6spd

are there any physical differences between the ultra luxury and the regular models? for the model year 2004? I am somewhat in the market, and would prefer an UL if I can find one.

Dr. Jekyll

iTrader: (1)

Go to lexus.com, under Certified Pre Owned (CPO) look at the model library. this will list all the features and packages available for the model and year you are looking for.

vraa

iTrader: (2)

The Ultra Luxury just has a lot more features, it's very nice. The headliner is suede, there are more buttons, and ... more buttons

!SPEED

6spd,
The best thing about owning an Ultra is never having to say, "I wish I had that on my car." When I first was in the market for a LS, I didn't have a clue what options to look for so I focused solely on the Ultra. (My 04 was only a year old then.) I knew, from pricing, that an LS with the UL option took a big hit in resale value, generally in the first year. I bought mine for about the same price as a regular equipped model. I bought mine on eBay because it seems like the majority of these cars are in Texas, Florida and California and I don't even have a dealership in my entire State.
Only the Ultra has the 'air' ride which I'm not sure is a + or - in the long run.
Don't give up, you'll find it--and in the color you want.

888DC

If you can find an UL LS430 I think that you should pick it up. IMO, I think that you should get the best that this car can offer and never go "what if" later if you decide to get a non-UL LS430. There is nothing wrong with the LS430 without the UL package but isn't getting the flagship car of Lexus worth seriously considering the UL package?

WEBINTL

I bought my ul 2 days ago, and im still trying to figure out what else this car does. So much options i just love it

airtime

You all made very good points, especially the " I wish I bought the...." line. Even though I primarily drive alone, having the UL with its rear passenger amenities was a no brainer. No longer do I wonder about getting optional this or that, it is fully loaded. Only item on my mind now is getting slight larger wheels just for looks even though the factory stocks chrome are nice.

vraa

iTrader: (2)

airtime - be careful about getting bigger wheels.
I had 20's for about (max) a month and I went back to the stock 17's because I missed the *very* soft ride.

I think sport mode in the suspension is the perfect mix, because let's not fool ourselves, a good handling LS430 doesn't make sense, especially with the length of the sedan.

airtime

Vraa - Nice to know. I think I would max out at 19" wheels. That is why on previous post, I was asking about putting on some factory 06 18" GS430 wheels someone was selling locally and also some 18" SC430 wheels. I know I bought the car for the soft ride but I'm also used to firmer rides as I had a Honda S2000, Audi A6 and Mercedes SL before this and they were all modded for sports ride.

bb430

iTrader: (1)

Just to chime in, I had just put 19" w/245-40,275-35 from stock 17" and I also lower the ride height about 1/2" front and rear. The ride IS stiffer now but not too bad. Kind of like stock 17" in sport mode. The noise from the wider tires are louder than stock. Could be the brand of tires (19" are Falken, stocks are Michelin). Anyway, I think I can get used to them, but then again I just came off driving 14 years of Porsche...

ultra63

If you are getting a used or certified one the UL is a great buy as it is about the same price as a regular 430 used whereas when new an UL was thousands more than a base 430.

6spd

are LS430's 50 state legal(smog)? Living in cali, this is definitely a factor as far as buying out of state.