Lexus LS 400/LS 430

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Comments

  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    is a luxury, quiet, easy riding, sedan. 18" wheels might be fine for a luxury sports sedan such as the GS series but I would stop at 16" on the LS.
  • rgswrgsw Member Posts: 333
    Don't think the LS comes with 16" wheels as suggested by WWEST. I personally would take the Sport Package for $220, which includes the 18" wheels. If the sport is not available, the the 17" wheels do fine for me. The tire wear is probably better on the 17" wheels.
  • rcf8000rcf8000 Member Posts: 619
    I'd go for the 17 inch wheels. More importantly, be sure that you get "all season" tires, not "summer" tires. The all season tires are quieter and last longer.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    All season tires can NEVER be made to be quieter and/or more comfortable riding than summer tires.
  • rcf8000rcf8000 Member Posts: 619
    You're wrong about that. Take Michelin Pilot Sport tires vs MPS A/S tires, for instance. Go to Michelin's web site and you will see that they have a charts that rate such things as noise level for their various tires. The MPS tires are shown to have a higher noise level than the MPS A/S tires.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    You buy the quietest A/S tire that you can and I'll buy the quietest summer tire that I can and the winner gets a free pass.

    Or the quietest ten A/S vs the...
  • asleepasleep Member Posts: 4
    I have a new 2004 with the standard 17" wheels and this is my take: If your streets are rough, filled with potholes, and/or are "under construction" constantly, go with the 17s. Otherwise, try the 18s. The LS430 is a heavy car with a lot of body roll compared to others in it's class. This loads the sidewalls in corners and I can feel the rollover with the O.E. Dunlop 5000s. 18" wheels have a shorter(hence stiffer) sidewall, thus less rollover. You could buy performance tires(stiffer sidewall) for 17" wheels as a compromise.
  • jfzjfz Member Posts: 45
    Wheel size is a trade-off of looks, price, handling, and location. The 18" wheels will fill out the wheel-well nicely, but the 17" isn't bad. The 18" wheel is only marginally more expensive on initial purchase, but replacement tires are more expensive and do not last as long. The 18" tires with shorter side-walls are better is turning response, but at the price of a harsher ride. In regions with rough roads, the 18" wheels are .5" closer to those potholes. In the midwest, this is a big problem.

    Surprizingly, summer tires are usually more performance-oriented and are often noisier,less compliant, and inconsistent in wet conditions. The specific choice is very important to meet the driver's priorities.

    Another factor that influences the ride, handling, and longevity of a tire is the pressure. Ford recommended a low pressure for the Explorer to enhance road comfort. The rest was history. BMW recommends pressures of 41 psi for the sport 3-series to enhance performance. MB has a recommended pressure for normal driving, and a 6 psi increase for high-speed conditions. The LS430 recommendation of 32 psi provides a comfortable ride at the expense of lateral response and tread wear. At 36-37 psi OEM 17" Dunlap Sport 5000 A/S tires are moderately harsher, but are much more responsive in turns, are far more stable in strong cross-winds, and improve the wear pattern.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    It is well documented that Ford lowered the factory and recommended owner air pressure in order to lower the center of gravity of the vehicle and thereby get it a better rating aginst being subject to rollover.

    I bet they now wish they had gone with the poor(er) rollover rating.
  • mox1mox1 Member Posts: 24
    Thank you all for your input. After reading all the comments, I have decided to go for the 17 inch wheels & all season tires. My biggest priority is ride comfort & that was one of the main reasons why I chose the LS 430. If I need better performance I will over-inflate the tires by an extra 5 psi, which is what I used to do on my current Rx 300.

    I have negotiated 9.5% off MSRP on a 2005 LS 430 with modern luxury package. It is moonlight pearl exterior with cashmere interior. The car has been already shipped and should be arriving at the dealer in the next 10 days. Any useful suggestions regarding the delivery process, accessories, break-in period, etc would be highly appreciated. Can’t wait to lay my hands on this fabulous car about which others have raved so much. Also I have decided to buy the Motorola V600 bluetooth phone which apparently works well with the car. Thanks.
  • ckennedyckennedy Member Posts: 82
    I have read the previous posts on window tinting and if I go with a non-metallic tint will i be safe with the nav and lexus link on my 2001 ls430? Just wondering if anybody experiencing residual effects.
  • rennyboschrennybosch Member Posts: 329
    It (the 4-inch/10-cm long stub antenna mounted on the roof of every LS430) can't be an AM or FM radio antenna (too short). Is it for the Nav GPS system? Or for the smart key access system? I used to think it was for the Lexus Link, but the 04 doesn't have that anymore and it still has the stub antenna. Is it just for looks? Or a status symbol? Or is it not an antenna at all, but just a plug to seal a whole in the roof that was accidentally left over from some prior design?
  • mfprmfpr Member Posts: 41
    I have been told it is strictly for Lexus Link, even though the '04 & '05 models don't offer it. Maybe there is a retrofit planned if a digital system comes along.

