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Comments
So my question is, was it the left rear wheel that spun?
If you haven't experienced Lexus dealer service you are in for a treat. They treat you like royalty. By the way my new CR April issue in today. Horrible reliability again for most German cars including the new 5-series. Nothing but net as usual for the LS430 and Lexus as a whole. Lexus ownership satisfacion and depreciations is amazing. Sky high and you have to really search to find a car with only a half red circle.
Good luck and enjoy.
hpowders - don't forget to wear a big hat and dark sunglasses.
#2. Yes. 18 presets. Sat 1, Sat 2, Sat 3 each have six preselect. The button that you use to select radio am, fm, tape, or CD will be used to select XM also.
#3. You tune through the XM channels by use of the radio tuning know that you use for AM/FM. If you rapidly dial from one channel to a higher channel (say 20 channels higher) the intermediate channels appear on the screen but do not come up on the speakers until you stop turning the knob. I imagine you can seek/scan but I've not tried that feature or voice command?
#4. The channel number/name is displayed as outlined in #1 above.
I will report back at the end of the day.
Thanks again!
hpowders
Steering was much too light for me. Turns were horrible.
Acceleration was disappointing. My BMW 6 feels more powerful than the Lexus 8. The Lexus is probably a little too heavy.
Seats were good but not amazingly comfortable. Drove a Passat in 2002 and found its seats to be better than the LS.
Hated the wood steering wheel.
Haven't seen a parking brake pedal like that in years.
Car is absolutely screaming for a re-design.
Then I tried the GS 430. Night and day. Forget what Edmunds said about the brakes. Excellent brakes. Stopped smoothly.
Very good on turns though not quite as good as BMW but close enough.
Good acceleration, about equal in as power to my BMW 6.
Feels like a sports sedan. Excellent ride. Much more to my liking.
A little less legroom than the LS. Seats just okay. Nothing special.
Hate the wood steering wheel although has leather on the sides of the wheel.
Do not like the outer design of the car. Looks bloated.
And what's up with the gated shifter on both of these cars? Tedious!
Couldn't take it for an extended drive because it was the only one there.
I would take a pass on both cars although after driving the GS 430, at least I didn't feel like I wasted my time.
If you are looking for a sports sedan, definitely give the GS 430 a try. A pleasant surprise.
31K Miles? wow, that's low mileage. I had a '98 that I traded for my '02..Honestly, I didn't think there was a huge difference other than the interior accents and electronic toys. I still feel a LS400 will have better long term reliability than the LS430's.
I still have my 92 LS and the sound insulation is better on the '92. If you turn on the radio, get out of the car and shut the door you hardly hear anything..On the LS430 you can hear practically everything. I'd wait for 2007 before I'd trade up. Plus the ride on the 92 is better with the 15" instead of the 18" rims. Though the LS430 has better performance parameters.
Hope that helps,
SV
Sorry to hear the car disappointed you. You should have tried the Air Suspension model or Euro Suspension Model. Also was the PWR button on? That would have given a much bigger punch when you stepped on the pedal. The seats on the more expensive models have a different type of leather too. At the same time it is not a sports sedan. It's more of a cruiser.
SV
On the other hand, the GS 430 was fully loaded, although I was concentrating on the driving experience in both vehicles.
I respect fellow posters' right to enjoy the LS 430. I will not be spending any time here being anti-Lexus.
I did enjoy driving the GS 430. I was very pleasantly surprised.
HP
I understand the dilemma presented to the euro car crowd by the continuing decline in reliability of these cars. A friends new MB SL has been in the shop numerous times during 8 months of ownership and is still not right. So, Howard, what to do? Is the "ultimate driving machine" going to stay in your garage?
The choice will be among the above and the Lexus GS 430 which I found surprisingly impressive.
I have until July to finalize. So I will take my time and drive them all as they become available.
Now to look up some Infiniti dealers......
Should be as easy as "dbc."
Aren't we lucky, though, that we can have so many choices here, and can usually get whatever we want in a car?
BTW, the "Power" button only gives the "sound" of a sports car and doesn't really affect the ride or feel. My Volvos and our Avalon had that same thing, and we never used it. It just puts higher rpm's on the tranny before shifting gears, and uses a little more gas. As for cornering, handling and feel: no different.
Good luck on your search for the right car for you. :-)
"BTW, the "Power" button only gives the "sound" of a sports car and doesn't really affect the ride or feel."
Actually, the power button makes a big difference in acceleration. It definitely gives the LS a kick.
I will call the dealer and arrange for a regular test drive so I can ask him about that power button. I would love to feel the power.
