The LS430 is a definite hidden gem. If you're comparing to say an equivalent era S Class, A8, 7 Series, jag etc the LS430 will blow them out of the water, not only on reliability but on the specification levels as well, AND you're most likely to find all the toys in a Lexus will still work today which you couldn't really say for the majority of those other marques. They are insanely well equipped, great to drive or be driven in - i would honestly go as far as to say the LS430 is, by a country mile, the best value for money luxury car you are likely to find.
Not regarding road behavior. As usual. Motor Trend 2004: MB "The S430 sailed through our slalom and braking tests just behind the top-performing BMW. "Confident and serene at speed, with superb handling," wrote one editor. "No surprises when you push this one hard -- holds its line through fast sweepers effortlessly." Lexus: "Only one thing upsets the LS 430's otherwise serene and unflappable demeanor: hard cornering. Unlike the Jag and the German entries, which clearly carry a healthy dose of sport in their DNA, the Lexus would rather stroll through the twisties, thank you very much. Not only does the handling feel greasy when pushed, this car won't even let you drive it to the limit. On two separate occasions, we had barely hurled the Lexus into the first tight corner of our handling loop when the standard Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system stepped in and cut the power.
@@martinsvensson6884 you can't be serious. It's a luxury car. Adding performance to it makes it harsher and less comfortable. The softer the ride the more comfy, the less the cornering ability. If u want a sports car buy a 350z 335i or corvette.
@@A500-g6g MB and BMW manages to do it. At least MB is no less comfortable than a Lexus. Dont know if I've ever seen an S-class lose the comfort round to a Lexus in a serious car review. The S-class was always expected to have full control over itself at autobahn speeds and evasive maneuvers there. Was never regarded as a sporty car though.
@Mack Hilleard You dont have to baby them. Instead drive them regularly and maintain them according to service manual. Check everything. Change fluids and bushings and all that according to plan. Problem is that most are cheap and think they can get away without doing those things. They didnt pay much for the car so they somehow think they shouldnt have to pay anything for maintenance either. Then fx the water pump and thermostat wears out because the fluid was never changed and they think its the cars fault. They let a slow leak in the air suspension go by. Then the air compressor has to engage all the time when you drive to constantly pump it up, which it was never designed for, and burns out. Then they reluctantly go change the pump for big $ because the pump is not working. Without fixing the leak. And the pump wears out again. And they think the car is horrible and just breaks all the time and costs $$. And so it goes on.
Bought an LS400 in the gold coast in Australia for next to nothin. Drove the whole way to Perth, over 5000km all up. Done it in total silence with the coldest air con i’ve ever had. And the car was 25 years old!
Good car. Please promote reliable and longer lasting cars so that we see less cars in landfill. Most German cars that we seem to love in UK are just sh!tboxes that end up being a pollutant in landfill in 10 years.
@@slideways8022 me too, can’t find any stats on anything (well there is a list from the 2009 scrappage scheme but this is pretty much irrelevant now being more than 10 years old) apart from a statement saying that ford and Vauxhall’s top the list which ‘is unsurprising as they are the most sold in the uk’.
The German ‘premium’ rivals are engineered to fall apart after about 5 years or 100k kilometers. The Lexus more or less shares engine and gearbox with the big Landcruisers and made to last and last and last. There is really no comparison. There are components (brakes, electronics) that can go wrong at some point, but the problems you can expect are not too difficult or expensive to fix, although parts are on the expensive side. I own a LS430 as a daily driver/ family car for the last 2+ years averaging 25k kilometers a year and it is just a perfect car to own. True quality.
Would rather this than most S Classes. I appreciate the effort that goes into ensuring that the car will remain reliable long after the first ownership experience where Mercedes and others don’t care about this past the few years the original customer owns a car.
@@samuelorellana2603 I think doing this for an L332 Range Rover would be great, but the question is where does it stop? Even if you address the mechanicals like drivetrain and suspension, there’s likely nagging issues like the steering column motor/ecu failures that don’t seem to have any solution that swapping in new parts that will eventually fail.
Now he made this video, it may drive up prices I hope not though. This is fantastic car, and you should hate him for making this video. You're 35. You're in a good position to buy a car like this. I'm 19. Buy one right now before prices could start to go fucking crazy.
I own this car. Just love it. If you drive on highway. It's heavy. You feel safe and comfortable. Only one word reliable and luxury. Car these days suck
I have a lexus ls430 2001 with 360,000 miles. Original starter and alternator Original engine and transmission. Replaced the timing belt pulleys serpentine belt spark plugs waterpump 3 times every 100,000 miles. Just regular maintenance brake pads and replace fluids.
A very enjoyable and accurate review thank you. I managed to acquire a 2005 LS 430 three years ago as I was fed up with the massive depreciation and unreliability of new Jaguars. In the past three years, apart from general servicing and new tyres, my only cost has been a specialist repair to the amp in the Levinsons sound system. The car is more or less unbreakable, but the most important thing is the sheer enjoyment of every journey. The silence, the comfort, the impeccable handling, the mid range torque when you need to step up. In fact, the whole package. Now, three years later, the depreciation is nil and will remain so until I " kick the bucket" (or am forced to go electric by the world powers!). Probably those who need to fulfil an "image" wouldnt understand and will continue to waste money on the German selection, but I am long passed the need to keep buying new cars and just want something I enjoy.