    Mike
  • ljflxljflx Member Posts: 4,690
    More than likely its being kept in place as well for future communication purposes.
  • rumc3rumc3 Member Posts: 31
    Sorry it's now Oct. 04 but I'm just now reading through this thread and hit the "butt ugly" comment. Well, I don't think it's THAT bad..in fact, in person, the SC looks pretty good.

    What IS "butt ugly," IMHO, are SUV's. Every single one of them. No exceptions! It also seems to me that buyers of today's incredibly ugly McMansions all have SUV's parked in the driveway. (Yes, I know it's a generalization, but check it out yourself)
     
    I guess there's just no accounting for "taste" these days. Again, just my (not so) Humble Opinion.
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    The dealership that damaged my LS had ordered the skins for the backseats. I have the aniline black seats.

    From what the rep tells me, they need to totally gut out the seats before replacing the seat leather skins. Now I am wondering if I really want this, just to remove the surface with permanant creases that dealer accidentally caused.

    I am afraid they may screw up something else or that the finished product is not as good as factory stock.

    Thanks for any experience in this.

    Paul
  • rumc3rumc3 Member Posts: 31
    Actually, it's Oct. 12th, but who cares?

    On another topic, I absolutely love the LS 430, but have wondered why, after all this time, Lexus hasn't come out with an LS 500? I seem to remember a while back (2 years or more?), one of the magazines said it would be the new model. It wasn't.

    Sorry if this question's already been answered.
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    Took years to get to 430 from 400. Some say 500 will be a 2006 option. We'll see.
  • ckennedyckennedy Member Posts: 82
    Sorry for your misfortune. I have some wear and tear on mine and would like to fix them. Did the dealer happend to mention what country the seats are manufactured in? I know a few of the car cleaning websites mentioned Japan leather is different from say German leather.
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    I inspected the seat skins today, and they are made by Lexus. I could not spot the country of origin. There were a lot of wiring for heating under the leather. Seems like it's not that easy to replace.
  • woppenhewoppenhe Member Posts: 61
    Anyone having trouble with trunk slamming and not being well buffered by the air struts. I have had them replace without much change. When the 2001 LS 430 was new, the trunk would descend to a certain point above the latch point, and then another slight push would allow the power latching mechanism to employ. It was so gentle. No longer, closing the trunk without manual guidance results in the trunk slamming shut. Any suggestion on how to fix this. Apparently, according to the service manager, there is only one model of air struts for all of the trunks. Since we replaced them, there is nothing left to do to fix this. Could this be the exception to the pursuit of perfection.
  • rgswrgsw Member Posts: 333
    I don't understand your problem. I lower the trunk lid "gently" to within three or four inches of closing and then release. The trunk lid then continues by gravity to the closing position and closes through the action of the automatic closer, it closes and locks. I have observed that the trunk lid can be slammed if one tries to do that or just brings the lid down with excessive force (usually someone who is not familiar with the Lexus LS 430).
  • rgswrgsw Member Posts: 333
    When I picked up my new LS 430 yesterday, I was informed that the "l000 mile" inspection is not longer offered or required. First scheduled service is free at 5000 miles as it has been in the past. Another pleasant feature was the offer to reprogram the "computer" (at no cost) to the customer's desired "Lexus Personalized Settings" for windows, door locks, moon roof, trunk release, lighting, warning, tilt steering wheel, and air conditioner. They provided a Lexus brochure with all the features that can be reprogrammed and it also lists the "Standard" settings. I believe that the time limit for this free setting change is one year. This offer is further evidence that Lexus is agressively pursuing Customer Satisfaction.
  • woppenhewoppenhe Member Posts: 61
    Thanks for answering. When the car was new, and with other new cars, a downward push would not cause the trunk to slam. Rather it would descend to about 4 inches above the position at which the electric latching mechanism would take over. I became used to closing the trunk this way. A gentle downward motion followed by fingertip push the rest of the way till the electric motor engaged. Over time that first push resulted in the trunk indeed lowering all the way to the desk, not always gently. The black trunk struts are essentially shock absorbers and I just thought they had worn out, but there may be other reasons for the change. Obvously, yours did not work the way I described. Next time you are at the dealer, try some new ones, and see hw those work. Perhaps I just got a stiff one.
  • steven1steven1 Member Posts: 4
    Anyone experiencing inconsistent cooling with their driver and passenger seats?

