1st Generation Ls-the Ultimate Ride

[vroom8]

The 1st Generation--Absolutely Futuristic

1990-1994 Lexus LS400 Road Test

By Charles Ofria

Category: Used: Luxury Sedan

Who should buy this car: A person who wants a no-compromise Luxury sedan on the order of Mercedes and BMW that is affordable.

Comparable cars in this class: Mercedes Benz E Class, BMW 5 Series, Infiniti Q45, Cadillac DeVille, Lincoln Town Car.

The first-generation Lexus LS400 (1990-1994) is quite possibly one of the top five best cars in the world. In speaking to some owners of this car, I heard comments like "…best car I've ever owned", "…this is a great car", "…fabulous ride". One owner summed it up by saying "This may be the last car I ever buy."

In 1989 when Toyota introduced this car to America as a 1990 model, the automotive press thought it didn't have a chance against the likes of Mercedes and BMW. Toyota knew how to build great economy cars and small family sedans but this is the big league. Jokes circulated about this folly, one of which I remember on a TV drama where a car thief who specialized in stealing expensive cars pulled up with a Lexus. When his partner saw him and gave him a look, he said "it was dark, I thought it was a Mercedes." As a matter of fact, the only LS400 that I have ever known to break down was in the 1991 movie "The Grand Canyon" starring Danny Glover (a movie I otherwise highly recommend.)

Well, it took less then a year for everyone in the automotive industry to change their attitude and give this car the respect it deserved. Lexus became the standard by which other cars are judged. Only the Mercedes S Class and the BMW 7 Series could rightly claim to be better cars. But they cost ,000 to ,000 more than the Lexus LS400 which had a starting price of under ,000 in 1990.

Today, we know that the first-generation Lexus LS400s are quite possibly the most reliable cars on the planet. The ’93 that we used for this report with 101,000 miles on it is more reliable than most new cars. And this is no fluke. Check out its reliability rating in any consumer publication that rates used cars and see for yourself. Better still, talk to an owner. The owner of our test car purchased it over a year ago from a wholesale lot (which means no warrantee) and has driven it about 16,000 miles. So far, he has changed the oil 3 times and replaced a parking light bulb.

Of course, whenever you buy any used car, you must make sure that you have it thoroughly checked out by a competent professional. You are looking for a car that has been properly maintained and never been in an accident. One good thing about buying a Lexus is that you can take the V.I.N. number to a Lexus service center and they will give you a printout of all the work that was ever done to that car by any Lexus dealer in the country.

The test car for this report is a 1993 Lexus LS400 with 101,000 miles on the clock. The tires on this car are 225/60 VR16 Goodyear Invicta GA’s. These are the recommended tires for this car and are the same type as the ones that came on it when it was new. This car has all the options that were available for this model except for the built-in cellular phone. The options include full time traction control, heated front seats, memory seat system, Nakamichi Sound System, trunk mounted 6-disk CD changer, Power Moonroof and computer controlled air-suspension.

This car exudes quality from its fit and finish to the materials chosen both inside and out. Look around the interior and you won’t find a single exposed screw and very few seams in the trim. All the controls, from the radio knobs to the directional lever feel like they will last forever. The same goes for the glove compartment door, the cup holders, the ash tray, and everything else you can touch, see or hear. The steering wheel has a nice feel to it with a thick rim that allows a good sense of control. The entire center pad of the wheel serves as a horn switch. I found it to be bit too easy to accidentally blow the horn while twirling the wheel with one finger during parking maneuvers. The instruments are illuminated both day and night while the ignition is on. The numbers on the gauges seem to float in space with the needles in front of them and any warning lights floating about an inch or so behind. When the ignition is off, the panel goes dark and you can’t see the gauges at all.

The perfect driving position is achieved with a host of power adjustments, all part of the optional his/hers memory system. These adjustments include the 8-way power seat, a power tilt and telescoping steering column, power seatbelt anchor height, power headrest height and power outside mirrors. Press button number 1 and all these adjustments move to the first driver’s preferences. Press number 2 and they all move to the other driver’s settings. Without the memory system, the adjustments are still there, but not all are power operated.