It is quicker from 80kph to 130kph than a new mustang 5L. Its a genuine Grand Tourer car and will overtake with ease. In Australia that means passing b double trucks (25m long ) doing 100kph on a 2 lane road. Blink and its done. Lexus LS430. Gold.
2004 LS430 was the first Lexus I drove. It was brand new and blew me away, quiet, comfortable, fantastic audio system, yep a car brand I wanted to own but was beyond my budget. I now finally own a Lexus rx400h se-l SUV, suits my needs, easy access (getting old with some leg issues) very roomy, I'm a big guy, 6' 5" 270 lbs, and rear seat passengers love the reclining seats and DVD entertainment system. Fantastic build quality and reliability, dealerships treat you like royalty. Best car I've ever owned, rx450h will hopefully be my next Lexus.
Had one of these for 2 years and still do. No massage in the front unfortunately. I went from an unreliable 530d to this and all I’ve done is put fuel in. I wanted close to 300bhp and no dpf or turbo issues. Lovely cruiser and it will hustle along when you row the auto. It does (mine has) soft close boot. Reclining seats too.
The guys at Speed Academy are modding one of these with a Ford supercharger. They look awesome a bit lowered with a nice set of wheels and tires. And there's also plenty of cool JDM bits you can add, like bumper lips and side skirts. What great car, I'd rather have one of these than a 7 series, S Class or A8.
I missed a couple of nice LS 430s when I was looking for a car, and ended up buying an LS 460, which is an incredible highway cruiser. It's a 2011 with 67k miles on it now, so at this rate I could easily drive it another 20 years :)
Just saw one on ebay with 335000 miles on the clock, only failed mots in the last 10 years was tyre tread depth and headlamp position. Audi/Mercedes/BMW could learn a lot from toyota
I bought an 2001 LS430 with 225K km last year. Apart from the sound system, it is as good as a car can get! I used to be a bmw guy, but overal quality and driving comfort of the ls430 is simply amazing! I’m not selling anytime soon!
Get into a late '60's to early '70's Cadillac. It's like sitting in a very expensive bed mattress. You just sink into them like a fuggin' champ. Cheers.
I had the LS460 SE-L which was a fantastic luxury barge. Full of tech and a very comfortable ride, but it had a pitiful boot for the class and it wasn’t one to be hustled around corners. I was given a base 2013 Mercedes S320 as a courtesy car when mine was rear ended, and I was glad to get my Lexus back when it had been repaired. It was a much better luxury car.
I own a 2008 LS460 and I can assure you, the LS430 is a nicer car. I don’t care much for tech, and the 430 looks better and rides better to me. It’s classier I think. I still love my LS460
I own a 2002 Ls430, I always do as much maintenance as I’m capable of on all of my cars. Let me tell you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, this is one of the easiest cars I’ve ever worked on in my life. It’s as if the Japanese engineers designed it to solely be maintained by any capable owner. I just did a front wheel bearing and it took me 40 mins, having never done it before. Granted….the factory OEM bearing was $365, the labor was done by me! I’m currently looking for an “06 UL with under 50k miles.
In the US, this top spec version in good condition (this is the Ultra Luxury) with low-ish miles would sell for well over $10,000. Truly. I owned a Modern Luxury version. Basically just delete the air ride and fridge and radar cruise (in 2004!) and executive rear seat and soft close doors and laminated glass. I wanted the Ultra which was a magnificent car and fully loaded it was the price of a base S. N.B. that the refresh version (last 3 years versus the first 3) added adaptive front lighting with a load leveling and steering feature built in and went to a 6 speed. Also, when SAE horsepower measurement was modified this engine was mathematically de-rated to 278 from 290. But with 320 lb-ft of torque, this was also the last of the lower revving Toyota V8s and delivers pretty effortless if not exciting acceleration. The next V8 departed from the older bore/stroke proportionality and gained a higher redline and more hp than torque. While the newer 4.6 is more exciting to rev out, and way more powerful, this powertrain with the matching 6 speed versus the 5 is considered by Lexus dealers to be the best powertrain they have made. For under 5 grand in the UK, this is a smoking deal. This buyer will get not 100,000 more miles. Try 200,000 without significant oil loss. I had zero engine repairs ever beyond a timing belt and water pump change at 97,000 miles on the recommended schedule. I sold mine at 160,000 and put 112,000 miles on it myself. Original suspension and electric motors in everything! The seat motor for example is whisper quiet and the plastic doesn’t have the 2000s stickiness of European cars. It doesn’t have real electrical gremlins. The original starter was beginning to fail. Only failures beyond the starter after 100,000 miles were two door speakers and having to adjust the sunroof and two failed actuators that make the air vents move back and forth. It burned no oil and was still so quiet I once forgot to turn it off. Yes, the vents pan back and forth in the front to make cooling faster. I plan to buy one in this spec soon to keep as a weekend car. My daily driver is a 2011 LS 460 Sport Edition which is an interesting model itself. But for luxury ride quality the 430 is much more old school. It glides down pavement where my 460 struggles to be sporty while remaining luxurious. You would have to convert from US to UK gallons but I found it to beat the official highway economy of 27 if I were just a bit careful. I am happy to answer questions for anyone about the LS 430. This car also has lots of airbags and an excellent crash rating so know you are safe.
