oakley6688

hi, everyone ,im sorry for this topic, but i need some help
i just get a 2011 ls460 for my wife about one month ago, it is 90/100 good, the engine is so smooth, the noise level is so low( only complain is if the hwy is under construction, the tire noise is still loud as hell)
ride isnt as soft as i thought, maybe my exception is so high, it is better than my toyota for sure ,but i can still feel the bump,mine is non-air,but i do test drive the air one,i dont feel much difference.

now, i am in market again for myself, i has to choose between 99 ls400 and 03 ls430
if i only care about the noise, as low as possible, and ride comfort, as soft as possible. i wish somebody has experience can give me some idea
which one should i choose>?
i am concerned about the repair cost about the air struct, with all the hyper saying how good is the air suspension, why i cant feel a difference? is the air on ls400 reliable? the one im looking at is 99., about 120000KM, first owner, i am afraid even if the milage is low, but with 21 years, the air struct is dying anyway

and for a good example of 99 ls400 and 03 ls430, which one will has a lower ownership cost?
thanks in advance for any suggestion!

JohnAndic

The 99 with stock wheels will be the smoothest ride. 430 is allegedly quieter inside . We are the the 400 guys so we are all gonna say go for the 400. But that extra wood trim... no 400, 400!!!

YODAONE

One thing affecting ride quality is rim size.

The 1999 LS400 was equipped with 16" rims.

The 2003 was optioned with 16", 17" or 18" rims.

The larger rims are matched to tires with less sidewall, so ride quality is diminished. (in relation to smaller diameter rims)

Tire noise increases with lower profile tires and, or, wider rims.

oakley6688

are u trying to say ls400 is softer and quiter?
i did some research ,they all saying ls400 is softer, but how is the noise level? which one is quiter and is the difference big or barely noticeable? thx

oakley6688

any idea about the reliability and ownership cost?

JohnAndic

It won't cost you nothing to buy a junky LS400 and drive it into the ground. Reliability is legendary, ownership cost is reasonable because reliability is so good. I have a thread detailing how much it cost to own a 97 over a period of around 20 years. Better to buy one that's been driven but babied. They can rack up a TON of deferred maintenance which can ruin the experience if you are paying to get it fixed.

YODAONE

Rim diameters are discussed. Both models offer 16" rims, so, no, not saying th he LS400 rides better or is quieter than LS430.

Simply stating to mind rim diameter.

fedaykien

Your tyres and road surfaces generate noise. Usually, newer and more expensive tyres labeled 'silent' tend to generate less noise at any speed. As for being softer, try to get tyres labeled 'comfort'. 'Silent' + 'Comfort' tyres tend to be way more expensive. Also, your tyre pressure determine how bouncy and absorbent they are to bumps and rough surfaces.

I put 225/60/16 Michelin Primacy 3st (:OEM rims) on my `95 LS400. Whenever I want to have very comfort ride, I put 29psi. On highways, I usually put 32psi for better fuel economy and handling. For me, they are still very quiet and soft.

bradland

I kept my '99 400 for about a year after buying the 430 so I've had the luxury of jumping back and forth.
Without throwing in a ton of technical jargon the 400 is definitely a softer smoother ride. Keep in mind, however, tire choice plays a PARAMOUNT role here.
I've never given road or cabin noise a moment of consideration in either car they are both excellent in that regard.
Cost of ownership is largely up to you. Will you own the car for 2 years...? 6 years, 10...

RA40

iTrader: (6)

The basic premise is good though isn't as simple now that the age of a LS400 is a factor. The availability of factory suspension parts is an issue you may face among other parts availability. There is aftermarket and we've had varying discussions just how good some of those parts are. Manufacturers change too so what some buy, those may not be the same months-years later. I would suggest the 430 due to parts availability. There are nice 400's and 430's just a matter of timing.

CLLEXUSS

two side by side, 1999 ls400 and 2003 ls430 same mileage and same care & maint.

the LS430 will have less ownership cost simply because it's 4 years newer, less time aging on the parts

this is under the premise that you paid the same amount of money for each car

if you paid say 7500. for the ls430 and paid 3500. for a ls400 that might change the equation

400fanboy

I think this is the biggest differentiator here because this also throws cost into the equation.

NOT all 400's or 430's are made equal anymore. Either car with new, rebuilt suspension will ride way way way better than a junkyard one with 300k that's been driven into the ground. I'd argue that the best riding one is going to be the nicest example of either car you can find that's been well maintained and has problems fixed as they arose. Otherwise I would expect them to be quite similar in how they ride. HOWEVER: the tire sidewall will make quite a big difference. 18'' wheels will be quite a bit stiffer than 16's.

Also: air suspension typically gets replaced to traditional coil\shocks when it breaks. It's super expensive to maintain\keep going as the car ages so people usually just go the cheaper route. I've never driven a car on air before, so I can't say how much better it is. I would imagine that since it was offered, it probably was better. But is it worth it today? idk.

Losiracer2

After having just driven 2000 miles cross country from MI to AZ for a move this past June, I would have to say the quietness and smoothness of the car is largely due to the amount of care that was taken to replace all the rubber components in the suspension and tires. This plays a big role in reducing NVH in all aspects of driving

Replacing a set of tires I would say makes the biggest difference, even if the current set is just 3-4 yrs old. The rubber is more pliable, more forgiving and helps dampen the road noise.

Just before my trip I replaced:
-Rear upper control arms with Lexus OEM ones
-Front lower balljoints, OEM Lexus
-Sway bar end links, ACDelco Professional
-Lower mileage rear OEM shocks (~93k) in place of my more worn 155k ones
-Installed my nearly new, 2 yr old Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 with 3k miles from the previous owner in place of my 18" IS350 wheels with Pilot Supersports. I was able to get 31.7mpg on one tank of fuel that I drove 451 miles on, so those low rolling resistance tires really does boost fuel economy.
-Wheel alignment.

I would've done new Moog front upper control arms, but for some reason they decided to move the balljoint rearward, resulting in a +2 degree positive caster measurement which I wasn't comfortable with. I made a thread detailing this if you're curious with photos.

FloridaCam

LS400 is quiet, but the cross wind noise is a little noisier than desirable.

mikaelse

Air versus conventional springs . No significant comfort difference.
I have one LS400 with and one without. My Airschock equipped 1998 is still on factory fitted originals.
Can not complain about longevity. 22 years so far and no serviceing needed so far.