Limiting the Power of the LS460
07-12-08, 10:33 PM
#31
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put in 87 octane
LOL
but yeah a good driving school is more important than limiting a LS460
LOL
but yeah a good driving school is more important than limiting a LS460
07-12-08, 10:56 PM
#32
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07-13-08, 12:48 AM
#35
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Thanks for all the posts guys! After reading some of this I might just go with the S80. I was a little concerned about the flash element also but I figured that it would be cheaper giving her my car when it is worth ~$30k when its time to make the decision rather than buying a new S80 (~$45k). If I am not giving her one of my cars I definitely want to buy her something new.
I also agree that it is not just power that is the concern but the safety of the body. I don't want to get anything small as if it gets hit by something the size of my Range Rover and she gets hurt then I could never live with myself for that decision.
By the way, you can give children things without them being spoiled brats. A lot of people do it the wrong way but you can. It just takes proper parenting.
Also Mpunk, your post was all over the place but the one note I will make is that the top of the line LS doesn't have to offer all power to satify customers. There is a place for that like the LS600 (which is ironically the only hybrid in the line) but I would prefer a tiered approach like Mercedes does in Europe with the S and used to do here (S430, 500, 600, etc). It is not a big deal but 99% of people don't use the power. If you haven't driven the car much you might not understand...
I also agree that it is not just power that is the concern but the safety of the body. I don't want to get anything small as if it gets hit by something the size of my Range Rover and she gets hurt then I could never live with myself for that decision.
By the way, you can give children things without them being spoiled brats. A lot of people do it the wrong way but you can. It just takes proper parenting.
Also Mpunk, your post was all over the place but the one note I will make is that the top of the line LS doesn't have to offer all power to satify customers. There is a place for that like the LS600 (which is ironically the only hybrid in the line) but I would prefer a tiered approach like Mercedes does in Europe with the S and used to do here (S430, 500, 600, etc). It is not a big deal but 99% of people don't use the power. If you haven't driven the car much you might not understand...
I didn't feel like sending 5 PM's so I am just posting the pics!!!
Not to take this thread off track but the RX is a very safe car. I was in Brian's RX350 when it took place. Brian was driving, I was in the front passenger seat, and my other friend garret was behind me. The guy/person who hit us ran a stop sign and was excessively speeding, he flew into the RX above the right rear wheel.
I remember the side airbags coming out the windshield cracking and the 2 1/2 roles. The car was on its side, people came rushing thinking we where dead or inured. We jumped out the rear window. No one was hurt and the next day no one was sore. The guy in the Benz was fine also but the RX man it took a heavy hit! I remember when the Benz hit the VSC went "ping ping ping" but the car already was tilting and there was nothing VSC or the driver could have done to avoid the rolls!
There is more to the story, you can PM for more info!
The funny thing is it was a Lexus loaner...hahahahahaha with only 2.500 miles ( Benz guy had to pay over $45,000 to the dealer)
Pictures where taken by local neighbor!
Lexus the safest accident!!!! (VERY TRUE)
Not to take this thread off track but the RX is a very safe car. I was in Brian's RX350 when it took place. Brian was driving, I was in the front passenger seat, and my other friend garret was behind me. The guy/person who hit us ran a stop sign and was excessively speeding, he flew into the RX above the right rear wheel.
I remember the side airbags coming out the windshield cracking and the 2 1/2 roles. The car was on its side, people came rushing thinking we where dead or inured. We jumped out the rear window. No one was hurt and the next day no one was sore. The guy in the Benz was fine also but the RX man it took a heavy hit! I remember when the Benz hit the VSC went "ping ping ping" but the car already was tilting and there was nothing VSC or the driver could have done to avoid the rolls!
There is more to the story, you can PM for more info!
The funny thing is it was a Lexus loaner...hahahahahaha with only 2.500 miles ( Benz guy had to pay over $45,000 to the dealer)
Pictures where taken by local neighbor!
Lexus the safest accident!!!! (VERY TRUE)
07-13-08, 01:34 AM
#36
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I'm a 20 year old male and I have been licensed since I was 16 years old.
I learned how to drive in a '99 Toyota 4Runner and drove that for about a year. I have to say that they are fairly unsafe in terms of how they handle and their center of gravity. A SUV is not a good idea. Although the RX is lower than the 4Runner. But still I think a SUV should not be a primary choice.
After a year I went to a '05 Honda Accord Sedan V6. Much better car for a teenage driver. The brakes were better and the handling was exceptionally better.
I currently drive a '96 Saturn SL2 that I bought. In terms of power it is much slower and doesn't have much power at all. But hey I get like 25-35 mpg
By the way the Accord and 4Runner were my parents car.
Finally I would recommend you get her either a 4 cylinder and a 6 cylinder. Basically any V8 is too much. I drove a '98 Lexus SC 400 and a '97 Jaguar XK8. I was doing 70-75 mph in the SC 400 and only about 10 percent of the throttle was depressed. And I was driving the Jaguar at 55 mph with barely ANY throttle. By the way both of those cars are slower than the LS460.
