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Some people live in canyon country. They drive pretty fast. Good quality sticky tires last about 20,000 miles under those conditions. Same with brakes. Some people are easy on brakes, some aren't. Being a Lexus leasee puts you in an usual category. Most Lexus owners think long term. Lexus cars have straight forward maintenance and they last. The biggest reason everyone in my family seems to have at least one.

The factory two tone silver and bronze wheels are starting to grow on me. Good for now. New rims update the car. Old rims are classic. Take your pick.

I would not let the timing belt and wp stop you. I bought a 2006 with 96 mi that needed both. I used it as leverage for negotiating. You can do the same with the tb and the brakes. Negotiate hard on the price. These cars do not move that fast. I paid $12k for mine.

This appears to be a common problem. It is often the cable in the steering wheel cover. Anyone else have experience with a horn that does not work? The relay appears to be good as it is the same circuit as the light switch. The lights work fine. Could be the horns themselves.

All sources suggest 33 psi tire pressure on 430s with standard size tires. Maybesome people pump them up. Michelins have a max pressure of 51 psi.

So far I am getting around 21 mpg, mostly highway driving. Some people report up to 29 on their 430s. I am running the car more in regular Drive, and have a K&N air filter. What mods or habits are good for mileage on these cars? Hard to believe anyone really gets 29 mpg.

The locks wear out. It is not that hard to replace them. I have replaced two on Fords with no issues.

I got a new key from McGard. Two shops offered to cut them off with a cold chisel at $100 per hour. Bad idea.

These are sophisticated and long lived cars. Buying one with 300 k miles could be asking for trouble. Why not spend a little more and save yourself a lot of problems by buying one with fewer miles, say 150 k miles?

I read the owner's manual last night. It seems to agree with RC's idea not to worry about lugging the engine. There are no suggestions for desirable rpm ranges. Just the note that for economy run the car in Drive.

Hi RC. Thanks for your response. At around 40-45 mph the car tends to run at around 1,300 rpms in Drive. I think that is too low. What mods have you made to get to 29 mpg? I think quality cars should run on the fuel they were designed for as in 91 octane. I have run other grades of fuel before, but if I was trying to save money, I would be driving a Toyota instead of a 430sc.

Hi Nick. We all like the reliability of these cars. I bought an SC with 96k miles which is more than I would accept for any veicle except a diesel. For a late model car though like a 2013 vintage, I would be looking for lower mileage than 167k miles. The steering and suspension parts can be very worn by then.

By 2006 the 430sc came with a 6 speed transmission and a top speed around 140 mph. That means in D for drive the car tends to loaf along at 1200-1500 rpms a lot of the time unless it is on the highway. Lately I have been using the alternate manual shift pattern to keep the car around 2000 rpms or more. I am getting around 20 mpg. Peak torque is somewhere around 3,000 rpms, but peak horsepower is way out around 5,600 rpms. What rpm range do you like to run in ? I would to hear from people that have owned these cars for awhile. I am new at this and have only had the 430 for a couple of weeks. I don't like the idea of lugging the engine, nor do I need to wind it up for maximum performance. What do you say?

Your car has a timing belt. It is due to be changed at 90,000 miles along with your water pump. Check for a sticker in the engine compartment to see if this maintenance has been performed. If it hasn't then you need to do it. It is around $950-1000 to have a mechanic do it.

Last night I came home on a flat stretch of straight highway with a 70mph speed limit. In 6th gear the car wants to go 80. With some attention paid to the suspension and alignment, the car was straight, trimmed and stable at 80. It could easily go 100 for long stretches at a time. It is what the car is made for. Enjoyable motoring at the highest level. The a headlights on the 2006 model are superb. On highbeams I could see 1/4 mile ahead.