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Did a road trip from Dallas to Smoky Mountain (Gatlinburg) a few weeks back with family of four (kids 4 & 8) and would like to share my experience.
Previously I did a couple of 14 hours road trips on Nissan Rogue and Hyundai Sonata (did not have LS at that time) with overnight stay after 7-8 hours drive. Swore to myself I would never drive this long again because it was utterly tiring. But, took my LS460 this time and drove 14 hours straight (with gas/food/ stops every 3-4 hours). Couldn't believe how relaxing the drive was for everyone. Coming out of the LS after a long stretch (both ways) was surprisingly refreshing - zero fatigue!!!
Wifey took the wheels for couple hours in between to give me a break and I had the luxury of sitting in the passenger seat of my LS for the first time. Pushed passenger seat back to keep my legs straight (my height 5' 9") with 75-80 degree recline still left quite a bit of space for my 8 year old in the back seat!
+ Points
Very comfortable whether you are driving or in a passenger seat.
Tomb quiet cabin even at 90 mph (drove approx 600 miles at this speed during the whole trip). Could easily carry conversation (without screaming) over the phone or with kids in the back at this speed. Being honest here, I might have screamed a couple times because the kids were fighting.
Zero rattles or squeeks.
Smooth and effortless acceleration. With just a tap it would go from 90 to 110mph.
Averaged 24.5 mpg (Normal mostly and occasional Sport mode). Impressive for NA V8.
Even at 100+ mph car felt planted.
Effortless driving through the mountain roads and steep hills.
Used DRCC for the most of the time and it was great during light highway traffic.
Gave warning that DRCC disengaged when it started to pour.
Large trunk to fit luggage for a week long trip.
- Points
Intermittent wind noise from the front passenger side when driving at 90+ mph
Sport mode: didn't notice any difference in steering feel. Not sure what it does besides keeping high rev or low gear.
Can't think of anything else...
Saw couple of wiser people (driving LS) and they seemed to be content in the cacoon of luxurious isolation. LS didn't break a sweat in leaving couple of Tesla (3 and Y in rolling race at 70) and BMW (3 and 5 series changing lanes without indicator and cutting me over without safe distance) drivers way far in the rearview mirror. I am sure they were perplexed and underestimated LS and learned their road manners.
BTW, did you know there is an LED light in the ash tray? My kids discovered it when they wanted to put change (pic attached). Light placement is on the opposite side so it doesn't blind the passanger! Love this subtle luxury touches.
Prior to this road trip I was considering a downgrade to GS 350 for spirited driving. I am putting that thought on a back burner for few years. I might get Miata or S2000 to scratch the spirited driving itch or perhaps LC500 and up the ante.
Closing notes: An ultimate highway cruiser in it's class that gets you from point A to B in utmost comfort and luxury for many years of happy motoring.
Hope my road trip experience helps someone who is on the fence or considering LS 460.
Great story - know exactly what you mean. You pointed out the biggest advantage with the 460 in my opinion - after long road trips you get out and feel refreshed. The driving on the 460 is so easy on the body one has to experience it to understand.
LS remains one of the absolute best vehicles for a road trip. I've owned the 400, 430 and now a 460L and it's one of the things that keeps me sticking with the LS. Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Exposure to noise is very fatiguing. The LS460s are exceptionally quiet cars. Many drivers don’t understand the relationship of noise and fatigue. Your explanation will be helpful to many.
I bet comfort is a notch up on LS L or one with air suspension.
Is passenger side wind noise at 90+ mph a know issue, if so, any remedy? If not a known issue, any pointers to rectify the wind noise? My first thought is that it is coming from the front passenger window.
Also, how would you know if ML amp is blown? Does the whole audio system stops working or only subwoofer wouldn't work?
Fix is to pop the black "inner" triangle trim inside the chrome "outer" window surround and seal it so wind can't get in. There is a guide here for doing this involving cutting a small sheet metal section to sit in-between the car and outer black plastic trim to really get it to seal.
I replaced those triangles with OEM ones ($40 in total), it took less than 10 minutes. Old triangles de-laminated in some spots, especially on the right causing the wind noise.
Is passenger side wind noise at 90+ mph a know issue, if so, any remedy? If not a known issue, any pointers to rectify the wind noise? My first thought is that it is coming from the front passenger window.
Wind noise was a common problem with the early model LS460s/600s. Lexus seemed to eventually get a handle on the wind noise problems and there have been few to no reports of wind noise in 2013 and newer cars.
The wind noise issue has been discussed extensively in this and other forums.
I bet comfort is a notch up on LS L or one with air suspension.
Is passenger side wind noise at 90+ mph a know issue, if so, any remedy? If not a known issue, any pointers to rectify the wind noise? My first thought is that it is coming from the front passenger window.
Also, how would you know if ML amp is blown? Does the whole audio system stops working or only subwoofer wouldn't work?
Usually there's no sound if amp is bad or fuse blown. If it's the subwoofer only, that's likely to be the speaker itself. A used OEM one, a new one OEM or an aftermarket (it may not be compatible, causing amp damage) or a rebuild of the speaker.
04-14-22, 11:37 PM
1900 Miles Road Trip Experience on my 16 LS 460
