Bottom line is if the LS has been well taken care of and has a great service history, buy the car for your wife. She will love it! Dont worry about UL, CL or whatever. Anything can break on any make and model. Make her happy and enjoy the LS.

 

Nothing finer then the extras the UL comes with basically for free these days over the base. The base is cool and maybe, maybe I'm looking down the barrel of a bit more over time, but wouldn't have it any other way. The finest car on the road needs to be the Top Dog with every damn thing they put on her!!!!!
No "looking down my nose" here, they're all real fine, but nothing finer then the back seat of our '04 with all of the UL crap and pulling a cold one from the chiller!!!!!
Excuse me, would you happen to have any Grey Poupon? You do in a UL.........
RW

 

Why did they replace all the air shocks? Even if they aren't leaking, do they need to be replaced like regular shocks over time?

 

Based on what I gather, the owner was the president of the local Lexus dealer. I can only presume that he had the extended warranty and decided to replace them before it expired knowing that they would fail.

 

Not odd at all. I keep mr rear shades up all the time. I have a black interior. It keeps the car cool, an although I have some tint on the windows, the shades keep more UV out. I also like the alcantera headliner and the sim aniline leather. At twelve years old, the leather still looks new.

I think that the CL has all the toys without the air suspension.

We say these cars are old, but look at how many LS400's that are running around. Also, look at the older MB', BMW's, etc. we know that the reliably of those cars doesn't compare.

If age is an issue, it affects all LS vehicles. There is a lot to go wrong with a modern car. Power trains go forever, but it is the other things that go, since so much is run by computers and electronics. Other than the air suspension, shouldn't an LS be relatively trouble free for twenty years and 300,000 miles? This does assume it is well maintained.

 

All the LS's will have suspension work. By 100k to 200k standard shocks need replacing. Not mentioning all the arms. It's the same with the air but they are much more expensive new. Many buy a nice used one or convert to either coilovers or Springs and shocks. Actually kind of nice. You can buy the Lexus sport springs, mounts, and Kyb's for about $1200. Or aftermarket full air suspension. Many choices.

All the other systems are trouble free. I believe this is why CL and UL owners don't complain about their bells and whistles. I run the sports rear sway bar and when combined with sports mode the car handles surprisingly well. It is also nice to visit a friend who's 1/4 mile country driveway leaves something to be desired. Raise her about two inches up. I think it's great...

 

There are actually a number of differences between the CL and UL:
Air Suspension - adjustable ride height (hi/low) and normal/sport stiffness
Rear Seat features - reclining (w/ memory), cooled, massager, radio controls
Rear A/C system with air purifier
Rear sunshades
However, the trunk is shorter and does not have the passthrough

 

What does the CL have in addition to Levinson and GPS?

 

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/3213359-post8.html

- Dynamic Radar Cruise Control [13]
- Laminated side glass
- Intuitive Parking Assist
- Front climate-comfort seats with heat/cool ****
- Headlamp washers
- Power door closers
- Rear-seat heaters
- Perforated leather seating surfaces

 

It is true that the CL (and UL) come with Adaptive Cruise Control. However, it is not necessarily Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC). DRCC replaces Dynamic Laser Cruise Control if (and only if) the Pre-Collision System (PCS) is ordered.
I think that a good part of the confusion arises because Lexus used the same text "Radar Ready" in the dash display. If you have DRCC, you will see a plastic "shield" surrounding the Lexus "L" logo in the center of the grille. If you have DLCC, you will see a "lass eye" in the passenger side of the lower front bumper.
Just a side note - I believe that that plastic shield lists for $1200! Don't get hit by a rock.

In addition to BM7_LS430's list, the CL has "Additional leather surfaces".

 

Thanks! Leather surfaces are really nice.
I also missed suede headliner.

 

So I'm pretty sure I have the ML version in my O4 package... and I have:
-perforated leather seats
-front climate-comfort seats with heat/cool ****
-rear-seat heaters (also come in standard LS version as in my 02)
-intuitive parking assist
-rear shade screen

 

Legender - It definitely sounds like an ML except for the perforated seats.
I have in my notes that the ML has non-perforated, but there is a good chance that I am wrong.

 

I think that the heated and cooled seats were an option on the ML, but I could be wrong. All have the rear sun shade, but I think only the CL and UL have the side rear shades.

 

So, CL vs UL models do not have?

Reclining / massaging seats with memory
Rear AC Unit / controls
Cooler Box