Here's all of the strange and interesting differences between my JDM Celsior vs. a USDM Lexus LS400!
2020 ж. 25 Шіл.
257 269 Рет қаралды
This is a fun one - all of the differences I could spot between my new-to-me Celsior and the LS400 I had!... Next video will have more info with that... buuuut I hope you all enjoy this one!
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#Toyota #Celsior #Lexus #LS400 #Comparison #JDM #USDM
The windshield water reservoir by the radiator will warm up from the heat of the radiator, giving you heated fluid to clean the windshield during the winter.
Very clever !
"油膜取走" doesn't mean to heat the fluid......Is there a different windshield water container with different fluid?
WY C Yes, it is for windscreen degreasing fluid as an addition to the screen wash. minkara.carview.co.jp/userid/1417895/car/1037316/3844891/note.aspx
That's not the reason there is a secondary reservoir
I would have figured you could use a de-icing fluid
The radio button that tunes to AM 1620 is a "traffic information" button. It is the national traffic information frequency for all of Japan.
1620am is an oldies station where I live. 😎
@@filthyanimal874 Merry Christmas you... you know. ;)
@@PhatLipstick 🤣🤣👍
I wonder if this 1620 frequency is somehow re-programmable to your favorite USA AM radio station?
@@joeteejoetee You could just use the built in radio presets for that
Air purifier because Japanese smoke ALOT in their cars !!
differences in cultures in Japan vs US include the fact that the Celsior then to be an executive car utilizing a chauffeur so the rear seat occupant is more catered to with cup holders, and possible additional power outlets, cell phone holder/power outlet, and other options like door curtains, radio controls, etc. Folding mirrors are standard on most cars in Japan larger than kei car size due to small parking spaces and roadways. Cruise control would be restricted by law to the maximum legal speed limit in Japan, and the very low levels of auto theft would negate the need for security systems.
Very good observations !
The reason for leather in the Celsior was due to the Japanese seen cloth as quieter vs leather making noises when you move around. Awesome vid and car man, I had a 2000 LS back in the day, my favorite car ever!
I think it’s also not as hot, more breathable for hot humid summers. I generally much prefer cloth over leather.
I trust that those are actually wool seats and not cloth. Not very informative this video is it?
I was told by Japanese people, that leather is not popular in Japan because it reminds them of death, being made from cow hides
I also suspect the fabric is pure wool. If you check reviews of the Toyota Century, this fact is pointed out by various reviewers. The fabric looks identical with the Century’s. In those reviews, pure wool trim is esteemed as higher grade than leather’s. According to Wikipedia, you could have one of three models, model “A” (basic), model “B” (with uprated suspension, and model “C” (fully equipped with trim specifications).
When you run your palm over the seat surface, leather makes more noise compared to fabric; it also absorbs noise, thus making the interior even quieter. And under high temperature (especially when your car has been parked under a hot sun), leather is definitely hotter to the touch compared to fabric.
7:53 the button in Kanji is for OIL FILM REMOVAL, sort of a boosted windshield washer. When pushed forward it uses a more expensive, more concentrated windshield washer solvent in a separate reservoir to cut through OIL FILM more easily.
This could be the only video out there showing the brothers together. Fantastic video. Thanks for making it
Fun fact, the wood grain in the UCF10 isn't fake at all, it's actually lacquered wood for the trim, I've had my UCF10 apart when doing headunit stuff and it was real wood under all that lacquer
I've heard several commenters say the wood trim is fake. They are wrong. Yamaha Piano Div. makes the interior trim and it's heavily coated in plastic for protection.
FYI the air purifier is located in the rear shelf on the Celsior where the subwoofer is on the LS400.
Ah, I see. Thanks for the info!
@@CoolStuffInWeirdCars No problem. I currently have a 1995 Celsior UCF21 Series III. It comes with wool interior.
Same as a Toyota aristo jzs147 Lexus GS300… haha
So that would explain the vents
Interesting that so much of the interior controls were "mirrored." I wonder if ALL Japanese vs Domestic cars went to that trouble, or if that's another example of Lexus' "Pursuit of Perfection"
Yep, seems that they didn’t want any detail underlooked
Unfortunately my 1999 EU-spec pre-FL Lexus IS200 had not mirrored switch on/off radio/CD button from JDM standard. But it was a Lexus for peasants or so :) not like majestic top of the line LS400. So this "Pursuit of Perfection" was reserved for the riches. :P
I have a jdm 86 toyota celica and yes, those were inverted as well, for example let's say you want to shift at the same time you're using your blinker. So as the clock, it's on the other side so you can read it easily
Subaru is pretty different too
It seems like a pursuit of perfection thing. Even today, companies rarely put in that kind of effort
The antenna on the Celsior is part of the rear window. It’s the extra lines above the defrost.
