Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Dash,very good tire but they still came in behind the Michelin Primacy's in Tire Rack testing.Primacy's #1 and Serenity's a close #2.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...ay.jsp?ttid=86
I've had Serenity's and they are a great tire but a bit harder riding than the Primacy's.

bagwell

directly from the website...




19-in five-spoke alloy wheels [1]
The LS 460 and LS 460 L are available with bold 19-inch diameter wheels [1] constructed from aluminum alloy.

[1]19-in performance tires are expected to experience greater tire wear than conventional tires. Tire life may be substantially less than 15,000 miles, depending upon driving conditions.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

My son in law's '08 LS460L touring pkg came with those beautiful wheels and crappy Bridgestone EL42 standard touring tires.No high performance tires on his car.
Tire rack shows two non summer tires as original equipment.
The EL42 and a Dunlop SP Sport Maxx A1 A/S (Ultra High Performance All-Season)

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i believe the el42 are the "high performance" tires from factory already. both the factory bridgestone and dunlop are less than stellar in almost all category. loud, no grip, wear fast, hard

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

The EL42 are listed as a standard touring tire on tire Rack.
They're definely not a performance tire.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Even though I drove a few LS430's and LS460's I really don't have enough experience with them to say which one is smoother. Correct me if I'm wrong however, but the current LS460/600 always comes with air suspension, but on the old LS400's and even LS430's it was optional. It is important to keep in mind that if LS430 was smoother than LS460, thats only the case if it was equipped with air suspension. With conventional shocks/springs it cannot be the case. I know first hand that even the old LS400 that I used to have, with conventional suspension and 225/60/16 tires does not ride anywhere near as smooth (and solid at the same time) as my parent's 745 and S500, both of which are equipped with air ride.

mmarshall

Yes, it is comfy, even with the 45-50s. Whether the handling is "acceptable" or not, of course, depends on one's driving needs and their own view of the ideal ride-handling combo. In general, as I see it (though I'm generally not an agressive driver) BMW does the ideal ride/handling/steering combo, especially with the 335, 550, and 550 GT. Lexus vehicles. They can balance the three like no one else on the planet.

Well, you and I are part of that chatter.....it's obviously a significant part of not only your life and mine, but of a lot of others here on CAR CHAT.

As far as not buying one (though right now one is not in my immediate plans), one thing I have learned over the years , when it comes to buying cars, is to NEVER say never. I have both owned and test-driven cars that I though, at one time, I'd never set foot in....from classic American ponycars to big Detroit luxo-mobiles to Japanese sub-compacts to sports coupes to compact sedans to plastic-body Saturns to a sun-yellow IS300 to AWD Subarus...that, and many more. (And as far as test-drives go, trust me....you would have gotten a real laugh out of seeing a guy my size contort myself in and out of a Lotus Elise)


While my next ride will likely be another Subie, it could (?) end up being anything. One blessing that I enjoy, even in retirement, is the financial ability to have almost any car I wanted (within reason). But that does not mean that one should spend large amounts of money on a car just for the sake of doing so....or keeping up with the Jones'.

IS-SV

lol 550 GT is hardly the standard for ride/handling/steering feel, but that's all trivia. Agreed, certainly 335 and 550 are top notch.

In short for those seeking the comfy ride as top priority, Lexus is at the top.

mmarshall

I know you dislike the 550 GT...I expected a reply like that. It may be awkward-looking but, to my senses (and considering its weight), its chassis engineering is as good or better than its more conventional 550 sedan/wagon brothers. And the 450 ft-lbs. torque and 8-speed automatic turn it into a rocket, even with its noted heavy weight. But, of course, there is a reason for its weight.....it is the only 5-series vehicle built on the 7-series chassis/platform.

The 335, IMO, is almost pure magic in its chassis engineering. I don't think I've ever driven a more tactile-feeling, perfectly-balanced sport sedan than the RWD 335. The 550 comes close, but, of course, is heavier, especially up front.


The Mercedes S550 may (?) have the LS beat for ride comfort. That's subjective, of course, but Consumer Reports seems to think so.....they rate the S550 as the best-riding vehicle they's tested yet. I haven't sampled a recent S550, so I can't really comment on that.

(And, M-B seems to have accomplished that ride quality with more or less the same-sized tires as on the LS models)

rominl

iTrader: (4)

s550 standard is with 18" wheels and 255/45/18. sidewall on that is 4.5"

ls460 standard is with 18" wheels and 235/50/18. sidewall on that is 4.8"

so standard equipment, lexus has more sidewall. not all, but i would say most s550 comes with the optional 19". i have driven both. the 19" setup is also noticeably louder and harsher than 18" setup. and yes it's subjective, but i don't find s550 ride any better than the ls460 (i would say they are very close though).

mmarshall

Since you have apparantly driven a recent S550 and I haven't, I'll take your word for it, Henry. Mercedes, like BMW, is known for good chassis engineering, but nothing, IMO, can beat the BMW steering systems.

One reason why the S550's ride is so smooth (by today's standards) is that it is considered the "Old Man's" Mercedes. I generally don't believe in stereotypes, but that is the way Mercedes markets that particular model.

One thing that the LS460 truly excels in, though (besides the insanely good Mark Levinson stereo) is its tomb-quietness. It is easily the quietest vehicle I've ever test-driven, and arguably the quietest mass-produced vehicle on the planet. The 45/50 series tires, even if they have helped handling, haven't made a bit of difference in that regard.

IS-SV

Porsche steering feel is generally better than BMW btw, although the Porsche lineup is predominately sports cars which doesn't change that fact. So BMW steering systems can be beat.

Mercedes rides are generally not as comfortable or cushy as Lexus, but that's splitting hairs on something so subjective anyways. But what the Mercedes is good at is maintaining control at high speed over bad pavement and still retain decent ride quality and composure even under stressful conditions. The so called stereotype of "old man Benz" has nothing to do with this topic and the car is generally not viewed that way by premium car owners and buyers (certainly not a good reason for S-class having a good ride). Unfortunately I expected a reply like that with mention of stereotypes, as you often have often brought up stereotypes too often to list.

IS-SV

There are plenty of BMW's and other premium cars that have better handling, better steering, better straight-line performance ("rocket" acceleration of the 550GT is beat by many premium cars such as 550i for example) than the 550 GT. Yes the 550 GT is ugly, fuel-inefficient, overpriced, awkward and overweight, but that has nothing to do with the fact that the 550 GT is not setting any new standard for BMW in terms of handling or performance. No surprise the 550 GT sells poorly as a result.

And now back to the topic at hand, the LS. The OP has noted future tire selection ( with ride-oriented qualtities) will be important on the LS in question, that happens to be equipped with optional 19's. OP received many good tire recommendations to consider thanks to CL members.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Steering feel can be very subjective. For instance 3 series BMW is often praised for its steering feel, but what I personally find, it is very nice, quick and firm in the city, but once you're doing 70mph+, its too quick and twitchy, and the car becomes difficult to control. I much prefer the relaxed, slower, and more forgiving steering of LS, S class and 7 series.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I owned a 335i and found the car to have very good steering and handling.I never owned a older 3 Series but some on the 3 Series forums have said older 3 Series models had better handling and steering.
I would guess because the older models were probably smaller and lighter.
I've read reviews that the 135 doesn't handle very well for a BMW.