98SNAKETR

My current DD is a 97 Land Cruiser with 401,xxx miles and there's nothing else I'd rather be driving on the daily




Thing is, I may be starting a new job which requires parking in an area where I just don't feel comfortable parking my modded 80 series

So, I've set aside a ~$7500 budget to get another DD

Top priority, it must have rock solid reliability just like my current ride and be able to log a $h!t ton of miles without issue (typically 800-1000 miles per week)

I'd also like to get the most car for my hard earned dollar and have narrowed my choices down to either a later model LS400 or an early model LS430

I actually prefer the original styling of the 400 over the boxy 430, which has always looked more like an S-Class knock off in my eyes

That being said, the last year 400's tend to be priced very close to the first year 430's in my area, so it seems to be a toss up either way

I've also found that the 430's in my area tend to be a bit cleaner than the 400's, so I'm actually leaning in that direction

I've found several within my budget, but have a few questions:

1) Are there any bugs in the first model year (2001) that were later worked out in the following years?

2) What are the most common issues that I should look out for when shopping for a 430?

3) Is there a way to upgrade to a double din head unit while still retaining the factory Navigation system?

4) Do all 430's come with air suspension?

5) If so, is it possible to replace the bags with coils in the case of a failure? (used to do this all the time with fleet limos)


Here's one that I'm currently looking at:

http://www.scottisautosales.com/web/...0%20w/Warranty

Is there anything shown that throws up any red flags?

PERRYinLA

The sticky FAQ section at the top of the forum page (https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...iy-thread.html) has some excellent introductory threads on just what you are asking, and the final link (https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...xus-ls430.html) lists the problem areas by year.

Most LS430's do not have air-suspension.

That car in the link you posted looks terrific.

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

Nice Land Cruiser. I won't steer you away from a LS430 at all but if was putting on miles like that I would want something that gets tremendous gas mileage with either a 4 cylinder engine or a small diesel.

Anyway, service records are very helpful of course. If the car was not already registered, you can start a
Lexus owners account and put the vin number in and see all the dealer records. In general, if the interior was well taken care of you will find the engine was too.

98SNAKETR

Thanks for the links

Great info



I don't think I can drive an econo-box on a daily basis

My LC gets about 10mpg and although it does hurt the wallet, I'm OK with it cause there's nothing else I'd rather be driving

The LS should get more than double that easily

Yeah, I'm looking for the cleanest Florida car I can find.

Not too concerned with higher mileage cars as long as it's clean and well maintained.

Where can I start the Lexus account to view the history?