Antenna in LS400 would adjust its length based on the frequency of the radio station selected ( to optimize reception ). The radio could pull in stations from FAR away.
My 1990 Celsior was equipped with ride adjustable air suspension, electric rear seat adjustment including headrest via a control panel in the centre armrest where the cupholders were in this video. This panel also controlled the radio, rear air-conditioning temp and air volume. Also the rear seat massaging and full for extra legroom, the front passenger seat would move forward and the headrest for tilt down so you could recline, be massed, cooled or warmed plus be able to see better forward through the windshield. One last thing is the second washer switch and bottle was for a high-pressure wash plus headlight wash.
Yep my 90 Celsior had the same features as you that I owned 10yrs ago. Everything in the Japanese market you could get as an optional extra from factory. My also had power folding and heated side mirrors, cassette player in back centre console/armrest with cup holders, electronic rear view mirror, tv at back, electric telescopic steering column with tilt, 2 position memory for steering position seat and side mirrors, all seats where electronically adjustable for front and back, central locking on key fob, interior lighting under footwells and doors, and cd stacker in boot. The only thing which was aftermarket on the car was quad exhaust tips, 18inch rims, wide bodykit with duckbill wing and 9 level adjustable air suspension module with braided hoses and K&N performance filter in the engine bay. One of the best cars I ever owned
The cloth seats are really nice!
Most came with wool seats. Yes, wool.
Wool seats are a more premium option compared to leather.
@@arlofs I remember over 3 decades ago, Mercedes S-Class charges extra for cloth seats over MB-Tex -- same price as the leather option.
What a unique video. I would've never thought I would wake up this morning and see something like this on YT, whilst be informed and entertained at the same time.
My skyline had the same max cruise control limit. I swapped the cruise control computer with one from a USDM 240sx and that got rid of the limit. I'd imagine an LS400 cruise computer would work.
Well done video! As time goes by, those early LS 400s are beginning to become quite collectable. Amazing how good they still look, their styling has really held up.
It's SO COOL, and UNIQUE that you got to have both cars together to compare them! Thanks for making this and your other videos!
My dad bought a German spec ls400 in 92. I do still own it. There are some more differences to the us model and the celsior! I wonder which country got the most features. I do have the rear reclining and massage seats from the Middle East. The euro spec also has the front spoiler / lip on the bumper. And yellow fog lights in the bumper. Where the us model has the fog lights the euro spec has extra high beams. We didn’t get the folding mirrors or the electronic rear view mirror in the middle. We did get the cup holders in the rear and seat heater. There were only four options in Germany in 92. sunroof Cd changer Leather seats Leather seats with heated seats We also got the antenna and the pioneer radio with rds ( radio data system) extra display with the name of the station. Front brakes got extra cooling from the front spoiler. Probably stiffer suspension no air suspension in Germany but for the rest of Europe.
Euro spec also has washers for headlamps.
Not to mention side turn signals are also required in Europe, however third brake like wasn't until 1996
Also, air suspension and traction control were and option. Between the German, Dutch and Belgian markets were also small differences. I own a Belgian car that was originally destined for Singapore.
I’m glad I found this video thanks for making it! I sit on google images and wiki for hours just trying to spot and learn about the differences in other countries specs. It’s super intriguing to me
Thank you so much for this video I love knowing the differences between JDM and USDM cars
The headlight and foglight are difference pieces because the US laws at the time required mechanical aiming. That's why the lens has the little nubs on it - there's a fixture that clamps to the lens, with some bubble levels in it. When you adjust the headlight aim the whole lens moves. It has to be seperate from the fog lamp for this reason. On the JDM car, the reflector inside the headlight moves, the lens says in place. If you look at euro vs. US headlights on an 86-91 W126 Mercedes you'll see the same thing.
Haha as a kid always wondered why us spec old school benzes had those ugly lens within a lens headlights. Thanks for clarifying
i see they changed that later on, making it so the us spec lens would move instead of the housing.
@@beyond305 w124 Benz eventually got euro looking 1 piece headlights
This was a really cool comparison. I like these types of videos. Thanks. :) (BTW, this was recommended to me in August 2022 - gives you some insight into Google, err KZhead recommendations and how long they take/revolve)
Love those cars.Its great you have one of each.Thanks for pointing out the differences in your video.
