05silverls430

Congratulations! I used to have a white 2003. The wood grain is real wood veneer, not simulated. I'm sure you'll really enjoy it! :)

I second that...unfortunately not. You need the current generation nav.

I don't believe that they are. Have you tried extending them all the way up and then lifting gently? I think they're attached somehow to the motor that drives them up and down, so I definitely wouldn't force them.

It's not an "old" man's car, it's a "SMART" man's car! ;) I'm 34 and on my 2nd LS! I do get a few old man comments, but even more "that's a NICE car!" comments! Welcome to the forum!

It's pretty easy to remove, actually. You start by removing the horizontal panel that houses the seat heater/cooler knobs and the rear sun shade button (and others on the Ultra). This just pries out with your fingers. If you open the little slide out drawer right above it, it makes it easier because you can get more leverage. The panel above that comes out after removing several screws. Same thing for the radio. The radio and CD changer come out as one unit. My only advice is to use towels to protect the wood on the center console and to make sure that the screws, once you remove them, don't fall down inside the dash. Good luck!

Very nice! I love that color...it was one of my top two choices, although my wife has a 400h that is flint mica (that's the color, right?). Anyway, congratulations!

The valet key doesn't have the ability to open the trunk (no trunk button). All you can do is open the door and start the car.

That's a REALLY good deal! I paid $44K for a certified 05 with 19K miles back in June. Makes it seem like I way overpaid! Anyway, keep the maintenances up to date, and you should have yourself a reliable and worry free car for a long time! Congratulations!

The high beams in the 460 are halogen, vs. HID for the low beams. Same in the 430. Halogens are noticeably yellow, compared to the white/blue light that HIDs produce. Completely different types of lighting systems. I'm not sure why the LS still uses halogen for the high beams. Even my 2004 Acura TL had "bi-xenon" headlights (high and low beam), although I think the same bulb was used for both.

Well put!

I've had my current and previous LS not start on the first turn of the key. But I don't attribute that to a problem with the car. The LS, in general, has a longer crank time than some other cars (I think I've seen this discussed here before but I could be wrong). So sometimes I turn the key for a time that isn't sufficient to start the car. That's my fault, not the car's fault. I remember hearing stories about old Mercedes diesels that were cranky about starting in cold weather. My great uncle had an old one from the early 70s that ran forever and ever. I think he finally got rid of it. Now he drives a Prius. Speaking of diesels, does Lexus put diesel engines in their cars overseas (in Europe)? I know that diesels are very popular over there and many competing manufacturers (Audi, MB and BMW) all sell A LOT of diesels that we unfortunately aren't even offered here in the US.

I would have jumped on that 300D! It would have been a perfect candidate for converting to BioDiesel! You are correct about the prestige of the brand with Mercedes. I only reached (legal) driving age in the late 80s, so I haven't had an opportunity to drive some of the older Benzes. Actually, I did drive either a 240D or 300D, plus a 190D back in the mid-90s, and was impressed (although they were slugs as far as performance). That would have been the perfect car while in my 20s. I haven't ever actually driven an S Class, so my opinion isn't as qualified as it would be if I had. Back in the 80s and 90s, I used to dream about owning a W126 or W140. I guess when they brought out the W220 (2000-2006), it just got a lot of bad press for the cheap interior quality and construction, plus the bad reviews of the Command electronics. I've seen the interiors and agree that they left a lot to be desired. But I did have an opportunity to sit in one of the new S550s, and my opinion was that there were big improvements made. I also didn't like the last C Class sedans (not that there's any comparison to the S Class). They seemed cheap to me. I had one as a rental car a few years ago. But the new 2008 C Class that just came out looks like a big improvement. I think that Mercedes is definitely taking steps in the right direction to getting back on track with their brand prestige and quality. Good forum topic!

If I'm not mistaken, the 2000 S Class was a complete redesign from the 99 and prior models, which were more boxy and a heavier looking car. That body style (2000-2006, I think) was widely criticized for the cost cutting measures that were made evident throughout, particularly in the cabin area. I know of several people who had this car who had lots of problems with it, even when new. A friend of mine was considering an S Class a few years ago (he ended up getting a 2001 M5), and looked at the 2000-2002 and the 97-99 models. He is very observant and knowledgeable on cars, and his comments were that the interior of the S Class (2000 and up) was very cheap and chintzy. Some people attributed this to the Daimler-Chrysler merger. The cost cutting measures were spread throughout the model range. It wasn't just the S Class. The ML and CLK models were particularly bad. Anyway, I think that the LS is FAR superior to the S Class and 7 Series, particularly if you are buying used. I was surprised to see your comment that you preferred the interior of the S Class to your LS. Did you really think the fit and finish was better in the Benz? I'll take the RS6 any day over the S Class, even an S600! :D

