Courtney Love had one...

When Toyota made the attempt to build one of the world's best luxury cars, it wasn't exactly an easy task. BMW had the world renown 5 series, America had Lincoln and Cadillac, and even Nissan had its Infiniti line. Amazingly, in less than 10 years of production, the 2000 Lexus LS 400 has come extremely close to defeating all of its established rivals that were the same price range.


Driving Impressions:

Acceleration, as one might expect from Lexus’s flagship, is amazing. With whopping 290 horses on board, even a slight stab at the throttle sends the LS 400 to highway speeds briskly. Although the LS 400 weighs nearly 4,000 lbs., it still has the get-up and go normally associated with a sports car. Braking and handling are almost impossible to find fault with, the only gripes I have with the LS 400 is its lack of involvement because of the car's dynamics and the remote feel to the power-assisted steering, otherwise this car's performance is top-notch.

The Lexus's DOHC V8 can claim to be one of the finest V8 engines ever to come from Japan. This V8 is so smooth thanks to the four balanced shafts, which minimize vibration. Since 1998 the LS 400's engine has had variable valve timing (VVT) which made the maximum power output of 290 HP be reached at a taller 6,000 engine revs. Torque is greater than before 1998, a massive 300 lb.-ft occurs at a relatively low 4,000 RPM. Such a large amount of torque really comes in handy when pushing this luxury beast up steep hills.

The smooth shifting 5-speed automatic transmission seems to always be in the right gear. Even when tackling mountainous terrain, the LS 400 downshifts with almost undetectable ease. Out of all the '00 luxury cars I have driven including the offerings from Acura, Infiniti, and Audi, Lexus has them all beat when it comes to transmission refinement.

Interior Accommodation:

The interior of the Lexus LS 400 is, well, Lexus material; meaning it's darn near perfect. Lexus has, for many years now, set a standard for Luxury car materials. Rich leather, supportive and comfortable seats, a thick leather wrapped steering wheel, and a special Lexus on-board navigator uses information from GPS (global positioning Satellites) all greet you upon entry. The Lexus LS 400, while not as big as a Lincoln Town Car, has tons of room. Whether you are 4ft tall or 8 ft tall I imagine you will have no problem getting comfortable in the LS 400. It simply is made for virtually anyone.


Exterior Innovation:

The exterior, like most of the offerings from Lexus, is bland at best. The style of the LS 400 was revised in 1996, which made it a little bolder, but all in all the Lexus LS 400 is a relation of Mrs. Plain Jane. The rims for 2000 Ls 400 are plain as well, so if you are looking for this car to stand out, ditch the factory rims for another set.

The value of the LS 400 is excellent. Today, LS 400's represent some of the best luxury car values on the used market. Second-hand '2000 Ls 400s can be found for around $25,000 (brand new these cars were around 54,000.) These second hand Lexus's hold their value, and are an excellent buy.

The LS 400 has always been a reliable automobile, a check from Consumer Reports.org will give you all the info on reliability you need on the '2000 model.

Other Cars To Consider In Random Order:

1. Audi A8 Quattro

Infiniti Q45

Lexus GS 400

Jaguar S-Type

Acura TL

Jaguar XJR

Lincoln Town Car

Cadillac STS

Volvo C70

BMW 540i

-Happy Car Shopping!