Nice I enjoyed your comparison with USDM and JDM, it's rare that we get to see them side by side like that. BTW the Kanji you shown on the wiper stalk says "油膜取り” Yumakutori which translates to OIL Film Removal, I had to look it up my kanji skills are the greatest yet. You mention that there's two reservoirs so I suspect one is for a cleaning agent, ideally the one that corresponds to the Yumakutori switch, and the other is for usual washer fluid. Looking forward to your next video future Doug Demuro. Oh forgot one more thing, the ETC card reader is for automated toll bridge payment cards, there's a lot of private highways in Japan that require paying tolls to use. The card reader should link up to something on the inside of the windshield that pays the tolls as you drive through the toll booths, so you can be on your way without having to stop and pay the toll.
Please. Do NOT be like DeMuro. He loves to bitch about the stupidest things. He's a hack.
Hey man keep up the good work!
great vid man! also noticed the celsior has "beep beep" horns while ls has "americanized" horns. always liked the beep beep especially the loud ones from old Mercedes benz. you got a new subscriber I really like reviews like this. definitely checking out your other ones
I love detail differences! My friend has recently bought a Toyota Crown which is so similar to an LS400
Great vid. I found both cars and looking at both and needed to know the difference
excellent comparison video, great job
Great video, I didn't know all the differences til now! I have a 2004 SC 430
The radio antenna is attached and printed to rear wind glass. Enjoying your video from Japan!
You remind me so much of myself when I was in high school. Had an LS400 and was equally dorky about it. Keep up the good work, love the content.
Him explaining the differences in his cars makes him dorky? I think youre the real dork here bud.
@@DeathhAngel1 Switch to decaf and re-read my comment buddy, it was a compliment.
Great video, love this kind of comparison :)
Don’t know why, but to me, the Lexus badge makes the car look more luxurious lol
That’s definitely the objective sir.
@@mikelowrey7441 Indeed
It's a Lexus, it's supposed to be luxurious!!!!!
Cool video! The original LS400 came standard with a manual telescoping, power tilt wheel and without remote entry. Leather was also optional. The Japanese actually prefer cloth to leather which is probably why your Celsior was so equipped. Ordering the Luxury Features Group included remote entry, among other things, and the Memory System included the power telescoping wheel along with power headrests and belt anchors. I believe that the power tilt/telescope wheel, remote entry and leather were standard after MY 1993 but not absolutely certain since my brochure is packed away.
Not correct the Ls400 had power tescoping and tilting off the bat in 1990.
@@philcollins7701 Sorry, but that was the Infiniti Q45. You had to order the Memory Package to have a power telescoping steering wheel. It only came with a power tilt wheel otherwise. I have the original brochure for reference.
@@RomanJockMCO The UK version of the ls400 came with everything on there were no options as Lexus deemed sales would not be big enough to have variable offerings so you had to have everything or nothing.
@@philcollins7701 I'll take your word for it. Since the video was referring to the US market I based my response off of that.
The Japanese are just smarter consumers because in my opinion leather interior isn't as comfortable as cloth and cloth usually outlasts leather as well.
That lower turn signal looks a lot cleaner on the Celsior. At first glance the casual passerby wouldn't notice the differences between these two, but it's cool to actually see them side by side!
Thanks for the eye opener!
Maybe the 2nd reservoir is for a headlight washer. Interesting comparison. Great idea for a video. Cheers!
There are converters available to convert the FM tuner from Japanese range to US which plugs into the cable that runs to the antenna integrated into the rear glass.
Very informative video
I didn't realize my blue cloth seats were so rare in my 90 ls400! Awesome video man!
Blue? That’s cool af
@@chewyyo3383 yea kinda wild ig, my 90 also has manual telescopic but auto rasing and lowering steering column
@@spraguejosh35 sounds like a nice ride man
Great video!
Great comparison!
Obsessed - Looking to pickup a LS400. Thank you.
I freaking love Japanese market Toyotas. Im impatiently waiting for Toyota Crown Estate wagons to be imported to the states. I really want one of those huge wagons
the more air to the back thing is translated to rear seat priority and it’s for high up executive guests.
