Budhah

Take it out of 1st gear. The Ls is an Automatic.. LOL just pulling your leg... My LS is smooth deceleration at all speeds. Sounds like you have a drag somewhere,..

Take a look here,, some in your area in your price range... My feeling is that the lowest mileage with the best records, and the latest model you can afford without getting Mama mad at ya. Or the son too jealous. Remember, if you have more kids coming up behind him, they may want your car in a year or two..

http://www.lemonfree.com/map.php?make=LEXUS&model=LS+400 OR http://usedcars.cardomain.com/cars/used-fo...ation/range-all

While I have not done a search of BURNED OUT NAV systems, I have not heard of many problems, except for those putting pirated GPS upgrades in the system. I have Garmin in my other cars and trucks, Love them, till I got into the 06 with it's nav unit. It is so cool to just be able to touch the screen at a location on the map and you can see how far you are from that point. The larger screen is great too. and can see at a glance, better than the small screens.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Garmins, but when looking for my LS I would not settle for anything without the GPS because on resale, They seem to go faster and for much more money. Just my opinion.

By the way, Paid $33k for 06 with 28k miles on her.. Not the ultra, but next best thing.. a few months back. So $24 for an 03 sounds a bit high without the Luxury package.

Could be that the left light is aimed a bit lower than the right. If you notice, upon passing an oncoming car that your light pattern is just below the window of the other car.. At least mine are. My wife thinks it is a bit out of "focus" but..... What do i know.??

y sell gas. On Friday they sell premium at mid-grade prices, so thats attractive. I used to do that, but like I said, I go to Food Country mostly with 100% gas. If gas goes back up to $4.00, I will go back to the cheaper 10% ethanol and get it on Friday at mid-grade prices. Strike that, if gas goes back to $4.00 per gallon, I will start riding my bike to work! :)

You would think that Toyota would give a good fold up 10 speed bike with the purchase of each Lexus...

I have a friend that came by while I was working on my car (lost power had to limp home), and he asked if I had ever put Kroger gas in it (10%Ethanol) and I had just filled up there about the same time my car started doing it's thing. He said never run it in any Toyota products (he has one of the last Supra Turbos, a Lexus and Camry. All he and his dad have owned for 20yrs. He claims Ethanol enriched gas will kill them. I never run the stuff in any of my cars, but did this time just because it was a good deal. Anyone ever heard of such a thing. *I know it's been linked to doing severe damage to boat motors, especially if they sit for a long time* <_<

I Use Kroger gas all the time... No problems, It as 93 octane here. Not the cheapest in town, but the car seems to get better mileage with Kroger's gas. No i don't use regular in the Lexus.. If I could not afford the gas, then would not have bought the car.. Learned long time ago, using paint as an example. That although Walmart sells some cheaper paint. it may take two or three coats to cover. Plus the drips and spatters is terrible to work with. a couple of bucks a gal more and I can get paint to cover in one coat, and no drips and very little spatter from the roller, Or run down your arm when using a brush to do trim over head.

I have gotten some bad gas over the years, esp after a big rain.. Talked to a guy that used to drive a tanker, and he said that lots of time they would pump regular into the premium tanks.

Okay, I did something I should NEVER have done. I sat in an RX-8 on a Mazda showroom floor.

That car SCREAMS fun, even when it's standing still!!!!!

I MUST have one!

<<<<<Kids LOL >>>>>>

Could the timing belt have slipped??

I would love to have a big NEON SIGN in back window to tell that "JERK" 5 foot off my bumper to get off my "BUMPER". Maybe with a flashing red middle finger salute to the Guy or Gal doing 10 mile under the speed limit in the fast lane. Could think of something for the Cell Phone Mama sitting at the stop light when red fades to green.

in Nov-Dec i bought my 15 year son old a 2000 Toyota Avalon,, with 167,000 miles on it, for $4700. I was sold on the car before even getting into gear. The engine was so quiet that I could not tell it was running.. No shakes or rattles on start up. and no loud muffler noise. Drove it out of the drive onto an asphalt road, and with four people she was impressive with quality the pickup and ride.. The Avy has a bit of a break wobble when breaking hard. But HEY< I wobble when I come to a stop too> The car had a nice ride with plenty of leg room.. I figured to put in another grand to bring it up to par. and only needed a timing belt. We did replace the windshield wipers, This "little" car runs so good that the wife and I started looking for a new Avalon for us. We figured to drive the 2000 Avy until the boy turns 16 in April, as we really enjoy it. By the way, the insurance is only like $200.