Fantastic value. You can only lose £5k ! What a fabulous car to smoke around in either locally or a trip across a Europe ! Thanks Mr Martin for a great video.
6.5 secs to 60 is fast. Real fast in the real world! Bought my met black 03 LS 430 last year for just £1500 with years mot. Now here is the thing about a 16 ft 4 inch long, 6 ft wide car, that looks a tad similar to a W140 S-Class, when I drive fast in this beast people move out the way real quick!
Great review . Had my 04 ls430 nearly 2 years now and best car ive ever owned !! Had a stainless exhaust system built and sounds lovely ! It can 0-60 in 6 flat all day long ! Still in need of a weekend toy for more thrills etc but as a reliable ,quick daily dont think u can top it !!!!
I owned one of these, it was just over 2 years old at the time and had radar cruise. Such a brilliant and comfortable car. Not exciting but luxurious, quiet, smooth & reliable. My recollection of this was driving hundreds of km at a time in total relaxation. The seats are superb. Service costs were very reasonable & nothing broke in 2 years. That doesn't happen with BMW or Mercs in my experience. Unfortunately it had the worst deprecation of any car I've owned. The used market is small & cost sensitive. It lost over 50% of its value in 25 months & I had paid about 45% of the new cost. You got that right, over 77% value loss in just over 4 years. It felt like giving it away when I decided to get a different car. It might make sense at £5k but you'd want to be mad to buy a Lexus new or newish. You'd also want to be mad to pay what Lexus dealers are looking for their used cars. Maybe they hold value in the US but in the UK & Ireland, not a chance. They're great cars in many ways but that affinity for a German badge kills the release value.
That's incredible. Here in north America toyota/lexus hold their value far better than anything else on the road. It's actually gotten ridiculous how expensive they are at high mileage.
@@Stephen-uz8dm my recollection is the car cost over €2400 in insurance and road tax each year. The taxes increased, fuel costs increased, the world went into recession and the car collapsed in value to the point I made a huge loss on it. In over 3 months trying to sell it I had only 3 genuinely interested buyers and nobody who wanted to pay the guide used price from the various car sale websites. It's not like I was pushed to sell it. Wrong time & place perhaps.
I bought a 99 LS400 over 7 years ago. 300,000 Km on the clock. Had to replace a few things in the suspension that the mechanic said were the original parts from the car's build. Drives like a dream, never a problem with it since. Cheap to buy the car but parts cost a fair bit and I only use OEM. Sometimes labour is intensive because of the dismantling needed to get to the parts to replace. Best fuel economy so far 8.2 litres per 100 Km sitting on 110 Km/h with cruise set and air conditioning running flat out. 8.4 litres per 100 quite easily achieved. Car uses almost twice as much fuel in stop start city traffic. If considering buying one, it can't hurt to take the above into account. Stay right away from poorly maintained ones or they'll cost you an arm and a leg to fix up.
We had nine Audis, in a row over about 20 years. After the hundreth usual four figure bill for maintenance and repairs, we asked our mechanic, who we love, who’s a gifted german car expert, from Germany, what he drove. We’re on our fifth Lexus now lol.
Currently driving a lexus SUV RX 350 from 2003. Going from a performance Subaru to this is night and day, Japanese quality at its finest. No complain so far after 5k Kms in a year!
So funny, I just saw one tonight here in Australia. 20" wheels, lowered, straight pipe exhaust. Young kid driving it. Cool alternative to a V8 commordore;)
A friend of mine loves his 430 and thats pretty much how many miles its done! Original engine and gearbox still runs like a dream and this is the one quality about Lexus that sadly other marks can only dream about! Its great fun buying cheap Lexus luxury cars that are also cheap to run, I have an RX 300 hundred had it 6 years its 15 years old and i only had 1 fault and that was the level sensor for the headlights, its underneath the car and it gets wet! Still only cost 35 notes on Ebay, pretty happy with that, these Lexus cars keep on going going going going and going....
Surprisngly enough, these cars never really took off here in Straya. The luxury versions of the Commodores and Falcons fit the good value, reliablity, v8 and luxury category very well.
Owned an LS400 for 10 ten years and 315,000kms till it was written off last year. I have been in similar vintage Fairlane/Statesman models and they are not as reliable, smooth or comfortable as the LS400. Toyota spent a billion dollars developing the original model in the 80's and it clearly shows in the build quality.
