semar

exactly my feeling
The slower I drive the longer I can sit in it

semar

coming from a BMW 735i I had the same feeling
Installed a Bilstein coilover, lowered the car 1.5 inches, installed a sport rear sway bar; now I have that Euro drive feeling again plus a supercar

MarkLev12

How many years do you guys expect to keep your LS430?

I just purchased a 2003 and would like to keep it for as long as financially possible.

Johnhav430

I plan on being the 3rd and last owner--keep indefinitely. I care about money/savings especially with a 5 y.o. entering kindergarten. He gets into an elite school, ok, cheap (people always say it costs $68k/yr., but no it doesn't it's cheaper than a state U cuz elite schools have no debt all grants/scholarship), but the chances are under 5% today and shrinking fast. How much did you lose on paper this year on the market? lol

But I have to say when I get a new rental car, it makes me wonder why I drive a dinosaur (yesterday I picked up a new Maxima with 4 miles on the odometer, the week before a brand new Altima--love the radar cruise).

Then, I remember, no payments. We are not talking about a monthly, we're talking about $40k+ for a new car. Somehow we tend to overlook the depreciation. With the LS say I overpaid at $14k in 2016. Now kbb says it's worth $8200. That is a real $6k or so in depreciation, it's not imaginary. But what would that number be on a $40k+ car?

With the car at 120k, who knows how long it's gonna last? Time is the enemy. It's not possible to drive it to the mileage limit (300k-986k)--say we use 300k, how many years would it take to drive another 180k?. More than 10 years?

Catalina45

I also plan to keep mine indefinitely as the ride comfort trumps the new car features. Blind spot detection and fancy cruise systems are great but at the end of the day I’ll choose the LS430 for a smooth and comfortable ride. It’s paid for and the maintenance is minimal as long as you religiously care for it. I pass by the “Manufacturers” fleet of telemetry vehicles heading to the elevator to go inside HQ and it isn’t uncommon to see the LS600H sit for 20 plus days in the same blocked off parking spot. Conversely the telemetry drivers have the Supra out so often that I’ve seen it parked only twice the last month. If they flipped me the keys to the LS it would be returned pretty quickly. The new flagships of each brand short of Bentley and Rolls compromise handling for ride comfort. I’ll take ride comfort over features and massive depreciation every day. And yes, I have yet to see another LS430 at HQ. It’s chock full of 1-3 YO Toyota/Lexus vehicles so I’m as much an outlier as the Corvettes & Porsche’s that also hide far away in the corners!

Bob04

I don't see time as really an issue for these cars, as long as they are maintained. Wear and tear is much more of an issue.

01LS04LX

The driver side suspension clunk, What is that? Just bought an 01, and that is the only issue!

430SLOwner

(from 2004)

Lexus LS 430 Sedans Recalled

By Harry Stoffer
Automotive News

Thirteen thousand owners of 2004 Lexus LS 430 sedans are entitled to new transmissions, according to Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.

Toyota said a part in the planetary gear assembly can break during acceleration and disable the parking gear. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the defect creates a risk of rollaway crashes.

That was one of two newly announced recalls for the top-of-the-line Lexus sedan, NHTSA records show. Lexus dealers also will replace fuel pumps in about 14,000 2004-model LS 430s

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

I used to think about selling my LS but I don’t think I could afford the maintenance on the cars I’d consider replacing it with. I’ve had the car so long now that I don’t think I could get rid of it. If I get the urge to drive something sporty I’ll drive my SC300;328i. Having those cars around keep me from getting bored of my LS.

Bocatrip

I have a great idea for a new poll......unfortunately, there is no longer enough traffic on our forum to get much of a response. The poll would read.....Of the owners of the LS430 who have sold their cars and moved onto something else........ are they sorry they sold it? Yes, No, and why? PS....Chances are that if they sold their cars they are no longer visiting this forum.

Stu

This is why I still have mine !

Yes we are SPOILED FOREVER !

mannye

I am on my third LS... having owned an 04, 05 and now an 06. I'm not tired at all. At 150K I had the tranny fluid replaced, diff fluid replaced, new bushings, new tires and had all the rims straightened. 150K of driving bangs those rims around a lot. So for about $2K I got the old girl back to riding like a dream. I'm amazed at the total silence when I hit a patch of new asphalt at about 40mph. It's like we are floating along.

Next up, refurbish the interior and give it to my daughter for when she goes to college next year.

What am I replacing it with? Why, a 1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car, of course. And another LS... Ultra this time.

Bocatrip

Are you sure your daughter is going to want to drive an LS430? Most of today’s youth won’t get caught dead in our cars although I personally think it’s a great choice regardless if it’s a freebie or not! I’d do the same but my daughter has her own ideas.

AJT123

I will never sell mine. It's old and lacks new car technology but still drives like a brand new, flagship, top-line Lexus.

It's so buttery; the suspension, steering, and especially engine are so refined, and the shifts are silky.

Such a soothing car.

Just the V8 alone is enough, especially since we can't really get them anymore.

Johnhav430

I've answered this I know a dozen times and yes. But bored in a good way, meaning the car is forgettable because it's reliable. Does it drive like a mattress with wheels? Yes. But a mattress lasts at least 10 years or more (I have one that is from 1986 still in use),

It's not like I have much time to work on cars, nor is my commute that long today (35 min avg 14 mph).

Next stop will be a S63 AMG. Will I get bored of that? I doubt it. I like to think my 1998 Maxima made it possible to buy a 2007 BMW. The LS430 will have made the S63 possible. Sometimes bored and reliable is a good thing. No payments is another. That's the only good thing about getting old I think, is the finances get stronger and even the house payment goes away. Then the pension kicks in (I have a modest one from my first job, they keep trying every few years to buy it out),