The seats are very comfortable for four people but, because of the deeply sculptured rear seat, a fifth passenger, sitting on the center hump, will feel like he/she has been relegated to second-class citizen.

The ride on this car with its air-suspension is as perfect as you can get. Soft but controlled over any kind of pavement we could throw at it. We took it through Brooklyn New York where some of the streets have been heaved and tossed by a century of bus and truck traffic and spot patched whenever absolutely necessary. On the rare occasion where they would pave a section of street, you may see a Con Edison crew the following week breaking it up again to make an underground repair.

In some cases, you knew you were going over a particularly bad section of road because you could see it out of the front windshield. But from inside, all you could feel was a gentle rocking motion, with little or no sound from a suspension that you knew had to be working its heart out.

Normally, a car that rides this softly is a bear to control, bounding up and down after a dip in the road or wallowing like a boat when you tried to take a turn. Not so this Lexus. I found the steering to be quick and responsive and the cornering to be flat and steady. The excellent tires gripped the road with a vengeance both in cornering and stopping while maintaining a very quiet ride. A rare achievement. When going over a dip in the road that would send other softly sprung cars bounding up and down and getting their passengers seasick, this car will sense the dip in the road and instantly tighten up its electronically controlled shocks to stop any bounding before it had a chance to start. As soon as the energy from the dip is absorbed, the shocks returned to their soft setting. If the computer senses that you are driving fast, making quick steering movements or braking hard, the shocks will stiffen up to their sport mode and stay that way for as long as necessary. At highway speed, the car will lower itself automatically by about an inch for improved aerodynamics. Another advantage to having air-suspension is when you have a full load of passengers and/or heavy items in the trunk, the car will level itself automatically. There are two controls on the console to allow you to modify the behavior of this system. One switch allows you to manually change from normal to sport shock settings, the other switch lets you increase the ground clearance by about an inch or so for when you are driving through snow or on bad roads.

I also had a chance to drive another Lexus with the standard coil spring suspension without all these bells and whistles. I can tell you that, while the ride was not quite as good as the air spring car, it still had an excellent ride while providing good handling and control on winding roads. In both cases, you are dealing with a car that rides as good as any in the world.

One thing that you should remember is that this is a rear wheel drive car. Because of this, traction on slippery roads can be a problem and if you don’t know how to handle a rear wheel drive car in a skid, you could easily spin out. To avoid this, make sure the car you plan to buy has traction control. This system will sense a wheel that is starting to spin and apply the brake on that wheel thereby transferring power to the wheel with the most traction. If applying the brake is insufficient to stop the spin, the computer will reduce power to the engine until the skid is under control. This process takes place so quickly and seamlessly, in many cases the only way that you know that you almost lost traction is by the flashing Trac light that tells you that the system momentarily took over. Of course, 20 years ago most cars were rear wheel drive and none had traction control. I guess that we all just drove more carefully back then and perhaps knew our limits.

The V8 engine is world-class. With 250 horsepower this engine will accelerate the car from a standing start to 60 MPH in 7.9 seconds with a sound that is akin to ripping silk. This car is quieter at full throttle then most cars are at light cruising speed. The transmission is a perfect match for the engine. At light throttle acceleration, the only way you will know when the transmission shifts is by watching the tach needle. It’s that smooth. A 4 liter V8, is not a very large engine for a luxury car. Lexus kept the size down in order to keep the gas mileage up and avoid the gas guzzler tax. Other cars in its class like the Infiniti Q45 couldn't make that claim. The disadvantage to a smaller engine is that it lacks sharp throttle response. Tap the throttle to move up into the traffic flow with an Infiniti Q45 with its 4.6 liter engine and it goes right now. With Lexus, you sometimes have a slight lag while the transmission smoothly shifts down before it takes off like a silent rocket. But, for conservative driving and an occasional blast onto the Interstate on-ramp, the Lexus LS400 can't be beat.

