Ascari_2

of an LS430. But before I get into the car, here's our current situation.

We bought our loaded '11 LWB about a year ago and it's been an absolute joy to drive. Everything from the smooth ride, to the quiet interior, to the ample space for the kids in the back, all that has always reaffirmed our decision to get this car. Although it has been my primary daily driver, with my wife driving our son to daycare now, I'd like her to start driving it given that it's a safer car (than her current 2004 Accord coupe). That leaves me with the option of driver her Accord or getting something else. My commute is about 130 miles/day and involves mostly expressway driving at or around 80mph. That makes the Accord rather unattractive since it's quite loud, not terribly comfortable for long drives, and simply doesn't feel safe. So really that leaves no options for me other than to pick up something different that would better fit the bill that is my crazy long commute.

And this is where the LS430 comes in. Yes, ideally I would love to get a 460 or a 600, but having just bought a house it's time to be financially responsible, so I am looking at all options. With all the 430 vs 460 talk that I see on this forum I thought it would be a good reason to take a look at a 430 and decide for myself if it would be worth stepping back in time without sacrificing too much. I tracked down a local '05 UL and decided to give it a go. Now I will say, this car had a lot of miles (we're talking 160,000+ miles), so it was not the best example of a 430, but I thought it would at least give me an opportunity to finally get behind the wheel of one of these.

After getting a chance to spend about 20 minutes in the car I came to the conclusion that this car can very likely provide me with a nice and comfortable ride to and from work, but I also realized that I would disagree with a majority of you here who have touted the 430 as being superior to the 460 on many fronts. Here are a few points that I noted:

Ambient wind noise at high speeds: There was a noticeable difference between the 430 and the 460 in favor of the 460. While the 430 was very quiet up to about 50 mph, anything above that I could hear wind turbulence pick up, and by 80 mph I could detect a pretty notable difference between the two cars.

Ride quality: I drive my 460 on comfort at all times and love the feel of it wafting over road imperfections. The 430 felt similar-ish, but certainly not better. Maybe it had to do with the wheel base length difference or maybe it was old suspension parts (though the height adjust was working, so I assumed that the airbags were still in working order), but I would still rank the ride quality of the 430 a few notches below that of the 460.

Interior quality: Overlooking the age factor, there is absolutely no way that I would rank the two interiors even close. The 460 excels in this category by far. The layout of the instruments, the appearance of the center console, the arm support points, the steering wheel, the buttons, the switches, the hinges, (I could keep going), all that is better on the 460. I just don't see how the 430 interior could be said to be better and/or higher quality than the 460.

Sound system: This is another simple one with the ML in the 460 just being better sounding.

Seat comfort: Unfortunately the 430 had a very hard driver's seat. I suspect that this is due to age and the amount of use. But sitting in the passenger and rear seats I find the 460's seats more comfortable. This, of course, is a very subjective components as we all have different builds, but for a smaller guy (I'm about 5'9" and 150) the bucketed seats of the 460 provide better overall support. The 430 felt like a layzboy that would let me slide left to right with every turn.

So with all that said, I do think that the 430 is a great car and is one that might very well be my daily driver very soon. But it just doesn't stand up to the 460 in any respect.

PS

On a slightly related note, if anyone has any suggestions on whether to go with something like a well cared for 430 over something like a 2 year old Camry or vise versa, I'd love to hear your opinions.

Thanks
-Y

R Z

I can't imagine too many folks in the 460 section recommending anything but a 460. As you said, the 430 is a great car, and if you hop on over to the 430 section and paste this post, I'm sure they'll be glad to sort you out.

good luck,

superdenso

I would recommend any LS with under 100K in your price range. Although I lean towards the 2000 LS. Further, a 04-06 LS with less than 100K would be a nice stable-mate to a 460. On another note, an RL from the same period with sub 100K miles may be the better buy.

greg3852

I see the prices some people are asking for the 430 and think they are insane. I've seen some in the $13-14k range with 150k miles. Thats just crazy. Personally I like the look of the 99-00 LS400's better but that is what I had, so maybe I'm biased. But if you can grab the 430 for around $5-6k then why not. If not I would look for a low mileage 400 but thats just me.

superdenso

Agree! I don't like the tailights, but upgrades are available.

hfahmy

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/lex...-06-ls430.html

Doublebase

I'd let your wife keep her car and I'd keep driving the LS460 for your crazy commute. An Accord is a safe car - there's nothing wrong with it - it's one of the safest cars on the road...most cars are very safe. Unless your wife has to drive 120 miles for daycare, I'd say your commute requires the most attention. The LS460 is a highway beast, it's made for those long commutes up and down the interstate.

If it's a situation where your wife wants your car and you can't win, then yeah I'd buy a LS430. Like you said, it's not on par with the 460 (and you're spot on about the interior), but they are reliable cars. You'll probably have to do a timing belt service - which will run you $800-$1,200 dollars - and because it's old you will run into problems (no matter what the LS430 owners say). I'd hate to see you get stuck having to replace a starter on one of them - that would probably run you another grand. So you're going to end up buying a used car with probably over a 100k on the clock and you're going to be commuting 650 miles a week...in two years you'll be buying something else.