I did like the way the side mirrors folded into the car when parked. Really neat.
I gotta try it again. All those people can't be wrong.
Thanks for verifying the GS. A BMW loving buddy of mine who despises the new 5 test drove it the other day and raved about it. I thought he may have exaggerated because he knows I always buy Lexus. But someone else had told me its great earlier also, then him and now you are also saying it can hold its own very well in the class.
GO back to the dealer and ask if he has an LS with the sport mode ...I knew you would be disappointed as soon as I heard you had 17 in. tires...They were probably all season as well...
If he has the sport mode it will come with 18 in summer tires...that and the power button and you will notice a huge difference which will be much closer to your BMW experience but still very lexus like.
The Power button is located directly in front of the gear box, right below the Audio controls. You'll see ECT "PWR" and "Snow." When you push the button, you'll see a ECT PWR light come on in the dash. You can also shift the gears on your own as well.
If you're looking for the BMW feel, you'll probably want to try the Air Suspension which has Sport and Normal modes. My '02 LS430 had the sports suspension and the ride was noteably stiffer than my new car.
I won't mislead you, this car isn't going to be as "exciting" as your BMW, but it will pamper you. But I can say you will be spoiled by your dealer and the way the car treats you. Think of it as the bookish girl who isn't the best looking, but will be forever loyal.
You should insist on driving a model with Air Suspension or at least a Modern Luxury one with 18" tires. Those cars will have the Voice Activated Navigation System, Mark Levinson stereo (Out of the world, bring a CD you're very familiar with to judge the difference), Backup camera, Parking Radar, as well as some other wonderful toys. Most LS's sold are the Modern Luxury like mine. The Base model lacks all the gizmos that have fools like me trading in perfectly good cars for.
Driving a base LS430 is like listening to football on the radio. It doesn't give you the whole experience of the LS series. All of my LS's have been the middle range, except for my 1992 which has everything save the air suspension.
Ultimately, You have to like the car. Since we're talking big money here, you should get something that you want. Lexus is great on objectives like Customer Service, reliability, et all, but I'm not sure if this is the sort of car that will provoke an emotional response from someone used to a BMW.
All this talk about my LS430 is making me sad. I'm here in London driving this horrendous rented Citroen..My wife has officially taken over my LS430...
SV
Hhhhmmmm.... I might need to try it out, then. I was only quoting what I had been told by car salesmen for our previous cars.
I posted the pictures of all the LS400/430 cars I've had..Which one do you think is the best?
http://hometown.aol.com/sv7887/myhomepage/Cars/
The 92 I still have..93K miles (big file)
The 98 was traded at 31K miles
The 02 was just traded at 25K miles
The 05 has about 450 miles on it right now..
SV
Regards,
hpowders
I will call another dealership and ask if they have an LS430 with the euro-tuned suspension and the 18" summer tires.
Thanks to your valuable comments, I know what to ask for.
Regards,
hpowders
The first thing you have to note is that the LS is a big car-- substantially bigger than a E or a 5. If you don't want or need that extra room (particularly in the back seat), then the car will always be a disappointment. It will never drive as well as a smaller luxury sedan-- especially a BMW 5. Heck, an AMG E will drive more responsively than an AMG S!
The next point is that if you are looking for the best driving dynamics you can get in the larger size car, you definitely need to look for a Euro-Tuned, or a Custom or Ultra for the adjustable suspension. And 18" tires certainly add to the grippiness.
The thing that surprised me the most was that you didn't find the seats comfortable. You're the first person I have heard say that. But as has been noted by others, the option packages come with upgraded seats (heated/cooled with perforated leather); maybe that would make a difference for you.
But I think you sound like you really aren't interested in the extra room of the LS, and were really more interested in potentially getting a more reliable ride, less quirky electronics, etc., than in the new Bimmer. If so, the GS or the new Infiniti M45 Sport would seem to be more up your alley.
Good luck!
We told you about some of the minor stuff....Now here is COOL...
Where the Roof line hits the glass just behind the rearview mirror is a tiny Sun visor about 8in long and maybe an inch wide to block the sun between the roofline and the top of the mirror....Then there is the change tray on the left side of the dash (all cars have them but on lexus they seem to be just in the right place) and little trays all over for sunglasses and cell phones etc. Two glove boxes, of course...The the button that makes the rear window sun shade go up and down..Not to mention the button for the head rests and lots of other little things that spell a Luxury car. All of it easy to use and just where you want it.
I don't need the backseat room. I would try the car again with the euro-tuned suspension and the 18" summer tires and making sure the power button is in the "on" position.
