RE: Shed of the Week: Lexus LS400
Discussion
In a MK4 I averaged 30.6 MPG over a 190 mile journey: 174 miles was motorways, 80mph where possible. 16 miles was on B roads.
That was until a leaky injector hydrolocked a cylinder and bent a rod - soon to be fixed (the 94/95 engines onwards had weaker con rods).
The VVTi engines also have variable length intake manifolds as well as variable cam timing. As pointed out, MK4s also have an extra gear ratio too. I haven't driven any other LS400, but I love mine! Even with the very 90s touchscreen and voice navigation.
That was until a leaky injector hydrolocked a cylinder and bent a rod - soon to be fixed (the 94/95 engines onwards had weaker con rods).
The VVTi engines also have variable length intake manifolds as well as variable cam timing. As pointed out, MK4s also have an extra gear ratio too. I haven't driven any other LS400, but I love mine! Even with the very 90s touchscreen and voice navigation.
leedsutd1 said:
£1,500 seems a lot for a 20 year old lexus needing belt doing ,have just sold a immaculate 2009 insignia 1,8, se with half leather seats ,73,000 miles 2 owners and serviced every 3,000 miles for £2,650
Insignia isn’t a similar car by any stretch of the imagination though is it?leedsutd1 said:
£1,500 seems a lot for a 20 year old lexus needing belt doing ,have just sold a immaculate 2009 insignia 1,8, se with half leather seats ,73,000 miles 2 owners and serviced every 3,000 miles for £2,650
TBH, I'd rather have the Lexus. Lexus-plus-grand is a no-brainer. And I don't even much like them.And why on earth would you service something as dully prosaic as an Insig every 3k?
I have owned an LS430 - the model that replaced the 400, for nearly 2 years now.
It's been an amazing machine - heavily over-engineered, extremely reliable and good fuel economy on long runs (not so great around town) returning around 28-30+ mpg on the motorway. As a bonus, a 2006 model even escapes Sadiq's T-charge! Not bad for a 4.3 VVT V8.
Mine has crossed 100k miles, and under my ownership has only required a fuel pump (not expensive - £200 plus fitting I think) in terms of major items.
These cars have no real image unlike Merc/Bentley etc. They are not a looker obviously! You will find them quietly wafting along the streets of leafy north London suburbs, and I would argue they are an amazing proposition if quality of ride/smoothness and luxury are your priorities. Wafting around congested London is a real joy as you are so insulated from the outside world. People let me out of junctions all the time - perhaps because it looks so dull and in-offensive!
On a smooth road they are unbelievably quiet, and sitting in the back is an amazing experience. On the quiet recommended michelin primacy 3 tyres you become aware of poorer road surfaces.
Oddly (and I also drive a ferrari & porsches) the drive itself is enjoyable, too. In a different way to a sports car of course, but it's a very relaxing drive with light steering but still some feel compared to modern electric systems. You could reliably drive to the south of France and get out fresh as a daisy.
For around £6k for a good one, they are an absolute bargain and I'd take one over a similarly priced S class or 7 Series any day. I'm sure the '400 is similarly great.
Smooth is the word!
It's been an amazing machine - heavily over-engineered, extremely reliable and good fuel economy on long runs (not so great around town) returning around 28-30+ mpg on the motorway. As a bonus, a 2006 model even escapes Sadiq's T-charge! Not bad for a 4.3 VVT V8.
Mine has crossed 100k miles, and under my ownership has only required a fuel pump (not expensive - £200 plus fitting I think) in terms of major items.
These cars have no real image unlike Merc/Bentley etc. They are not a looker obviously! You will find them quietly wafting along the streets of leafy north London suburbs, and I would argue they are an amazing proposition if quality of ride/smoothness and luxury are your priorities. Wafting around congested London is a real joy as you are so insulated from the outside world. People let me out of junctions all the time - perhaps because it looks so dull and in-offensive!
On a smooth road they are unbelievably quiet, and sitting in the back is an amazing experience. On the quiet recommended michelin primacy 3 tyres you become aware of poorer road surfaces.
