davelex

I've been looking for more than a year for the right 04-06 LS 430 to replace my much beloved 1999 LS 400.
Just now inspected (but have not yet driven) an 05 Ultra Lux with PCS. 47K miles, clean carfax. Probably the nicest exterior and interior I've seen. Both are very near flawless and look next to new. No paint or body work. Mercury Metallic with ecru leather.

Looks like it can be bought for $26K, maybe a very little less.

It's at a Cadillac dealer who doesn't seem to know that it has an option package that added over $13000 to the cars original price.

Prices for these are all over the map right now but this seems to be a pretty good deal.

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

CarGuy89

Sounds pretty reasonable. As long as the car has had proper servicing every 5k mi and is accident free, you should be fine. If you get the feeling that this is 'the one', then go for it. Take a longer test drive, take it over numerous road surfaces. Make sure the engine is extra smooth, the trans is shifts without you knowing (you should know the feeling since you had an LS400).

For a reference point, I found my current 04 last summer with 25k miles and CPO for $25k. I have modern lux though, not ultra (didn't want the air susp).

Jabberwock

If you want a UL and its in really great shape at relatively low miles, I'd jump on it. But only if you specifically want a UL. The air suspension is cool but can cost serious dollars to repair and it is a wear item (meaning it will need repair at some point as the rubber bags age) . The ULs are cool but you have to know that you are buying a car with a ton of 7 year old (and aging) gizmos on it. For my money, cars with "all the options" are very cool when they are fairly new and under full OEM warranty....after that...I pass.

caddyowner

Go to the owner section of lexus.com and enter the VIN as your car. You can then review the service history and then delete the car. I've heard you shouldn't do this too often as you may be blocked.

Have the car inspected by an independent Lexus mechanic or Lexus dealer. Be sure they test all mechanical and electronic systems and get a full list of what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost. Make your offer accordingly.

If you want the UL features, realize what can go wrong over other trim levels (air suspension, PCS failure, fogging laminated side windows) and go for it.

You make a very valid point that the condition of the interior and exterior can make up for a color or option package you don't really want. A car that is a bit different from your target but which has been well cared for inside and out will make for a better ownership experience.

vollandt

If you plan on keeping the car for a while, you may want to consider how well Mercury Metalic hold up in the FL sun over time. I am not sure if lexus solved this issue with the paint used, but it's pretty common knowledge that silver cars are generally much more susceptible to damage from sun exposure than any other color.

Vpanin

I have never heard of silver cars being more prone to sun damage.......

caddyowner

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...tribution.html

Jabberwock

Silver paint (and actually all car paints) have gotten better over the years. But different colors still wear differently with silver and red on the short lived end and white on the long life end. But if you are up North this really doesn't matter. The southern states (like Texas) are where the cars get cooked by the sun and paint jobs are at risk. Wonder why Florida has so many car paint shops?

davelex

It seems the Lexus paints tend to hold up better here in FL than do most other cars. This particular 05 shows all the signs of being garaged and, if I buy it, would continue to be. My 99 is Mystic Gold and paint looks as good as new so I'm not too worried about the paint.

Much larger concern is the life expectancy of the air springs. Many cars with these begin to fail around 7-8 years. Am I looking at a big repair bill on the a/s in a year or two?

LSGarry

Doing a search of the A/S on this forum reveals the individual owners concerns with it and what they have done about it. Many have replaced the whole system with the standard suspension so I believe you are dealing with major $$ if this system ever goes out but apparently there are tell tale signs that it is beginning to go like sitting at an angle etc.
While the UL is the top trim level for the 430, it seems that the emphasis was placed on rear seat comfort hence all the goodies back there. Personally, I have never sat back there on a trip so only you can tell how many of these things would be important to you but keep in mind that these systems have a duty life also.
In addition, the vehicle you are looking at is a non CPO and so unless you get coverage from a third party you could be potentially looking at some serious $$ if any of these systems break down as others have pointed out. I bought my '05 CPO over 2.5 yrs ago for 25K so you might want to do some more research on pricing in your area and perhaps broaden your search for other trim levels too.
One way or the other tho is that these cars are simply the most competent, efficient and comfortable cars in the luxury class and you can't go to wrong here.

davelex

I drove the 05 Ultra today and liked it but felt that it's ride and quietness was not much different than my 99 LS 400. Probably not had anyone in the rear seat of my LS more than a couple of times in 6 years so many of the Ultra upgrades would be pointless for me. I do like the better leather and I HATE those big rubber/plastic one piece door armrests in the standard 430. They look terrible and cheapen the car, as does the welting around the outer seams of the seats - looks like what you'd expect in a Ford or Chevy.
My 99 LS 400 has leather armrests and beautiful french seams in all the leather. Personally I like the 400 interior upholstry much better than the standard 430. The 400 is more like an Ultra but there was no extra charge for it.
400 also has color keyed a/c outlets on the dash and rear of console for back seat. Color keyed inner moonroof molding and several other nice touches that disappeared on the 430's.
Guess it sounds like I'm partial to the 400, which I am. I think the last 3 years of the 400 may have represented the pinnacle of these cars - at least for quality of standard components and overall reliability.

Jabberwock

Davelex - if it runs good and you like it keep the LS400 as long as possible. The only reason to change cars would be if you thought the LS400 was going to run into some expensive repairs - like needing new airbags or new ABS servo/master cyl. That type of stuff ages, along with switches, plastics, rubber bushings, belts, hoses, lights, etc on even the finest cars and needs repair/replace at some point.

That's the only reason I tend to get rid of my cars at 10-12 years of age - the misc stuff (sometimes expensive) just starts to breakdown from age and I'd rather not have to deal with it.

LS430Lexus

I loved my 97 LS400 (RIP totaled at 200k) but my 02 LS430 Ultra is a nicer car. It has more cabin and trunk room, a nicer ride and more amenities. I don't want to further the argument just give you my opinion.

That said, Lexus of Palm Beach has a very similar 05 LS430 Custom Luxury edition. The CL has alot of the nice UL features without the air suspension. Silver and ecru for under 26k with CPO warranty. On paper, a better deal if you are fearful of the air. To be sure, you need to drive it. If you do, let us know what you think. Either way, life is nice with an LS.

davelex

I'm not wanting to be argumentative at all. I really do like the 430's and will surely end up with one at some point. Just was expressing some of my thoughts. And I thank you for your opinion - that's exactly what I'm looking for.

No doubt the 430 has more cabin room and a lot more trunk space. Lots more gizmos too. I've not experienced, however, a better ride or quieter ride. My impressions are based on test drives only and sometimes you've got to live with a car a while to get it's full measure.

I'm just trying to get other opinions, especially anyone who has (had) considerable experience with a 400 before getting a 430.

wincue

Dave, I just boufht an '03 Ultra with 54,000 miles from a dealer in New York that is also flawless in black with the Ecru Bird's Eye Maple and Ecru Luxury Leather interior. The only options that it does not have is the back up camera and the voice free telephone. Other than that, it's the nicest car I ever owned and I've had all the best Cadillac, Lincoln and other company cars. I bought it because I have a similar '02 LS430 that I keep at my home in Florida and when I needed another vehicle, I told my wife that I was going to buy another 430. I found this one on eBay, flew up and found that it was much prettier than I had ever expected it to be since I had never seen this interior and did not even know that it existed. I just "pimped it up" with chrome surrounds around the head lights and tail lights and chrome wheels. Good luck to you. Hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.