Lexus LS400 Review

Overall Rating

Smooth, quiet, reliable, fast. Feels exclusive because there aren't that many around.

Wheels corrode.
Susceptible to stone chips on bonnet and front skirt.
Bumper scrapes caused by other people in car parks. Probably due to its long length.

I owned a Feb 1991 Mk1 for 9 years from early 1995. The car felt the same to drive on the day I sold it with over 200,000 miles on it as it did the day I bought it. The car was religiously serviced according to the Lexus service schedule.
During my ownership it had the following faults.
Front break calliper needed replacement at 85,000 miles.
Egr pipe perished at 6 years old needing auto box removal to replace - £500 ouch.
Air con depressurised at 13 years old.
One stainless steel exhaust section went at 12 years old.
Front headlight bulbs every 100,000 miles.
Interior courtesy light bulb at 100,000 miles.
Front break discs replaced at 115,000 miles.
LCD in centre dash faded out after 10 years.
Drivers seat became uncomfortable after 200,000 miles.
It often needed minor things doing at MOTs such as breakfuel pipe corrosion.
Tyres and break pads were needed every 20,000 miles.
Service costs varied between £120 for an 'A' service and £350 for a 'C' service every 6000 miles.
The car cost £15,000 at 4 years old. Sold it for £2000 after 9 years and 159,000 miles of ownership.
I sold it mainly because of the worn padding in driver seat. The car owed me nothing and was a joy to own. I liked it so much that I moved house when I first bought it because it didn't fit in the garage!
To find a replacement, I test drove the best the competition has to offer with an open mind (Audi A8, 7 series BMW, S class merc) I settled on a late 1999 Mk4 LS400 satnav model for £11K with 100,000 miles on the clock because it was such good value for money compared to the alternatives. After spending a further £500 getting the usual corroded wheels sorted, new courtesy light bulb and stone chips on front skirt and bonnet removed this car is now indistinguishable from a new car. All this for the price of a new Ford Focus. As you would expect, the mk4 is better specified than the mk1 with more airbags, satnav, 5 proper seat belts, traction control, more power, quieter, 9000 mile service interval etc etc.

The car has now been LPG converted using a 70 litre torroidal tank in the boot spare wheel well so there is no compromise on luggage space. After 10,000 miles on LPG I can dispel the rumours that LPG is a bad idea at least with this car anyway. There is no noticeable power difference between petrol and LPG. You can switch between petrol and LPG with your foot on the floor and you can't tell when it changes over. The MPG running on LPG is 7% less than of the MPG running on petrol. At 38p per litre for LPG fuel, it feels about the same on your wallet as a petrol car that does 45MPG. Garages stocking LPG seem to be quite common these days so filling up isn't a problem either. The conversion cost will be recovered after 35,000 miles. See http://www.fairdealautogas.co.uk/LexusLS400.html

Members' Comments onuham999's Review

• pillsbury on 31st Jul 2006

  congratulations on owning the best sedan on the market. you can't ever go wrong with a lexus or a toyota. I'm looking to upgrade my camry to a ES300 i hate when i ask people what they think the best car is, and they pick the white trash BWM. ugh.... or the GM made mercedes-benz consumer reports rates these as junk. I have also know people who had these cars, and as with american cars, they have been nothing but one big huge maintenance nightmare! these manufactures continue to screw the customer. as with every other product out there, if it's not japanese it's junk. my friend just traded in his hyundai XG300 that he bought new in 2001 after 20,000 he had to have a new transmission put in, as the original one melted. after OTHER problems, he got rid of it, and now owns a lexus ES300 2002 model. he loves it!