How about a 2007 to 2009 Audi RS4 wagon which are a 4.2 N/A V8 with a manual 6 speed .
These things are very special and are about to turn and actually go up in price .
Take in mind the V8 had nothing other than the block in common with the S4 4.2 V8 and really had none of the reliability problems the S4 had .

 

You will regret selling it.

 

The 4.2 v8 has a major problem with eating the guides on the timing chains its a super expensive fix also it involves pulling out the entire motor to change them.

 

I used to have a 2001 Audi S8, and loved it - 4.2 V8 as well.
I also had the timing chain guide issue, and it was about a grand to do one side BUT on that car the motor was facing the right way. On the S4 they put it in the other way which makes it way more expensive for the reasons you mentioned!
I will say that the RS4 engines, from my limited knowledge, do NOT have the timing chain guide issue though, they have a slightly different design, but obviously if serious that would be something a buyer would need to confirm!

 

Whoa.......I was only mentioning Audi because Stu several posts back asked which Audi I thought would be a good repl for a Lexus. So looks like many of us like what Audi has been up to but they are way out of my budget and no way I could afford to maintain one.
I looked again at GS350's on line last night. It looks like the redesign happened 2012 or 13? Those cars def catch my eye and arent totally out of reach if they would be rock solid reliable. I saw several of them selling for 14 to 16k then you add a set of tires for 1k and your off to the races. Maybe we already covered this....but did the 6cyl in 2012 or 13 have any issues? Setting an appointment today for some new tires on the Acura RL.....she is gunna feel like my Lexus baby sister with some new shoes.

 

Have you driven a Hyundai Genesis R-Spec 5.0 with its 429-horse V8? They were a shade under $50,000 new, and you can find nice used ones one under 12. Be careful as some of the early 2012 builds (first model year) used oil excessively.

 

My issue I have always had with the GS is that it's hard to distinguish it from the ES.

 

Jpv .... I am in this thread because I too want to replace my LS with something newer .... I too want something different, after 10 years I want to change,, but can't find anything I want that will be better than my old magnificent LS ... which I still enjoy !

Anyone who loves the LS430 would love an Audi A8 or S8 more, everything about it is better, much better. Everything except the dollars it takes to keep it on the road as a used car. I don't know anyone who buys them to own for a long period, they all lease them and trade them often !

 

Eh, personally I feel the controls and interior material in the 430 are better and the ride is smoother. Performance wise yeah lol, but the A8 has some cheaper feeling switchgear that's lifted right out of the A4

 

Maybe search for that unicorn 2005-2006 LS430 UL with under 50K miles. IMO there is nothing from Lexus after the 430 worth considering.

 

The RS4 B7 4.2 V8 had NOTHING in common mechanical's wise with the normal 4.2 V8 , different crank , rods , piston's , heads , cam chain and guides where totally different so really other than an occasional de-coke due to the direct injection they are very reliable .
The engine for the RS4 was basically lifted out of the Le-man's 24 hour car .
Fastest four door car in the world when it was new and imagine owning a car that in 10 years time will be worth double from its value now .
These things really are something special and handled better and were faster than the 911 at the time !!
Just buy one that's already had the electronic shocks replaced with coil-overs !!

 

Another thanks to all of u guys who have replied. It really is a tough task to replace the LS. Well....the whole budget thing is what makes it tough...there are plenty of real nice cars out there that are a blast to drive if money is no object. Today I did the unthinkable.....I stopped for a second and thought about American cars.........Dont judge me but I like the look of the Lincoln MKZ. a few of the models look pretty tight but I just dont trust the American cars to run to 150k in stride like the Japanese cars do.
Oh well another night on the internet with nothing...........Still stuck on a 2012 13 GS 350 or Acura RL or RLX but they are at $15K and up........I will try to drive them both before I reply again so I have something to report.

Again.....call me crazy but I am enjoying buzzin around in my 06 RL.....But I dont feel like a rock star when I step out and walk into the restaurant. .

 

Lincoln MKZs are great cars. One of the finest automobiles available. Colin Farrel, Benji Madden, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Mathew McConaughey, and many other stars drive vehicles from Ford. When you pull up with your Lincoln to a restaurant, pretty women swoon and sharp men admire you. Many aficionados argue that Lincoln is the finest automobile in the world.

Where do you think you think the Japanese learned to build the LS 430? In America. Ford's Rouge Plant. Where raw materials were at one end and automobiles rolled out the other (Ford F-150s, the #1 selling truck in the world, do today). Eiji Toyoda toured the Ford Rouge Plant in the 1950s and went over every square inch of the complex to learn. He and Taiichi Ohno developed the Toyota system over the next 20 years from what was learned and continued to be learned from Ford. (All the auto manufactures in the world sent its engineers through Ford's Rouge Plant's tours to learn how to build cars.) Without America, the cars which would be available today would suck.

Take it from Eiji Toyoda himself; when Eiji toasted Ford's then CEO Phil Caldwell about Toyota's world class status at a dinner; "There is no secret to how we learned to do what we do, Mr. Caldwell," Toyoda told his Ford counterpart. "We learned it at the Rouge."

My brother has one (2013 Lincoln MKZ, 3.7 V6 engine) which just turned the 400,000 mile mark. Original engine and transmission, interior and exterior still sharp, original paint still looks great. Expenses have been oil changes, filters, tires, brakes, suspension parts. Complaint he has is Lincoln made the car look absolutely great but took away head room in back seats to do so. Car is definitely not pampered, but driven hard daily. It has been properly maintained though as well as run through a car wash every few days.

 

You are on the right track!

 

Man....look at this beast for 14K.......nice lookin American ride, Wonder what she needs......new tranny....all new suspension...
but man that looks good to me.
https://baltimore.craigslist.org/ctd...031425434.html