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By
EWAN KENNEDY
29 May 2006
In May 1990 an all-new luxury car marque arrived in Australia. The
Lexus LS400 saloon was successful here almost from day one, something
that came as a shock to many. Because the new Lexus challenged
Mercedes-Benz and BMW in the prestige game and it was felt buyers would
be very reluctant to move away from the German marques. Yet Australians
showed they were willing to consider a new machine in the rarefied air
at the pinnacle the automotive market.
The most outstanding feature of the Lexus
LS400 is its near-silent ride and the comfort it provides. The ride
quality really is exceptional, though handling is not quite as good at
the dynamic extremes as that of the Lexus' German competitors. That
latter factor improved with the November 1997 model but could have been
better still.
The LS400 was discontinued late in 2000,
to be replaced by a near-new design in the LS430. These latter models
are starting to become relatively common on the used-car scene and are
gaining adherents who can think outside the luxury-car square.
Quality is another feature of Lexus LS.
First rate materials are used throughout and these are assembled with
care and understanding. Those who appreciate the finer things in life
were amongst the first customers of the Japanese marque.
Interior space was good in the original
1990 LS400, but was noticeably improved in November 1994 when the
initial model received a solid revamp. They have different styling to
the original, though the changes are so subtle that only experts can
pick them up at a glance. Cars from that date are probably the ones to
aspire to. There was a more noticeable body redesign in November 1997.
September 2003 saw a revised and upgraded
version of the Lexus LS430. It has features such as doors that pull
themselves closed, door mirrors that automatically fold themselves
against the side of the car when you switch the ignition off so they can’t
be damaged in carparks.
There's front-mounted radar to keep an
electronic eye on the vehicle ahead when you are using the cruise
control. If heavy braking is required the Lexus sounds a gong to grab
your attention. Radar is also used to visually and audibly let you know
the whereabouts of other vehicles when you are parking.
Then there’s the tiny video camera at
the rear to give you a picture of what’s happening behind while you
are reversing. And the electric motor that automatically powers down the
sunscreen in the rear window when you engage reverse gear.
Lexus LS400 is powered by a 4.0-litre V8
engine which puts it roughly midway into the typical engine capacity for
a car of this type. The twin-cam, 32-valve unit is incredibly smooth and
very powerful. It was uprated several times during its life before being
replaced by a thoroughly revised 4.3-litre unit late in 2000.
Dealerships that specialise in the Lexus
marque are relatively scarce and tend to be confined to major cities,
plus the Gold Coast. However, there has been some expansion into a few
of the large country cities. The far-flung Toyota network can assist
Lexus owners in the unlikely event they get into strife with their cars
as they are specifically trained to work on the high-end LS Series.
Insurance isn't likely to be overly
expensive in comparison with the high price of the car. Talk to a Lexus
dealership to see if they can assist with advice on friendly insurance
companies.
All new Lexus LS430s come with an
impressive Encore lifestyle package that includes complimentary service
pick up and delivery of the car, roadside assistance, a priority
ticketing service at leading cultural centres, golf days and a luxury
travel service. Buyers of used vehicles up to five years old and bought
from a Lexus dealer receive the same benefits.
Almost all used cars are bought from a
Lexus dealership and have been serviced by specialists throughout their
lives. These tend to fetch top money, but and are generally the
preferred buy and those in the know hunt them down.
Lexus LS430 is soon to be discontinued
and replaced by an all-new, high-tech model called the LS460. With
styling that’s more daring than ever seen before at the top end of the
Lexus lineup it should revitalise interest in the existing LS400 and
LS430.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
By all means do your own initial inspection, but always have one of
these big Lexus inspected by either a motoring association technician or
a specialist in the Lexus marque. In the absence of a Lexus mechanic,
some Toyota mechanics are trained on the car.
Look over the complete vehicle, testing
each of the functions on the stereo, telephone, electric seats,
climate-control, windows, doors, and so on.
Use the owner’s manual to work out
exactly how everything operates, as some of the functions may not be
immediately obvious.
Check for damage to the bodywork and the
interior trim and remember the car should be close to immaculate in all
areas unless it is one of the very oldest models.
Make sure the engine starts virtually
immediately and accelerates without hesitation even when it is cold.
Look for a puff of oily smoke from the exhaust when you accelerate hard
after the engine has been running on a light load, or idling, for a
while.
Some early LS400 cars, those built before
August 1992, had an oil leak at the rear of the engine. The chances are
that most, if not all, engines will have been repaired years ago. Ask
the Lexus inspector to check if for you.
Check the transmission operates almost
imperceptibly, that the brakes stop the car in a straight line without
too much pedal effort, and that the steering is precise, smooth and
reasonably light.
CAR BUYING TIP
When buying at the top end of the car market it pays to try and tap
into the social scene. You will be surprised (or perhaps you won’t
be!) at just how much the owners know about one another.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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