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Lexus SC 430
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Comments
They do not, however, upgrade your old car like Mr. Valentine does with his radar detectors. You have to buy a whole new one.
$50 K car that misses the mark on some front. So in all fairness it is just criticism to expect a 64K sc430 to handle much better than it does. I think Lexus would have done well to push the limits more in terms of visceral thrill and ultimate handling aspects of this car. While it is both fast and rewarding to drive.......it does feel a bit bloated and isolated from the road.
All that said...............Is it worth $60K?
If you think of this car as an LS430 with far more
style, open air thrills and a large dash of porsche/SL prestige..............YES. And unlike mercedes and porsche you can expect this "toy" to be "trouble-free". Reliability and luxury are always STRONG reasons to consider any LEXUS.
Despite all the automag dis of this cars handling........I drive this car on twisty mountain roads often! Even under spirited and fast driving the cars reflexes are reassurung and the wheels (20" pirrelli's on mine) never screech or leave the road.
D
Thanks in advance, Tim
Tim in Houston.
LEATHER: I have read some discouraging comments about the ecru as regards stains and keeping it clean. I would stay with the darker leathers. I have saddle in mine and have had no trouble with either stains or cleaning. Again for more info go to clublexus.com
Ron
My 430 is black with ecru, and I really love the light wood trim. It only took me a day to get used to it, but it always gets positive comments from others.
The almost white leather is a bit harder to keep clean, but it's worth the very small extra effort. Remember that the darker leathers are just as dirty, it's just harder to see it.
For reference , I paid about $45K with 30K miles. WHile I still have reasonable warranty left on the car.....I am considering buying the extended warranty good for 100,000 miles and 7 years (from orig purchase) for about $2200 (platinum plan). I was told that I must purchase the plan BEFORE the car reaches 36K miles. Seems like a good idea knowing how many "minimotors" and tech go into this car and the potential costs to fix. I also found out that the runflats would run about $450 each to replace at the dealer.
My car is Black ext. with saddle leather.....I was VERY impressed by the unique look of this combination. But given the high fit and finish of these cars (and I have no estrogen in my system) I think ANY of the color combinations would grow on you.
D
As a point of reference I paid $1800.00 for the Platinum plan when I bought my SC 430 new in January. Point is I think you can negotiate that price lower. I also purchased the plan because of the complexity of the car and high cost of repairs,ie,replacement of starter @ Lexus dealer $1000.00. But if you want to play you got to pay.
As for tires, most owners replace them with non-runflats when it's time for new shoes. If you go that route Lexus has a kit that converts the trunk to carry a mini-spare or you can carry a can of fix-a-flat or just take your chances on not getting a flat. We report you decide!
Hope this helps.
Enjoy the car it's a great cruiser and problems will probably be minimal.
Ron
The previous owner already put 20" MoMO rims and Pirrelli tires on this sc430.This set him back over $3500 but the rims do make the car look more like a "hot rod " Lexus. With Black exterior and the gold trim package I was immediately sold on this car. He also gave me the 18" factory rims with run flats.
I have noticed that this car STICKS to the road maybe even better than our Miata. I assume the tires add to the cars performance. I think the ride is a little less composed (unlike my prev LS400) and some tire noise is apparent with these tires. I would be interest to see how the run flats change the ride
(whenever I get to it).
D
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
For a short ride when there is no alternative readily available, an adult can squeeze in there and sit sideways. Shoes go on the seat, so the leather can take a beating, but it's fun, especially if the top is down.
Generally, only the groceries ride back there.
back seat. It can accommodate one adult for short stints (albeit with the front passenger seat too far foward to be really comfortable).
In our case the back seat is perfect size for our
Golden Retriever who insists on joining us on trips to our mountain vacation home. This seat is a profound improvement over the back window of a Miata (where she used to pout). Interesting enough this was a real reason for us buying the Lexus over the Boxster (which has less space than the Miata). WE cover the back seat with thick material for doggy trips. NO! car is that good that it shouldn't be enjoyed by all!!!