Beautiful cars man. Enjoy
I wanted to try to get one of either but now you got me wanting both 😂😂😂
Here in Australia I've driven a 1990 Toyota Celsior almost identical to yours with the cloth/velour seats. The swapping of the radio buttons is due to making the common functions closer to the drivers side. I grew up in New Zealand and moved to Australia and predominantly had either Japanese or local Australian vehicles. These also had the indicators on the right, wipers on the left. It was only when I purchased a European car that the stalks changed and the radio on/off moved to the "wrong" side for me - obviously because most of their vehicles would be for left hand markets. New Zealand gets many ex JDM cars with unusual names and specs. My father has a Toyota Windom which is basically a Camry. These import cars often have Japanese labelling and the ICE systems can also be all in Japanese. One other interesting titbit is the radio frequencies for the Japanese market is at a lower band so band extenders have to be added to the radio to access all the radio stations in the local New Zealand market.
ive seen in another video that there was an option for the celsior to have electronically reclining seats in the rear as well as a radio unit in the rear middle arm rest
Fantastic video! I wish there were more videos like this, comparing different market vehicles side by side. You did great. As far as the old people smell, you could probably get rid of that with an ozone machine. They're about $90 or so on Amazon. Air the car out and don't be in it when you do the treatment (health risk).
I had the exact same LS 400...Loved it...
In a 2015-2020 year Korean spec Elantra, called the Avante AD, you could get heated and cooled leather seats, however they aren't powered, nor is there any infotainment screen just a basic radio setup only avaliable on the base model over in NA. Cooled seats aren't avaliable in NA, but the leather seats are power (driver only) Weird small differences for essentially the same car
Very cool thank u for the video.
No matter if it's a Lexus or a Toyota, in the end, some fighters from all over the world like to punch that car
What's interesting about the headlight/fog light situation is that on my 2004 Dodge Ram 2500, I can also have the fog lights on with just the marker lights only. It's interesting
I noticed that on my 2003. Actually thought it might be an electrical gremlin albeit a very benign one!
What a great channel
Two windshield washer reservoirs is the weirdest thing, never seen it on any other car. My guess its for two kinds of washer fluid. It would not make sense for winter/summer washer fluids because the summer fluid would freeze in the winter and may damage the reservoir. As for the cloth interior, the japanese actually prefer cloth to leather. I've seen quite a few mercedes w126 S-class imported from Japan and most of them were cloth as well. Cool video!
Thank you Sir!
Cloths seats look so comfy in the celsior, once drove a second gen GS with the cloth very nice fabric
The fog, headlights being one piece together looks so much better than the two separate pieces lol.
Very cool comparison
About the FM1 FM2, each will use the 6 buttons memory preset radio stations. So this means you will have 12(6+6) presets of radio station. Just a neat solution to have 5 less buttons instead of having just 1 FM button and 12 memory preset buttons. Clever japanese
I've got a 92 EU one with an optional car-phone system, and that has rear cupholders with the phone in the rear center armrest. Rear seat heaters too, which could've been standard for cold-climate models, not sure.
Had an old 97es300 for a couple years, but I always loved the ls400, thought they looked super nice. Was never able to find one for sale near me sadly.
Hey man, the Celsior does not have cloth seats. They are wool also known as flannel, they also had cloth interior celsiors but those are almost never around because they were not desirable at all in Japan compared to the wool. In the ls400 however, no wool, we get the option of cloth or leather.
@2:40 that 3rd brake light is also a micron air filter/blower purifier, can even change the smells .they are mad expensive & cost from $600 to $1000 each , even my KDM Korean domestic Daewoo Leganza has a similar air purifier brakelight with the smell canister, found another useful use for it as it can be used for "vape juice" & hotboxing in the vehicle
1990 us Integra had rear cupholders as well! I only know this because I kept *goodies* there
Nice comparison. The antenna on the Celsior is actually integrated in the back glass.
Fm1 fm2 and am are just for additional preset stations
I don't have to think about this before I go to bed anymore. Thanks
0:56 the separate headlamp design is to reduce insurance costs by reducing the cost of replacing a headlamp. In the USA insurance companies work with carmakers to reduce costs of repairs.
Woah long way from the ranger days nice ls400s!!!
I like the idea you have both types of the car 🚙
Finally somebody that knows the difference between USDM and JDM,ive seen too many people call their US LHD made in alabama 180sx JDM
A JDM car can be LHD tho
Would seem counterintuitive to make domestic car lhd when they drive on the left
I noticed the VA transport tags on the Celsior but you got Missouri tags on the LS! Did you get rhe Celsior from Japanese Classics in Richmond?
The vents in the high stop are part of the air purification and the xtra window wash one is for water with detergent and the other is for fresh water to rinse!
the reason there are rear cup holders in the Celsior is that in Japan it was driven by a chauffeur and the owner enjoys a comfortable ride.
This was recommended to me after 2 years, very interesting.
great video. was wondering what the differences between the LS and Celsior were. now to search for the differences between the SC400 and Soarer.
