pweber5

When I first saw the thumbnails (which you can't really see anything with), I was a little skeptical. But when I opened them up, those are the hotness. They look awesome! Where did you find them, or did you just get them from the dealer? When I find an LS I like, I'll seriously consider upgrading to those rims.

Thanks! I hope all of you have a great holiday too. There is another LS400 in the area, but its a '95 and I like the styling of the '98s better. They look more aggresive. I would go look at it anyway, but I almost bought a car from the dealer with the Lexus, then backed out when they had lied to me about several important things regarding the deal. I don't want to go back there, and they probably don't want to see me either. So, I'll just wait. EDIT: Here's the other one I like in my area: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...em=230067881177. Like I said though, I didn't have a good experience with that dealer, so I probably won't be going to see it.

Well, that's disappointing. I had a pre-purchase inspection at the local Lexus dealer scheduled tomorrow, and the salesman left a voicemail today saying he'd sold the car. :( There aren't very many other LS400s in the area, so I might have to wait a little while until I find another one. But thanks for all your help. I'll be back.

I reread your post, and while I might still be right, you might have an amp fuse blown, or your amp is ready to eat dirt. But I don't know where your amp or amps are, so you'll have to wait until another member chimes in.

Since you driving it around once a month, it's not as serious a situation as if you were storing it for several months or more. The most you could really do is make sure the oil is changed every six months to a year, have the suspension (especially rubber bushings, etc.) checked to make sure they're okay because of extended periods of immobility, and run a trickle charger on your battery to make sure that the battery doesn't die. Other than that, there's really not much else you need to do. For everything other than oil changes, I would stick to regular maintenance intervals, judging on time, not mileage.

I do know that true audiophile systems push the sound more to the front for a "soundstage", like you're at a concert. They don't usually put much emphasis on rear sound or surround sound because it's not true to a real-life listening situation, at least in music. So, since I've never used a Levinson system, I can't say for sure. But I would think, since it's the best factory sound system on the market, that there would be more emphasis on sound "in front" of you.

Cool--all cars have some sort of quirk, and I guess that the throttle tip in is Lexus'. The heated seats are not a big deal, and if I can get them to work in the future, all the better. The car does not have air suspension. That was one of the first questions I asked the sales manager. I don't like air suspensions and don't think they're necessary. Heh heh, yeah, I noticed that the car was pretty quick. Once it was warmed up I took it on the freeway and floored the throttle on the onramp. For such a big car, it was gone. Power like that is addicting. :D

Thanks for all the replies. I drove the car tonight, and I really liked it. The only car I've driven that comes close to the LS in refinement is the W140 series S class Mercedes (and that thing's a nightmare for maintenace). And the LS is so comfortable--it's like a rolling living room. But it's also very responsive for the type of car it is, and I really liked the light controls. There were two problems. The first is that the heated seats don't seem to work. They'll switch on, but they don't seem to do anything. I don't know how complex the system is, but it's not a deal breaker. The other thing that bothered me was that the car seemed to have a slightly abrupt throttle tip in. Accelerating was a little like how you drove when you first got your license. I don't know if this is normal for the drive-by-wire throttle, or whether it's a symptom of that part needing replacement (I've read that some are starting to need replacement). I make it sound worse than it is, but it is bad enough to be noticable while driving. The car's always been local, so I'm going to call the local Lexus dealer tomorrow and see what records they have for the car. I'm also going to check on a couple of places to get a pre-purchase inspection done. I'm still having a hard time deciding whether I should just keep my car or not, since I'd have to take out a loan for the Lexus and the BMW is paid for. But it's good to keep your options open. On a side note, I also drove a 2002 Acura 3.5 RL, and it wasn't as smooth as my 18-year-old BMW! It wasn't even close to the Lexus. I do have to give BMW credit--I've driven a lot of cars in the past few months, and there have only been two or three I liked better than my car, even with its problems. It's too bad it's so fragile. EDIT: Here's the ad to the LS I'm looking at.

Hi guys. I've checked out your site and registered last night, and it's a great source of information. Every car I've owned I've been a member of an enthusiast forum, and I'd never buy a car without one. I'm looking at a '98 LS400 with 103,000 miles for about $10,000. I've got an '88 BMW 3 series convertible, and the repair items are killing me. I've been debating about getting another car for a good six months, but just haven't found one that I really feel comfortable with. I want a car that will last me a good five to six years that I don't have to put a lot of money into (I could keep my car, but I just don't have the cash to plow $3500 more into it). Anyway, I started looking at the LS series. I haven't driven one yet, but I'm heading out to look at one after work today. I read through the Buyers Guide, and my question is, does the information apply to the '98s? I know they're gen 2.5, and I haven't found a lot of information about them. Also, I saw somewhere at this site that the gen 2.5s have an interference engine, and that timing belt failure causes bent valves. I can't see any reason why Lexus would change the engine like that, so can anyone give me a concrete answer on that? Great site, and thanks in advance for the help. :)