That all being said. We stopped in at the Honda place and drove a new Accord 6cyl. $33k and within 100 feet were so unimpressed with the ride and sound that wondered how they were able to sell them?? The salesman in back seat said it was a sportier ride, and if smooth was wanted he would recommend the Ridgeline truck ... I must admit that I have had shoulder surgery and the bounce and jerks that was in the Honda severely limited my satisfaction.:cries: .

Next door was the Toyota dealer, First thing wife sees is a 2007 Lexus ES, and said we should drive it. I laughed and to humor her took it for a spin... Wow what a diff.. It drove ALMOST as good as the Avalon... LOL but was smaller.. took it back, and drove a NEW Avalon and thought it almost the same as the ES. But they had a LS430 sitting next to the showroom door, Just off lease.. Set down in it. was dirty and unkept. Needed good cleaning, but "what the Hell" still looked good. Jim the Salesman gave me the key, so we could listen to the engine?? Quiet as the old Avalon. (notice how everything points back to the 2000 Avalon??) The damn mirrors would not stay in place when i put it in gear to back up, and figured something wrong with the electrical, Figured it already a bust -_- . Backed out of the parking spot, and hit drive, mirror goes back in original position. (Hummm maybe hold off on the critics for a bit, I think) Put the gearshift in drive and placed my hand on steering wheel. Wow for the first time I felt LUXURY in the woodgrain wheel. Soft Leather on the sides. Did not drive 1/4 mile, and was so pleased with the car that we kept it out for 30 min.

Drives like a dream, So many things that are "feel Good" about the car. Such a smooth acceleration, (not sporty LOL) Easy on my bad shoulder and back. Driver seat actually slid out to give support to my longer legs. Butt warmer turned the wife on.. LOL..

Well anyway this is getting too long. Upon return to the dealer Jim, The salesman, knew he had me over the barrel but sweated thru negotiations for a couple of days. I searched CLUB LEXUS for comments and learned so much about the cars from other members here that I would stay up until 3:30 am researching my DEAL>>> THANKS A LOT FELLAS

At any rate, the car now sets in my Garage and has about 6 coats of wax on it, ^_^ Will not drive it if raining,, (Drive the 2000 Avalon) and spent many hours going thru the countless pages of car manuals.

As a side note. My Doctor has asked me to find one for him, just like mine.. Giving up his Lincoln for this car..

I do enjoy my new LS430l, Am impressed with me things. and the GPS is growing on me daily. Are there some things I don't like.. Sure, but then that gives me something to look forward to on my next Lexus. Maybe they could but a Hood Ornament sticking above like the MB, Big Circle with big "L" in the middle.. LOLL then maybe not... Had my MB back in 1992

The wife is wanting to turn her Mercury Van in for a GX470... All this from a 19 year old Avalon

I know I did not mention the 97 LS400, but I think you get the idea... That little Avalon convinced me that Toyota and Lexus was the rout to go...

My 2004 LS430 has a front bumper sonar sensor that is beeping at me all the time when stopped or at low speeds. Does anyone know how to disconnect the bad sensor, or somehow disable just the one? I know about the switch that turns them all off, but I could live with just the one not working. I dread going to the dealer. They will probably want to replace the whole unit.

I know this may seem simple... But i had the same thing happen with my wife's van, and could not figure it out.. We took a tooth brush and cleaned all the sensors and found one with some bug juice smeared on it. Stopped the problem, But have heard that even just surface dirt can set them off.. You can also set the sensors a bit on the display screen if you have GPS ... (i think) there are some settings there for parking assist anyway..

Hope this helps.. Could also be a loose wire.

Also parts.com is a great site. Lots of stuff is even cheaper than Carson.

Just wait till she's running 100% B)

Why would you EVER recommend parts.com?

