gpz

hi ! presently i drive a BMW 328i and Audi A4 before that. I would like a convertable now living by the beach in southern california and have been test driving the Z4, SC430 and SLK. Obviously the convertable hardtop is a big plus which leaves the SLK and SC430. I love the luxury of the SC and being a professional musician nothing beats the Mark Levinson sound. I do have some issues with the SC and would like opinions of those that own and drive one. One is the performance which doesn't appear to be as true "sports car" like as the German cars which is suprizing considering the power in the SC ? The other is compared to the SLK which is definetly a sharp car the SC style is a little hard to get used to for me but growing on me and this is not so with the SLK which is an instant bullseye ? Obviously no contest on reliability of the SC which counts and all the finishes are superb. Your thoughts on all this ? thanks.

Yes

unless you're looking at an AMG, the sc430 is faster than any model SLK. changing the suspension with coilovers and adding sway bars will make the suspension much tighter and sportier. i agree the SC isn't much to look at stock. but simply changing to quality aftermarket wheels makes it look like an entirely different car. the difference is night and day. i owned an slk before my sc and by the time i traded it in, i hated it. it was constantly breaking down and the interior was very cheap compared to the sc. that said, you're going to get some biased opinions on here. we tend to like our cars

Jackalope

We originally looked hard at the SLK and probably would've ended up with one except the more I checked, the less I was satisfied with the quality. Even on the SLK boards they tell you not to buy one if you're looking for a reliable car. I suppose the thing that really got me was the console peeling. It seems that the paint they use on the interior console will start peeling and flaking after awhile like a cheap kid's toy. My boss at work had one and he told me he used to have to get out of the car and dust the paint flecks off his suit before he came it.

That's not what I was looking for in an upper end car. You can buy aftermarket suspension parts. You can't buy aftermarket quality.

Spyder187

That's what I really like about the SC430 (though given the fact I don't own one). When you get into the SC430, the car just feels really solid and well built. When I get into an SLK, you notice the plastic everywhere and it just doesn't feel as solid. I wouldn't have known that the SC430's interior was really that luxurious without having sat in both cars. I've test driven the SC430 and it feels incredible.

I've also driven the Z4 back to back to the SC430 and found the Z4 was a step under the luxury the SC430 has to offer. In the end I think it'd be great to own both cars, one as a fun car (Z4 with the manual transmission) and the other when you want to be pampered more and feel like a million bucks. The SC430 also just feels like it's worth so much more (ie. incredible value for money) versus the Z4.

JohnnyCake

The top two things turned me against the SLK were:

(1) no rear passenger seat -- my two kids happily ride in the SC every day (doesn't hurt that the kids at school always say, "Wow, cool car!"); and

(2) snotty factor. There is something which is just "trying too hard" about driving a Mercedes. Even though the SC is $20K more, it is somehow less pretentious when driving up to the weekend soccer game, imho.

gpz

it's great to talk with owners that love their car. At first i didn't think the SC would have that following like BMW and Mercedes. I am 61 years old but very young in spirit (used to race boats) and originally got into a frame of mind that the SC market was "older demographic" i.e. golf rather than a true european roadster crowd. So feedback even if bias is very welcome. Nothing to discuss regarding amenities and appointments of the SC as the quality is superb. To take this further the V8 and brushing aside gas milage which is not an issue for me does this power plant deliver like an SL for example ? My Bimmers are 6 cyclinder as you know and they really respond beautifully even though the stiff steering drives me crazy and no one handed parking there. So what are these after market goodies that one can do that tweek the SC and what is the cost and where do you do this as i am sure it is not at Lexus. The only other thing for me is how one sits in the cockpit and that depends on height and i am short. I tried the Audi TT and did not like it and felt i was sitting in a tub and oddly enough the SC feels better than the TT and it is a large inside. On that note i like the space of the SC and love the jump seat for groceries, dog or reclining the seat and enjoying the sun when parked by the ocean. By the way what is the hip color combo and i love the light brown saddle leather. I looked at a bright red one today with saddle but wasn't sure on the red and would rather have metalic. I also looked at pearl with saddle but i am not a white car guy. The 2 colors i was going to get in the SLK was eith maroon (firemist red) or pewter which i love. Thanks again and you got me back going on the SC !!

p.s. one more thing : do you feel the fact that Lexus is dropping the SC will make it less valuable and desirable in general in the market place or more ?

mrblister

If they drop it wont change a thing for me. I just plain old LOVE the car. the list of my mods are on my signature line. I am still moding it. The best mod as far as I am concerned is the luxlink remote top start and 1/4 window mod. If you go for the sc 430 I am sure you wont be sorry.

