romy101

I can get a new ls430 premium package with 18" rims, xenon etc for $700 lease after taxes. I can get a fully loaded infiniti M45 for the same. The M45 is more power and aggresive looking. The LS430 is an older mans car in my opinion but it is quality workmanship. So I am stuck in the valley of decision. I just sold my GX470 and already have a gs400 in the garage so I am a lexus man, but the m45 is tugging at my boy racer heartstrings. It is a wicked good looking car too with the aero package. Help me back to the lexus camp please. I am buying this weekend.

joegolf68

You've already nailed it I think. The LS is for the older crowd, wanting fine workmanship and smooth ride and great resale value, as well as "prestige" if that means anything (doesn't to me.) Now if you want a zip mobile that looks great and handles like a sports car, get the Infiniti. I owned an Infinity a few years ago and will tell you, their dealerships are 100% better in service than the lousy service Lexus gives in general, here in Sacramento and by some of the comments on these boards. Good luck guy.

encore888

Depends on where you are though, the Lexus dealerships here in SoCal are excellent for the most part, and have far more service amenities (lounges, etc.) for the customer. When it comes to having a truly luxurious cabin, the LS 430 has no equal. It is the CEO's car.

Russ G

I have also heard many complaints about dealerships. I can say that my experience at Lexus stores has been excellent.

I am 42 and love my LS430. It may not be a sportscoupe car, but I have a 2-seater for that. It does just fine at 85mph on the highway. A woman the other day said that "I look like a million bucks" in the car. So, thats fine with me. I keep my cars for a long time. I wanted reliable, quiet, roomy, and suitable for a professional. This met (and exceeds) all my needs.

BMcD430

So it's now 9:00PM on Saturday - Did you buy the LS or the M45??

I would be mighty tempted to go for the M45. I had a 1990 Q45 - the original and it was a fun car and good dealership treatment. The Lexus dealer here has been great so far. Good luck!

romy101

I went to jm lexus and my salesguy said he thought the M45 was probably more my style. After I collected my thoughts I left to think it over. He than ran me down and said he would loan me a new LS for a day to see if I liked it. I told him I would get back with him on it. There are parts of the M45 that feel cheap to me but overall it is a nice car. My wife is begging me to get a minivan instead. Since this is the next 3 years of payments we are considering I better get it right so I am taking a couple more days to sit on the thought.

lkirchner

Romy101 MINIVAN!!!!!! OMG---Run away from home, get a divorce, move to Brazil. Seriously, I'm not so sure that the LS is an old man's car but my wife does prefer it to our AMG Mercedes (S,CL,SL). As far as it being the ultimate CEO car, we old fart , young at heart CEO's prefer the S55 AMG.

joegolf68

Well said Russ! I had the Lexus SC 400 but had to give it to mother-in-law due to a bad back (I'm 52.) The SC is a 1996 with about 40K miles right now. My LS is a 2002 with 22K miles. I don't drive much but want to enjoy the driving I do. The SC will come back to in time as it will stay in the family. Both are great cars.

As for dealerships, I envy those with a great Lexus dealership in their town. Sacramento/Roseville suck and they don't care. What's up with that? Same owners with a monopoly and although they have nice people, their policies are what you'd expect from a Ford dealership. Lexus should be embarrassed, especially with the agreement I have seen here about our local dealers. It is a well known situation here in town.

rheiy

If your GS4 is in good shape, why not mod it with TC and 3.76 lsd. That setup will take out the m45 and satisfy your need for speed. Then get the ls430 for the lux factor. Best of both worlds

romy101

My gs400 is in great shape. I love that car. What is a lsd? I guess the torque convertor gets me off the line quicker right? How much would that setup set me back? What kind of speed improvement would I be talking about? I am interested in knowing more.

rheiy

The best place to find all your answers is to search the GS forums. I personally have the 3.76 lsd (limited slip diff) on my gs430 but not the TC. While I would like to have a TC, there are cel issues with the 430 due to different transmission electronics. However there are no cel issues with the gs400. As for the lsd, there are basically two types for your gs. If you plan to go the FI route (super charger) then your want to stay with the stock gear and use the TRD (Toyota racing development) lsd. However, if you do not plan to go FI, then the 3.76 supra torsen lsd (or RMM 3.76 – same thing) is the way to go. The stock GS4 rear gear ratio is some where around 3.26 or 3.23 (don’t remember exactly) The 3.76 lsd by itself will make better use of the engine’s hp and get your car to jump off the line much quicker and pull hard through all 5 gears. Expect about a .3 to .4 decrease in the 0 to 60 time. Of course this performance comes at a price. The 3.76 lsd runs about 1500 to 1700 + 200 to 300 for install. In addition, your top end is limited to about 135mph due to the higher gearing and you will lose about 1 or 2 mpg depending on driving habits. I hear
the part is getting hard to find but it is still out there. Now taking the TC and 3.76 lsd together, I’ve heard cl members say they have had runs in the low 5’s for 0 to 60. Don’t know about ¼ mile times but its much better than stock. The only drawback of having a tc without lsd, is that you could run into traction issues and turn your gs into a tire shredding machine. From what I hear,TC runs about 800 for the part and another 400 to 500 for install. Now that you’ve read this, please search the forums for more info to help you decide. Good luck.

romy101

My next question is can I install that on a ls430 and shred the m45.

rheiy

No clue Why don't you post in the gs forum...lots of knowledge over there

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

Hi romy. I see your concern and want to show you the potential of the LS:
Maybe not your taste but I'm sure there's lots of other styles out there.

This is one example and was started by pvo:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...19#post1315919

The only drawback is you have a lease.
I'm not too familiar with the LS, more informative members will chime in, but I don't think the LSD and TC will fit the LS. The only thing to give more horsies is the wald supercharger, but mighty pricey

Here's one link,
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ald+kompressor

TJW98LS

iTrader: (1)

Pretty cool LS430, but not too fond of those wheels. I say go with the LS430 because they last forever, not just in life but in value too. The infinities have style but they have had some mechanical and engine problems for a few years. Oh and about the dealerships, here in Lexington, ky ours is exquisite. The staff is excellent and they have large lounges around the store. They serve food and beverages while you are waiting on your car or just browsing the inventory. When I walked in for the first time I thought I was in the wrong place.