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Parts

Things are cheap for a reason.

parts.com with a 4.7 of 10 rating?? not too sure would want to put much faith in them.. Just going to the URL you gave us would scare me away.. After reading the reviews... no way!!

The LS is my mid-life crisis car. That means I will die at the ripe old age of 44! :P

Well soooory,, Have had my LS for couple of months. and Love it.. Nope it is not a Mustang, But then again, driving a couple hundred miles in one of those tin cans will jar anyone's brain.. No comparison of the Miata to the LS... so should not even try. Like going from a bicycle to a motorcycle.

Maybe not mid-life crisis,, But definitely growing pains, as in Maturity. and learning that sometimes it is the satisfaction of being smooth... Maybe loosing the teen-ager mentality is what you might be going thru.

Sure at 22 you not going to woooo any high school chicks in the LS like a sport car.. But then, try to go parking in a Miata and you will then wish you had the "sport" feel of your LS ....LOL

Not being tough on ya,,, just pulling your chain,,, all in fun... My son (16) likes his Avalon better than the LS... oh well..

There will probably be a time when I'm near death when I want a car that is smooth, refined and luxurious, and nothing else. That time is not now (I hope).

Having owned the Miata and the LS, I can say that they are both very influential vehicles. The LS is responsible for launching Toyota into the luxury market, and for opening the door for other Japanese manufacturers into that sector. The Miata, on the other hand, is responsible for single-handedly reviving the dead affordable lightweight roadster category in the early 90s. So no more Miata bashing! :P

Actually, I think the Miata is a very mature car as well. It is a throwback to old 60's - 70's sports cars (you know, when sports cars were actually really light and nimble). Heck, it's probably the quintessential midlife crisis car!

I'm really not trying to start a ruckus here and to bash the LS. I guess I'm just curious how most of you deal with the lack of driving fun, if that makes any sense!

Oh I have a lot of fun in my LS... pulling out from behind a slow driver, and go from 45 to 75-80 by the time I am even with the slow cars doors, is a blast.

When I was in High School I drove a 63 chev Super Sport.. my friends drove sport cars... On Date night they always begged me for a trade, so they had room for their girl to ride like a queen.. I drove all kinds of hot rods that way,, from sting rays, to a Boxer, to MGs and some of the finest mustangs and 442s around. Fun?? being tall, I always felt cramed into a can with the sport cars for more than a couple hours.. Imagine 6'4" driving 400 miles in some of the first CVCC Honda's sent over..My cruise contro was a can of oil on the accelerator. LOL Now those sardine cans were a blast.. I had tires that would fit a 3/4 ton truck on that little skateboard, Painted it Canary Yellow. They only came in Brown, or dirty White, i think. , Maybe I started a fad, as so many of those cars did get tricked out.. If some of you can't imagine the size of the CVCC, I think the Smart car is bigger LOL

Was it fun?? HELL YESSSSSSSS! but I was 24 ish, Is my Lexus fun Hell Yes, but I am 40 years older, and have been there done that..

I also had one of the first super cab Fords, 88 Extended Cab Chevy, and a tricked out 75 Ford van,,, not to mention several bikes, a Vett or two, mustangs, and firebirds, . Also had Chrys New Yorker, T-bird boat, Lincoln Town Car, Volvo 740 and others,, While I had fun in the little ones,, only the luxury cars gave me satisfaction.

Well HELLO buyers market!

I am a brand NEWB lookin to get in the best ride of my life!

I just drove a 2001 LS430 with 81K miles for $15900 in South Florida (the best car I have ever driven in 47 YEARS!)

Then I thought I will need to drop $1200 in six months (I average 20k miles a year) for belts and pulleys

So I started thinking how 50-60K miles cars cost in the low 20s

Anything above that cost violates my never buy a car over 20 grand rule

I would really like bluetooth BUT I love a big cabin!

I am trying to lock in on a generation (of course the most recent are out of the question)

I looked here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus_LS

and found the second revision of the 3rd generation (UCF30 II (2004) to be where I think I want to be

It does become a price performance mind busting matrix though is it better to spend 15 grand on an 01 with 81k miles or 20 grand on a 2004 with 51K miles or what about the guy who says heck for 20 I can buy TWO 1997-2000 with 74K miles!

