Well the old design (01-03) is bulletproof. Honestly. The 04-06 update is as good but with a few more upgrades. For a daily driver, a short drive or even a medium drive (let’s say city to city?) even in traffic, you’ll be cocooned in luxury. Plush leather (if the seats have been looked after) and it is such an easy drive. The way it rides (or glides!) is just amazing. It feels like you require no effort and IF you want to put your foot down, you can!

DO take your time and find a good one, a few on the CL classifieds but I’m sure locally you’d find some as well but it is worth the wait. Parts are not super expensive (compared to the LS460 07-09 models) and lastly this is down to personal preference. The way it looks… personally I love the LS460 07+ look, it gave it a more sophisticated yet younger look? More sleek and I love the lines on the car. The 04-06 is beautiful in its own right but personally I feel the design has aged a lot. The LS430 01-03 is quite outdated (matured?) and I’d rather prefer the old Japanese style of the 99-00 but yet again this is more personal and subjective. I also would go for the LS460L, more car I guess? But the rear leg room and all that adds up for me. With your budget, a 04-05 could be possible but do have a look around.

To what bloomwcjkl said, pretty much… depends how you classify your maintenance. Do you just give it a check or baby it (like I do lol) and every creek and vibration is inspected. Brakes, shocks, tires, bushings, bearings, oil filters (or any filters for that matter), spark plugs, air and cabin air filters, timing belts, fan belts, the plethora of fluids and the list can go on… UNLESS the car has a full service history with PROOF (receipts + a reliable garage), I can’t take anyone’s word for it! The greater care provided during its lifetime, the better your chances of not having to deal with any major issues in the long run.

But the good news? MOST of the work can either be done by yourself if you know what you’re doing or any garage can handle your requests. If you want to go the extra mile, I’m sure a Lexus dealer would look into it for you? There are countless fixes on this forum (thanks to everyone!) for any issue you may encounter. But do your due diligence. Inspect the car, ask questions and take it for a spin perhaps? Personally when I buy a car, I treat it as it has no service done whatsoever and have a checklist of what I need to go through (dependant on miles) but if you’re on a tight budget, most junkyards will have the parts you need in good condition… or eBay? Whichever/whatever works for you.

Hold out until you find the right colour combination, right specification for yourself and hope you’ll smile when you convert to the LS club

 

Yes, I expect to replace things like shocks, tires, battery ect. Built into my price point would be money for things like that. Generally when I buy a used car I had all fluids changed out. Again the daily drive is a 20 freeway drive. My 03 Avalon is still going great. So no hurry in finding the right car.

 

If you're comparing the 03 Avalon vs. 05 LS430. The LS obviously wins hands down; absolutely no contest there. However, I know the 13+ Avalon will give the LS430 a run for its money. I have test driven a few 13+ Avalon. I currently have an 05 LS430 as a daily driver. I think the Avalon wins in almost every category, except rear leg space, and trunk space. It's unfair to compare a 13 years old (2 generations old) top of the line Lexus to the most current generation of the best sedan Toyota has to offer. I would pony up and get at least the 07-09 LS460. Otherwise, I don't think it's worth it because I think you'll be disappointed with the LS430 from having the 14 Avalon.

 

I sat in a 17 Avalon when getting my oil changed recently. I sat in both front seats and the rear seat. I liked the design and look. It did feel quite small/cramped compared to my LS 430.

I didn't drive it. The price tag was $45k for the one in the showroom I sat in. My 2001 LS 430 cost me $5,400 with 122k miles. It still drives amazing. I really don't expect them to be on the same level as far as gadgets and "newness".

It would be the same if I drove/sat in a 17 LS 460.

 

You should definitely take it for a spin. I think you'll be surprised by how far the Avalon has come.

 

Style wise, I think the LS400 is going to be timeless. Ones that are kept in good condition actually stand out to me and there is something about that car.
Close second comes the 2nd Gen (updated) LS430, yet again this one just stands out to me... I feel (again this is my personal opinion) an Avalon doesn't stand out or feel special?

The engines are also different, power delivery and such but it honestly is such a smooth car for its age. I've driven the new LS460 and I do love it but my admiration for the LS430 cannot be swayed. I do truly admire that car for what it is... but reliability wise, it is how you maintain it. IF you are pedantic and worry about every single creek then sure you'll be fine but if you're going to just let it be or buy one thats in shoddy condition, you cannot expect that brilliant ride that many speak of.

Personally, an 05-06 in good well kept condition (with all the paper work etc) is just a dream to have. If you can get it then hey! GET IT ASAP

 

I'm on my second LS and I got my first one from a friend who bought it new and was stepping up to a Tesla. He gave me a great deal to where I could pay cash for it and I knew the complete service history. At the time I was just buying it to get me by for a year or two so that I could save up for a down payment on something else. Well, it didn't take me long before I fell in love with the size and ride of the car even though IMO I initially saw the LS as a grampa's car. I am 6' 5" 290 and I don't fit into just any car but the LS is one of the only cars (definitely the only sedan) that I've driven that I can leave my seat in my normal driving position and still drive around with three other adults in luxury. I'm pretty much sold on the LS now and have been flip flopping on going to an LS460 which I still might do in another year or so when the 2013+ come down more in price. This is my daily driver and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I've always love the look of the 2nd Gen GS models so I ended up buying one for my 16 yr old son. Its a really good car as well and with 170k miles it still runs great. I've had to do a little more maintenance on the GS but for the price I paid and how sporty it is for a first car I couldn't pass it up, I just hope he doesn't wreck it because I think I'll be more devastated than he would. I really like the GS as well and probably could have had it as a daily drive if I hadn't owned an LS first. I've become sold on the Lexus brand but that might change in the next decade or so....at the moment I'm not liking the direction Lexus is going with the new LS.

As a double side note, I drove my buddies Tesla and after about the first 15 minutes when the awesomeness of the torque from the electric motor wore off I think he made a mistake. The outside of the Tesla is beautiful but the interior is horrible in my opinion. He would have been better off getting a new LS460 F Sport or maybe a RCF. Also, I've never really looked twice at the Avalon and actually I don't like the same body style Avalon as the 3rd Gen LS but there is someone at work that has a new body style Avalon in Silver with some really nice aftermarket wheels that just set it off. Not that I would trade my LS for it but I could defiantly own that one for sure.

 

We had a fully loaded 00 Avalon for several years and put close to 100k miles on it before it got totalled.

Great car but it doesn't even begin to compare to how amazing an LS430 is. Completely different beast.

LS has that tank/limo ride that few other cars have.