Yes I wouldn't want an AWD sedan, minus that. If I have 382hp I defffinitelllly want RWD.

I heard that the 5.5L engines on these, the early ones, literally blow because of some $2 sprocket failure. Or something silly like that. If these are bad I can't even begin to imagine the TT V8s' longevity issues. I wouldn't even consider a used MB with a TT V8 motor like that.

That's really a shame that, basically, the last reliable MB V8 that would click well into 6 figures with nothing minus maybe a valve cover gasket was the M113.

I am seeing lots of E550 coupes for sale with 6 figure mileage, however, some well into 6 figures. That's not a bad sign. Who knows how easy or hard it was to get there.

 

Much better actually, the 4.0 is amazingly reliable and strong with the 4.7 being fairly good as well. The AMG TTV8 was amazing but the trans was weak/slow as is typical of Mercedes since they INSIST on their own trans setup vs a ZF8 like literally everyone else uses, that said the ultimate really is the M113/113K/M112/112K if you want reliability. AWD vs RWD is always a debate but past 400hp AWD becomes needed to be able to apply all power at all times, even 400 is sometimes not usable.

Same deal in Audi land, the 4.2 is a "stay the hell away" engine but the 4.0TT is amazing. However if you want the ultimate get a W12

 

Saw this on a FB group, the guy’s pregnant wife walked away fine thankfully. This illustrates how big of a tank an LS430 is, look how severe this impact is and the cabin looks untouched, or very minimally impacted. I know we talk about new crash tests blah blah and older cars don’t do well, but that LS clearly probably saved someone a pretty severe injury.

 

That's fairly bad, what hit that LS? Looks like a truck of some type to me....

Wife is driving the LS460 as her main car now that our 430 is gone, she really likes it and is coming to the same conclusion as me that the 460 just outright outclasses the 430 and is SO much better to drive. She is however a little annoyed but still had a good high after losing to an A8 on her way back from work, complained that I need to remove the 130 limiter and asked about the Elate superchargerI told her it wouldn't have helped against a 4.0TT lol!

 

It is bad but the rear window didn't even break, the crumple zones did their job virtually perfectly as the cabin doesn't even look compromised, and his pregnant wife was shaken but okay. I asked how fast the person was going but no answer yet, my guess is at least 40.

LS430 is a tank.

I can't agree a 460 is better in any way at all than an LS430 except for some modern conveniences like bluetooth music and blond spot monitoring, but those things don't automatically equal a better automobile.

 

It totally outclasses it when driven, every aspect involving the drive is better lol!

 

saw this awesome overlander today

 

I just didn’t think so. The engine isn’t as smooth, 8 gears are too many. If I want heart flutters I’ll drive my Mercedes. 430 is just a pure isolation luxury chamber. There are still countless 430s driving around town, people just don’t get rid of them.

This is endless debate though so we can agree to disagree.

All that matters is that we love our cars, lol you have like 40 of them.

 

It did well, but actually looks very similar to a crash a friend of mine had in a DC2 Integra GS-R coupe, which is obviously a much smaller and cheaper car. Traffic had stopped on the expressway at night due to road construction. The drunk behind him in the Blazer didn't notice this, and hit him at full speed--police estimated 50-60 mph. My friend was fine, though anyone in the backseat would likely have been injured thanks to the Fender Super Bassman that was in the cargo area (he was on the way home from a gig) pushing partway through the rear seats. But his little car looked pretty similar to that LS after the fact. It was 20+ years ago so I'm a little fuzzy, but I don't think the hatch glass even shattered.

The best part? His FIRST payment was due the next day.

 

too many? my santa fe has 8 and my lc500 has 10.

while you're only old at heart, i bet the average age of those 430 drivers is 70.

the 430 is a very nice, old comfortable BOAT (and handles like one). but i know you like boats.
the 460 thoroughly modernized the ls, although before its refresh i felt the interior center stack in particular looked REALLY cheap.
let's face it, for whatever reasons, toyota/lexus decided in the early 2000s to hugely cost reduce their lineup.

 

In general, that's correct, but there were some signs of it as early as 1997, when the superb 3rd-generation 1992-96 Camry (IMO, the best Camry ever built) lost some of its quality and build-solidness to the somewhat-cheapened-out 4th-Generation model.

 

8 gears flows better, shifts faster, responds fluidly, the engine has 100 more hp and when warm is smoother especially so up top and sounds better up there as well.

I still have the 06 in family though and it's great at being a technical example of a very well thought out engineering exercise but it has nothing on a 460 when driven. Same way a 460 has nothing on a German car when driven hard, the gap of driving enjoyment is just too much as you yourself have found with your SL.

My 460 has given me several really really good moments that I can recall in vivid detail and emotion, but my German cars give me that almost once per drive. The 430 did that exactly 4 times in the 4 years I owned it....it's special don't get me wrong but it just doesn't stand out the same way.

 

I just don't get all this stereotypical talk (and never did) about big, heavy, luxurious, soft-riding sedans being only for geezers. When me and my best friend were in high school, 16 and 17 years old, we LOVED them...Mercury Marquis, Lincoln Continental, Cadillac De Ville, Buick Electra 225, Olds 98, Chrysler New Yorker/Imperial, Pontiac Bonneville, etc....

THAT was automotive class.

 

Lol who cares anyway, the ages of LS430 drivers aren't germane. The point is, they're such good cars people hang on to them unlike virtually any other high-end luxury sedan from that era.

See I could say the same thing about my LS, driving it through the desert at 125-130 for several, several hours on end on a desolate interstate. I'll never forget that. Striker you don't think so but LS430 is just as good of an autobahn runner as a Mercedes (or at least, it sure doesn't disappoint). It was engineered for plenty of high speed driving hence the lowest in production drag (at the time) and the in Japanese wind tunnels where they tested bullet trains etc. etc.

I'm sorry but the 4.6 just isn't as smooth and buttery as the 4.3, ever. I own the 5.7L version of the UR, plenty smooth and refined but those original Lexus V8s were just out of this world.

 

i didn't say it was only for geezers, but i did say that's likely who is driving most of the 430s still on the road.

eventually everyone may ride in one.



(i knew 'ls430 hearse' would give hits )

then you should be all over EVs... even more 'smooth and buttery' - check out the i7 video i just posted in that thread. (edit i see you watched it, and made a snarky remark, lol)