Carmelstev

Yes, it's a good thing the LS does other things so well. Frankly, if I would have known how horrible the Nav system was, I would have likely altered how I went about shopping for my new car. I would have either not gotten an LS without the Nav system, or perhaps even looked at other cars! Again, if Toyota wants to re-enable the ability to set routes enroute, it would go a long way toward fixing the problem. It would still be a very obsolete system, but would make it much more user-friendly. Perhaps with the current climate of car sales falling through the basement, Toyota will reassess this position.

Steve

GoldGS3

iTrader: (1)

Is it normal for LS to drift? Is this a normal behavior/characteristic?

I switched to 05 LS430 from 94 GS300. With GS I can let go of the steering wheel on freeway and it will go straight. However, LS430 drifts to the right.

I had wheel alignment done, changed the tires, etc. I'm not happy with the drift. I'm thinking there is something wrong with the car and should file a complaint(?).

David M

Small drifts are probably due to slope of the highway. Drifts to the right are normal if your car is improperly aligned. An alignment that is perfectly tuned for forward travel is wrong, as most highways have slope for rain to run off. So, good alignment guys tune the cars to drift slightly to the left to compensate.

sojah

iTrader: (1)

i was a valet/ private driver for a minute a while back and i always noticed this more in big luxury sedans. it seems like they try so hard to make the steering wheel as light as possible and as easy to turn as they can, i am not sure if this is because of all the old folks owning the cars or if the designers think this is a characteristic of a luxury car or what? usually the opposite in sports cars... my gs400 is very stiff, i'm sure it'll be a drastic switch when i 'upgrade' to an ls.

i forget which car it was either the lincoln towncar or the cadillac dts but one of them was the worst at this ever, i found it very difficult just to make it go in a straight line... i felt like all the other cars could tell i was bouncing in between the lanes and that surely a cop would eventually pull me over but after a while i got the hang of it... really annoying when i first tried to drive it though. it just floated like on pillows down the road in any direction you pointed it in. so i would say your car is normal.

tvdias

I strongly suggest that you read all the owners manuals. The Lexus is a complex beast, including the nav system and for you to fully appreciate and take advantage of all that it offers, you will need to understand all the systems.

Vern

luca

Please tell me How? I can get 18.5 if I'm lucky

Rice

The drift is due to the way suspension is designed. It is not the regular setup - double wish bones. Instead it uses strut bars in front, similar to what Ford does in their crappy boats. Somehow the steering is much better than that of Ford, but worse than the double wishbone setup. You (or I) will never be able to remedy it. My car has perfect alignment, new tires and very tight suspension. Nevertheless, it wonders on the highway like a drunk sailor. 18' low-profile tires don't help much either.

David M

would 17" higher profile tires make a positive difference? As in, are they better?

Carmelstev

David-I do believe a higher profile tire might make the LS less prone to the "drift". A couple of the cars I test-drove had the stock 17's and they actually rode better and the steering seemed less directional. I do like the look of the 18" Sport wheels better, though. As I said in the original post, I don't really mind the very tight steering. It's kind of a trade-off. It comes in very handy on the twisties.

Steve

warminwisc

My situation is my car does not drift, it almost drives itself on the freeway. Mediocre tires also goodyear assurance tripletread. I just got it and it was aligned at 30K with new tires now has 57k. Warm

Carmelstev

Do you have the 17 or 18 inch wheels?

David M

If you're asking me, they're 18" from the factory and not the sport package (I hope and pray.)

David M

warminwisc

I have 17 inch wheels the base suspension. I have H rted tires.... T os S would do the wander thing. Anyone put V's on the LS? Whaty was the feel

David M

I use V rated and W and X (over time) on my sports car and family car. They don't seem to change anything based just upon speed rating.
Bear in mind, that a letter-based speed rating is meant to say that that tire will be ok running 6 hours at that rated speed. Has nothing to do with upper speed limits on the tire; there aren't any.

BBQMAN

I have found most, if not all, installed nav systems to be less than trustworthy. I have gone to a different approach. I use a printout from Google maps to get me close and if I have problems, go to my iphone 3G. It has never failed to get me to where I need to go, even in the most recently constructed subdivisions.