Oddly (and I also drive a ferrari & porsches) the drive itself is enjoyable, too. In a different way to a sports car of course, but it's a very relaxing drive with light steering but still some feel compared to modern electric systems. You could reliably drive to the south of France and get out fresh as a daisy.
For around £6k for a good one, they are an absolute bargain and I'd take one over a similarly priced S class or 7 Series any day. I'm sure the '400 is similarly great.
Smooth is the word!
When these were new the then boss of Toyota was interviewed by Car magazine and they asked him what car would he choose if he was only allowed one car from that day - until the end of his motoring life (any car from any manufacturer) and he chose one of these.
As a fan of old Japanese cars I can't get even slightly interested in having one of these, definitely not when new and not now as a shed.
Reliable and well made but totally un-desirable!
As a fan of old Japanese cars I can't get even slightly interested in having one of these, definitely not when new and not now as a shed.
Reliable and well made but totally un-desirable!
leedsutd1 said:
£1,500 seems a lot for a 20 year old lexus needing belt doing ,have just sold a immaculate 2009 insignia 1,8, se with half leather seats ,73,000 miles 2 owners and serviced every 3,000 miles for £2,650
And I've just sold a job lot of Victorian encaustic floor tiles for £100, which is about as relevant. Roger Irrelevant said:
leedsutd1 said:
£1,500 seems a lot for a 20 year old lexus needing belt doing ,have just sold a immaculate 2009 insignia 1,8, se with half leather seats ,73,000 miles 2 owners and serviced every 3,000 miles for £2,650
And I've just sold a job lot of Victorian encaustic floor tiles for £100, which is about as relevant. leedsutd1 said:
£1,500 seems a lot for a 20 year old lexus needing belt doing ,have just sold a immaculate 2009 insignia 1,8, se with half leather seats ,73,000 miles 2 owners and serviced every 3,000 miles for £2,650
Im pleased you sold it Would love an LS, but can't part with my Saab
Interesting vehicle. I drive mainly long distance at the moment, so i'm looking for a more refined/comfortable car. Otherwise Lexus would be my number 1 choice, but i need better highway mpg. I have a little bit of problems to find a perfect car for replacing my old and battered Prius.
Any suggestion? No diesels...
Any suggestion? No diesels...
The RX 300 is also an interesting choice. They go field the same kind of money. I picked up a Mk1 with 70k on it, a full Lexus history, and one owner for £1800.
Not that cheap but it was truly a minter. I noted not even one advisory on the MOT history and just bought it.
It’s brilliant. It truly is. Hovers around 25 mpg average and it’s expensive to tax but it NEVER breaks. Despite it being treated very harshly.
I just cannot grasp the fact every single bit of it works. Perfectly. It’s 15 years old!
I was going to just top up the fluids when needed, keep the tyres and brakes neat and run it into the ground. But we’ve all grown to love it so it’s in for a major service next week. Actually not that bad.
On decent tyres it’s pretty impressive off road. Thing is, unlike all the old Mercs I’ve had (and I’ve had a few!) I know it will always start and always work.
In real terms, considering the purchase price, the best car I’ve had.
Not that cheap but it was truly a minter. I noted not even one advisory on the MOT history and just bought it.
It’s brilliant. It truly is. Hovers around 25 mpg average and it’s expensive to tax but it NEVER breaks. Despite it being treated very harshly.
I just cannot grasp the fact every single bit of it works. Perfectly. It’s 15 years old!
I was going to just top up the fluids when needed, keep the tyres and brakes neat and run it into the ground. But we’ve all grown to love it so it’s in for a major service next week. Actually not that bad.
On decent tyres it’s pretty impressive off road. Thing is, unlike all the old Mercs I’ve had (and I’ve had a few!) I know it will always start and always work.
In real terms, considering the purchase price, the best car I’ve had.
In a past life, when these were in production, I transitioned out of the aviation industry into classical music artist management. One day, my dear friend and client Gervase de Peyer, the greatest clarinettist of the 20th century, rang me up from Tuscany, where he was staying with a Countess, raving about this marvellous Lexus in which he'd just been chauffeured from the airport. He wasn't a massive petrolhead, but he knew a nice car when he saw it, and he said that the sheer refinement of the LS400 was in a different league to what he'd experienced from the major European and American marques (living in London and Alexandria, USA). Gervase died in February, having gone down with dementia, but I've never forgotten that conversation (or any other we had, for that matter - he was an unforgettable character).