The Soarer 4.0GT/Limited could be equipped with the very expensive Active Suspension which numoed up the retail price to the JPY 7M level. Not sure if the export-spec SC400 had such suspension option as well?
During the 1980s and early 1990s, the mobile phones that were installed in the cars had the pigtail aerials. They required drilling the hole through glass to attach the coaxial cables and anchor the aerial. Drilling through the glass was preferrable to metal because the latter would rust (if not treated properly) and leave the streak down the surface over the time. What you saw is probably the remnant of pigtail aerial. The reason why the headlamps and foglamps aren't one piece for the United States is that the headlamps must be sealed (reflector and lens glued together). When adjusting vertical and horizontal, the entire headlamp capsule moves up/down and left/right. The European headlamps have moveable reflectors inside the headlamp housing. On the European version, the reflector moves up/down and left/right without moving lens and housing. That changed in 1992 when the ECE headlamps were allowed in the US with one major difference: the lens must be glued to the housing (European headlamps have detachable lens for cheaper replacement). The speedometers in the JDM vehicles can only show up to 180 km/h and have alarm bells that go off if you go faster than 100 km/h.
Heated windshield reservoir. Also it could be the headlight cleaners....if you got'em
Must be one of the easiest cars to get serviced, as US shops have access to LS 400 parts and manuals. Not to mention isn't it easier to get car insurance, just register it as a Lexus LS400.
Interesting to see how many differences there are. I always thought it's exactly 1:1 copy.
Similar approach with other Models like Lexus GX vs Toyota Landcruiser Prado in Japan. Toyota Harrier 2013 re-branded from Lexus RX sold as Toyota /Harrier emblem with the quality of its predecessors .. today it is the Venza 2021 in USA but with slight differences again from the Japanese Toyota Harrier 2021
Did you know on some Celsior and other markets LS, there is a button to shake the water droplet from the side mirrors.
Yeah! The ultrasonic mirrors!
6:15 that is a REAR SEAT PRIORITY button, it is used to favor the VIP when he rides alone in back.
Cool video
The rear antenna for the jdm celsior/ls400 is in the base of rear windshield, thats why the defogger seemed so dense or close, its actually the rear antenna lines, alot of toyota cars had that during that era, and the extra windshield washer tank is for the headlight washer, but that celsior doesn't seem to have that option ,or was ina front accident and it was removed
A ton of cars in Japan have power folding mirrors. Visited the auctions and saw how many economy cars with power folding mirrors .
1990 LS400 did not have full telescoping, it was just in and out (or up / down, can't remember). Used to have one.
the lights were because of the NHTSA head light regulation. needs to be certain sizes. also the washer where you push forward it says cleaning "oily residue", so I can only guess the second reservoir is for different type of washer fluid.
I'm curious how the Celsior and other "Lexus' models badged as a Toyota were marketed in Japan. They're clearly elevated over normal Toyota products. I can see why Toyota introduced a new brand in the US to differentiate them. No American is going to pay more for something they perceive as cheaper. Just as the VW Phaeton (which looked way too much like a Passat from afar).
Japan's car buying culture is different from the West. If I remember correctly, they'd have different dealerships for various tier cars of the same brand. For example, you'd see Civics and Fits sold in one Honda dealership, while Legends and Sabers would be in an entirely separate one.
Also Toyota needed to get around laws for how many cars they could import to the US if they made an entirely new company they could sell more cars
@@SwapBlogRU In foreign countries, a GM dealer sells anything from Cadillac to Chevy.
Makes me want to make a video showing the differences between the four 1991 LS400 me and a friend own. I think we got two sold new in Norway, one US imported and one Saudi imported.
Ot too sure about the american ls400 but here in New Zealand we got them fitted with auto dim rear and side mirrors, the side mirrors were heated. The headlights came with their own wipers. The antenna was embedded within the windscreen. So many more options the americans missed out on.
Owned 3 different LS400”s best luxury cars in the world imo ,, always wanted one from Japan
My 1991 Celsior mirror is electric. 🤷🏾♂️ my seats are also leather. So I suppose it’s a different trim.
12:23 the smaller reservoir in front of the radiator is for the OIL FILM REMOVAL fluid.
8:16 The japanese on the lever says 'Push for degrease the oil from windshield', since you said there are two washer fluid tanks, so I would say one is for reg. washer fluid. And the other one is for oil degreaser wash..
hey man i want to get a celsior but ive been looking at 1997 LS400 parts are the celsiors the same year/gen and would all the parts fit. thanks!