What, if anything do you not like about your 430?
01-13-09, 01:31 PM
#16
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I solved the mp3/i agree stuff by installing a Vaistech sli2 unit. Now I have an ipod connector, the rotten 'i agree' had disappeared as well and i'm not forced to use the cd changer that seems to die on everyone.
I think the cruise control looks crappy cheap. A friend of mine ownes a Kia and it has the same CC-on-a-stick as my 5 times more expensive LS.
Another thing is that the Xenon produces too little light output compared to the likes of BMW's and Benzes of the same year and pricetag.
But for the other 98% I love the car. Very well suited for long distances. Last summer we made a couple of 500 mile roadtrips and we got out of the car as fresh as when we departed.
I think the cruise control looks crappy cheap. A friend of mine ownes a Kia and it has the same CC-on-a-stick as my 5 times more expensive LS.
Another thing is that the Xenon produces too little light output compared to the likes of BMW's and Benzes of the same year and pricetag.
But for the other 98% I love the car. Very well suited for long distances. Last summer we made a couple of 500 mile roadtrips and we got out of the car as fresh as when we departed.
01-13-09, 03:11 PM
#17
If you set the aim correctly, it is the brightest and widest angle HID I have ever seen, and I have driven everything.
I thought the HID was lame too before I adjusted them.
01-13-09, 04:29 PM
#19
Nissan made a big deal on the new GTR's HID, claiming they are a new wide angle design, but they are not remotely as wide as the 04'+ LS430s.
irmichel, go adjust your headlights, it is a 10 minutes fix
01-13-09, 05:43 PM
#21
My dislikes
Lacks road feel (although for some reason mine is okay - my dad had one that "floated"
Handling & cornering stinks
Mark Levinson stereo is weak - Levinson is world famous for his high end home audiophile equipment (maybe he was dating Kim Catrell when he designed this one or Lexus limited his budget). They should have gone Bose.
Air suspension lacks reliability (at least mine)
Lexus techs & service writers don't know enough (especially service writers) at least at my dealer.
Handling & cornering stinks
Mark Levinson stereo is weak - Levinson is world famous for his high end home audiophile equipment (maybe he was dating Kim Catrell when he designed this one or Lexus limited his budget). They should have gone Bose.
Air suspension lacks reliability (at least mine)
Lexus techs & service writers don't know enough (especially service writers) at least at my dealer.
01-13-09, 05:46 PM
#22
Come on, that can't be OEM with just light adjustment. Those are 5000K or something HID and picture must have been photoshopped. You would be blinding everyone with castoff like that... 
01-13-09, 07:04 PM
#24
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I have an '04 LS430 (with Premium Package and no nav) and an '04 S430 Mercedes in my garage, so I get to compare them every morning. The Lexus is my wife's car. The things I find disagreeable--it's unfair to say I don't like them, I just wish they were different--are:
[1.] The handling is soft and much less precise than I like. I keep my S430 suspension set one click 'stiff' (it's adjustable--another thing I wish the Lexus had), so I prefer a stiffer car, but the Lexus is no corner scrambler. On stock tires and stock suspension, the S-class will eat the LS430's lunch any time you turn the wheel off center. It's very comfortable, though, and my wife prefers the Lexus to the S-class in all ways.
[2.] The switchgear is out of the Toyota parts bin, and isn't up to the quality of the rest of the car. Most of the switches and toggles (the seat switches particularly) are what you find in Camrys. They simply look cheap and plastic, which they are.
[3.] The trunk struts don't do much work, and the trunk doesn't do more than come ajar with the opener. Again, the comparison is inevitable; my S-class has an automatic opener that opens the trunk fully and automatically closes it. It's very convenient at airports and hotels.
[4.] Having the gas door on a separate switch is a nuisance. I'm often out of the car before I remember I have to open the gas door from inside. The S-class gas door unlocks when the car is unlocked and locks with the car, so you don't have to think about it.
[5.] The stereo (whatever the Premium Package one is) isn't quite up to the Bose that's standard in the S-class. The Mercedes is noticeably quieter at interstate speeds, so that probably adds to the impression of the difference in the radios. Less tire noise (both cars have Michelin MXVs), less wind noise. Neither transmits any mechanical noise into the cabin.
[6.] The seats are not so adjustable nor as comfortable (to me) as the Mercedes seats. They are flat and soft, and you have to use the belts to hold you in place around corners.
[7.] There is substantially less rear leg room in the Lexus (the S-class is a long wheel base model, to that should be the case), and the comments about the honking big hump are spot on.
All that said, the MSRP on the Mercedes was probably $30k more than the Lexus, so it's probably unfair to compare them. That said, the S-class is the benchmark for the class the LS strives to play in. As a whole, I love the Lexus and think it's a terrific value. The little niggling shortcuts Toyota took (the switches for example) are irksome, because they take away from the otherwise excellent vehicle it certainly is.
[1.] The handling is soft and much less precise than I like. I keep my S430 suspension set one click 'stiff' (it's adjustable--another thing I wish the Lexus had), so I prefer a stiffer car, but the Lexus is no corner scrambler. On stock tires and stock suspension, the S-class will eat the LS430's lunch any time you turn the wheel off center. It's very comfortable, though, and my wife prefers the Lexus to the S-class in all ways.
[2.] The switchgear is out of the Toyota parts bin, and isn't up to the quality of the rest of the car. Most of the switches and toggles (the seat switches particularly) are what you find in Camrys. They simply look cheap and plastic, which they are.
