So by background I got a base model LS 430 at the end of last year and have really been enjoying it. Given that the SC 430 can be a convertible (is it available hard-top only?) and at most 5 years younger, I'm curious:

• Has the convertible feature held up well or has it resulted in costly repairs by now?
• Has the ECM needed fixing due to hard downshift from 2:1 etc.? (I recently sent my ECM to SIA Electronics to fix that downshift issue)
• How tall are you and has the seat not going very far back been an issue?
• Does your navigation unit still work?
• Have you had to replace / tighten valve cover gaskets (and how long have you owned it)?
• What's your gas mileage today? (I notice that my LS 430 is under advertised for city, but still gets 26/27 on highway)

Thanks in advance!

 

2004 SC430 with 143.xxx miles...

• Has the convertible feature held up well or has it resulted in costly repairs by now?
• Still working flawlessly. 143,xxx miles and 20 years old.

• Has the ECM needed fixing due to hard downshift from 2:1 etc.? (I recently sent my ECM to SIA Electronics to fix that downshift issue)
• No issues with the original ECM. I did buy a spare and had it flashed with a performance tune. Both are working well

• How tall are you and has the seat not going very far back been an issue?
• I'm 6' 0" and sit tall. Head room is minimal, but the car is still comfortable to drive on long trips.

• Does your navigation unit still work?
• Original Gen2/3 died a long time ago. Upgraded to Gen 4 from a 2005 Prius. The Gen 4 is still working well with the final map update but is like 8 years out of date.

• Have you had to replace / tighten valve cover gaskets (and how long have you owned it)?
• Yes I have retightened the valve cover bolts 3 times over my 12 years of ownership. The valve covers have never been off and still have the original gaskets. Never had a real oil leak just minor seepage necessitating bolt tightening.

• What's your gas mileage today? (I notice that my LS 430 is under advertised for city, but still gets 26/27 on highway)
• Gas MPG hasn't varied much during my 12 years and 50k miles of ownership. Lowest was 18.4 and highest was 26.2. My overall average MPG is currently 20.94. I run 93 octane gas.

 

1. No problem with mine : 2007 - 80 K miles .

2. No problem

3. I'm 5'6" so no problem

4. Forget about the NAV. Use your phone.

5. Not done yet

6. 17 City - 20-23 freeway