Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car.

General Comments:

Nearly all comments on this car have been positive. A couple have said it is boring and to this I must agree. But it is safe and seemingly reliable transportation. I guess if you want exciting, a BMW might be more your style.

My only gripe with the LS400 is in regard to comfort. Most will say that it is a comfortable car, but honestly, I feel more comfortable in my 86 Nissan 720 pickup. One problem is, where do you put your hand or arm when cruising down the highway. Especially your left arm. Putting the seat back a comfortable distance for your legs leaves the armrest for your left arm too far forward. And, my legs are average length for my 5'11", 185 lb frame.

One of the things I enjoy doing on a long road trip is lowering the driver's side window and placing my arm on the window ledge during nice weather. This is uncomfortable with the Lexus, as the center post is too far forward to allow for a comfortable position for my left arm.

I thought the seats were comfortable when I bought the car at the beginning of the winter. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the seats seemed to comform to the temperature of my back during the cold weather without the heated seats. Probably due to excellent insulation in the seats I thought. However, this blessing in the winter has turned out to be a negative in warmer weather, as the seats always feel hot on my back, necessitating using the AC. This is true, even on days when it is in only the 60s.

Lastly, the cabin, near the feet and calves, always seems hot, even on days in the lower 60's. Thus you have to fiddle around with the AC, vents, mode and so on to get a comfortable temperature. Again, my truck is more comfortable in all these regards, so it is not like I am really a nitpicker. The car is genuinely uncomfortable.

In summary, I must say regrettably, this is not a car I would want to take on a long road trip. It is just not comfortable to me. Check out these points for yourself if you look at one.

Faults:

Nothing wrong yet. The only down side to the LS400 is the headunit/stereo configuration. I'm sure in '97, the Nakimichi sound system was great, but now it sounds a little old. I'm currently looking for a replacement, but would like to keep the clean stock appearance.

General Comments:

Here's the deal, and why I'm posting today. I have been searching for the last couple of weeks for a replacement for my convertible Mustang. I'm a big guy who was looking for a car that I could pay cash for, and would be reliable. After searching for a few weeks, and at a suggestion from a friend, I stopped looking at Cadillacs, Grand Marquis and Lincolns, and looked at Avalon/Lexus line-up. First thing I did was check Carsurvey.org for reviews, and that helped immensely. The only problem was, I didn't see too many big people leave posts, and wanted to help other people in my position.

I'm a big guy, so the car needed to be roomy, functional, fun to drive and have a moon roof. So, I went to a local used car retailer and sat in a few different models. I did find that for me at 6'2" and near the 500 mark, and healing from a back injury, most were a tight fit or uncomfortable, mostly due to shoulder width where the "B" pillars start curving in at that roof line. As I'm sliding in and out of cars, I tried an Avalon and a Lexus LS430. Both were comfortable, but the Lexus was a better fit, but I didn't want to spend $18,000 during these troubled economic times. To my amazement, I actually found one.

After calling several private owners, I finally found one who didn't sell theirs prior to my calling them. It would seem that the LS400 is a sought after vehicle, and only stays on the market a short time in South Florida.

I bought mine at 120000 miles for $7000 cash, and it already had the timing belt and other high mileage service performed. Since titling it, the car has driven unlike anything I have ridden in before, with the exception of an S430; smooth rolling, quiet, and when needed, with pep. The interior was immaculate, and the exterior was just as good, with only very minor dings. The silver jade metallic paint seems to be as nice as the day it was bought new. Seating for me was pretty comfortable, with my only complaint being that my lower back has issues, and the seat itself was a bit small (both of which shouldn't be an issue after my back is fixed), but not particularly the seat's fault.

After 13 years, the Coach Leather (to my surprise) has held up very well, with no cracks or wear. The engine has just a slight movement to it, and transmission is very smooth, with shifting almost being imperceptible. I am really impressed with the vehicle overall, and it pains me to say that as a big believer in Ford. If my initial impressions hold true for the next 60,000 miles, I will be one very happy camper.

If you can find one, that has been taken care of and you are thinking of getting it, you should. I will update after I put some real mileage on, and let you know more.