Slvr surfr

iTrader: (1)

Fellas check out this old review that i found. I think the guy that took his wife/girlfriend drove an LS430.

Check out the user reviews.



http://autos.msn.com/research/userre...1455&RL=460283,

encore888

Overall the user reviews are great--9.0 average. Just the lowest ones, and they probably are all written by the same person (keeps saying 'Camry interior' -- what a joke, I've driven Camrys numerous times and they are nothing like the LS 430). Also they make an inaccurate claim "Toyota Crown" in Japan -- when the LS 400 was only rebadged Celsior due to domestic dealer interest in the car, and is no longer. Also, they point to the C&D comparo, which ironically enough, the LS 430 placed first in. That user comment didn't mention that result though.

In any case, the overall average is great:
9.0 Overall Rating
8.5 Styling
8.7 Performance
9.4 Interior
9.5 Quality
8.9 Recommendation

The vast majority of the reviews are pretty good. I do agree that the styling is not to everyone's taste, but IMO the LS 430 looks pretty handsome, particularly after the 2004 refresh. And the build quality, luxury, fine engine performance, ride, etc. set standards even today.

bnizzle87

to have it assimilate to a toyota interior simply because they are from the same family is absurd. sure they're similar, but we're talking about the luxury brand that feels from driving a lexus. ive experienced and driven many ls models post 2004, and that is by far as luxurious as a car can get without being over the top. mercedes s class or the bmw 7 series have not proven they can compete in anything but their ""race inspired" technology, but maybe some people just want a luxurious feel when they're driving in traffic after a long day at work. unless you customize the interior personally, this is the best option available IMO.

Jabberwock

I love Mercedes and BMW cars but too often the race inspired technology has to be employed to race it back to the mechanic again...

AlexusAnja

Not just being a Lexus lover, but the Japanese understand and design around sensible human aspect things, not race car boy or magazine pleasing designs. What good is race car handling going to do for you in traffic? What is that stiff suspension going to do for you when you're driving in a major metropolis and the roads are all potholes up like the moon? What is race car handling going to do for you if the car is about as reliable as a politician?

Lexus designs their vehicles to be 80-85% as sporty as their competitions, but 100% luxury when needed. How many times during your daily driving, or even during the life of the vehicle do you need that "sports car" handling and even those times that you do, the LS can hold it's own accelerating up to traffic easily. It's the other 99% when you're just crusing, stuck in traffic, or just lazy driving, that you need the plush, quiet, smooth ride of a Lexus.

Over 25 years and a lot of people just still don't get what a Lexus is all about... oh well, it's all good, means I can enjoy my Lexus' more.

caddyowner

It's interesting to sort them from lowest to highest ratings. There are 5-6 haters and then the rating jump high. No mediocre ratings in the 5, 6, or 7 range and only one 8.7 before 9s. The last 16 are 10s.

lnguyenh

Exterior: LS430 looks nice, not the best but pretty decent looking.

Interior: Boring and somewhat ugly. It looks like they just throw some wood trims in there to make it luxurious but the wood trims are not in lines with other parts making it worse.

Power: Not good for the V8. This is the slowest V8 car I have ever had. Cruising at 70 MPH isn't that bad but getting it off the line takes a while. However, this is my fuel economy car!

Reliablity: Probably the best so far in all the cars I've owned. The only big issue was the cat went south. It would have cost $1200 but I had waranty covered.

It's a nice car to have as a daily driver and to haul people around. I can keep myself low-profile when driving the LS.

sojah

iTrader: (1)

my UL interior is pretty plush to me. very comfortable to just cruise around in,, on nasty weather days sometimes i don't even want to get out of it,, i just tell the wife to go do your thing and i'll be waiting outside in the car for you. but its true that it does not have amg or M performance

DNC

I have no problem with a difference of opinion, but that doesn't mean I agree with the opinion expressed. I am probably my car's greatest critic and not a "groupie" of any brand. There is no such thing as the perfect automobile.
If you are critical of the third generation RX it will send that forum into convulsions. I find this forum much more technical than that and made up of knowledgeable enthusiasts who can be critical of their cars without damaging their self esteem.

I6turbo

iTrader: (1)

What other V8 cars have you had?

FWIW, the '04+ transmission and programming feels very significantly more responsive, IME. That's the primary reason I switched my '03 for an '05.

Tee

POST OF THE MONTH!

I agree, there is no such thing as the perfect car hence the tag line "The Pursuit of Perfection" Lexus is trying to make one. The LS430 has pros and cons (Like everthing else) but the pros out weight the cons and that is a plus for me as an owner.

Slvr surfr

iTrader: (1)

I think in about another generation of the LS we will see the perfect car. Total emphasis on driver comfortabilty and safety and the options of sportiness and tree-hugging available. My driving experience only dates back to 91 or 92' so all i know is the LS being the almost perfect car but do any of the older or more experience drivers on this forum recall a car that can rival the LS's stature before the Lexus era?

honeygee2

http://cgi.ebay.com/The-Lexus-Story-...item2c502a13ea

I would suggest to anyone who really wants to know the Lexus story that you get a copy of this book. I have a copy on my coffee table and its great reading. Its bound in italian leather and has super thick high gloss paper inside. You can usually find a copy at your lexus dealer.

In answer to your question I started driving in 61 and nothing rivals lexus. That's why i have two of them.. an LS430 for me and the junior edition ES330 for the wifey.

sojah

iTrader: (1)

well i haven't read the book although ^ ^ ^ i just bookmarked the link and plan to obtain a copy here shortly (thanks btw). but my wife is japanese (like actually from there where met her at), and she always tries to tell me about the history of the celsior or L or original model lexus as she describes it. so i think i will get this book and see how much is correct and fill in the holes. she always told me that the lexus was just one car, the LS or celsior. i used to have a gs and a couple years ago when i told people in japan that i had a lexus and they asked which one i would say the gs or aristo and they always told me thats not a lexus... well now i have the 05 UL ls so i guess its safe to say that now i do have a lexus

DNC

Honeygee2, thanks for the book recommendation! It's hard to find anything to read on the history of our cars, unlike the German cars. I guess this is due to our cars being twenty years old vs. the German cars being much older.