Where is the sweetest spot in the third gen? 01,02,03,04 when you want TOP tech and MAX reliability plus whichever cabin/body offering the greatest room to spread out.

P.S. How does one become an expert at identifying trim levels? I want to check a serial somewhere or the vin in a website and know if it has the "fridge" the massager chairs in back (only right?) the laser cruise and the Euro tuned suspension.

the multiple buttons by the gear shift knob is a dead give away.. the square around the front logo is for the laser cruise control.. multiple buttons on rear arm rest and door trim...

All you need is some H&R sports springs, daizin sway bar bushing, brembo breaks, and a custom supercharger. LOL that is my dream for my LS anyway. Another option you have is buy a motorcycle. I'm getting my motocycle liscence in may and plan to purchase a bike in late summer-early fall. That will give you all the thrills you could ask for.

Don't forget the Hood Scoop... LOL

The LS is my mid-life crisis car. That means I will die at the ripe old age of 44! :P

Well soooory,, Have had my LS for couple of months. and Love it.. Nope it is not a Mustang, But then again, driving a couple hundred miles in one of those tin cans will jar anyone's brain.. No comparison of the Miata to the LS... so should not even try. Like going from a bicycle to a motorcycle.

Maybe not mid-life crisis,, But definitely growing pains, as in Maturity. and learning that sometimes it is the satisfaction of being smooth... Maybe loosing the teen-ager mentality is what you might be going thru.

Sure at 22 you not going to woooo any high school chicks in the LS like a sport car.. But then, try to go parking in a Miata and you will then wish you had the "sport" feel of your LS ....LOL

Not being tough on ya,,, just pulling your chain,,, all in fun... My son (16) likes his Avalon better than the LS... oh well..

Personally I'd stay away from anything having to do with success...being rich...or anything like that. I'd be afraid of vandalism or rage...

Plus I think its a little "douch-ey" personally. Theres a BMW here with something like "Success" and it always makes me chuckle...and not in a good way.

"PAYBACK" but already taken I think... "UTOT MO" on th e Benze,,, Filipino for "YOU'R A !Removed!" for real.

Just installed the Lexus spare tire kit I purchased from Factory Lexus Parts for $675. The installation was easy after reading the directions. Looks good.

I am wanting to get rid of my runflat tires but am struggling with the idea of spending almost $1000 to retrofit the trunk to accept a spare. I thought someone had written once about a space saver tire made for another auto, but the rim size and lug size would fit the sc430 and the tire would fit into the existing well in the trunk without any retrofit. Is anyone familiar with this? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Did the Toyota Supra spare tire work as suggested or any other alternative option?

I was about to suggest a Continental kit on the back,,, LOL wonder how that would look on that SC430

I know it be a dumb post, but could not resist.

It's time for 15k oil change and maintenance for my 2007 LS460, and the fee they charge is over $400...

Not that I can't afford that, but considering what they do I think it's too excessive. Other mom n pop shops will do the same for under $150...

It's Lexus... what can actually go wrong?

Just did a 30k service on my LS430, Charge was $559, Change of all cabin filters, oil, and under hood filters.. Some other things, and full scan of error codes. Just the scan is $85 at the local Toyota dealer. Loaner for 6 hours, ( got a massage, on my dime) and a day trip to the dealer 200+ miles from my home. Nice day, Nice car, Nice trip, Only thing that bothers me is the sign in the cashier office that said "Labor $129.95/HR"

They did tell me, that the local Toyota dealer can do the in between oil and filter changes..

The one thing I got was a 4cyl Camry loaner, and will never consider buying one of those weak running cars. I think I also got a bit of an education while listening to the other customers sitting in the lounge. Funny what you hear when people don't think you are awake. (that massage was relaxing) LOL

I've always said both of my Dad's LS's, his 98 and his 04 have always gotten better mileage than my ES...

I suspect there is voodoo involved somewhere: my dad reports that the turbo-4 Forrester he uses for work guzzles more gas than my LS; which I find amazing. My mother even reports 26+ mpg in her Camry...with the 3.5L V6.

