Old Lexus LS460 brave pill?
Discussion
I am looking at these (and BMW 5 series) and they contain some impressive kit lists, ones I am looking at are 12+ years old and 150K miles for £6-8k, are these a decent bet? Too risky to take on at this age? I have heard about good Lexus reliability but does anyone have experience of this model? I fancy smoking around in the lap of luxury for a while and this car seems to fulfill that brief in spades. Talk me out of it.
A Lexus LS460 will piss all over any luxury BMW of that era for reliability - the build quality of them things is sublime and far better than what comes out of Germany now. 150k or whatever miles on them is absolutely nothing at all. They are a heck of a used car bargain
Mention Lexus and most people say - ahh Toyota bla bla bla, them idiots probably a) never drove a Lexus at all and b) don't know that the LS range is made in entirely different assemblies than the bog standard IS and CT Lexus range.
This video showcases the quality put into premium Lexus cars - the LS is no exception
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep2F46r50ss&t=...
Mention Lexus and most people say - ahh Toyota bla bla bla, them idiots probably a) never drove a Lexus at all and b) don't know that the LS range is made in entirely different assemblies than the bog standard IS and CT Lexus range.
This video showcases the quality put into premium Lexus cars - the LS is no exception
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep2F46r50ss&t=...
No risk at all, you would have no trouble as long as you double check its history. I think people just waking up to Lexus in Europe (including me) in recent years. Everytime, I visit States, most people drive Lexus, as the reliability and customer service completely won the customers over there. I've owned many german cars and always preferred them in the past, but I think they are way in the past now in terms of reliability and comfort.
Thanks for the feedback. The reliability side is appealing to my head but the driving dynamics of the 5 appeals to my heart, what are LS'es like to drive? A bit dull? I can't imagine they would be on a par with more sporting saloons and are more of a wafty barge? At least tell me they are great for powerslides 
Given the potential for unreliability with the BM compared to the Lexus, and the costs involved in putting an elderly German barge right, I would settle for a slightly less dynamic drive in favour of actually being able to drive rather than having to spend and fix. My memory of the 460 is one of extremely refined speed, but it won't be especially nimble.They're quick, but deceptively so.
If I had a need for such a thing in that category of vehicle, I'd buy one ahead of any competitor, but I've long had a soft spot for a Lexus or two.
If I had a need for such a thing in that category of vehicle, I'd buy one ahead of any competitor, but I've long had a soft spot for a Lexus or two.
Hi,
I bought a 460 back in November, it had 99k miles on the clock and came with FSH. On the whole they are very reliable cars, certainly more so than the equivalent German. I certainly wouldn't compare them to a 5 series, they're definitely more 7 series/S class rival. If you compare them to a 5 and see how they feel, in terms of luxury there is absolutely no contest.
They're very quiet, refined, comfortable and have a good turn of speed, but don't expect anything sporty. They don't try to be, and they're all the better for it.
They have their faults, like any car. Suspension components such as track rod ends seem quite common, but all of the more expensive air suspension stuff seems pretty robust. The biggest issue with these cars is the variable ratio steering. If it fails it is a very, very big bill as the steering rack needs to be replaced. It is the only big flaw with the cars. Other issues are hoses at the radiator can leak coolant into the gearbox, which is never a good thing, so look for any coolant leaks. I can't think of much else to be honest.
I haven't done many miles in mine (due to lock down for starters) but I think I have done around 4000 miles. In that time it has been 100% reliable. I had an issue with the suspension not sitting quite level, but this turned out to just be something that needed recalibrating. It recently had a service and a bit of a "check over" and they didn't find any faults which I'm pleased with.
I bought a 460 back in November, it had 99k miles on the clock and came with FSH. On the whole they are very reliable cars, certainly more so than the equivalent German. I certainly wouldn't compare them to a 5 series, they're definitely more 7 series/S class rival. If you compare them to a 5 and see how they feel, in terms of luxury there is absolutely no contest.
They're very quiet, refined, comfortable and have a good turn of speed, but don't expect anything sporty. They don't try to be, and they're all the better for it.
They have their faults, like any car. Suspension components such as track rod ends seem quite common, but all of the more expensive air suspension stuff seems pretty robust. The biggest issue with these cars is the variable ratio steering. If it fails it is a very, very big bill as the steering rack needs to be replaced. It is the only big flaw with the cars. Other issues are hoses at the radiator can leak coolant into the gearbox, which is never a good thing, so look for any coolant leaks. I can't think of much else to be honest.
I haven't done many miles in mine (due to lock down for starters) but I think I have done around 4000 miles. In that time it has been 100% reliable. I had an issue with the suspension not sitting quite level, but this turned out to just be something that needed recalibrating. It recently had a service and a bit of a "check over" and they didn't find any faults which I'm pleased with.
Lexus came no1 again in AutoExpress's driver power rankings...
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/driver-power/92307/b...
(The first top 3 brands, japanese, that tell you a lot about quality, and work ethics imho)
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/driver-power/92307/b...
(The first top 3 brands, japanese, that tell you a lot about quality, and work ethics imho)
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
Hi,
I bought a 460 back in November, it had 99k miles on the clock and came with FSH. On the whole they are very reliable cars, certainly more so than the equivalent German. I certainly wouldn't compare them to a 5 series, they're definitely more 7 series/S class rival. If you compare them to a 5 and see how they feel, in terms of luxury there is absolutely no contest.
They're very quiet, refined, comfortable and have a good turn of speed, but don't expect anything sporty. They don't try to be, and they're all the better for it.