Now, I've never been able to justify an LS400, as they've never quite fitted my needs, whereas my succession of to date three BMW E39s (most recently a £1500 loaded-spec 2001Y 540i Touring...) has always hit the spot (albeit I've never felt able to sell one, and the first one is now on its second engine, and the second car now needs a gearbox rebuild...). I need an estate most of the time, and part of me wishes an LS400 wagon existed.
On another level, they've never really done anything for me style-wise. They're undoubtedly handsome and well-proportioned, but they look rather like those anonymous cars from insurance adverts... I think I'd have to put aside the blandness and think of the quality engineering... whereas, subjectively, to me, E39s have that WANT factor - although this isn't the place for me to rhapsodise about them! If I was after a wafty V8 luxury saloon that wasn't a BMW, I think I'd have to get an X308 Jaguar, just because they do more for me looks-wise, and they're generally robust. I see a few around still, and I think they still look fantastic - whereas the LS400 now looks quite dated to me. A chap round the corner from me has a rather tired-looking example in gunmetal grey... very 90s. However, the engine is still near silent at low RPM and it doesn't smoke...
Question is, even if you accept that the Jag is much prettier, will it stand up to seriously long-term use and abuse in the way the Lexus will? "Matt Farah's Million-Mile Lexus" hasn't become an internet meme without good reason, albeit its true mileage was still a bit below 970,000 miles, the last I heard. Admittedly, the gearbox went bang around 950,000 and has since been rebuilt...
Can anyone comment on whether LS400s rust? X308s are notorious for rot, and BMWs of that era aren't immune either (both of my Tourings have a bit of bubbling on the sills), albeit not as bad as DaimlerChrysler malaise-era Mercs.
If the LS400 is your thing, I'd dare to suggest (even as an old fart of 60!) that they benefit from a slightly sportier look, some bigger snazzier alloy wheels, lower profile tyres, lowered suspension... less golf club, more gangster. (Not my pic, I hasten to add).
Add LSD, opposite lock and tyre smoke for additional coolness.
Now, I've never been able to justify an LS400, as they've never quite fitted my needs, whereas my succession of to date three BMW E39s (most recently a £1500 loaded-spec 2001Y 540i Touring...) has always hit the spot (albeit I've never felt able to sell one, and the first one is now on its second engine, and the second car now needs a gearbox rebuild...). I need an estate most of the time, and part of me wishes an LS400 wagon existed.
On another level, they've never really done anything for me style-wise. They're undoubtedly handsome and well-proportioned, but they look rather like those anonymous cars from insurance adverts... I think I'd have to put aside the blandness and think of the quality engineering... whereas, subjectively, to me, E39s have that WANT factor - although this isn't the place for me to rhapsodise about them! If I was after a wafty V8 luxury saloon that wasn't a BMW, I think I'd have to get an X308 Jaguar, just because they do more for me looks-wise, and they're generally robust. I see a few around still, and I think they still look fantastic - whereas the LS400 now looks quite dated to me. A chap round the corner from me has a rather tired-looking example in gunmetal grey... very 90s. However, the engine is still near silent at low RPM and it doesn't smoke...
Question is, even if you accept that the Jag is much prettier, will it stand up to seriously long-term use and abuse in the way the Lexus will? "Matt Farah's Million-Mile Lexus" hasn't become an internet meme without good reason, albeit its true mileage was still a bit below 970,000 miles, the last I heard. Admittedly, the gearbox went bang around 950,000 and has since been rebuilt...
Can anyone comment on whether LS400s rust? X308s are notorious for rot, and BMWs of that era aren't immune either (both of my Tourings have a bit of bubbling on the sills), albeit not as bad as DaimlerChrysler malaise-era Mercs.
If the LS400 is your thing, I'd dare to suggest (even as an old fart of 60!) that they benefit from a slightly sportier look, some bigger snazzier alloy wheels, lower profile tyres, lowered suspension... less golf club, more gangster. (Not my pic, I hasten to add).
Add LSD, opposite lock and tyre smoke for additional coolness.
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