Yes, the decline in reliability of BMW's is why I am shopping around for alternatives.
The seat was good-plenty of adjustments. I just said that I have sat in better.
I don't know what they were thinking, but the outer appearance of the LS they gave me was dirty(white). They put a license plate in the rear window that said "dealer." The experience was to put it mildly, a turn off. Real "seedy."
I will follow up as stated above.
Regards,
hpowders
This is all very nice but when you are taking an initial test drive, you tend to concentrate on the basic driving experience and if this is fine, then follow-up on all the cool stuff.
Can't believe they didn't tell me about the power button. That is pretty basic.
Maybe they figured I was a waste of their time coming from BMW.
Regards,
hpowders
My comment was to try and point out the difference in thinking between a BMW guy and A Lexus guy....
Most Lexus dealers are a big cut above other dealers...Give it another try...Maybe you are a BMW guy for life but it is Good to find out if another car can make you happy.
The normal mode is basically conservative to avoid the gas guzzler tax.. The PWR mode shifts the transmission more aggresively. Stomp on the gas pedal and you will get a more pronounced response. I've done this a few times when I engaged in some juvenile behavior.
Granted this isn't like a Supercharger or something, but your MPG will fall if you use it. The Engine is a 290 HP but can generate 320 ft/lb of torque, which is a fair amount for the size car. I think all it does it ensure a more spirited acceleration. That's what I seem to notice when I use it.
SV
To hpowders - I should qualify the usage of the word "big" in "big difference in acceleration" between Power and Normal modes. The difference is subjective. If you are a BMW fan, then the Power mode in Lexus still may not be to your liking. As for me, I am not a BMW fan so the kick/handling aspect of a car is not as important to me. I currently have both an E class and the LS. The LS definitely does not have the same driving dynamics as the German counter parts, but the LS is a wonderfully sumptuous luxury car with a soft touch and understated elegance.
To sv7887 – Sorry to hear about the wife taking over the LS. Luckily for me, my better half still prefers MB/German feel and therefore we will not be fighting over the LS any time soon.
1993 ls4, 1996 ls4 ,2001,2002,2003,2004,&
2005 ls 430's . these were family and business .
back in august 1989 , i was told by the then
" factory parts and service rep, in my zone "... ( his name : mr. worley ) ... that the power switch instigates a " program change " in the tranny shift patter : ie : / the shifts are held longer from start to overdrive , causing the vehicle to go to the next shift point
( electronically )... at higher rpm's , and thus a higher ground speed . no effect is directly caused to the fuel distributor , air mixture , etc. strictly shift points @ higher rpm's .
---
to a ls that seems " slow " , more than likely it is the octane of the fuel , and/or amount of moisture ( water) in the fuel . he told me that amoco premium has the least amount of water , and is the least likely to pre ignite ( higher octane ).
---
personal favorites : of course the 1990 , i still own it with 13k miles ... simple model
( $ 39,900) ... a cadillac that runs like a scared rabbit straight down the road with no hands on the wheel ... with goodyear ga's , while listening to the nakamici... the only negative to me is the seat on the 90, 91 , & 92 lays real low and i'm 5'7" ... ( like the [non-permissible content removed] thought all americans were 6'6'' .
the 1996 ls , std car with nak is my all time favorite . ( black / grey ) the happiest ,smoothest machine i ever enjoyed .
the 2001 ls 430 i kept 10 k miles ... no problems .. i did not go for the nav/levinson package ... the car was dull , the dunlop 5000's drifted ( i called her the " wandering desert machine ) ... however no mechanical problems .
the 2002 ls430 ... had a seat bottom that was 3 to 4 inches down from the seat back , and hurt me at the belt line . they swapped seats from another car ... and it was the same ... end of that one .
the 2003ls430 is a standout performer with a tight seat and they added the sonar on the front and rear bumper ... great example of an ls...
the 2004 ls 430 added the backup camera , improved the navigation system on the third and final build ( late car ) , and the dunlop 5000's improved .
the 2005 ls 430 is the most quiet , most refined sophisticated lady of the whole span . with the 18" wheels ( after several wheel balancings and a few hundred miles to wear them in ) become whisper quiet ... but not to my taste ( hate tar strips and potholes ) ... i swapped with my dealer for the 17" rims and mxv4" ( 225/55/17 ) as on the 2004 ls ... she runs like a champ .... straight down the road ( no hands ) like the 1990 ls did , and the levinson radio speakers now seperate treble ... and the bass goes to the big woofer , it sounds 10x better than the nak's did . the navigation actually tell's the truth now ?
there is nothing ... not even close to the '05 ls 430 .
mitchell rowe