[3.] The trunk struts don't do much work, and the trunk doesn't do more than come ajar with the opener. Again, the comparison is inevitable; my S-class has an automatic opener that opens the trunk fully and automatically closes it. It's very convenient at airports and hotels.
[4.] Having the gas door on a separate switch is a nuisance. I'm often out of the car before I remember I have to open the gas door from inside. The S-class gas door unlocks when the car is unlocked and locks with the car, so you don't have to think about it.
[5.] The stereo (whatever the Premium Package one is) isn't quite up to the Bose that's standard in the S-class. The Mercedes is noticeably quieter at interstate speeds, so that probably adds to the impression of the difference in the radios. Less tire noise (both cars have Michelin MXVs), less wind noise. Neither transmits any mechanical noise into the cabin.
[6.] The seats are not so adjustable nor as comfortable (to me) as the Mercedes seats. They are flat and soft, and you have to use the belts to hold you in place around corners.
[7.] There is substantially less rear leg room in the Lexus (the S-class is a long wheel base model, to that should be the case), and the comments about the honking big hump are spot on.
All that said, the MSRP on the Mercedes was probably $30k more than the Lexus, so it's probably unfair to compare them. That said, the S-class is the benchmark for the class the LS strives to play in. As a whole, I love the Lexus and think it's a terrific value. The little niggling shortcuts Toyota took (the switches for example) are irksome, because they take away from the otherwise excellent vehicle it certainly is.
01-13-09, 07:17 PM
#25
Dr.J, I'll give you the comments on the cheap buttons. They are straight from the Toyota bin and do seem wrong with the off color 'grey' too. But honestly, I just want functional buttons. If I wanted fancy, then I'd get platinum buttons with diamonds on each button.
Like you said, to compare a $60K to a $90K is going to skew things off a little. If Lexus HAD TO MAKE a $100K vehicle (LS460L or LS600H) then they would probably put more thought and quality into it. Although, i think some of what you mention are still "deficient" in the new LS.
Like you said, to compare a $60K to a $90K is going to skew things off a little. If Lexus HAD TO MAKE a $100K vehicle (LS460L or LS600H) then they would probably put more thought and quality into it. Although, i think some of what you mention are still "deficient" in the new LS.
01-13-09, 09:09 PM
#26
Lexus Champion
Like I said, it is the brightest and definitely the widest I have seen.
Nissan made a big deal on the new GTR's HID, claiming they are a new wide angle design, but they are not remotely as wide as the 04'+ LS430s.
irmichel, go adjust your headlights, it is a 10 minutes fix
Nissan made a big deal on the new GTR's HID, claiming they are a new wide angle design, but they are not remotely as wide as the 04'+ LS430s.
irmichel, go adjust your headlights, it is a 10 minutes fix
I also dont like glove compartment design, hard to open with someone sitting in front seat
Rear trunk should pop open and auto close
I think they could have put the changer into the radio compartment (remove hazard light elsewhere) and made the center wood piece a solid one piece instead of 4/5 pieces
I think rear tail light will look better if it was one piece also
needs 4-zone climate control for Ultra IMO
some extra things i thought of for today
01-13-09, 10:21 PM
#27
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Lacks road feel (although for some reason mine is okay - my dad had one that "floated"
Handling & cornering stinks
Mark Levinson stereo is weak - Levinson is world famous for his high end home audiophile equipment (maybe he was dating Kim Catrell when he designed this one or Lexus limited his budget). They should have gone Bose.
Air suspension lacks reliability (at least mine)
Lexus techs & service writers don't know enough (especially service writers) at least at my dealer.
Handling & cornering stinks
Mark Levinson stereo is weak - Levinson is world famous for his high end home audiophile equipment (maybe he was dating Kim Catrell when he designed this one or Lexus limited his budget). They should have gone Bose.
Air suspension lacks reliability (at least mine)
Lexus techs & service writers don't know enough (especially service writers) at least at my dealer.
01-14-09, 07:44 AM
#28
Pole Position
agree with many others on the ML sound system,, the last S500 I had with Bose was way better than the ML and I mean WAY BETTER,, problem with the S500 was it loved the local mechanic and he loved working on it,,
as for the cooling in the seats, what cooling,,?? think Lexus needed to really test them on a hot day and figure out why they do not work,, need colder air and a better blower to get it through the seats,,
do not like the way the phone sounds through the system, it should work with more that the one speaker near the drives legs,, think the mic pick up could be better as the wife has to aim her voice at it for pick up,,
still a great car that I totally enjoy driving,,
Derry
as for the cooling in the seats, what cooling,,?? think Lexus needed to really test them on a hot day and figure out why they do not work,, need colder air and a better blower to get it through the seats,,
do not like the way the phone sounds through the system, it should work with more that the one speaker near the drives legs,, think the mic pick up could be better as the wife has to aim her voice at it for pick up,,
still a great car that I totally enjoy driving,,
Derry
01-14-09, 08:09 AM
#29
In Lexus's defence, all the shortcomings on the LS430, is due to them being the 1st generation design, quite a few new features was introduced on the LS430, is their first attempt, not to mention they had it 1st on the market before all other car manufacturers. Cooling seats, door closer, trunk closer, blue tooth, NAV, ML sound system....to name a few. I think for their 1st attempt, they did very well.
01-14-09, 08:59 AM
#30
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Please keep in mind that I live in Europe and the settings may differ??