CarGuy89

^cool I'll keep that in mind.

caddyowner

Early 09 MKS units had some quality problems. I also liked the MKS but wanted the ecoboost (unknown quality) after driving one.

CarGuy89

yeah I probably figured...I had a Lincoln throughout high school and the thing constantly broke down...not to mention all the squeaks and rattles it had I am very hesitant about suggesting another Lincoln (we still have the Continental, which my sister just takes to school and uses it as a beater car). I know that things have probably changed a lot but still I remain slightly skeptical. If they are set on a sedan, then the 430 is definitely the best car you can buy for a reasonable price.

carlcline

Got my 2005 LS430 with 7700 miles from my dealer. Now has 50,000. Not one problem of any kind. Quiet, smooth, etc.

CarGuy89

Wow my old thread is back! Nice find carlcline, you got that car brand new! I have driven my 430 for a month now and I would describe it only as driving perfection. I absolutely adore the car and look forward to every trip. If I had to nitpick it would be the window squeaking/rattling. That is slightly irritating only b/c it is the only noise I hear.

I love everything about the car, the handsome styling, the room/luxurious interior, the layout of the dash and interior ergonomics, the smooth and powerful engine/trans combo, the perfect ride quality, good steering precision. Just thought I would give a quick run down of my thoughts thus far. I am really living the dream with this car!

Playdrv4me

Not to mention I really can't stand any design language that places the a$$ end of a passenger CAR at nearly the level of an Expedition!

I had a '96 Continental as my first car and while it had a lot of small annoyances (door sensors, airbags covered under extended warranty, broken door handle etc.), it was overall very pleasing to drive with lots of power on tap. It was about all that extensively modified Taurus platform could take. What actually ended up doing that car in for me was the **** poor Ford paint quality of the mid 1990s black paint... which had almost complete clear-coat failure.

smm3

Hello,

I am a current ES member and have been reading the LS threads for a few weeks now. I want to trade my 05 ES 330 in for an 01-03 LS. I am keeping in mind the steering wheel failure and the folding mirrors problems. I have ruled out the UL trim as I don't want to deal with it failing and having to replace.

I really don't care much for the nav but would take one on a car that is priced right. Feel the same way about the cooled seats.

I found an 03 with 107K miles on it. Has the cooled seats but no nav. that is the premium package right? It is at a dealer. TB/WP have not been done. Dealer is asking 14,338. Do you guys think this is a fair price considering I will have to sink 700 in that maintenance. I have already priced it out locally. I have a ex lexus tech that works on my LC and my current ES. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

usermel

I would not get the car unless they do water pump and timing belt and not charge you. They should have done that for you. Not like they lose money doing so. $14,000 is high to me for the miles and no Navigation. Price is either jacked up a bit or they took a hit on a trade in to sell another ride! Not your issue, they have it priced for some profit still. I'd pass, and look elsewhere if they don't make the timing belt and water pump a free gift to you. If they give you that and charge no extra, then I may do it. Be patient, the right car can sometimes take a long time sir! Be safe! LGNM

smm3

Thanks for the advice. They originally had it listed a 18K. I was able to pull the service records and it has a decent service record. I asked if they would do the TB/WP for cost and they said no. they said it had passed their inspection and was properly maintained. Sounded to me like they took in on trade and had to fix a bunch of stuff on it and they did not want to sink any more money in it.
I don't mind getting the service done myself as long as they take off that amount the top. I have searched all over for a decent LS. Been a lot more difficult than I initially expected!

usermel

If your cool with the price and features and fixing timing belt and water pump, go for it sir! LGNM

tkbalt

14K is probably on the high side given the need for TB, but used car pricing is up. If the car is otherwise mint and you really like the car, go for it. Suspect if you walk in with cash, you might get them to come a little lower. Understand that not having NAV or (I assume) ML audio may hurt any future resale value.

We have an 03 and love it - also came out of an ES.

Jabberwock

Not sure I agree with statement on NAV - As these cars age and the inbuilt integrated NAV system becomes obsolete (it already semi is) and also becomes prone to breakdown, I am fairly sure in the long run not having NAV will help resale value. And in terms of audio - cassettes are certainly dead and CDs are not far behind - try finding CDs in a few years..gonna be just like cassettes. My guess is that 90% of conventional over the air radio stations won't even exist in 10 years.

As an example analogy, think about classic 60's luxury cars with giant OEM am/fm/8 track players built in, but imagine that the obsolete clunky units also controlled your heating and AC and as a result could never be replaced or upgraded.

Having said all that you can ignore this assertion if you are buying the LS to drive for 2-3 years and then selling it - in that case I agree that the inbuilt NAV is likely to be an attractive feature to buyers.

smm3

I am thinking 14 is high myself. Hoping that they would come off another thousand, maybe 1200. It is a dealer though and they are proud of their stuff.

I was wanting to stay away from the nav but just because how old the system is. I plan on keeping this one for a while so resale isn't a huge concern. Thanks for the advice though. It certainly should be a consideration.

smm3

This was sort of what I was thinking. I don't want to end up having to replace the whole unit should it decide to stop working

CarGuy89

Whoa my thread from a year ago has been resuscitated!

Pretty much agreeing that 14k is a bit high. I've seen people get pristine 01-03s with half the mileage (or less) for about the same price or lower. Don't be afraid to look into private sellers either. Might just be a retired person who hardly ever drives it (also more likely not to have too many bells and whistles on it) and takes it regularly to Lexus for servicing.

Any links of the car you're looking at? Welcome to the LS side btw