I bought a 10 year old 2001 100k LS430 (with recent 100k cambelt change) and had it for 80k miles and 5 years. In the first 4 years and 60k It cost me tyres, brakes, a Lambda sensor and a headlight bulb. I had it converted to LPG when I bought it and effectively got circa 50mpg equivalent. It was and still is the best car I ever owned and I've had Mercs and BMW's. I did a few Dordogne runs driving 17hrs with ease. When lack of noise when running was uncanny. It was a car that just gave you a a smug sense of satisfaction. You just sit there a waft along letting everyone else get hot and bothered and aggressive. Unfortunately in the 5th year of ownership I had a couple of major issues. The radiator went, taking the combined gearbox oil cooler with it which in turn wrecked the autobox. If you are worried about that as a preventative, a separate oil cooler could be fitted which is a few hundred quid saving a potential bill of several thousands. The second issue (also a known one) is the 'fridge' air con pipes going at silly money to replace. Simple cheap fix of blanking off fridge feed and a re-gas = no fridge but you get your aircon back. The main reason I sold it was I couldn't get a tow bar................well you can but it was a lexus only part and it also required a separate oil cooler and cost was half the value of the car.
Test driving one I was so close to getting it. Thought it wasn't the right time however I still look back wanting one to this day....this video has not helped one bit
Right?! I’m here in the southern US and looking at this UL in England is really making me want to push my budget and pick up an overpriced UL from Auto Trader
Was just looking at a cheap Lexus on autotrader this afternoon. LS460 (2006) or GS300 (2007) both round £5k. This is my type of content - subscribed. Keep this content up. Nothing better than a luxury barge.
Best car ever... My 2001 LS 430 has just over 161,000 miles on it. Before that I own a 1991 LS 400 and drove that car to 367,132 miles before selling it. Interestingly enough the car is still on the road today.
I bought a 2004 Volvo S80 Executive 2.4 D5 about 5 years ago. It was high mileage, around 250k miles but I only payed £1000. The spec was unreal for a 2004 car. It had full heated front and rear leather, dvd player with screens in the headrests, fridge with glass case, parking sensors, sat nav, memory seats cruise, AC and literally electric every thing. I had it chipped to around 220hp giving it decent performance yet still getting 60mpg. I kept it a year just for commuting and got my money back when I sold her. Not the most stylish car but was really comfortable and cheap to run. Love a bit of cheap luxury 😁😁
Very high on my list for favorite cars and certainly my favorite Lexus (this generation, this model) I'd driven this car used a few times years ago when I worked at a Lincoln dealership, one thing you forgot to mention was the outstanding turning radius this big car has. For such a land barge this thing can turn on a dime! I was impressed. This car hardly does anything poorly, anything you'd expect it to do, it does it and does it well, plus some.
Mine's an '05 LS430, bought nearly 5 years ago with 105K on it, now 160K and maintenance only, the one big item being the rad which I replaced at 150K. Just runs and runs. The engine is one of the best V8s ever, super creamy, quick enough and surprisingly economical.
Scary money - Mine was bought from Co Offlay in 2018 and I have a 2017 disk that says the tax was 1809 Euro for the year. a year later up here in Northern Ireland it cost me 255 sterling
@@oldwarrenpointforum yep, that's for pre 2008 cars. Top tax rate post 2008 is 2350 for over 225 GCO2. Madness!! www.gov.ie/en/publication/41c9cc-motor-tax-rates/#vehicles-registered-after-july-1-2008
I own one it’s just clocked over 700,000 kms it’s still very tight and smooth no rattles etc I will say keep up the maintenance. I’d have another one 👍
I've had my 05 LS430 for 3-4 years only small maintenance things love it. And I plan on keeping it forever. Keeps me out of trouble since it's not a quick car to. Definitely a gem
I've had afew of these ls430's, engine wise they are bang on, very reliable, everything else, no, air suspension fail, gearbox fail where the coolant from the radiator will leak into the gearbox causing gearbox failure, I think the ls400 was a better built car, subwoofer fails, cd player stops working, rear air conditioning stops working
If you are spending your own hard earned cash, Lexus are by far the very best Luxury car on the market. They out perform all other cars when it comes to reliability and durability. If you buy a new Lexus, you will be treated to the very best customer service. Don't bother with the unreliable German brands they are way overrated and very troublesome when they get to the age of the Lexus you are driving. Thanks for a great review.
One of the big problems in the UK is that these big, old luxury cars carry a hugely disproportionately high annual road tax/VED payment. Sometimes this exceeds the value of the car. Yet overall for the sake of the environment it's better to keep them on the road rather than scrapping them and buying a newer car
Love these cars. We had an 2000MY LS400 MkIV for fifteen years and it was great. The later cars are not really that much better to drive. I would stick to the 430, it will outlast any German car you would like to mention.
Hi Jay, your video prompted me to go on Ebay and have a look. Search params: under £3400, '05-06, . Most had been converted to LPG as well, mileages ranged from 140K to 323k !! High spec, some need a good clean of drivers seat, most had FDSH. My fav? Dec 2004, LPG'd, 140k and belts/water pump done, £2750 or offer.
When I was looking for a better car to buy back in 2016, I found a cheap pre-facelift model for about €3000 locally. I test drove it, felt fine even in winter and snow, had enough space to comfortably seat 4 guys of 6'4" and a massive boot. There were some issues, like broken plastic gears in the motorized steering column and a leaking fuel tank. However the biggest issue was, that is was too rare. With an old European luxury car, in Europe, the wrecking yards are full of them. With American old luxury cars, there are fewer them in wrecking yards, but still some, and between eBay and Rockauto, you can almost build your own American car one piece at a time. But with a Lexus, no such luck. The only way to have it fixed would have been taking the car to the official dealership and getting all new parts. And that's why I did not buy it.
