Number one on my list of favorite cars I owned that I probably wouldn’t own again was my old 1998 Lexus LS400. Yes, the one that I traded shitty 2002 Honda Civic for, then traded the Lexus for an even shittier Miata. I pined for this car for a long time, and I actually made one last attempt to buy it back.
- Car: 1998 Lexus LS400
- Location: Anaverde Hills, Palmdale, CA
- Photog: Chris Rosales (me; @chrishasacamera on IG)
- Camera: Canon 70D
Not that I wouldn’t want to own another LS400. I just don’t want one as my only car. For me, the ability to take a corner at speed or the ability to traverse rough terrain are absolute prerequisites for me to purchase a car. I am binary in my purchasing and I believe that a comfortable car can mob on the track and canyons, and a good truck will be nice to drive long distances to a good trailhead.
The LS400 did neither. It was past slammed in my book, it was shlammed. (Refer to the Car Autance Glossary for what that means.) On its garbage Godspeed Mono SS coilovers, it would not take a corner for shit and it didn’t ride particularly well either. It was kinda pointless except that on a smooth highway it was the single most impressive car I’ve ever road tripped. It was so quiet I could literally whisper to my passengers and the Nakamichi stereo was so unbelievably crisp and balanced that I felt like I was wearing high-quality headphones.
Someday, I’d love another LS as a second car. As a first? Probably never. Unless I decide to choose chaos one day and move farther east. I don’t see that happening.
As big as we could get it:
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