BUDDY

Yes

are you looking at buying new or used? you can buy a low milage '06 in nearly new condition and save a good chunk of money. then put that into aftermarket mods. if you were to buy used, your car will have already taken its biggest hit on resale value. i don't think lexus discontinuing the sc will have a dramatic effect on its value. it has already dropped a lot over the past couple years. the fact that they're not replacing it with a new sc anytime soon should help maintain its value. toyota never replaced the supra turbo and they're worth more now than when they were new. i'm not saying that will be the case with the sc. but if they had come out with faster sexier supra the next year, i don't think they would be worth what they are today.

as far as other modifications go, you can replace the exhaust and headers for a little extra horsepower. it'll give it more of a growl as well. you can also add aftermarket bumpers and even fenders for a more unique look. it's all a matter of how individual you want to be and how much you want to spend. it can get expensive. this thread will give you an idea what members here have done with their cars.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...f-your-sc.html

color combos are pretty subjective. i like silver best, followed by black then white. personally, my least favorite color is red. i think they should have gone with a darker shade. i'm also not a fan of the champaign color.

edit: here are a couple more threads with a lot of different looks.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...ke-best-2.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...k-warning.html

gpz

hey thanks for the info and yes definetly used probably certified. My wife is a BMW person and i just bought her a 2007 exec demo with 11,000 miles loaded for the same price as a new Honda Accord. I agree on the Lexus red and that is why i passed on the one i saw today. I prefer the Mercedes burgandy for red. Let me get this straight the SC from the factory doesn't have the top remote standard like the SLK does and you have to get that after market ? If so i am surprized as it has everything else standard ?

Jackalope

Some of the really gee-whiz gadgets around aren't on the SC; mainly because its basic design goes back to 2002.

Personally, this is a plus for me. It's very difficult to tell a 2002 from a 2009 and I really don't much care about remote tops. Hell, how much in a hurry can you be in to get the top down? Half the time I need to pull the trunk shade in mine to be able to drop the top anyway.

But I've been very surprised with the performance. My wife is an IT contractor and does the majority of work from home so I drive the SC (her car) more than she does. With the exception of the weekends when I really want to go out and play, I've gotten to the point that I'd rather drive her SC than my Corvette.

No, the SC won't run with the vette, but it's got plenty of performance for everyday driving; and the comfort difference between the two isn't even close.

BTW, I'm 57. Some of us old guys don't just play golf.

gpz

cool and 57 sounds young as i approach 62. I think my main thing on the SC is grooving into the shape. I have the same problem with the boxter. I lean t the lines like the SLK or Vette which sharp and pointed instead of round but aesthetics is a matter of viewpoint.

Yes

one other thing on the performance, the first time i drove an sc, i thought it was slow. but then i realized i had it in the wrong transmission mode. there's a switch next to the shifter marked ect power, normal and snow. switch it to ect power. also, there's a botton next to it. i forget what it's labeled off the top of my head, but it turns of the stability control. if it thinks you're taking off from the line too fast or going into a turn too fast, it'll decrease power and slow you down. i turn it off every time i start the car. that said, the sc is a little underpowered for its class. but if you're comparing it strictly to hard top convertibles, the overall combination of luxury and performance can't be matched.

CBG

The switch is labeled VSC (Vehicle Stability Control).

martini3

gpz,

are u in norcal or socal?

cause if you're in norcal, i can give u a quick test drive of an '03 SC430 just like I did for a previous aspiring admirer here who ended up buying one also.

peace...

Jackalope

I'll also add that an SC is so quiet and smooth, it's actually going a lot faster than the seat of your pants tells you. I have a lot of trouble keeping it below 80 on the freeway. It just doesn't feel like it's going that fast.

As for the looks, yes, those are personal, but I'll be honest and tell you that the SC isn't the prettiest car I've ever owned (IMO), but all the other features more than make up for that.

One thing though you haven't mentioned...and you should, is the trunk space. Better make sure that itty-bitty trunk will work for you. You can really get a lot in it if you use small, soft bags, but it you try to cram a couple of three-suiters in it, you better not need the back seat for passengers.