Couldn’t agree more with your Lexus comments Jay. I’ve had an RX300 for nearly 12 years and all it’s needed was servicing , tyres and a new rad .Love it. Can be juicy round town though. Please keep up the good work mate 👍
Bought a 2001 a year ago, 107000 miles, FSH but a Sunday car for last 4 years. An outstanding car in all aspects especially on price, £1700! Service parts are Toyota, not expensive. Absolutely love it.
LS 430's rock, but so do well loaded ES 330's and early 350's. Cannot beat the prices on them right now. Those 6-cylinder ES's are insanely reliable and are pretty damn fast. I bought my mom a 34k miles 2010 ES 350 about 18 months ago and it is incredible. Ten times better than my new Campry XLS. Not even close.
If you can get past the slightly old man reputation & the anonymous looks I agree, they're a very reliable V8 barge with incredible build quality. Only the M113 V8 in Mercs of the same age come anywhere close for being bulletproof.
Bought one for a stag do 3 years ago for £1200. Drove to Monaco and back in complete silent reliable luxury. Then sold for £1500. Win!!
I love these cars & would definitely consider buying one - trouble is finding a nice one.
Huge win! Fair play to ya
what's a "stag do"?
Inflation
@@r7coo ¹¹aÀ
.
The LS430 is a definite hidden gem. If you're comparing to say an equivalent era S Class, A8, 7 Series, jag etc the LS430 will blow them out of the water, not only on reliability but on the specification levels as well, AND you're most likely to find all the toys in a Lexus will still work today which you couldn't really say for the majority of those other marques.
They are insanely well equipped, great to drive or be driven in - i would honestly go as far as to say the LS430 is, by a country mile, the best value for money luxury car you are likely to find.
Not regarding road behavior. As usual. Motor Trend 2004:
MB
"The S430 sailed through our slalom and braking tests just behind the top-performing BMW. "Confident and serene at speed, with superb handling," wrote one editor. "No surprises when you push this one hard -- holds its line through fast sweepers effortlessly."
Lexus:
"Only one thing upsets the LS 430's otherwise serene and unflappable demeanor: hard cornering. Unlike the Jag and the German entries, which clearly carry a healthy dose of sport in their DNA, the Lexus would rather stroll through the twisties, thank you very much. Not only does the handling feel greasy when pushed, this car won't even let you drive it to the limit. On two separate occasions, we had barely hurled the Lexus into the first tight corner of our handling loop when the standard Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system stepped in and cut the power.
@@martinsvensson6884 you can't be serious. It's a luxury car. Adding performance to it makes it harsher and less comfortable. The softer the ride the more comfy, the less the cornering ability. If u want a sports car buy a 350z 335i or corvette.
@@A500-g6g MB and BMW manages to do it. At least MB is no less comfortable than a Lexus. Dont know if I've ever seen an S-class lose the comfort round to a Lexus in a serious car review. The S-class was always expected to have full control over itself at autobahn speeds and evasive maneuvers there. Was never regarded as a sporty car though.
@Mack Hilleard You dont have to baby them. Instead drive them regularly and maintain them according to service manual. Check everything. Change fluids and bushings and all that according to plan. Problem is that most are cheap and think they can get away without doing those things. They didnt pay much for the car so they somehow think they shouldnt have to pay anything for maintenance either. Then fx the water pump and thermostat wears out because the fluid was never changed and they think its the cars fault. They let a slow leak in the air suspension go by. Then the air compressor has to engage all the time when you drive to constantly pump it up, which it was never designed for, and burns out. Then they reluctantly go change the pump for big $ because the pump is not working. Without fixing the leak. And the pump wears out again. And they think the car is horrible and just breaks all the time and costs $$. And so it goes on.
@@martinsvensson6884 to true service yes ...repairs very very rarely
Bought an LS400 in the gold coast in Australia for next to nothin. Drove the whole way to Perth, over 5000km all up. Done it in total silence with the coldest air con i’ve ever had. And the car was 25 years old!
GC to Perth would have been a great trip. I set the AC in mine to 23.5 and sometimes that's a bit too cold..... and it goes down to about 18 degrees.
@@kdfrkdfr agreed, on a hot hot day its set at 22° amazing barge
Good car. Please promote reliable and longer lasting cars so that we see less cars in landfill. Most German cars that we seem to love in UK are just sh!tboxes that end up being a pollutant in landfill in 10 years.
This 🙌
@Arron Jones I’ve been actually looking for these for a while, would you mind posting a link?
Honestly you'd be pushing if it you held onto a German car for more than 5 years.
@@slideways8022 me too, can’t find any stats on anything (well there is a list from the 2009 scrappage scheme but this is pretty much irrelevant now being more than 10 years old) apart from a statement saying that ford and Vauxhall’s top the list which ‘is unsurprising as they are the most sold in the uk’.
The German ‘premium’ rivals are engineered to fall apart after about 5 years or 100k kilometers. The Lexus more or less shares engine and gearbox with the big Landcruisers and made to last and last and last. There is really no comparison. There are components (brakes, electronics) that can go wrong at some point, but the problems you can expect are not too difficult or expensive to fix, although parts are on the expensive side.
