1999 Lexus LS 400 4.0 V8 from North America
Summary:
A great luxury sedan for anybody
Faults:
The Sending Unit went bad on the temperature gage.
The right taillight went out.
General Comments:
This is a great, reliable, and comfortable luxury sedan. The wood trim feels cheap in some places.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 17th April, 2005
23rd Jul 2008, 20:34
There is no doubt that the Lexus LS is a superbly engineered auto, but I dislike for a few reasons which I will list.
1.) It is an obvious forgery of a German car which is a far more noble and prestigious auto (Mercedes-Benz S-Class.) A modern upstart from the land of technology and robotics will never be able to match the craftsmanship and heritage of a European car.
2.) The styling is extremely bland and not balanced properly. A W140 S-Class or Jaguar XJ8 is styled more beautifully.
3.) The car isn't completely without fault in the area of reliability and quality. There is a Technical Service Bulletin for some component in the front suspension. This faulty component causes it to have almost no damping over sudden, sharp imperfections in the road surface. It really is quite irritating.
4.) The trunk space is minuscule. When I drive the car on road trips, I have to carry some of my luggage in the cabin area.
5.) The interior quality is a far cry from excellent. The handle on the center console lid is made from horribly flimsy plastics and so are the cup holders and so are the plastic areas surrounding the interior door handles. You would think that an auto that is priced at almost $60,000 would have a better interior.
23rd Mar 2008, 21:50
My 1999 LS400 is a superb vehicle in every respect. It has 296 hp., 300 lb. ft. of torque, 0-60 in 6.5 seconds, and a top speed of 155 mph. The interior is fabulous. The steering wheel, alone, takes 3 weeks, by hand, to make. The walnut is real. The side and rear view look like a 5 series M-B or a 7 series BMW. I will keep it forever. In the winter, it rests in our heated garage. To drive it feels like riding in first class leather. The LS 430 and 460 models are plain vanilla in appearance. My '99 has a classic appearance. I'll never trade it.