How Better Is The Series 4 Over Series 3

[M.IQBAL]

hi

im currently running a 1996 series 3 which has a fitted sat nav and im looking into a series 4 as i fancy a change.

question is is their much difference between them in terms of ride quality/toys apart from:

a) series 4 has sat nav (I already have one)

B) some series 4 come with DHP - which im LED to believe although gives better handling it does compromise on ride quality (smoothness)

c) some series 4 have Xenons - i have upgraded my bulbs to PIAA xteme white giving better visability

so is there anything else which a series 4 has which series 3 doest which makes it all that better???

all opinions very welcome

regards

miq

[passman53]

Hello,

I changed from a Mk 3 to a Mk4 (Not a dhp), last August and don't regret it. However the changes in themselves are not that much, it just feels a better package overall.

Engine -----------variable valve timing and extra 20bhp plus extra 24lb ft of torque at slightly lower revs.

Gearbox---------5 speed instead of 4 Together these make the car seem much faster and generally more responsive than a reduction of less than a second in the 0-60 time(Lexus figures compared), would suggest.

Probably because of the engine and fifth gear I find the car is a bit more economical. I'm averaging 23mpg instead of 20mpg.

Traction control has been useful once or twice during the icy weather. VSC has never yet operated but then I don't drive like a lunatic anyway.

Additional side air bags which hopefully you won't need.

HID lights are good but then I was happy with the 4500K Xenon bulbs I put in my old car.

Sat nav not an issue for you but I much prefer the layout of the audio and climate display, just a personal thing really.

As I said not really that many changes but all of them add up to what I think is a better car.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[M.IQBAL]

Hello,

I changed from a Mk 3 to a Mk4 (Not a dhp), last August and don't regret it. However the changes in themselves are not that much, it just feels a better package overall.

Engine -----------variable valve timing and extra 20bhp plus extra 24lb ft of torque at slightly lower revs.

Gearbox---------5 speed instead of 4 Together these make the car seem much faster and generally more responsive than a reduction of less than a second in the 0-60 time(Lexus figures compared), would suggest.

Probably because of the engine and fifth gear I find the car is a bit more economical. I'm averaging 23mpg instead of 20mpg.

Traction control has been useful once or twice during the icy weather. VSC has never yet operated but then I don't drive like a lunatic anyway.

Additional side air bags which hopefully you won't need.

HID lights are good but then I was happy with the 4500K xenon bulbs I put in my old car.

Sat nav not an issue for you but I much prefer the layout of the audio and climate display, just a personal thing really.

As I said not really that many changes but all of them add up to what I think is a better car.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

thanks for the reply passman - did you notice any significant improvement in the ride quality - is the MK4 smoother (suspension wise) or is the same?

[M.IQBAL]

thanks for the reply passman - did you notice any significant improvement in the ride quality and cabin noise - is the MK4 smoother (suspension wise) and quiter or is it about the same?

[passman53]

thanks for the reply passman - did you notice any significant improvement in the ride quality and cabin noise - is the MK4 smoother (suspension wise) and quiter or is it about the same?

I haven't really noticed much difference in the ride quality and I can't comment on the noise as the Mk3 was fitted with really noisy tyres-Federal. To be fair the roadholding was very good though. When I got it, the new car was fitted with Bridgestone which I've replaced with--wait for it---Kumho KH11. These produced much less noise from the moment I left the tyre dealers. I was going to see how they performed over a few thousand miles and then put up a post on them.

[I'm Rolling]

thanks for the reply passman - did you notice any significant improvement in the ride quality and cabin noise - is the MK4 smoother (suspension wise) and quiter or is it about the same?

As this is my second LS and the first one was a S3. I would like to add that I felt the leather was of a better grade, it is certainly softer. Strangely, I think the suspension is a little softer, which I do not like. It is smoother, feels faster and a Lexus mechanic (Bromley) in his view believes this is the best model.

[maneesh]

The Series 4 had ironed out most of the little bugs that were present in Series 1-3. All Series 4 had HIDs. It was the first car in the UK ever to have HIDs as standard back in 1998.

You can find out the differences between the Series 3 and Series 4 models by looking at the Lexus approved pre-owned website here

Pre-owned vehicle specification

[ndz]

hi iqbal,

just recently joined loc ,i currently have a 1998 s4 ls400 i think that a feels more respnsive compared o the s3 due to the vvti engine ,xenon

lights are reeally good ,vsr, factory sat nav (which im not a huge fan of ) other than that the suspension feels simular to the s3

quality of leather feels alot lofter ,exterior wise i think the s4 looks alot nicer facelift front end and polished alloys , overhall a refined car ,i previously

had a 1996/n s3 which i thought was perfect but the series 4 goes that little bit further with the added bonus of these creature comforts ! hope that helps nadeem .

[graham8370]

Here's a nice link. here. Series 3 owner for 3 years, upgraded to 99 series 4 DHP 15 months ago. I had both cars together for approx 6 months, alternating between the 2. When going to the ser 4 from the ser 3 you felt , perhaps wrongly, how ''basic'' the series 3 is. Go for the ser 4. As I said, I have owned the ser 4 for 15 months and still use any excuse to go out for a drive.

[JellyBean]

You can find out the differences between the Series 3 and Series 4 models by looking at the Lexus approved pre-owned website here

Pre-owned vehicle specification

-And I wish they'd put in some spec figures for the LS430 Series 2 - apart from correcting the intro date for the LS430 Series 1 !