    I purchased my LS 430 in Feb '04 and now have 15+K miles. When I first utilized the seat coolers, the seats would clearly cool down and then maintain a cooled temperature throughout the drive. After a couple of months, the seats cool minimally or not at all. The local dealership, which is a delight to work with, doesn't have an answer as they've also received the same queries from several other owners.

    Your experiences?
  • oacoac Member Posts: 1,594
    WRT tire sizes on the LS, I have often felt that the LS should really have much wider footprints than the 17" or 18" it currently spots. Why-o-Why does Lexus continue to put this tinie-winnie tires on their top-end LS ?

    Put an E500/S430/S500, a 745i, and an LS430 side-by-side and see how much presence and stance the MB and BMW have over the LS ? The exagerated wheel flares on the Bimmer sure makes room for the wider 275/40/19 tires worn on these cars. Just the other day, an MB E500 was ahead of me and the wider tires on that car surely gave it a much better look and stance. These high-end luxury cars really need to add some splash, as BMW and MB seems to do and Lexus doesn't. The 16" on my 1999 LS looks like a donut spare tire next to even the E-class. Don't get me wrong: I do like the dreamy ride on the LS, but I'd like to see Lexus up the ante and give this car a little more stance and footprint as its peers - S-class and 7-series, among others. Wider and stiffer side wall tires (18s" and 19s") will make the LS look even more handsome. Sure we lose a bit in the super duper rides, but it is more than made up for in the improved handling. I am not asking for special handling stuff like stiffer shocks, chassis, etc... just wider tires... That ain't asking for much, is it ??? :)

    This is hoping the LS re-design fulfills this small but important (imo) aspect. I'm still looking forward to this car with much anticipation.
  • michael_mattoxmichael_mattox Member Posts: 813
    oac:

    Actually bigger wider tires are asking too much if it has a negative effect on the Lexus ride (it's hallmark, along with reliability)

    If someone likes the wide tire look they can probably find a way to custom fit their car or they can buy a BMW or one of the other cars you mentioned.
  • rgswrgsw Member Posts: 333
    I took delivery of a "new one" last week and I can't tell any difference from the 2004.
  • rgswrgsw Member Posts: 333
    I beleve that I have had the same experience. I had the dealer check the seats around 5000 miles and they seemed to be putting out the correct amount of air and heat. The 2005 appears to be putting out more air, maybe it's just my imiganation?
  • jfzjfz Member Posts: 45
    The seats have a filter. If the filters are clogged, it will affect the air flow. This could be a very easy fix.
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    What started as an accident back in July at a Lexus dealer has come to an end today as they replaced the entire rear seat skins in my LS430.

    The job was done professionally by an outside leather specialist, took nearly 2 hours.

    A question to those with aniline leather in the ultra lux version. How do you know these are the aniline seats? Are they the only ones with "tiny holes"?

    While they color matched with the back portion of the rear seat and the front seating, they feel slightly rougher, maybe they are just new