D
Frank O'Donnell
Aiken, SC
Regards, Frank
Good-luck
Ron
Has anyone had experience with the Dunlops, or been able to compare the Dunlops with the Bridgestones? Are the Dunlops quieter or do they have a more compliant ride? Or does anyone have any other ideas. All thoughts and suggestions will be much appreciated
Many thanks,
Howard
So, dgrey, don't give-up on the run flats. If possible test drive a new 2003 equipped with the Dunlops before you purchase replacement tires. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I might consider trying my 18" rims with the best Non-runflats money can buy to see if the perfect balance between ride and handling can be achieved.
What tires would that be?????
D
Thanks for sharing your experience with the Bridgestones and Dunlop run-flats in response to my post. Was that on an SC 430?
drgrey
Just in case you have not heard yet, the (very hot) terminator babe from the future not only drives around in an SC430, it gets blowed up, too. (Terrible waste, but there are probably too many silver ones out there, anyway.)
Problem: Need 27% of msrp to pay taxes (thanks, IRS...). Any suggestions?
Good plan.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
The Dunlops were THE choice and I still have retained the trunk space we all need when the top is lowered.
TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT.
Has anyone on this link experienced this anomaly? If so, was there a fix? My dealer, after a test drive, said there was nothing wrong.
Thanks for the input.
I am thinking of getting high performance tires
is there enough space in the trunk for a doughnut spare? Any help would be appreciated.
Leo-K
A few notes...........The tire low pressure gage lit up and I discovered that one of my tires was at 25 psi. After several air fills it was obvious I had a flat. Since my 20" pirrellis are near bald I decided to buy 4 new tires . I purchased 4 new tires for about $900 . They are Z rated VENTUS tires . I never heard of them either......apparrently they are korean tires. Other tire choices (pirrellis and Toyos) would have run about $500 more. These tires so far do feel smooth and sporty and I'm told they will last longer than my prev pirrellis. I'll keep posting my thoughts on my next mountain trip.
Also.........After considerable GPS use.......I must say the User friendly nature and helpful attributes could be alot better on this Lexus GPS.
Aside from often missing streets and addresses.....it does not give you the "next street approaching" info or the street address numbers as you drive................I use a Garmin streetfinder 3 in my suburban which has MUCH better information as you drive. I also HATE that you cannot set the GPS coordinates as you drive. This unit also has an altimeter and voice commands. For these reasons I may just consider an aftermarket GPS system in a future car purchase (though the 7 inch touchscreen does look great!)
D
Terry.
Ron
GPS whereby the next upcoming street/intersection is displayed continuously as you drive. This has proved valuable to me since I often look for addresses at night and cannot see street signs. It is often that the address I am looking for is not in the GPS software since southern california has alot of new developments.
I just think the Garmin units offer some very useful features.
My milage is now just over 35000. Iwas told (true or not) that I must purchase the platinum warranty before the car reaches 36000. Any tips on getting a better price on the warranty would be appreciated ( I know you said you paid about $1800....cheaper than the quotes I so far have received!)
D
Good Luck
Ron
Good news: Next set of changes to SC430 will include sequential shifter (aka tiptronic), voice-activated navigation, integrated cell phone kit.
Bad news: There may be no changes for 2004. Above may be rolled into the 2005 model.
More news: This is strictly rumor (I just made it up, as the forum has been too quiet.)
One dealer (owned by PENSKE corporation) wanted to sell an "equal" platinum policy for about $1600...............but after inquiring....it was not a LEXUS warranty (though they said it could be used at ANY Lexus dealer for a $50 copay.).
Bottom line.....when it comes to pricing of EVERY automotive offering......IT IS negotiable. I bought a LEXUS and platinum warranty because I believe they are the LEAST likely to "play games" about what is and is not covered .
While my prev ls400 was very reliable and the dealer generally good......they did still try to find a reason why some "little" things were not covered in my certified warranty (a sticky accelerater pedal). After a little pressing....they fixed it under the warran ty.
Unfortunately........ALL dealers (evedn Lexus) like to nickle and dime when it comes to warranties!
D
Ron
sporting car with a faw more high tech gizmos. The question is always ...............is it worth an extra 30 grand for a car that is less reliable
and not really MORE luxurious than the SL. Many
obviously think the SL is the ultimate luxury coupe/convertible.....and if you have the bucks!
The previous SL (in my opinion) was NOT worth the price......this one at least make a good case for the money.
Devoke.............enjoy those smokey mountains....they are gorgeous! (I lived in knoxville TN for 4 years (UT!).
D