I need a favor from you. This is really important. On the scale of the Cuban missile crisis, I'd say. I want you to look at your car and check out how many nozzles per windshield-washer squirter your car has.
Now, a '99 Lexus LS 400 has three nozzles per windshield-washer squirter. I know this because I looked. And how many squirters does your car have? My car has two, one of which has been rather lethargic lately. It's more of a dribbler.
Anyway, my best guess is that your car has two squirters. That's how many squirters most normal cars have. And I guess that's my point about the LS 400. It's not a normal car. After all, it has three squirters.
And it's not just the squirters. Everything on this car is about being better. Better craftsmanship. Better quality. Better functionality. Better value. Simply put, the Lexus LS 400 is one of the best (if not the best) luxury cars currently being sold in America. For any price.
I imagine most Lexus LS 400s are used to transport important people to important things. Board meetings. Merger talks. Aspen. The Hamptons. Manicures. Golf games. For my first trip in the LS 400, however, I chose something more closely matched to my yearly salary: McDonald's. Yes sir, the land of billions served. Price of meal? $3.27. But, ultimately, it doesn't matter where you go or what you do in the LS 400. Like a Visa card, it will work for nearly all occasions. The Beverly Hills Country Club doesn't admit Daewoo, don't you know?
The LS 400's leather upholstery is quite supple, and high-quality wood can be found on the steering wheel, center console, doors, and dash. Naturally, the seats are power-operated and have a memory position function for two different drivers. They are also amazingly comfortable. The steering is quick and smooth. When you turn the wheel, it feels as if every steering component has been coated in Teflon. And it's not only the steering. Everything in this car--even the retractable rear-seat coathooks--has that same feeling of smooth refinement.
That includes the engine. At idle, you can't hear it. You can't even hear it during normal driving. The 4.0-liter V8 makes nice growling noises only when you step on the accelerator. And when it does, the LS 400 will run from zero to 60 in less than 7 seconds. With Toyota's variable valve timing (VVT-i), the engine delivers 290 horsepower and 300 foot-pounds of torque. It's also fairly frugal: the EPA cycle is 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
Suspension compliance is exceptional. Even over apocalyptic pavement, the LS 400 remains composed and quiet. The tradeoff is that the Lexus isn't thrilled to blast through tight canyon roads. Pushed hard in such environments, there is a considerable amount of body movement and the 225/50R16 tires squeal when too much power is applied. But the car never gets out of composure. It's also helped by Vehicle Skid Control, a Lexus system that helps to maintain traction in demanding situations. If the situation gets overly demanding, the LS 400 has ABS, dual front airbags and seat-mounted side airbags for the front occupants.
Our particular test car was fitted with the navigation system package. With a price equal to what you can pick up a good used Tercel for ($5,405), it might seem like a bit much just for the pleasure of not carrying any maps. But the package does come with some extra features, such as an in-dash six-disc CD changer, a power-operated moonroof, heated front seats, and high-intensity discharge headlights.
When so equipped, the LS 400 sports a touch-screen LCD display on the dash. Since it takes up a good amount of room, the display also serves as the controller for the climate and sound systems. In our limited experience, the navigation system worked without fault. It's a hard disk-based system that contains maps for the entire U.S. The voice instruction is easy to understand and the map will display a helpful dotted trail to show where you've traveled. However, the amount of storage offered by the hard disk will soon be eclipsed by the larger-capacity DVD systems now entering the market. A bigger complaint centers on the fact that the navigation system forces the driver to operate everything with the touch-screen display. This makes it much more difficult to change climate or audio settings while driving. With no tactile feel (something a normal button gives you), the driver must take her eyes off the road and look at the screen in order to make sure she is touching the correct virtual button.
Other than that, it's truly a chore to find fault with the LS 400. Of course, one could find fault with the price, as it comes out well past $50,000. But when compared to offerings from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the LS seems downright affordable. So that leaves you with the styling and the overall feel of the car. Ever since it's introduction, people have said it looks boring and it's a bore to drive. To a point, that is still true. But in our opinion, that's the point with this type of car. And for everything else--luxury, speed, craftsmanship, reliability--the LS 400 nails the bull's eye. Did I tell you it has three nozzles per squirter?
