano episode - don't leave me alone out here.
Have a great weekend.
Lexus should have their own (moderated) board where people can suggest, criticize each others' suggestions, build on them, and even get feedback from Lexus.
rennybosch - Lexus always sends you a card asking about your satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the car. They also ask what improvements you would like to see. I just sent back the form yesterday and suggested a tire pressure indicator, the rear view camera (I think that was a good idea by Infiniti and would love to see it on SUV's particularly the bigger ones), and a stretch version. In the past Lexus has written back to thank buyers for suggested improvements so it's clear they do want to know. If you get that form give it a try. I agree that a web site where they have pros who talk back to you would be more ideal. By the way Panasonic has such a site for hdtv and related hi-tech stuff. Lexus should copy them - after all its the same country of origin.
Is mine an isolated case, or has anyone else experienced domething similar?
1. Make the turn signal noise louder (either a louder relay or hook it up to one of the electronic chimes. I can't hear it (partially because I'm at that age) and have found myself driving with it on.
Even my 2000 Cadillac has a warning chime and message to indicate when a turn signal has been on for more than a minute or so. (Of course, that is almost a necessity, since the click can be mistaken for just another rattle in the dash!)
Anyone have dealer contacts who have done $500 over, please?