I own a LS430 as a daily driver/ family car for the last 2+ years averaging 25k kilometers a year and it is just a perfect car to own. True quality.
When you want a Mercedes S class but Toyota is life
*reliability is life
@@Liamthewaldo when you want a W140 that actually works
Would rather this than most S Classes. I appreciate the effort that goes into ensuring that the car will remain reliable long after the first ownership experience where Mercedes and others don’t care about this past the few years the original customer owns a car.
@@kylem324 JLR eat your heart out
@@samuelorellana2603 I think doing this for an L332 Range Rover would be great, but the question is where does it stop? Even if you address the mechanicals like drivetrain and suspension, there’s likely nagging issues like the steering column motor/ecu failures that don’t seem to have any solution that swapping in new parts that will eventually fail.
here in the US, those LS's regularly make it to 400,000miles.
life is dark enough without a black interior... give me a light airy space every time... good review and a great car...
I haven’t even watched it yet and I can already say this is exactly the kind of content I’m subscribed for. 👌
Yeah, better than fiberglass hot tubs for aging drug dealers, i mean Ferraris.
I totally agree !!!
The 5 haters are folk that spent 6k on parts trying to FIX their merc!
Ran an LS400 20 odd years ago. Magnificent daily.
The first time I ever saw a Lexus, Ken was kicking the crap out out it in Street Fighter!
Exactly this 👍
I first saw one being stolen by Forrest Whitaker
Perfect!
@@visionist7 🤣🤣
My dad bought one new in 2003. Still has it and drove it 500k km so far. Other than regular maintenance, no issues.
I'm 35 and I've been wanting a 2005-06 ls430.. I want the luxury car experience. Great video Jay!
Now he made this video, it may drive up prices I hope not though. This is fantastic car, and you should hate him for making this video. You're 35. You're in a good position to buy a car like this. I'm 19. Buy one right now before prices could start to go fucking crazy.
Used to have GS 430 of the same generation. What a loverly car. Superb build quality.
With the green dayglo dials
I own this car. Just love it. If you drive on highway. It's heavy. You feel safe and comfortable.
Only one word reliable and luxury.
Car these days suck
I have a lexus ls430 2001 with 360,000 miles. Original starter and alternator Original engine and transmission. Replaced the timing belt pulleys serpentine belt spark plugs waterpump 3 times every 100,000 miles. Just regular maintenance brake pads and replace fluids.
A very enjoyable and accurate review thank you. I managed to acquire a 2005 LS 430 three years ago as I was fed up with the massive depreciation and unreliability of new Jaguars. In the past three years, apart from general servicing and new tyres, my only cost has been a specialist repair to the amp in the Levinsons sound system. The car is more or less unbreakable, but the most important thing is the sheer enjoyment of every journey. The silence, the comfort, the impeccable handling, the mid range torque when you need to step up. In fact, the whole package. Now, three years later, the depreciation is nil and will remain so until I " kick the bucket" (or am forced to go electric by the world powers!). Probably those who need to fulfil an "image" wouldnt understand and will continue to waste money on the German selection, but I am long passed the need to keep buying new cars and just want something I enjoy.
👏
Well said! I’m glad someone from Britain understands how these Lexus’ are a much better vehicle compared to the Germans.
One of the best “barges” ever made. It simple as hell and very oldschool in many ways, but man do they run and run and run...
What has the world come to when 6.7 seconds to 60mph is actually called slow?
It is quicker from 80kph to 130kph than a new mustang 5L. Its a genuine Grand Tourer car and will overtake with ease. In Australia that means passing b double trucks (25m long ) doing 100kph on a 2 lane road. Blink and its done. Lexus LS430. Gold.
I was thinking that, I had a Mazda 6 MPS and it wasn't a Veyron 0-60, but it left most things on the road behind and it hit 60 in about 6.5 seconds.
@@Megaloryan yes I had a BMW E92 330d manual and that felt rapid, 6 secs to 62mph. I shudder to imagine what a sub 4 second car feels like....
Haha, a riot, I had the good fortune to put the hammer down on both an Audi R8 and a more recent Camaro ZL1. Blimey they both felt warp speed.
Yes - it used to be that anything that could do less than 7 seconds was considered a "supercar" ..
2004 LS430 was the first Lexus I drove. It was brand new and blew me away, quiet, comfortable, fantastic audio system, yep a car brand I wanted to own but was beyond my budget. I now finally own a Lexus rx400h se-l SUV, suits my needs, easy access (getting old with some leg issues) very roomy, I'm a big guy, 6' 5" 270 lbs, and rear seat passengers love the reclining seats and DVD entertainment system. Fantastic build quality and reliability, dealerships treat you like royalty. Best car I've ever owned, rx450h will hopefully be my next Lexus.
Had one of these for 2 years and still do. No massage in the front unfortunately. I went from an unreliable 530d to this and all I’ve done is put fuel in. I wanted close to 300bhp and no dpf or turbo issues. Lovely cruiser and it will hustle along when you row the auto. It does (mine has) soft close boot. Reclining seats too.
which model has massage in the front?