Nospinzone

Where you are going to be spending so much time in the car, I would opt for the 430. Certainly since it will have many more miles you probably will be faced with more maintenance costs, but the trade off would likely be worth it. That's my 2 cents.

tbilisi79

I am in a similar boat.
Wife hi jacked my car when she started a new job half a year ago.
Fast forward to today and I finally bought a house. Take train to work and we are getting her a Honda Accord to be doing her 15 minute commute to work and back, plus getting kids in eve.
Hope to get the accord this weekend. That or crv. She likes small cars.

Finally my Ls will be parked all week looking pretty in the drive way .

I suggest, get her a Honda Pilot, and reclaim your Ls 460. Except to substitutes my fiend.

stryker709

Your best bet here is to convince her that the safest vehicle for her would be a Toyota Sienna minivan. Explain to her that the safety of your kid is the most important thing here, and driving him around in your dangerous LS460 is putting him and her at risk. Once she understands this, you'll be free to reclaim the LS460 as your daily driver.

Glad I could help.

Ascari_2

The only way that we are getting a minivan is over my dead body (she hates them too).

So on the whole wife/car thing. Just to make it clear, she is not asking to drive the LS and she makes me drive it most of the time anyway. What I do know, however, is that she really does enjoy it. Now if she had a two year-old accord, we wouldn't be in this predicament. But it's a 2004 coupe. So while the age along isn't really an issue, the whole idea of transporting our kids in an older coupe isn't that attractive to me. So I myself would feel good knowing that she is enjoying the LS. The other side of it is that if we get the 430 she can drive that too (aside from the bad weather days). The point is that she would be in a larger, safer, more convenient car.

Doublebase: the age doesn't concern me too much. First, there are a number of 430 that are available with miles that are under 40k. Those are the ones that I am looking at. I know they will come at a premium but with the amount of miles that I drive I feel that it would be the best approach. Second, the repairs are not that big of a deal. I've replaced a starter on an LX470 once and I've done timing belts on other cars, so regular maintenance/periodic repairs are not a concern.

Ultimately, I am just wondering if something like this:

www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=60045&endYear=2016&modelCode1=LS430&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=1981&makeCode1=LEXUS&firstRecord=0&maxMileage=45000&searchRadius=0&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=[LEXUS[LS430[]][]]&listingId=403496464&Log=0

would be better than a 3 year old Camry.

AandSC

I would buy the LS430 that you posted way before I would buy a 3 year old Camry.


I'm one of those guys that used to buy 3 new cars a year and always had to have the latest and greatest. I've come to realize what a waste of money that was. If you look at my three cars I have now the LS400 is my daily driver and car of choice for any road trips. 12,000 miles in the past six months. You could buy that LS430 for about a third of the new cost and have a car that would last for over 500K miles if taken care of....and since you've done your own timing belt changes you can obviously do that. Buy an older, lower mileage car that has already taken the majority of its depreciation and keep it until repair costs exceed the cost of a suitable replacement and you'll be many dollars ahead in the long run.

zippinbye

That's a lot of money for an 05 vehicle. But I concur it would be a "buy" before a newer Camry. Just remember miles aren't everything, and the value is going to plummet as you rack up your commute miles; it will be a precipitous devaluation as you drive it for two years or more.

Let me offer my "qualifications." I've owned two LS 400s, one LS 430, a GX 470, and handful of other Toyota products. I perform DIY maintenance to the limits of my ability, and I'm always looking for value in a used model. Currently I have considered the 460 vs another 430 as I seek to mix a nice sedan back into the family feet. Hands down, the 460 is a better vehicle and a much better value in the current environment. My impression is 430s have plateaued and have a huge fan base. 460s have adjusted downward nicely in the last couple of years. The overlap in asking prices is significant. And I am just beginning to grasp the difference in freeway cruising mpg between the two. 26 is pretty good in a 430, and 30+ seems to be commonly reported in 460s. The savings in a 460 would take a while to add up, but could easily amount to $600 a year or more. 430s are beginning to feel dated. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed ours and it's a mighty fine ride. But the jump to a 460 is not hard to justify given relative values.

I would submit the following: If I had $20,000-ish to spend, I'd opt for another LS460 with more miles long before the 05 LS430. That said, take a look at an Avalon. Vastly superior to a Camry (nothing wrong with a Camry however). A Gen 4 Avalon Limited would give the a LS 430 a run for the money in many regards. It's a pretty sweet looking car, and very comfortable too. A 2013 with under 50,000 miles can be had for less than the LS 430 you provided the link to. Take it down a notch to an XLE, and you're around $16,000. A Gen 3 Avalon could really fill the niche of a low-investment commuter. Nice sub-100,000 mile versions start around $7000. Not the caliber of a Gen 4 Avalon, but still very quiet and you'll find examples with a lot more life left in them compared to a $7000 LS 430. Whether Gen 3 or 4 get you a silky smooth 280 or 268 h.p. V-6. For whatever physics-defying reason, the Avalon will probably get worse freeway mpg than a 460 (but better than a 430). But 28-30 should be realistic.

I'm still rooting for a second LS 460 for you, but if sights must be set lower, drop through the Avalon level before settling for a Camry.

Doublebase

If you're going to be spending around 20k for a used car, I'd just buy another LS460. You'd have to get an 07 or an 08, but they're reliable and the fuel savings would be pretty good too.

SW17LS

I would not spend $21,000 for an 11 year old car whether it had 15,000 miles or not. I'd also suggest that sometimes a car sitting for years can be worse than being driven, especially when you go to start driving it all those miles all of a sudden.