I learned how to drive in a '99 Toyota 4Runner and drove that for about a year. I have to say that they are fairly unsafe in terms of how they handle and their center of gravity. A SUV is not a good idea. Although the RX is lower than the 4Runner. But still I think a SUV should not be a primary choice.
After a year I went to a '05 Honda Accord Sedan V6. Much better car for a teenage driver. The brakes were better and the handling was exceptionally better.
I currently drive a '96 Saturn SL2 that I bought. In terms of power it is much slower and doesn't have much power at all. But hey I get like 25-35 mpg
By the way the Accord and 4Runner were my parents car. Finally I would recommend you get her either a 4 cylinder and a 6 cylinder. Basically any V8 is too much. I drove a '98 Lexus SC 400 and a '97 Jaguar XK8. I was doing 70-75 mph in the SC 400 and only about 10 percent of the throttle was depressed. And I was driving the Jaguar at 55 mph with barely ANY throttle. By the way both of those cars are slower than the LS460.
07-13-08, 04:45 AM
#37
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Thanks again for the replies and for the pictures! Those pictures make me feel so much better since I put a lot of business miles on my RX and I can't help but think about the what if's... During my trips I see so many SUV's upside down on the side of the road and it has kind of worn on me but the RX seems to hold up very well.
07-13-08, 07:38 AM
#39
It's very understandable that a parent wants to ensure that the car they give to their child is safe. Most modern cars, compared to even just a few years ago are very safe. One thing I will say for Volvo is that their cars are designed with real world safety in mind - not just making sure that they stand up to some arbritary controlled test. They even have a team of investigators that look at every crash involving a Volvo within a certain radius of Stockholm, so they can see what happens to their cars in real life crashes.
However, the single most important safety issue that you should drill into your daughter is to always wear her seat belt - even for the shortest of journies. No single safety feature is more important. As others have mentioned some additional driver training once she has got her license such as defensive driving courses are also a good idea.
However, the single most important safety issue that you should drill into your daughter is to always wear her seat belt - even for the shortest of journies. No single safety feature is more important. As others have mentioned some additional driver training once she has got her license such as defensive driving courses are also a good idea.
07-13-08, 07:47 AM
#40
Originally Posted by bitkahuna
Oh good one. 
Originally Posted by whoster
EHEHeheh... ouch.
About the actual car though I definitely agree that a high horse power V8 can
get you in trouble. I nearly spun out my GS430 a few years ago in the rain.
VDIM kicked in and sort of saved me, but it was SCARY.
FWD and AWD cars are MUCH more intuitive for bad drivers, which is
about 99% of us.
Last edited by marshmallo; 07-13-08 at 09:29 AM.
07-13-08, 08:56 AM
#41
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trade it in for an IS250..
07-13-08, 11:30 AM
#42
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07-13-08, 11:45 AM
#43
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Like many said, I think a LS460 is not a really good car to give to a teenager as their first car for many reasons, the most important is that it is just too expensive of a car and having a high end luxury car at such a young age can lead to many issues. Teenagers really just should not have expensive big luxury cars as their first cars just like they should not have high end sports cars as their first cars either, it is too much car. Your in the northeast so you have to be concerned with winter driving in a big heavy rwd car that your daughter may have trouble with. Insurance will most likely be very high, it will be expensive to maintain and fix anything that goes wrong. Kids and even adults may be jealous and do things to the car or may give her grief for being spoiled and getting a big luxury car for her first car. It would make much more sense financially to just sell the LS in a few years and get her a much less expensive car and keep the rest of the money from the LS to pay for college or other things
I don't think SUVs are really all that safe or good first cars either as they have a tendency to roll over and most don't handle that well and most get poor gas mileage and give people a false sense of security. I would just get her a inexpensive fwd 4 cyl car like a slightly used Toyota Camry, Corrola, Honda Accord, civic, Mazda 3. They make excellent cars and are very safe. If she gets a 70K big lux sedan as her first car then most cars she can afford later are going to seem like big steps down which means she may end up spending much more on cars in the future then she should. You should start lower with cars and work your way up, not start big with pretty much the only way to go is down.
I don't think SUVs are really all that safe or good first cars either as they have a tendency to roll over and most don't handle that well and most get poor gas mileage and give people a false sense of security. I would just get her a inexpensive fwd 4 cyl car like a slightly used Toyota Camry, Corrola, Honda Accord, civic, Mazda 3. They make excellent cars and are very safe. If she gets a 70K big lux sedan as her first car then most cars she can afford later are going to seem like big steps down which means she may end up spending much more on cars in the future then she should. You should start lower with cars and work your way up, not start big with pretty much the only way to go is down.
07-13-08, 06:15 PM
#45
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but Lexus. Mercedes, Bmw, etc are very safe in a rollover, side airbags are a plus!
Teenagers really just should not have expensive big luxury cars as their first cars just like they should not have high end sports cars as their first cars either, it is too much car. Your in the northeast so you have to be concerned with winter driving in a big heavy rwd car that your daughter may have trouble with. Insurance will most likely be very high, it will be expensive to maintain and fix anything that goes wrong. Kids and even adults may be jealous and do things to the car or may give her grief for being spoiled and getting a big luxury car for her first car
Last edited by valgs350; 07-13-08 at 08:07 PM.