Mine is on the rear package shelf (I think that's what they call it), at the rear window. It's not even noticeable. On my last LS it was located on the passenger side dash, where the dash meets the windshield. I've also seen them mounted on the trunks, but I don't like that. XM makes a low profile (smaller) antenna that you can buy (or maybe they offer it when installing). I think you can basically put the antenna wherever you want it. I haven't noticed any impact in signal strength having it in the back window. One word of caution, though. If you have your windows tinted with metallic tint, the metal in the tint may (probably will) interfere with the antenna, if you have the antenna under the tint.

Well put Steve!

I agree...it sounds like a good deal to me! And the 2003 isn't an old model by any stretch. It may look a little dated, but that's okay. You're much better off than having bought a Cadillac at that dealer! ;) Definitely get the 90K service done.

I agree, properly maintained Lexus engines can go for a long time. Given the choice, I'd go for the LS. But it depends on what you're looking for. The GS is more of a sports sedan (at least compared the the LS). I'm not as familiar with the GS, but I think it's smaller on the interior. I also prefer the exterior AND interior styling on the LS. I drove a GS400 and and an LS400 with a friend of mine back in 98 who ended up getting the LS. The GS was faster, from what I remember, however the LS is much more of a quiet, smooth luxury car.

I'm glad that you were successful with getting rid of the creaking noises! I have some Aerospace 303 Protectant, but never used it on the door or window seals. I guess I could try that if my '05 starts making noise. I'm going to look into ordering some of that Sonus Total Eclipse as well. That's why I love this forum...lots of ideas that I never would have thought of! :)

I'd just wax the painted areas, and maybe the top of the windows (both sides) if that doesn't work. Let us know how it works.

Hi Jim. The creaking noise from the windows in my '03 LS was definitely a problem for me. The dealer was able to fix the problem at one point, but it eventually came back. I never could figure out what they did to fix it. I tried silicone spray and even some silicone paste (that the dealer provided) on the window seals, but all it did was make a mess. I never tried waxing the paint under the door seals. I guess the noise could have been coming from the door seals, but I always thought the windows were the culprit. What I ended up doing was putting each window down just a tiny bit, which usually helped to eliminate most of the noise. This wouldn't be a problem, unless I was on the freeway, and some wind noise might make it into the cabin. I'd suggest trying the wax suggestion and see if that works. I guess, for that matter, you could also try applying some way to the top edges of the windows to see if that helps. Good luck!

I got to test drive a brand new RS6 back in 2004. I agree, it was amazing, although my test drive wasn't anything compared to your drive. They are awesome cars (I've had 4 Audis) however I wouldn't want to have to maintain it. My rule with Audis was always to get rid of them before the warranty expired. They are great cars, but like everything else German, they are expensive when they break, and the reliability is nowhere near Lexus-like... ;)

Are you going to get the 05 LS from your grandparents? You could give them your 01 to trade in instead of trading in the 05! Sounds like a good idea, right? I traded an 03 (same body style as your 01) for an 05, and LOVE it! ;)

Do you think it makes sense to add the clear bra even if there are a few rock chips already on the paint? It's by no means horrible, but it would help prevent any more...

Do you have an independent mechanic who works on your LS? If so, maybe they could help you with the aiming issue. Not that this helps you, but I had an '03 LS that had an aiming problem I could never fix. The instructions for aiming the headlights that appeared in the owner's manual weren't even correct. The adjustment screws that were shown in the diagram didn't even exist (or at least I couldn't find them). Good luck!

I also went to the TOL event, solely to see and drive the 600h. I must have been there right before you. I think my appt. time was 3:15. I got to drive the green one, but only did one lap around the SHORT course. I was blown away by the 600h. I was fortunate enough to have a 460 to drive for a week, the week before the TOL event. Although the 460 is a VERY NICE car, the 600h would be my choice without question, if I had the money to spend (which I don't). It's clear that it was built to compete with the S600 and the 760Li. I would rather have the 600h, hands down. Lexus of Glendale had a 600hL on the floor when I was there 3 weeks ago for service. The sticker on it was $140K. I assume it was a fully loaded model that they had marked up a healthy amount. I also saw a 600h in a restaurant parking lot early last week. Other than that, I haven't seen any on the road yet, aside from the one that Ari Gold drives on Entourage... ;)