I am planning to drive my LS430 from PA to Colorado/Utah for a 2 week vacation. Yes I know that sounds crazy!

I am planning on driving up Mt Evans (14000 ft) and the Trail Ridge Pass (12000 ft). Does anyone know if the car will have a problem with the high altitude? I am leaving in June and probably need to factor in snow as well. I could drive my wife's ML350 instead, but I far prefer my car. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

The performance will decrease slightly (something you wont really notice). But you wont have any problems. Have a safe trip.

 

Mine takes me up over 10,000 ft from time to time, and I've never noticed any difference in performance. And, you'll love how you can pass the SUV's in short passing zones

 

i live at 7000 ft. driving an es. You'll be fine. just dont be suprised at the slight loss of torque/power.

 

haha even my good old 120hp camry made it to over 7000 ft, you will be so fine

 

I agree with everyone, and also keep in mind that as long as you are up at 7-8000 plus feet- you don't need premium fuel. It will be a waste of money, and you can't get 92-93 octane up there anyway. The lower grades are required by law to contain the same detergents and cleansers as the premium fuels, so you won't "hurt" the LS at all.

If you use lower octane fuel at altitude, you may gain some of that torque back as a side benefit to saving some coin.

Good luck and be safe-

 

I'm from NYC (elevation 15 ft.) and now live in Colorado (about 6,000 ft.) I have driven up to Mt. Evans and Trail Ridge roads numerous times with my RX300.

You will notice some loss of power. This is normal and you have nothing to worry about. Since the speed limit is like 35 mph on those roads, you might not even notice the loss with your V8 LS430. You may feel sleepy while driving in high altitude due to lack of oxygen. If so, pull over and take a nap. Being from near sea level, you should take your time going up the mountains.

If you have trouble starting your car, you may have "vapor lock." Simply open and close the gas cap, then wait a minute before cranking again.

Enjoy your trip and drive safely. This is the best time of the season to see Colorado and Utah. I will visit Trail Ridge as well. Look for a white/grey RX300 with black bumper guards.

 

Your engine's computer will compensate for the thinning air as you gain altitude by cutting back on the fuel supply to maintain a constant ratio, so with a normally-aspirated engine there will be a noticible loss of power, especially at 10,000 feet or so and above. This is normal....so give yourself extra time and room for passing.
Harrier also gave some good points about vapor lock and the effects of altitude on your brain. By all means do not continue driving if you feel drowsy.

 

You will actually enjoy better gas mileage with the lower octane fuels used in higher elevations due to the leaner conditions. This is very true crossing the desert southwest from Arizona into West Texas...and obviously evident in higher elevations like in Utah. I've experienced this many times traveling up I-15 from SoCal to Salt Lake City, UT and of course I-10 from CA to TX.

 

my car runs horribly here at high altitude with low octane. I actually run best up in the mountains with 93 octane. odd!

 

This would most likely be because of your modifications. Your car is probably tuned so that higher than 93 would be better at lower altitudes and 93 is good at high altitudes.

 

Thanks to everyone's very informative responses. I can't wait for the trip. Going to take a lot of photos. I'll also end up in Bryce Canyon, and then to the Vegas. Long trip, but couldn't think of a better car than my LS430 to take!

 

my car isnt really tuned for anything. It was originally a texas car. brought to colorado and i put an intake on it.