The guys at Speed Academy are modding one of these with a Ford supercharger. They look awesome a bit lowered with a nice set of wheels and tires. And there's also plenty of cool JDM bits you can add, like bumper lips and side skirts. What great car, I'd rather have one of these than a 7 series, S Class or A8.
I usually hate «stance» cars but a black ls400 just looks amazing on bags.
I missed a couple of nice LS 430s when I was looking for a car, and ended up buying an LS 460, which is an incredible highway cruiser. It's a 2011 with 67k miles on it now, so at this rate I could easily drive it another 20 years :)
Best luxury car maker in the world for the money and reliability 👍
Just saw one on ebay with 335000 miles on the clock, only failed mots in the last 10 years was tyre tread depth and headlamp position. Audi/Mercedes/BMW could learn a lot from toyota
Germans or any car manufacturer knows how to make a long lasting car they just dont!!!
@@vadimnesen8060 but they cut costs to maximize profits
I am a Grandad and sometimes know what I’m talking about so thanks for that 🤣😂😆
Way ahead of its time and better than the successor.
Love the fact that you test drive such a wide range of cars, and don't bend over for the benefit of a given manufacturers.
Do ya?
I bought an 2001 LS430 with 225K km last year.
Apart from the sound system, it is as good as a car can get!
I used to be a bmw guy, but overal quality and driving comfort of the ls430 is simply amazing!
I’m not selling anytime soon!
How’s it doing? 225km seems high
Earlier LS400 has the comfiest seats in a car I've ever been in, literally sink into them 🥰
Get into a late '60's to early '70's Cadillac. It's like sitting in a very expensive bed mattress. You just sink into them like a fuggin' champ. Cheers.
@@Ididntaskforahandleyoutube However too much sinking is actually bad for your spine on longer journeys.
I had the LS460 SE-L which was a fantastic luxury barge. Full of tech and a very comfortable ride, but it had a pitiful boot for the class and it wasn’t one to be hustled around corners. I was given a base 2013 Mercedes S320 as a courtesy car when mine was rear ended, and I was glad to get my Lexus back when it had been repaired. It was a much better luxury car.
You literally read my mind, I was just thinking how awesome it would be so see you review one of these.
I own a 2008 LS460 and I can assure you, the LS430 is a nicer car. I don’t care much for tech, and the 430 looks better and rides better to me. It’s classier I think. I still love my LS460
I own a 2002 Ls430, I always do as much maintenance as I’m capable of on all of my cars. Let me tell you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, this is one of the easiest cars I’ve ever worked on in my life. It’s as if the Japanese engineers designed it to solely be maintained by any capable owner. I just did a front wheel bearing and it took me 40 mins, having never done it before. Granted….the factory OEM bearing was $365, the labor was done by me! I’m currently looking for an “06 UL with under 50k miles.
One of my favorite all time luxury barges. It's the only one that I would buy blindly without extended warranty.
In the US, this top spec version in good condition (this is the Ultra Luxury) with low-ish miles would sell for well over $10,000. Truly. I owned a Modern Luxury version. Basically just delete the air ride and fridge and radar cruise (in 2004!) and executive rear seat and soft close doors and laminated glass. I wanted the Ultra which was a magnificent car and fully loaded it was the price of a base S. N.B. that the refresh version (last 3 years versus the first 3) added adaptive front lighting with a load leveling and steering feature built in and went to a 6 speed. Also, when SAE horsepower measurement was modified this engine was mathematically de-rated to 278 from 290. But with 320 lb-ft of torque, this was also the last of the lower revving Toyota V8s and delivers pretty effortless if not exciting acceleration. The next V8 departed from the older bore/stroke proportionality and gained a higher redline and more hp than torque. While the newer 4.6 is more exciting to rev out, and way more powerful, this powertrain with the matching 6 speed versus the 5 is considered by Lexus dealers to be the best powertrain they have made. For under 5 grand in the UK, this is a smoking deal. This buyer will get not 100,000 more miles. Try 200,000 without significant oil loss. I had zero engine repairs ever beyond a timing belt and water pump change at 97,000 miles on the recommended schedule. I sold mine at 160,000 and put 112,000 miles on it myself. Original suspension and electric motors in everything! The seat motor for example is whisper quiet and the plastic doesn’t have the 2000s stickiness of European cars. It doesn’t have real electrical gremlins. The original starter was beginning to fail. Only failures beyond the starter after 100,000 miles were two door speakers and having to adjust the sunroof and two failed actuators that make the air vents move back and forth. It burned no oil and was still so quiet I once forgot to turn it off. Yes, the vents pan back and forth in the front to make cooling faster. I plan to buy one in this spec soon to keep as a weekend car. My daily driver is a 2011 LS 460 Sport Edition which is an interesting model itself. But for luxury ride quality the 430 is much more old school. It glides down pavement where my 460 struggles to be sporty while remaining luxurious. You would have to convert from US to UK gallons but I found it to beat the official highway economy of 27 if I were just a bit careful. I am happy to answer questions for anyone about the LS 430. This car also has lots of airbags and an excellent crash rating so know you are safe.