They have their faults, like any car. Suspension components such as track rod ends seem quite common, but all of the more expensive air suspension stuff seems pretty robust. The biggest issue with these cars is the variable ratio steering. If it fails it is a very, very big bill as the steering rack needs to be replaced. It is the only big flaw with the cars. Other issues are hoses at the radiator can leak coolant into the gearbox, which is never a good thing, so look for any coolant leaks. I can't think of much else to be honest.
I haven't done many miles in mine (due to lock down for starters) but I think I have done around 4000 miles. In that time it has been 100% reliable. I had an issue with the suspension not sitting quite level, but this turned out to just be something that needed recalibrating. It recently had a service and a bit of a "check over" and they didn't find any faults which I'm pleased with.
Think I will have to test drive one, not many near me as there are not a huge number available on AT. Still, no hurry yet as my current car's MOT has another couple of months to run and will see how that performs. Plenty of time to keep looking.I bought a 460 back in November, it had 99k miles on the clock and came with FSH. On the whole they are very reliable cars, certainly more so than the equivalent German. I certainly wouldn't compare them to a 5 series, they're definitely more 7 series/S class rival. If you compare them to a 5 and see how they feel, in terms of luxury there is absolutely no contest.
They're very quiet, refined, comfortable and have a good turn of speed, but don't expect anything sporty. They don't try to be, and they're all the better for it.
They have their faults, like any car. Suspension components such as track rod ends seem quite common, but all of the more expensive air suspension stuff seems pretty robust. The biggest issue with these cars is the variable ratio steering. If it fails it is a very, very big bill as the steering rack needs to be replaced. It is the only big flaw with the cars. Other issues are hoses at the radiator can leak coolant into the gearbox, which is never a good thing, so look for any coolant leaks. I can't think of much else to be honest.
I haven't done many miles in mine (due to lock down for starters) but I think I have done around 4000 miles. In that time it has been 100% reliable. I had an issue with the suspension not sitting quite level, but this turned out to just be something that needed recalibrating. It recently had a service and a bit of a "check over" and they didn't find any faults which I'm pleased with.
Tallow said:
My last car was a Lexus, my current car is a BMW. My next car will be a Lexus.
In terms of reliability they are world's apart. In my experience, at least.
I don't know how the Germans can still be getting it so wrong, when Lexus and therefore Toyota were getting it so right from as far back as 1990. At least with petrol and hybrids anyway, let's not talk about Jap diesels!In terms of reliability they are world's apart. In my experience, at least.
Engine-wise, I the 2UZ V8 like in my LX is pretty bulletproof, but will occasionally eat O2 sensors and throw a "P0135" code. Happens between 80-100k miles if they haven't been done.
To give you an idea of how dependable these things are, its pretty hard to find an LX or Landcruiser with <200,000 miles on them in here in the US. They just go on and on.
To give you an idea of how dependable these things are, its pretty hard to find an LX or Landcruiser with <200,000 miles on them in here in the US. They just go on and on.
Heaveho said:
Tallow said:
My last car was a Lexus, my current car is a BMW. My next car will be a Lexus.
In terms of reliability they are world's apart. In my experience, at least.
I don't know how the Germans can still be getting it so wrong, when Lexus and therefore Toyota were getting it so right from as far back as 1990. At least with petrol and hybrids anyway, let's not talk about Jap diesels!In terms of reliability they are world's apart. In my experience, at least.
) and I just didn't want a BMW after all the woes I'd had before and was so impressed with the Corolla. I figured the LS460 would of course cost a lot more to run but should still be better than the BMW.It does have expensive road tax though, but anything with this size engine of this age does.
German manufacturers (VW, BMW and Merc) now worldwide, so their approach is simple. Make sure that the car reaches at least up to 100k miles, until their warranty runs out. That's it really, because the cars now like smart-phones, they just have to be upgraded once every 4 years, at least.
My first car was VW Golf 1.8, 4 motion. I still have the car, and it was imported from Germany brand new. My mum currently runs it as a daily, as the car is simply bullet-proof. In 2015, I bought a brand new VW Beetle, 2.0 Turbo, quite fast and high-spec. The car was absolutely fun to drive, and honestly did not give me any mechanical fault but the build quality was horrible. The windows did not close properly, rattled everywhere, some interior parts started to fall off and I just simply sold after 3 years. I also had Porsche 986, and brand new Merc GLA recently. My family also had many cars included again Jeep, Porsche and LR. I think it is safe to say, the worst brands, in terms of reliability, Land Rover and Porsche. I simply can't remember how many times we have to call service due to break down, it was tiresome.
Lexus is very different, top build quality, and if you are really after performance I think their specific models like ISF, RCF or LC are simply superb. I was a passenger in LS460 in Los Angeles, it was such a comfortable and smooth ride.
My first car was VW Golf 1.8, 4 motion. I still have the car, and it was imported from Germany brand new. My mum currently runs it as a daily, as the car is simply bullet-proof. In 2015, I bought a brand new VW Beetle, 2.0 Turbo, quite fast and high-spec. The car was absolutely fun to drive, and honestly did not give me any mechanical fault but the build quality was horrible. The windows did not close properly, rattled everywhere, some interior parts started to fall off and I just simply sold after 3 years. I also had Porsche 986, and brand new Merc GLA recently. My family also had many cars included again Jeep, Porsche and LR. I think it is safe to say, the worst brands, in terms of reliability, Land Rover and Porsche. I simply can't remember how many times we have to call service due to break down, it was tiresome.
Lexus is very different, top build quality, and if you are really after performance I think their specific models like ISF, RCF or LC are simply superb. I was a passenger in LS460 in Los Angeles, it was such a comfortable and smooth ride.
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