Now, a '99 Lexus LS 400 has three nozzles per windshield-washer squirter. I know this because I looked. And how many squirters does your car have? My car has two, one of which has been rather lethargic lately. It's more of a dribbler.
Anyway, my best guess is that your car has two squirters. That's how many squirters most normal cars have. And I guess that's my point about the LS 400. It's not a normal car. After all, it has three squirters.
And it's not just the squirters. Everything on this car is about being better. Better craftsmanship. Better quality. Better functionality. Better value. Simply put, the Lexus LS 400 is one of the best (if not the best) luxury cars currently being sold in America. For any price.
I imagine most Lexus LS 400s are used to transport important people to important things. Board meetings. Merger talks. Aspen. The Hamptons. Manicures. Golf games. For my first trip in the LS 400, however, I chose something more closely matched to my yearly salary: McDonald's. Yes sir, the land of billions served. Price of meal? $3.27. But, ultimately, it doesn't matter where you go or what you do in the LS 400. Like a Visa card, it will work for nearly all occasions. The Beverly Hills Country Club doesn't admit Daewoo, don't you know?
The LS 400's leather upholstery is quite supple, and high-quality wood can be found on the steering wheel, center console, doors, and dash. Naturally, the seats are power-operated and have a memory position function for two different drivers. They are also amazingly comfortable. The steering is quick and smooth. When you turn the wheel, it feels as if every steering component has been coated in Teflon. And it's not only the steering. Everything in this car--even the retractable rear-seat coathooks--has that same feeling of smooth refinement.
That includes the engine. At idle, you can't hear it. You can't even hear it during normal driving. The 4.0-liter V8 makes nice growling noises only when you step on the accelerator. And when it does, the LS 400 will run from zero to 60 in less than 7 seconds. With Toyota's variable valve timing (VVT-i), the engine delivers 290 horsepower and 300 foot-pounds of torque. It's also fairly frugal: the EPA cycle is 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
Suspension compliance is exceptional. Even over apocalyptic pavement, the LS 400 remains composed and quiet. The tradeoff is that the Lexus isn't thrilled to blast through tight canyon roads. Pushed hard in such environments, there is a considerable amount of body movement and the 225/50R16 tires squeal when too much power is applied. But the car never gets out of composure. It's also helped by Vehicle Skid Control, a Lexus system that helps to maintain traction in demanding situations. If the situation gets overly demanding, the LS 400 has ABS, dual front airbags and seat-mounted side airbags for the front occupants.
Our particular test car was fitted with the navigation system package. With a price equal to what you can pick up a good used Tercel for ($5,405), it might seem like a bit much just for the pleasure of not carrying any maps. But the package does come with some extra features, such as an in-dash six-disc CD changer, a power-operated moonroof, heated front seats, and high-intensity discharge headlights.
When so equipped, the LS 400 sports a touch-screen LCD display on the dash. Since it takes up a good amount of room, the display also serves as the controller for the climate and sound systems. In our limited experience, the navigation system worked without fault. It's a hard disk-based system that contains maps for the entire U.S. The voice instruction is easy to understand and the map will display a helpful dotted trail to show where you've traveled. However, the amount of storage offered by the hard disk will soon be eclipsed by the larger-capacity DVD systems now entering the market. A bigger complaint centers on the fact that the navigation system forces the driver to operate everything with the touch-screen display. This makes it much more difficult to change climate or audio settings while driving. With no tactile feel (something a normal button gives you), the driver must take her eyes off the road and look at the screen in order to make sure she is touching the correct virtual button.
Other than that, it's truly a chore to find fault with the LS 400. Of course, one could find fault with the price, as it comes out well past $50,000. But when compared to offerings from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the LS seems downright affordable. So that leaves you with the styling and the overall feel of the car. Ever since it's introduction, people have said it looks boring and it's a bore to drive. To a point, that is still true. But in our opinion, that's the point with this type of car. And for everything else--luxury, speed, craftsmanship, reliability--the LS 400 nails the bull's eye. Did I tell you it has three nozzles per squirter?
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