Cruising down the highway, this is one of the quietest cars on the road, right up to its 150 MPH top speed. (No, I didn't test Lexus’ top-speed claim for this car.) If it can reach that speed, then you know the engine is loafing at all realistic speeds. On the other side of the coin, this car needs premium fuel and the gas mileage is on the low end of acceptable at an EPA rating of 18 MPG city and 23 highway.

The trunk is fairly large and usable with a large opening. Since this is a rear wheel drive car, the trunk doesn't extend up under the package shelf (That’s where the gas tank is.) Under the trunk floor, there is a full size spare tire which is mounted face-down. Seated in the center of the spare wheel is a shallow plastic bucket with a handle. You can use it to store rags or gloves or maybe a set of booster cables out of sight. In the left wall of the trunk, there is a flip-down compartment that contains a small set of Lexus monogrammed tools, a Lexus flashlight and a terrycloth rag with a Lexus emblem embroidered on it. On the right wall of the trunk, there is a compartment for the first-aid kit and the 6 Disc CD changer.

Parts for this car are not cheap. But I consider this a moot point since you rarely have to replace any. I asked Lexus if they knew of any problem areas but they couldn't think of any. They told me that there were some problems with the '95 and later cars but the "first generation" LS400 was very trouble-free. I also asked them if they ever had a problem with the timing belt failing. The service manager said that the only timing belt that he ever saw fail was on a car with over 150,000 miles on it with a belt that has never been changed. They recommend changing the timing belt at 90,000 miles (a 5.00 job). Most other cars require that the timing belt be changed at 60,000 miles.

How does the Lexus LS400 fit your driving style?

If you are a conservative driver, this is your car. Smooth, quiet and comfortable in all driving conditions with effortless, silent acceleration. Since this is not a front wheel drive car, make sure that you find one with traction control. This car is near bulletpoof in reliability if you find a clean one that was properly cared for.

The sporty driver will like the near-silent silky acceleration that this car provides but this is a pure luxury car and you may be disappointed with the road feel and the throttle response. For the same price, you may be happier with a one year newer Acura Legend LS or the more performance orientated Legend GS. They are just as reliable and have more of a sports sedan feel. If you still want the Lexus, get a ‘93 or’94. They have larger brakes and wider tires better suited for sporty driving.

The fast driver can get into trouble with this car because the only thrill this car will provide is through its silent speed and thrust. Since there is no visceral feedback you will often find yourself going faster than you thought. As with the sporty driver, stay away from models before ’93. Tire grip with the larger tires found on the '93 and '94 is exceptional right to the limit. These are definitely performance tires. It is amazing how smooth and quiet they are during normal driving. Braking is strong and powerful as well.

Click here for more pictures of the 93 Lexus LS400

Model year differences

1990 The first Lexus LS400

1991 There is a slight refinement in the front brakes to provide better pedal feel.

1992 No changes

1993 Larger tires and brakes, Passenger side air bag added, CFC free air conditioning with a pollen filter, Automatic headlamps, styling touch-ups and several interior refinements. ( '93 also rates as the most reliable of this reliable group. This is the year to look for.)

1994 No changes, Same as '93

Specifications

Engine Type 4.0-liter DOHC 32-valve 900 V8, Cast aluminum block and heads

Horsepower 250 @ 5,600 RPM

Torque 260 @ 4,400 RPM

Fuel Recommended Premium Unleaded

Transmission Four Speed Automatic Electronically Controlled with intelligence

Tires 1990-1992: Goodyear Eagle GA P205/65VR15

1993-1994: Goodyear Invicta GA P225/60VR16

Overall Length 196.7"

Width 72"

Turning Diameter 36.1 ft Curb to Curb

Max. Towing Capacity 2000 lbs.

Curb Weight 3,858

Fuel Tank 22.5 Gals.

