vmirjamali

I'm looking at a few LS430's at the moment from the 01-03 range. I found a CL package and UL package that have nearly the same miles and both look good. So now I'm wondering how much more is a UL worth then a CL as far as price goes?

From what I understand CL is missing air suspension, rear reclining/cooling, and read sunshades for the most part right?

caddyowner

When I was shopping, I valued the CL higher than the UL because it lacked the trouble-prone air suspension and had a larger trunk. My backseat passengers should be happy they're riding in any LS rather than the cramped Subaru. They don't need to recline, have their fannies massaged or cooled, and certainly don't get control of the radio. YMMV

vmirjamali

Do you know if the CL gets better gas mileage due to having less things in the car as well?

Doody

I have owned several LS including CL, UL and Modern technology packages and I can tell you that my experience is that the UL is definately the best I have ever owned that after I traded it for a 08 ls460, a year later I bought another LS430 UL again, I've read here about some who had trouble with the air suspension on UL but from what I experienced here is it:

1. My first UL was 2001 sold it with 189000 miles without touching or changing anything in the suspension and during 90000 and 180000 miles service, the air suspension was inspected by the dealer and nothing was wrong with it.

2. Second UL was 03, sold it with 169000 and never had a problem with the air suspension.

3. Third UL which I still own, has 90000 miles on it and I have no problem at all with the air suspension, I got it used but from the Lexus service records, there is no mention at all about changing any of the suspension components or even having any problems with it.

4. My partner, he told me when I sold my second UL that he will drive his UL untill it falls apart. Now, he has over 230000 miles on it and I promise you would not know it without looking at the oddometer. He also never had problems or changed any of the air suspension components untill this moment. I repeat the mileage to confirm it 230000 miles.

The thing is from my experience that I did what you are thinking about once before, which is getting CL instead of a UL and I regreted not getting the UL.

I know some people would not agree with me but now you can buy the UL for almost what you pay for a CL.

I honestly believe that the UL is the best. I also agree with the articles that said about the LS430 generally that it is the best car ever built in the history of the Auto manufacturing.

Now, you can't go wrong with and of the packages you choose as long as it's a LS430. You will always appreciate the LS430 regardless of what options you have in it even a plain base LS430.

Good luck

Ty419

The UL actually might have a slight edge in mileage because it lowers itself at highway speeds. The coefficient of drag for the standard suspension is .26, while the air suspension is rated at .25 due to the lower stance.

In response to your original question, I would expect to still pay at least a few thousand more for the 01-03 UL and a bit more for the 04-06 when compared to other trims.

vmirjamali

I see, so if you guys had the choice to get a CL at 13k, or a UL for 15k which would you choose if all other conditions were right? Personally for me if I get a deal that'll save me 3k i'll go with cl, but since that hasn't happened yet (ul and cl's pricing is essentially the same so far) I haven't pulled the trigger yet,

Jabberwock

$0 - too much stuff to break for me

warminwisc

I think the cooler is bunk and I need the pass thru for my snow skis. I rode in the backseat of my 04 LS premium and I thought the ride was just fair. Massage seats do no make it better.

LS430Lexus

Here's my two cents. I bought a 2002 LS430 Ultra with 50K about a month ago because my '97 LS400 was totaled (no injuries). The price was much more dependent on condition, miles and ownership history than options. Base cars without Nav and ML audio were a little less but not much. Most people don't know the difference between UL, ML and CL so the used car prices did not reflect the premiums charged at initial purchase. I got a UL because it was the best combination of pristine condition, documented maintenance, low miles and price that I could find. (The fact that I loved the color, Millenium Silver w/ Ecru interior, didn't hurt either.) I didn't really care about the extra equipment but I will enjoy it while I have it.

My advice is find one that you love, maintain it religiously and enjoy the ride.

AlexusAnja

Ask yourself this... are you going to DRIVE the car, or are you going to be the passenger of the car? If you're never going to be in the back seat, I'm sure as heck not giving anyone who might sit back there control of MY radio !!!

For me, it was different situation and a no brainer. My 3 kids, oldest seven now, are going to be back there a long time. The center rest is always up, so no controls anyway. They don't need massaging and I put 5% tint on rear windows so sunshade is bumpkus for me. As for air suspension, I don't think it was a serious issue with breaking, but if it happens to, it's like $2K a pop... I'll skip on that chance.

It's really up to if you think YOU will use those features, or if you will pamper your passengers. For $2K more, I'll let my passengers suffer in a "standard" LS.

thinkin

The UL has some serious advantages, and if you value them is well worth the upgrade and raises the car to another level, the full-on LS experience. If you live in a warm climate the extra rear a/c unit is terrific. The vents in the ceiling and separate unit make a huge difference to the speed of cooling down the rear and keeping it cool. Even when there's no one else in the car, having the rear unit on cools it down much faster and more evenly. I leave mine in "auto" mode for this very reason even if no one's going to be in the back. I don't know how much the optical deodorizer actually does, but the extra rear filtration noticeably helps speed up clean air exchange throughout the car.

Much has been written about fear of the air suspension, and I think some of it's understandable. However it's also a terrific option on its own terms with a lot of utility. Not only can it be adjusted manually for sport/normal, making a nice difference in transient response when you're feeling in the mood, but it also always adjusts dynamically based on your steering input and speed and is quite sophisticated in this regard. Having driven many with and without it, I can definitely feel this aspect of it working and have come to really like what it adds. Being able to manually raise the car an extra inch or two is also nice in many circumstances such as bad or dirt roads - it's the kind of thing you don't miss if you've never had it, but spoils you once you have.

The rear heating/cooling/massaging/reclining package is a serious "wow" factor for rear passengers, though I don't get a lot of personal gratification out of that. The rear side shades are a nice and classy, if small, touch. As to the rear fridge, I have some bottled water back there and it's nice to always have it chilled but I could take it or leave it.

All that said, I don't think you can go wrong with any LS - it's just a strong platform, and the CL is a terrific package bringing a lot of the niceties of the UL, such as the suede headliner, double-paned glass, power door closers, and extra leather trim.

Vpanin

I would go with the CL instead in your situation . Reason one is if youre worrying about a 2k difference in price then just think about spending more then a grand on one air bag!!...lol.. you dont need to have to worry about that. I would personaly wish i would have gotten a CL but i just couldnt resist the condition that my ML was. In NYC it is very rare to see a car of that caliber getting returned from a lease in the great condition that it was and so i had to settle with the ML.............................whats this double paned glass on the CL thats mentioned at the end of the comment above???

jac430

The side windows have laminated glass.
This consists of 2 layers of glass bonded to a plastic layer in between them.

Advantage is supposed to be: will not shatter on impact.
Maybe it has some additional sound insulation as well, but I feel that the rubber strips around the doors have a major contribution for that.

Jac

jayclapp

The rear A/C in the UL is amazing for a car that must be driven in the desert area of Phoenix. The cooler is just a by product of that independent rear A/C. It really helps in making the entire car absolutely cool and keeping the temperature will controlled.

Couldn't do without it (I suppose I could, but I wouldn't like it).

JP2SEA

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