1996 Lexus LS 400 4.0L

Summary:

The best car I have driven (used to be a chauffeur) in 50 years of motoring

Faults:

Speedo needle was only half illuminated.

Driver's seat did not heat.

General Comments:

Both faults were present when I bought it.

Otherwise absolutely perfect condition throughout.

Expensive on petrol, so I have had an LPG conversion done.

Now get 6 miles per litre! Performance is even better than on petrol!

New LPG systems are very sophisticated and 'talk' to the car's ECU.

Capital depreciation... ZERO.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd May, 2013

14th Jul 2014, 04:55

Hello there,

Can you give me the name of the conversion kit you used? I am in the US and would like to look into converting too if the mileage is greatly improved.

Thanks for posting your comment.

1996 Lexus LS 400 4.0 V8

Summary:

Fantastic value for money at this age

Faults:

The handbrake seized up at 220,000 miles through a combination of lack of use and British weather. Not that it is needed in an automatic with "Park". New brake lines back to front were replaced at the same time.

At 220,500 the front nearside suspension spring broke - very cold weather and poor road surfaces in the bad weather at the beginning of 2010 caused this.

General Comments:

Superbly quiet at all speeds - it really is surprising at first, and every car I travel in now sounds loud!

Seats are comfortable and hard wearing. After 15 years and 226,000 miles, they are in superb condition still.

All the electrical items (windows, seats, sunroof, climate, dash lights, etc.) all still work as they should.

The stereo is absolutely fantastic - no wonder few LS 400's have them changed, unlike most other cars.

I can get 32 mpg (British gallons) on a long run (at 80 mph), but down to 18 mpg around town or when "playing".

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd January, 2011

1996 Lexus LS 400 4.0

Summary:

The LS400 is the best car in the world

Faults:

Brought my dream car with 89000 on the clock, and absolutely nothing has gone wrong with the car.

In the following months, there was a very minor rattle coming from the gear stick area. After weeks of inspection, can you believe that it was actually coming from the cigarette lighter. The cigarette lighter was rattling in its holder (and I was thinking that it was coming from the transmission itself!!! thank god it wasn't). So I just forced a small piece of card into the gap between lighter and holder, and no rattling now!!!

General Comments:

The car is fantastic; that's the first thing that comes to mind.

You have to remember that Lexus is all about luxury, quietness, and technology, and not so much handling. I know that the car does receive criticism in that aspect of driving. I have driven Mercedes and BMWs, and have to say that no car is as luxurious as the LS400.

It met all the expectations I had about the car. No car is quieter, I just can't stress that enough. The acceleration is extremely smooth and rapid, but not instantaneous, except when you put it in sports mode, when it can give some sports cars a run for their money (when you consider that the car nearly weighs two tonnes).

The rears seats are extremely comfortable, and I do actually prefer to be driven than driving the car (it's that comfortable). Just being seated in the car gives you the feeling that this is a very special car. The stereo is absolutely fantastic, and is actually designed to produce near perfect concert sound. Sometimes I just get into the car to listen to music. To get the best from the system, use original CDs than burned discs from a PC.

I think that a lot of people cannot comprehend that Lexus had what it took to develop a world class luxury car in their first attempt and succeeded at that. I understand that some people make opinions of the car without even driving it. I'm sure that if those anti-Lexus people gave it a chance to find out the actual purpose of the car (i.e providing a quiet ride, comfort etc) I'm sure they won't be disappointed (that's if they approach it with an open mind).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd August, 2007

11th Nov 2014, 19:18

I read many reviews of Lexus LS models on this and other websites before deciding to purchase. I recently purchased a LS430 with just over 25,000 miles. After having owned many Mercedes S-Class models, a Jaguar and other upscale cars, this pre-owned Ultra Luxury Edition Lexus is head and shoulders above every other car I have had in the past. Lexus doesn't make drastic changes to the exteriors of their cars when new models are introduced, so my car will not appear to be outdated for many years. I plan to keep this car and amortize the cost over many years, thus making my yearly cost of ownership very small.

1996 Lexus LS 400 4.0 Liter

Summary:

Luxury, comfort and clout if required. Buy one!

Faults:

Light behind the radio display. Needed a new circuit! Cost £240.00 but was under warranty!

General Comments:

This is really the most comfortable car I have ever driven. The spec. is just superb. You get so much for your money, it leaves Mercs and BMW's way behind.

I have tried to start the engine twice when it was already running! It is that quiet!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th July, 2000