I predict that for '10 Toyota will drop it's new Valvematic technology into the LS; giving the LS 460 420+ HP with a 10% FE boost.

My son's Avalon gets 21-22 is town, and on highway with a bit of in town get 30-31,, Is one reason to buy My LS... Avalon has more room than some of the smaller Lexus,, esp the IS models, Ride about the same as the ES.. but much better than Honda.

Have an open discussion all you want, nobody's trying to stifle your discussion. My opinions however are as relevant and welcome as yours. I'm not the only one on my side either.

If I wanted to "shut down" this discussion I would have shut it down, as in physically locked it out so nobody could post. Or just deleted the whole thing. I have no interest in doing that.

I'm not saying that you aren't having problems with your car, I'm saying that the problems you're having aren't as serious as the issues owners of other marques have, and are issues that you would have noticed had you taken the time to thoroughly evaluate the car before you bought it. Saying you don't like how it rides? Did you even drive it before you paid $75,000 for it?!? The nav lockout? You mean the nav lockout that Lexus has had for a decade that many other manufaturers also have? Again, did you try the system before you bought it? A "ton" of recalls and TSBs? List them.

Perhaps you should have waited for an 08. I would have.

As a fairly new member I am surprised that a moderator is so active on this site. Steve seems to me shows a hard bias against anything anti-Lexus. Stating that the Nav system has the same lockout for 10 years is certainly not true. On the LS430 the Navigation screen had an over ride function. This is not on newer models, and must pay out up to $400 for a work around. While Steve's opinion has merit. He has stated it so many times that he actually is trying to direct the direction of the discussion.. Sorry if you get mad, but as a Moderator, you should show a bit more restraint...

Now that being said, You said that if you wanted to shut down this discussion you could.... Sounds like Lexus " If we want to stop "over rides, we will""

Wonder if I will not get banned?? LOL

Who else?

Well, LS460L, it would seem to me that there are a lot of current LS430 owners who have become accustomed to being able to take charge of their destiny. Perhaps a piosting on the LS430 forum would give prospective buyers of 460s reason to add their comments and objections. I seriouly doubt if I would have changed my mind on the car, but I sure would have made the dealer acutely aware of my displeasure with the arbitrary lockouts and deletions of things I had enjoyed on my 430.

I was visiting a Dealer in St. Louis, and the salesman told me the biggest complaint on the LS430 was the cup holders.. LOL they were changed on LS460

without going outside (it's 10 pm and dark overhere) i think it's a 70Amp with 570 number on it (peak amps for starting?) and it's an original Toyota part so I guess it's up to par for my car ?

Tell your wife to take less time shopping.. And if you live thru that. you can clamp the negative charge cable to almost any metal part of the car frame, except of course an electrical wire. I usually will use a fender bolt on my other cars, but have not done anything with the lexus yet. Some trickle chargers will work with simple plug in to the cig lighter.

Batt should not discharge that fast.. I would think,, Something else is draining your system or bad batt..

my 98 ls400 had its check engine light come on. I havent been able to find out what it means just yet but since its been on i havent noticed any change in how the car drives. i drive in the city but im easy on the pedal driving like granny and my display is showing 20 mpg average. however after filling up my car recently i did the math (total miles driven/gallons filled) and the actual mpg is 14. If my display is somehow off how would i fix that? Or is it a chance that the check engine light is causing the misread for the MPG?

Sounds like someone siphoned a few gal of gas from your tank.. On some of the older models the gas door is easy to pry open. My suggestion is to double check it for a month or so.. Easy,, just drive 200 miles or there about, and see how close you get to 10 gal of gas.

I like my 95 and my 97, but would like to have the garage door opener Home Link on them.

I think the 98-2000 have the best looking front ends, (but I cant afford one yet, and at 75, probably wont get one)

After 2001, 430's, I think the styling suffered a little on the backend.

but I love them ALL..... cheers, bp

A 4' 11 3/4" Asian chick 110#,,, Ohhhh wait,, I already have that... My wife!!! I am happy with what I have... She doesn't like the cold on her Puppies... But a "Breath" of fresh air,, Hence the flip open moon roof.