Miles Per Gallon EPA city 18, hwy 23. Observed during aprox. 1000 miles of road testing, 19 MPG

Acceleration 0 to 60 7.9 seconds

Year Average Retail Average Mileage

Average used car retail price for a clean car with average mileage as of June 1999 1990 1991

1992

1993

1994 ,000

,000

,000

,000

,000 108,000-116,000

96,000-102,000

84,000-90,000

72,000-77,000

60,000-65,000

Price for a new 1999 LS400 1999 ,300

+ options

For current pricing information, check out Edmonds Buyer's Guides or Kelly Blue Book

Standard Equipment

4.0-liter DOHC 32-valve V8 Engine

Four-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with intelligence

4-wheel independent double wishbone suspension

Speed sensing, progressive power rack and pinion steering

Four-wheel disc antilock brakes

Driver side air bag 1990-1992, Driver and front passenger air bags 1993 and later

Vehicle and audio Theft Deterrent System

Automatic air conditioning. (CFC free with filter only on '93 and later.)

Automatic headlamps ('93 and later)

Fog lamps

Dual power heated outside mirrors

Liquid crystal day/night inside rearview mirror

Power windows and door locks

Leather seats and door panels (earlier models had a cloth seat option.) California Walnut wood trim

'90 - '92, 8 way power seat for driver, 4 way power for passenger, '93 and later, both seats were 8 way power.

Tilt and telescoping steering column with automatic tilt-away when exiting car.

AM/FM stereo cassette high output audio system with 7 speakers including sub-woofer

Tool kit and first aid kit.

Outside temperature gauge ('93 and later)

Major Available Options

This is a list of the major options that were available on these cars when they were new along with a guide on how to recognize whether the car that you are considering has that option.

Option

How to recognize it

Memory seat system

Look for buttons marked 1, 2 and Set by the drivers door handle

Traction control system & Heated seats

Look for a Trac off button and two seat heater buttons marked L and R just below the radio and above the ash tray

Power tilt and slide moonroof

Big hole with a glass cover in the roof

Trunk mounted 6-disk CD changer

Located in the right wall of the trunk. Make sure there is at least one 6-disk magazine included. Additional magazines are available from Pioneer or Lexus.

Built in cellular phone

In center console, factory unit has a switch marked 1, 2, 3 attached to the left side of the steering wheel

Electronic Air Suspension with ride control

There are 3 rocker switches next to the transmission shifter instead of 1 rocker switch. They are marked Sport/Normal, Height and ECT Pwr/Norm

Nakamichi Premium 280 watt sound system

Look for the Nakamichi name on the radio face.

Note: The first 3 items were popular options and found on most used LS400's. The last 2 were expensive options when new and may be hard to find. Lexus service managers tell me that these options do not affect the excellent reliability of these cars, so if you can find cars with them, don't be afraid to buy them.

Of course, it is up to you to have any prospective car checked out thoroughly by a professional mechanic familiar with that model before you buy it.

.

[90LS400Lexus]

Too bad they couldnt forsee how terrible the power steering pumps were going to be. LOL.

Nice article though... I think I read it somewhere along time ago.

Thanks for posting!

[amcdonal86]

Nice read. I find it hard to believe that they called the Dunlop SP 4000s that came standard (at least on my '97) great tires. They are TERRIBLE and noisy!

[killerFatty]

Isn't that article in the buyer's guide sticky at the top of the forum? I believe I read that on Lextreme. Good thing its on here now because Lextreme has a virus.

[vroom8]

Isn't that article in the buyer's guide sticky at the top of the forum? I believe I read that on Lextreme. Good thing its on here now because Lextreme has a virus.

1st found it on the internet after i had bought the car several years ago.

they must have been quite 'unusual' 20 years ago...time has finally caught up with them...don't see many 1st Gen around anymore.

[vroom8]

Too bad they couldnt forsee how terrible the power steering pumps were going to be. LOL.

Nice article though... I think I read it somewhere along time ago.

Thanks for posting!

yep- about to put in the 2nd one...1st replacement was in 2002.

[eatingupblacktop]

... because Lextreme has a virus.

Haven't been there for some time ... What virus?