    Not sure....
  • equestrian3equestrian3 Member Posts: 3
    I will be trading in my 04LS for an 05 Ultra. I have not been able to test drive an LS equipped with the air suspension, can anyone comment on the difference between the two and it is really worth the premium for the ultra?
  • paulchiupaulchiu Member Posts: 378
    It's a little better. If you like it, get it. It's not worth anything at trade in, however.
  • woppenhewoppenhe Member Posts: 61
    Hmmm. So yours is broken too <g>.
  • anthonypanthonyp Member Posts: 1,860
    I have had both these events...Seems as though the trunk just slammes down, and the cooling seats don`t cool any more .. Asked dealer about both and they said they were working as supposed..I think the car is just wearing out, and so am I Tony
  • woppenhewoppenhe Member Posts: 61
    No No NO. The car is supposed to wear out BEFORE you do. Poor design. Of which, I am not sure.
  • jbianco12jbianco12 Member Posts: 125
    Just a quick note to thank Flint350 for the excellent instructions on how to install the Nav DVD update. Your post #4769 back in Oct 2003 was right on. I printed your post last year and held on to it until I purchased the 10/2004 update. Works great. When I looked at the version I think it showed v 4.1 or something. The nice thing about the update is that all my pre-programmed locations were retained. I thought I would loose everything and would have to re-input all my "marked spots". I haven't had time to tinker with it to see the differences...but I'm going to Las Vegas this weekend so I'll put it through the paces then.
    To anyone else upgrading the Nav DVD...don't pay the $500-$800 for Lexus to do this for you. It takes no more than 5 mins to do it yourself. Go to Lexus-parts.com, order the DVD update for around $280 and pop in the new disc yourself. It really was very easy to do. Go to post 4769 for detailed instructions....again, thanks to Flint350!!!
  • rcf8000rcf8000 Member Posts: 619
    My '01 has developed this problem. In fact, the trunk lid has dropped down on my head a couple of times. Now I am careful to make sure the struts are fully extended when I open the trunk. I haven't asked my dealer about it.
  • cove148cove148 Member Posts: 117
    Very interested in getting a LS04.. What state are you in?
  • scottphillipscottphillip Member Posts: 249
    Do you think this is a good deal? My dealer has two Ultras left--one has pre-collision.
  • rgswrgsw Member Posts: 333
    On Oct 13th I traded (Lexus of Albuquerque, NM)in a 2004 LS430, White, 18K miles, new trans & fuel pump, Nav, ML Audio, Smart Access, No Smoke, no dings. Don't know if it is still available.
  • mk1mk1 Member Posts: 4
    Questions and need your advise - I just bought a used 2002 430, with 12,900 miles. Picking up the car tomorrow, 10-21. Purchased from Smithtown Lexus on Long Island as a certified vehicle.
    The carfax that the dealer showed me listed a "navigation upgrade" but had no further info. If this was done by Lexus, would there be additional info in the service database? How can I tell the version of the current navigation software? The car has 16" chrome wheels. Was 17" wheels an option for this model year, and if so, can 17" wheels and tires be substituted for the 16" wheels without any other modification to the car? The car comes with a 3 year 100,000 mile warranty. The dealer offers an additional 2 year warranty to extend the warranty for 5 years to 100,000 miles for $1500. Does it make sense to purchase this and is this price reasonable and negotiable?(I assume that it is).
    This car has the ML sound system and the navigation system and appears to be in excellent condition. Is there anything specific that I should check or insist the dealer attend to prior to taking delivery of the car.
    Thanking everyone in advance for your advise.
  • ckennedyckennedy Member Posts: 82
    Congratulations it sounds like you got a gem. I too live in the area and was wondering (ballpark)what you paid. I had just purchased my brother in laws 2001 with nav/ML for $35k with 23k. I was contemplating purchasing the extended warranty but I have another year left under the original warranty. I am curious to see how negotiable they are with you. I have to approach them anyway on buying a manual and I need the license plate frames hopefully they will throw then in.
  • maxhonda99maxhonda99 Member Posts: 1,289
    17" wheels were optional, I believe with the Sport Suspension package, for 2002. You can get 17" wheels put on the car with no modifications.
  • mk1mk1 Member Posts: 4
    They are slightly negotiable on the price, apparently there are two types of warranty's that they sell. One is an extension of the "certified" warranty and the other is an extension of the original warranty. Suggest that you call or visit the dealer to discuss. Hope that this helps.
  • chicagoedchicagoed Member Posts: 69
    Don't anybody get me wrong - I am very happy with my '04 LS430 and it has been flawless over 12,000 miles of driving. But there are a few things that I would change if I were in charge. Of course we all would like more power, better mileage, smoother ride, more interior room; not that any of those are lacking.

    What I'm talking about are those things that you wonder why they did it that way.

    Here is my list as items come to mind:

    Get rid of the stupid "lawyer screen" on the Nav system.

    Permit Nav destination changes while in motion.

    Give me the ability to SET and RETRIEVE seat memory settings while in motion.

    Give me the ability to display the compass heading in the driver's instrument cluster, like the lesser optioned LS models can do.

    Give me a trunklid that really opens when I hit the release button.

    Allow the glovebox to open a bit farther.

    When using the CD changer in "random" mode, make PREV and NEXT actually go to the previous and next selections instead of the next lower or higher track number.

    Would anyone like to add to the "Wish List"?
  • rennyboschrennybosch Member Posts: 329
    I received the new Nav DVD from Lexus-Parts.com, installed it, but it didn't work. Gave me some message like "Unable to read DVD. Make sure you have the right version."

    I called them and they said they had received another report of this kind, and they are checking with Lexus to see what the problem is. There might be two different releases for 2004 - one for pre-04 models and one for the 04.

    I'll let you know what they say when they call me back.

    Renny
  • rcf8000rcf8000 Member Posts: 619
    How about going back to two glove boxes instead of the current one. (When did this change take place and why?)
  • rgswrgsw Member Posts: 333
    The bottom glove box was given up in 2004 to the Knee Air Bags...
  • rgswrgsw Member Posts: 333
    You can determine your version of DVD installed in the Nav System by selecting "Menu" and then "Map DVD". A good tutorial is available in the Owner's Section of Lexus.com
    http://www.lexus.com/assets/navigation_systems/Broadband/lexus_na- v.htm
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