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bigjim

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  • Lexus Model
    ls400 (96)

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  1. I had a rear spring go on my 97 LS last year after a 3000-mile trip to the south of France. I just took it to my local garage where they ordered the part from a Toyota dealership 5 miles away. I had to wait for three days and the mechanic said it was a pig of a job, but I got it all done for £150. It's not terminal by any means. I've got to admit, though, that I wince whenever it goes over a pothole now. I don't know what the roads are like around the rest of the country, but in East Devon they're appalling after this winter.
  2. I had a very similar predicament when I bought my 97 Mk III just over a year ago. It was on a dealer's front for £2100 and very tidy, with 130,000 on the clock. The passenger and rear seats looked completely unused and the salesman told me the owner of the past 7 years was a racehorse owner who used the car to follow his horse box around the country. Unfortunately, the guy had apparently lost the service history acquired during his ownership, but alleged that he had it serviced annually. I had a good look around; the engine bay and interior were immaculate and, other than a few minor scratches on the rear offside wing, the body was good. I took it for a decent test ride, accelerated, braked, went up and down a couple of hills and everything seemed to work fine. I was then left with a choice: walk away or take a risk. The lack of service history enabled me to barter the price down to £1650 and I took the plunge. 14 months later the only problems I've had were a rear suspension spring (£150 to replace) and two worn front tyres; it sailed through the MOT without a problem. It has a number of irritating faults common to the model: leaking boot seals, heated seats not working, back-light on stereo failed, memory settings for seats kaput, but it's still an awful lot of car for the money. I say go for it, most LS owners are responsible people who look after their cars properly.
  3. I also spent my holidays in France this year, doing nearly 3000 miles in a '97 400 travelling down to the Tarn Valley. I'd echo the comments about not seeing any other Lexus, but the French simply don't "do" big cars; never have and never will. After nearly 20 years of holidaying there I have to say I can see why. Whilst the old girl was peerless on the autoroutes, it was, frankly,hopeless on the twists, turns and "lancets" of the mountains. This year I had the kids with me, so we had to take it, but last year my wife and I travelled all the way to Menton, near the Italian border, in a 15 year-old Peugeot 205. It was superb; cruised at 130 kph on the autoroutes and was thoroughly at home in the foothills of the Alps. I'd happily take the LS back to France if I was visiting the northern half of the country, but anywhere south of the Loire - where it starts to get mountainous - I wouldn't bother.
  4. I'm not sure if I'm adding anything particularly constructive to the thread but I bought a '97 LS a year ago. I paid £1600 for a model with 133,000 on the clock and no service history! Stupid, I know, but I liked the dealer and was willing to believe him when he told me the previous owner was elderly, a bit forgetful, and had "mislaid" the documents. (You had to be there). Anyway, since then I've used it as a weekend motor, except for August this year when I did 3,000 miles on a holiday in the south of France. It went like a dream. I've just put it in for an M.O.T. and it failed on one thing only; a rear suspension spring (cost at my local garage: £105 for the part, £110 for the labour). I'm happy with that; another year's motoring guaranteed. Other than that, I've had an oil change (£45) at ATS, and two front tyres (£220), also at ATS. The only faults are: Front and rear seat heaters don't work; boot seals leak....er, that's it. So, I've splashed out just over 2 grand for a year's motoring in one of the world's most luxurious cars. That sort of bargain just won't happen in years to come, when we're all forced by legislation to run electric cars or combustion engines of less that 900cc. Go for it!
  5. I'm now in my second month of Lexus ownership; I bought it as a pure luxury and have spent more time polishing it than driving it so far! When I do get behind the wheel I'm a happy chap, though. It's got 131000 miles, and there are a few little niggles: heated seats don't work and there is obviously an ill-fitting seal somewhere because the boot gets damp after washing or rain; this, in turn, causes a lot of condensation on the rear window. They aren't big problems, though, and it's a magnificent cruiser. I'm really looking forward to our trip to the south of France in August. To the point of the thread...... 3 children have meant me having a series of sensible estates and a Toyota Previa (from which, I notice, they've taken the Cruise Control switch to use on the LS). The car I'd compare the Lexus with, however, is the Series 3 Jaguar; I had three of them, including the V12, and I've loved big saloons ever since. Firstly, the Cat has the LS comprehensively beaten on aesthetic grounds, inside and out. The Series 3, especially with the pepper pot alloys, was one of the most beautiful cars ever produced. Jaguar have tried and failed to match it ever since. The interior was gorgeous, too; like sitting in a St James' gentleman's club. The interior of the LS, whilst noticeably bigger, is spartan by comparison. The exterior is imposing, certainly, but nobody could describe it as pretty. Things are fairly even as regards comfort; the LS is quieter, and the fitted stereo is better, but I prefer the seats in the Jag; they seem to offer better support. The LS comes out on top regarding performance. it is considerably quicker than the straight six Jag, and - despite producing less bhp - a bit faster than the V12. And although none of these cars are frugal, the Lexus is giving me better consumption than the smaller-engined Jag (the 4.2), and much better mpg than the 5.3 V12. Even with the later HE (Higher Efficiency) engine, that is a very, very juicy car. A weakness of the Lexus is its handling; fine on a straight run, but over-light on a twisty road. The Series 3 Jag was no rally car, but there was a lot more "feel" to the steering and response. I'm hoping the Lexus will really shine in the reliability stakes. I had problems with both the 4.2 Jags I owned, including a £3000 engine re-build on the second. The V12 was a much better proposition; other than the air-conditioning packing up, it gave me no problems in 5 years of ownership. Its build quality couldn't match the Japanese car's, though. I've been really impressed with how beautifully the LS is put together. In conclusion I would say that I'm hugely enjoying ownership of the LS, and intend to keep and nurture it for many years to come. If, however, you secretly crave heads turning whenever you pull up at the lights, (and have a limitless bank account to pay for the petrol), go and get a late Series 3 V12 in black, with cream seats and pepper pots. You'll spend hours just sitting behind the wheel with a soppy grin on your face.
  6. Help! I went out to polish my '96 400 today and one of the wheels' centre caps was missing; presumably fallen off somewhere. Does anyone know of a decent supplier? I'm not getting any joy on E-Bay, and I've heard that Lexus only supply them in packs of 4 at £200 a time.
  7. Pete, Thanks for the response; I think I'll just learn to live with it! Steve, It doesn't surprise me that there are so few members of loc in the SW. I've been looking for a good LS for months without success; in the end I had to catch a train up to Devizes to pick mine up. Cheers, Jim
  8. Hi, I'm new to the world of Lexus ownership, having just bought a '96 LS400 two days ago. Generally, I'm delighted with the acquisition. I bought it for £1750 with 131,000 on the clock. The bodywork and interior are in fabulous condition, it goes like stink, the audio system is tremendous and it's as comfortable as my old Series 3 jag V12; high praise indeed! The only caveat I have is that neither the front nor the passenger seat-heaters seem to work. The control light comes on, but no bum-warming ensues. To be honest, I can happily live without it but, you know, as it's there I'd like it to work! Is this a common problem? Is it too expensive to bother getting it fixed? Any advice would be appreciated.
  9. I've just bought my first Lexus, a '96 LS400: 130000 miles and £1750. I've still got a '93 Peugeot 205 1.8 diesel (great little car) and a 2000 Nissan Primera 1.6 (yes, I know). The interesting comparison will be with one of my previous motors, a Series 3 Jag V12, but I guess that's another thread.
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