TurboBob

Thanks guys. I will pass your info on to my father. Alexander, I didn't realize that Lexus sold in Sweden, or any part of Europe. I thought it was just a marketing tool to get Americans to spend a lot of money on a Japanese car, because Americans won't spend MB/BMW money for a "Toyota" no matter how much they dress it up. ;)

Hi all, I just joined to help my father research the LS 430. Mom and Dad are not computerized, so I thought I'd look for a forum and try to learn what I can. Personally, I'm usually over at the AudiWorld forums (allroad board), so I'm used to the format, and air suspension. My father has been an MB guy for as long as I can remember, but they're not what they used to be, so after 40 years of driving Benzs, he's looking for something else. He's a retired aircraft mechanic, and is very good as an auto mechanic as well. I'm not a bad wrench myself either, so don't worry about getting to technical with your answers. I tried a search for common problems, used problems and anything else I could think of, but all I got is a list for the LS400. So, is the LS430 that much different, what are the things we should look out for beyond the usual? I'm also wondering how Lexus CPO program is. Are they goood about covering problems, or do they try to get out of paying for things that should be covered, or is it really up to the dealer? One of the reasons I left Saabs after 20 years, is that they were no longer good about warranty issues, and as of around '94, there are no manuals of any kind available for Saabs. So far my Audi experience has been great in both respects, there's even 2 versions of Audis diagnostic programs available for laptops and palmpilots, I got the laptop version, it goes far beyond OBDII. Is there something similar available for Lexus? Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer. Bob

Hello Carmine, I just joined this site to help my father research buying a used LS. While I don't have Lexus experience, I have been a mechanic professionally, and have played with, repaired and modified cars for over 30 years. That being said, I can give you my answer in general automotive terms. As for the ride quality, dump the Goodyears . I have to agree on the Michelin MXVs, especially for someone who "drives like an old man". They are a little bit spendy, but well worth it as they are designed for this type of car and your style of driving. Trans flush, the new fluids in the trans will soften the seals that control shifting. This is a good thing, even though you can feel things a bit more, it means that fluid is not leaking buy those seals. The more solid shift you feel means the tranny is not slipping, which keeps tempuratures in the trans and the engine lower. Drive by wire, while some systems are flawlessly smooth, my Audi comes to mind, others do lag in throttle response, my new Chevy truck drives me nuts, as it lags both accelerating and decelerating. I doesn't get much more annoying than the feeling I get when my engine slows down 2 seconds after I let off the gas. This is just something inherent in the proogramming in your ECU, and something we'll both just have to live with. Hope that makes you feel a little better. :)