alfa2600

Now have 5000 miles on 2002 SC430, red, black interior, here in and near NYC all seem to be coming thru loaded with the three available options, run flat tires, navigator, spoiler, my car is so equipped.

Car is beautifully made and basically a fine long distance cruiser, but has one serious and several minor defects.

First, steering is bad. Car "bump-steers", i.e., is thrown off course by irregularities in pavement. Except on the smoothest road requires constant attention to the steering. In addition, steering effort is high, makes handling ponderous. Do not know whether these faults are intrinsic or due to the run flat tires, would appreciate commentary of other owners. Have had alignment checked and it is OK. Putting tires up to 40 from regular 33 pounds somewhat improves things, doesnot hurt ride, but steering is still unsatisfactory. I may have been spoiled, most of my driving since 1994 has been in a very agile Honda del Sol VTEC. My other cars are two Subaru wagons, a 1997 Legacy Outback and a 2001 Forester. These cars all steer and handle better than the SC430.

Minor complaints: Rear view mirror default setting is "dim". This is idiotic, most driving is daytime and even at night we do not always dim the mirror. Result is that whenever you start up the car you have to reach up to the mirror to turn off the "dim". Should be the other way.

Daytime running lights are a pain. I drive a lot on 2 lane roads and a fair number of oncoming drivers flash at me. I know I am irritated when I face headlights in daytime and I suppose these other drivers are too. Once upon a time if you saw headlights coming at you in daytime it meant there had been an accident up ahead, a funeral, cops were lying in wait, or it was raining. Now all those valuable warnings are lost. Wish there was a way to turn them off or put a switch in the circuit, my dealer professes helplessness.

Am thinking of getting a black canvas tonneau cover made for the rear seat to hide luggage, etc., from the casual observer. Could be held on with snaps like an old MG. Migh be a good optional extra for Lexus.,

Would also like to be able to raise the small rear quarter windows when the top is down, would keep turbulence down inside the cockpit. I know the car is far better than most for air blast, but it might be even better. Am also thinking of making a slightly higher glass "wind blocker" to go between the rear seat headrests, maybe 2" more.

The Brit magazine CAR, August 2001, tried an SC430 in Washington DC, they expect to get 250, we are getting 12000, quite a difference. Says that their cars will have stiffer suspension and a "transmission kickdown" which we do not get. What is the latter? They also found the steering heavy but did not complain of jerkiness, but apparently their car did not have the run flat tires.

TOPLEXS

I now have 4,000 pleasant miles. Impressions continue to be positive, except for the hard riding run flats.
Engine pulls strongly. Car is quiet, with a quality air about it, missing in most other cars.
Throttle has a magical ability to increase torque on uphills, and enable engine braking on downhills.
Car is not bothered by side or headwinds...Seems like wind is always at your back.
Car pulls strongly off corners. Lots of smooth torque..No need to downshift.
Lots of positive comments on beauty of car, both exterior and interior.
Top action is magical..People stop, stare and applaude.
Hope everyone on the board is enjoying their new cars as much as I enjoy mine..
For those of you on waiting lists. The car is worth the wait!

grock430

There I was driving my red sc 430 on the New Jersey Turnpike and boy I needed a pit stop, and after that I walk out and, low and behold I see 2 red Lexus can it be??? Told you you'd like this place

alfa2600

Grock 430, I had one of those red cars at the rest stop on the Jersey Turnpike, the other owner is "Jerry" who watches this forum, don't know what name he uses here. We had a long talk, in three months the cops have stopped him three times, dunno if he talked his way out of tickets. He is more veturesome than I am, told a tale of terrific speed on one NJ highway. I was stopped for the first time a few nights ago, 77 in a 65 zone at 2PM, Route 80, got off with a warning. Apparently even at night the brilliant red attracts ye coppers. Think I need a grey plastic cover shaped like an old Volkswagen van.

alfa2600

Grock 430, correction, 77 at 2AM not PM.

grock430

Yes alfa it is the same red sc , glad to see you enjoying the sc forum.

tfischer

ALPHA:

I think you are wrong about the mirror. I thought the same thing for a while, but then found out that the default for the mirror is "auto," and since I generally start the car in the garage, it was on dim, even during the day. As soon as you drive outside, it goes to normal all by itself.

If you hit the button, I think it then goes to normal and stays that way, and will not dim by itself at night.

I have not touched the button on the mirror since the first week I have had the car, which was in late April.

Check this out on your car. If this is not the case, maybe there is a setting wrong on your car. I agree that the default position should not be dim, and the book and my experience says that it is not. I also think the mirror resets itself to auto every time you turn off the ignition.

I agree with many of your other comments, although I don't find people flash lights at me due to the DRL. I am surprised that nobody has yet flashed lights at me in the night due to the High Intensity beams; I guess that the horiz cut-off is pretty good, as it does not seem to be an annoyance to oncoming drivers.

With all its faults, it's still a fabulous car.

alfa2600

to TFischer

Checked out the mirror after reading your posting, it will go from dim to normal after starting, as you say, but on my car it takes at least five minutes in daytime, which is unacceptable . And it doesn't do it all the time. Fooled with it all Labor Day weekend trying to get it to follow your experience, no luck. Will have the Lexus people look at it when I next take it in for service. Frankly I think the autodim, on this and other cars, is a pain in the a--. Would rather have the old fashioned manual tab switch.

As a general comment, SC430 could have been rigged up with a bench seat in front, column shift and a crossways seat in the back for one passenger. You could get three in the front. You would have to get rid of the handy console, though.

When the runflats wear out (may it be sooner than later) I am going to get regular tires and the teeny spare, trunk space loss notwithstanding. The steering is really twitchy with the runflats. Maybe someone will make a continental kit to hang the baby spare outside, altho this is no longer the fashion, I'll bet it would sell.