Zammer

I have a '94 Ls400 with 103,000 mi and a just-purchased 2011 LS 460 with 13,000mi. The 460 is noisier and the ride choppier than the 400. Engine- and tire-noise are without doubt worse in the 460. This has been verified by people who've been passengers in both of my cars. It's not even a close decision.
The 400 has Michelins, and I'll change the Dunlop Sports Max that are apparently standard on the 460 for new Michelins, but that will do nothing for the engine and transmission noise. .
I made the dumb mistake of not driving the 460 before I purchased it (long story), but I was satisfied with my 400, and, after all, how noisy and poor riding can a new Lexus 460 be?
My experience may be unique, or almost so, I may have a lemon. I'd like to know if anyone else is/was disappointed by a late-model LS 460.

Luxofreak

I'm not sure I can relate to your experience. I bought my '07 460 brand new. To this day, quiet as a tomb. I drove the LS-430 before, a friend's car, and it was a little softer than my car.

I believe the voices of criticism about the plush ride of the 400s and 430s were so loud, Lexus decided to stiffen the suspension a little more on the 460s, also to appeal to potential buyers coming from the German car experiences.

Unless you purchased you car used, and the previous owner had the car all pimped out with 22" wheels at some point, etc... I don't see why your car should be louder. Transmission noise? None on my car. Tire or road noise? Barely, and that's because the asphalt/concrete surfaces where I live are super grainy, not smooth at all. I'd check bushings and/or the history of the car. I can only tell by my experience of purchasing the car brand new and not modifying it in any way. My car is completely stock. And it's super quiet.

Valley101

Had a 10 now a 2012 LS 460 AWD for about 7 months. Car is super quiet and the only noise if your at idle and no music on is the ticking sound from the direct injection system. Dunlops are not standard issue on all 460's. Mine came with Michelins. In fact, I believe Michelins are on most new ones. The Sports Edition's I have seen come with the Dunlops and they are a summer performance tire and listed as performance tires and not to expect more than about 15,000 miles per set..

gregorynfp

I traded a used LS430 for a used 2007 LS460. I did notice the engine/transmission noise louder. Also noticed there was no extra rubber seal around the doors. I don't know if the 430 had insulated glass but noticed it is only on the L version of the 460.

I like the styling, seats, electronics, wood, wheels of the 460

Zammer

Luxo--The car is stock, it came off lease at a bit less than 13K miles. What tires are on your Lexus? There are many comments on the web about the noisiness of those Dunlops, and a few people wrote they ride like they have 75 psi.
Your point that Lexus may have "toughened" the ride a bit, contradicts reviews of the car, which almost invariably are in the nature of, "Not nimble, but silent and like riding on a cloud." I've read reviews of the 300 which echo your thoughts--Lexus ended up with a car not satisfactory as to ride OR "sportiness."
I much prefer to drive my '94 LS 400. It IS very quiet and has a smooth ride. The 460 may be one of those mysterious "lemons" where no single fault can be found and corrected. (I guess that's why they're called lemons.) That's why I'm curious whether anyone else found their 2011 460 as "non-Lexus-y".
This may amuse you, as it did me. The dealer offered to take it back as a trade-in against a new 2012 or 2013 LS 460. It apparently doesn't matter if the dealership is selling Chevy or Lexus, the salespeople are the same.

Zammer

Correction: it "doesn't" matter if the dealership is selling Chevy or Lexus...

Smoothe1

The suspension on my 2002 745i and 2005 Deville Dts are a lot better than my Ls. The wind noise issue is kinda irritating also, but I plan on doing the fix that is posted by a forum memeber. Other than that, I love the Ls.

RandyV

You can edit your posts by clicking the 'edit' button located at the bottom of the post.

Try breaking your posts into paragraphs - makes it easier for us to read them.

Zammer

Valley--Newport Lexus is stalling on my request that they change the Dunlops for Michelins. The old salesman trick of "I can't make the decision, I'll forward it to my superior," and the superior doesn't respond.
Your description of your car is what I would say of my '94 400. I used to wonder if the engine was running, it is that quiet. Its ride was OK until I put on the Michelins, and it now rides like a Lexus advertisement.
Gregory--I've never ridden a 430, but my comments about the '94 400 apply. I don;t think rubber seals on the doors would make the engine/transmission any quieter.
I'd welcome the "clicks" Valley reports if the engine was quiet enough for me to hear them. Maybe there are clicks, but they're lost in other engine noise.

Zammer

Randy--Will do,

Zammer

Smoothe--I may misread your comment: Are you saying that despite the suspension and wind noise you love your LS?
(I saw the detailed forum "fix" for that wind noise,, and wondered why a car as expensive as that has wind noise and/or why it's not a free fix by dealers.)

Smoothe1

Zammer, yes that is what I was trying to say. The suspension is very floaty and i prefer suspensions that are more responsive. I agree with you completely about the wind noise issue. I think the dealer should fix it also. However, I'd rather fix it myself than go to the dealer and them give me the run around. Other members have been thru that already.

Luxofreak

There are several threads here about wind noise, so I won't get too much into this but to say that double pane windows were installed on both front doors under warranty, and now the car is absolutely quiet. Dealer paid for re-instalation of tint as well.

As for the tires, I changed them rather soon after I purchased the car because I found a crack on the front driver's side tire about 3,000 miles after I took delivery. I am riding on 245s toyos now, on the original 18" wheels. I don't like these toyos much, they seem to be very heavy. But the car is very quiet.

I can hear the ticking injection noise as well, but it doesn't bother me at all. And when driving with the window down, I feel like I am driving an electric car, I can't hear a thing but the outside noise.

I8ABMR

I am surprised to hear anyone call the 460 ruff or noisy , BUT I have never driven an LS400 and I will admit you are not the first owner of an LS400 who jumped to the 460 and said the same thing.

tommyLS460

i bought a used silver 2007 LS460 with chrome trimmings and rims recently and am also experiencing this problem...i can hear the transmission while on idle and park...(even shaking vibrations sometimes but that's another issue)....i can hear the road noise and regular wind noise (not the whistling high pitch type) around the car..isn't that normal?...i'm kind of getting used to it since i usually have the music on anyway...i don't expect the car to be 100% sound proof...after all...the thing is going pretty fast to expect not to hearing anything...maybe i'll test-drive a new one just to experience this no-noise experience and what i should not be hearing one of these days...(once my license plates come in so that the dealer might think i'm such a baller to upgrade to the 2013..ahha)....

i like all the features that the LS has from the sun screen shades...the automatic rain drop wiper sensor...multi-directional lumbar support and seat thigh adjustments....to the trunk lid closing it by itself...not to mention the body looks sleek..classy..and a bad ***!!...i love it!

tell me if this is true - didn't find it in the manual, but it seems like the security feature doesn't automatically lock the car if you exit it for 30 seconds or so...please tell me that i'm wrong......i know most older cars even have this automatic alarm lock feature after 30 seconds...it does however locks your doors after 60 seconds if you unlock it using your remote but have not opened your doors...