Another Year Of Ownership

[Nick W858]

Hello all

Just thought I’d give an overview of the costs involved during my 9th year of ownership of my 98 LS400 – this site was immensely helpful in my decision to purchase my vehicle so hopefully this information may help others too.

During the last 12 months I have covered around 21000 miles, car has done around 230k now does around 23mpg round town but most of my journeys are longish runs when it can get up to 29/30mpg.

Costs (aside from fuel) as follows;

Costs as follows;
Insurance £400
Tax £225
Annual Service & Mot £1378 including new boot seal and new front discs and pads and auto headlamp adjuster
Refurb of scuffed front bumper and other minor paintwork £144
New set of 4 Continental winter tyres £680

Total £2827

Annual service was done at an independent – I have found a small excellent garage around the corner from where I live – the proprietor owns an LS400 and is very knowledgeable about the vehicle.

Still loving the car and I intend to keep it. My wife has just got a 2011 450h which is different and a very nice car to be in – that said the ride is not a patch on my 400 with the 19 inch wheels the main culprit.

Onwards and upwards for another year of happy motoring hopefully.

Thanks
Nick

[Titch LS]

Nick, having your garage proprietor as a fellow LS400 owner must be a bonus when it comes to repairs. What brand of tyres did you purchase? Are they noisier or quieter than the last set? I find that sometimes road noise is noticeable in these quiet cars so tyre choice is important to me.

[Cotswold Pete]

Nick, having your garage proprietor as a fellow LS400 owner must be a bonus when it comes to repairs. What brand of tyres did you purchase? Are they noisier or quieter than the last set? I find that sometimes road noise is noticeable in these quiet cars so tyre choice is important to me.

I've tried, Falken, Pirelli, Avon, Goodyear, cheap tyres, etc on both LS M2 and Mk4.

My conclusion is that a tyre that is not to bad on one type of surface can be quite noisy on another, and yet with another tyre it ends up being the opposite way around.

One thing I noticed is how road noise changes at night, not sure if this because tarmac temperature has a bearing, but roads do seem a bit better at night (or maybe it is my odd perception).

The condition of the roads in UK is generally worse than cr*p, and that is what happens when the last 20 years we have underspent on roads by £10B, but then I assume having Trident missiles was more important.

I do think the LS is so quite that any road noise gets picked up, and unless you have softer suspension I guess it is the price we pay for living in the UK - with some missles we have never used!!!

If you want to try a nice quite bit of road, get yourself on the A419 between Blunsdon and Cricklade, going northbound, re-surfaced a year ago and smooth as a baby's bottom (at the moment), then you go onto some of that awful concrete slab rubbish, and I have never ever found a tyre that makes that sound okay in any cabin of any car I have ever driven.

[Nick W858]

Hi Brian

They are Dunlops - see below for details - I think 68db so should be quiet - to be honest - it's difficult to tell if they are any quieter than the winters that were on previously. The car is still very quiet.
Nick

DU SPT BLURESP 102W XL 225/60WR16 W 102

[cruisermark]

I can vouch the Dunlop sp sports - went from bridgstones to dunlops on my 430 - the car is very quite and smooth now

[Shiner]

Hi Nick

So where is your garage that looks after your car.....