Ls 400 Mkiv

OluGTR · October 10, 2009

Greetings,

I've just been on Autotrader to check out a few MKIVs. They had some real gems on there, clean with FSH but when I made enquiries, they were already sold!! I'll get one soon though but it's nice to see that interest in these cars are still as hot as ever. People are starting to get fed up with rusty Mercs and BMtrouble yous...

ManicMark · October 10, 2009

Good luck with the hunt, I am still grinning from ear to ear every time i get behind the wheel of my mark4 ( a year on) & trouble free. I just took a drive this morning in my mates brand new prius, he was going on how quiet it is around town being as it is on electric ( he has never been in my Lexus) I will wait a while before I burst his bubble.

Looking on the forum the mark4 has to be the one to go with. I would even dare to say over the 430 ( they seem to be having more issues as they are getting older) I know I am biased as I own one ( & am likely to get shot down in flames).

But £ for £ a mark4 has to be the best value trouble free Luxury with a capital L car on the market.

Normaly after a year Ive had enough of my rides being a bike or car ( but I can honestly say hand on heart I would probably cry if me & my mark4 parted company) I have never liked a vehicle so much. the nearest thing ive felt attatched to was a trusty w123 merc 300 oil burner I had 12 years ago & done 160,000 kms in, in 2.5 years ( I went to Greece in it for a whole summer) Turkey & over most of Europe, mini cabed it in London & totally abused it. I sold it with 480,000 k on it & I swear it would have done anouther 1,000,000, I was sad when I sold it But it had nothing on the Lexus. I would say most mark 4 owners feel the same ( but I supose most of the ls owners do aswell no matter what year) But my pennys worth is go for a mark 4 you wont regret it :D Mark

floggit · October 10, 2009

Hi , im beginning to think mk iv is the way to go to. Im in a position to upgrade soon and have been researching the 430 as my next ride but as the last post stated they seem to be having more trouble and more expensive faults than 400 series . So im now reconsidering wether to just put some money into my series 3 or drive a few sreies 4 and see. Apart from wheels , ftont end and satnav i dont think theres much difference.

If i was coming into lexus now it would be a series 4,no question.

steve

JellyBean · October 10, 2009

Well, I'm glad some people agree with me after all !

ManicMark · October 10, 2009

Hi , im beginning to think mk iv is the way to go to. Im in a position to upgrade soon and have been researching the 430 as my next ride but as the last post stated they seem to be having more trouble and more expensive faults than 400 series . So im now reconsidering wether to just put some money into my series 3 or drive a few sreies 4 and see. Apart from wheels , ftont end and satnav i dont think theres much difference.
If i was coming into lexus now it would be a series 4,no question.

steve

Loads of difference 284bhp vvti engine, 5 speed auto with sport & snow mode , traction control, ESP, A much safer ride in the winter & for me going to south Germany in the winters the snow mode is a real big bonus (works a treat from a standing start up steep slopes on ice).

I was looking at mark3s aswell, it was only when petrol prices were looking at going to go up to £1.50 a liter last year & the car market collapsed that mark 4s came within my budget ( all the toys reliable & I will say again the best used luxury buy on the market). Not that i would have been unhappy with a mint mark3 mind ( but would have probably been looking at mark4s with a bit of envy)

OluGTR · October 10, 2009

Hi , im beginning to think mk iv is the way to go to. Im in a position to upgrade soon and have been researching the 430 as my next ride but as the last post stated they seem to be having more trouble and more expensive faults than 400 series . So im now reconsidering wether to just put some money into my series 3 or drive a few sreies 4 and see. Apart from wheels , ftont end and satnav i dont think theres much difference.
If i was coming into lexus now it would be a series 4,no question.

steve

I'm glad I started this topic because great minds think exactly alike. I went to see an LS430 4 days ago out of interest. It's a lovely car with all the toys and of course the legendary silky smooth V8, but let's not forget that the first Lexus to appear in the JD Power survey in the uk at 1st position was the LS400 MKIV. I'll say it now that it IS the best car Lexus have ever made to date. I have driven about 7 - 8 different examples and my respect for the machine just increases by the hour. I drove one last year and I thought it had low miles because it drove like a new motor, super clean interior and everything worked. When I asked my friend what the mileage was at the last minute, he told me 212,000miles. (on the same automatic gearbox!!) No other luxury car will look like that if they even manage to splutter past 150k miles. Mercs and BM automatics generally require rebuilds after 100k miles. When I get mine, I'm keeping it for a long while. The only replacement might be the current LS460 when their prices drop to my pocket levels. They seem to be free from all these modern electrical gremlins at the moment...