Fantastic value. You can only lose £5k ! What a fabulous car to smoke around in either locally or a trip across a Europe ! Thanks Mr Martin for a great video.
"The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection"
I absolutely love mine! 156k on the clock and still silky smooth and silent 😉
6.5 secs to 60 is fast. Real fast in the real world! Bought my met black 03 LS 430 last year for just £1500 with years mot. Now here is the thing about a 16 ft 4 inch long, 6 ft wide car, that looks a tad similar to a W140 S-Class, when I drive fast in this beast people move out the way real quick!
Just imagine if the jaguar xj of the same time had lexus reliability with the jags drop dead good looks.
Exactly. I’ve long thought about swapping a Lexus drivetrain into something interesting and unreliable. Like a Quatroporte.
@@kylem324
That sounds fantastic, imagine a reliable Italian car, you'll have a unicorn.
Great review . Had my 04 ls430 nearly 2 years now and best car ive ever owned !! Had a stainless exhaust system built and sounds lovely ! It can 0-60 in 6 flat all day long ! Still in need of a weekend toy for more thrills etc but as a reliable ,quick daily dont think u can top it !!!!
I owned one of these, it was just over 2 years old at the time and had radar cruise. Such a brilliant and comfortable car. Not exciting but luxurious, quiet, smooth & reliable. My recollection of this was driving hundreds of km at a time in total relaxation. The seats are superb. Service costs were very reasonable & nothing broke in 2 years. That doesn't happen with BMW or Mercs in my experience. Unfortunately it had the worst deprecation of any car I've owned. The used market is small & cost sensitive. It lost over 50% of its value in 25 months & I had paid about 45% of the new cost. You got that right, over 77% value loss in just over 4 years. It felt like giving it away when I decided to get a different car. It might make sense at £5k but you'd want to be mad to buy a Lexus new or newish. You'd also want to be mad to pay what Lexus dealers are looking for their used cars. Maybe they hold value in the US but in the UK & Ireland, not a chance. They're great cars in many ways but that affinity for a German badge kills the release value.
Especially in Ireland! This car would be €1500 in annual road tax alone!
That's incredible. Here in north America toyota/lexus hold their value far better than anything else on the road. It's actually gotten ridiculous how expensive they are at high mileage.
@@Stephen-uz8dm my recollection is the car cost over €2400 in insurance and road tax each year. The taxes increased, fuel costs increased, the world went into recession and the car collapsed in value to the point I made a huge loss on it. In over 3 months trying to sell it I had only 3 genuinely interested buyers and nobody who wanted to pay the guide used price from the various car sale websites. It's not like I was pushed to sell it. Wrong time & place perhaps.
@@sdemosi makes sense. For once it seems we actually pay LESS than some other nations for something in Canada
Can we just appreciate how few revs it’s doing whenever the camera cuts to the straight forward view? It’s about on idle permanently!
Love these old LS models. Superbly engineered and built and with silky smooth drive trains. With 100k on the clock this example is just run in....
Wish I bought one of these instead of the jaguar xj I had from 2012 to 2019 nearly ruined me now I got a honda and life's good again 😊
The Ls430 is much better in terms of reliability than the 460.
I bought a 99 LS400 over 7 years ago. 300,000 Km on the clock. Had to replace a few things in the suspension that the mechanic said were the original parts from the car's build. Drives like a dream, never a problem with it since. Cheap to buy the car but parts cost a fair bit and I only use OEM. Sometimes labour is intensive because of the dismantling needed to get to the parts to replace. Best fuel economy so far 8.2 litres per 100 Km sitting on 110 Km/h with cruise set and air conditioning running flat out. 8.4 litres per 100 quite easily achieved. Car uses almost twice as much fuel in stop start city traffic. If considering buying one, it can't hurt to take the above into account. Stay right away from poorly maintained ones or they'll cost you an arm and a leg to fix up.
"Hope when this is released, things will be a little bit better for everyone." 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
those LS's are the best way to waft around in utter comfort , reliability & class for the money
Current lexus design has gone full Battlestar Galactica with styling
We had nine Audis, in a row over about 20 years. After the hundreth usual four figure bill for maintenance and repairs, we asked our mechanic, who we love, who’s a gifted german car expert, from Germany, what he drove.
We’re on our fifth Lexus now lol.
Currently driving a lexus SUV RX 350 from 2003. Going from a performance Subaru to this is night and day, Japanese quality at its finest. No complain so far after 5k Kms in a year!
So funny, I just saw one tonight here in Australia.
20" wheels, lowered, straight pipe exhaust.
Young kid driving it.
Cool alternative to a V8 commordore;)
A friend of mine loves his 430 and thats pretty much how many miles its done! Original engine and gearbox still runs like a dream and this is the one quality about Lexus that sadly other marks can only dream about! Its great fun buying cheap Lexus luxury cars that are also cheap to run, I have an RX 300 hundred had it 6 years its 15 years old and i only had 1 fault and that was the level sensor for the headlights, its underneath the car and it gets wet! Still only cost 35 notes on Ebay, pretty happy with that, these Lexus cars keep on going going going going and going....
Surprisngly enough, these cars never really took off here in Straya. The luxury versions of the Commodores and Falcons fit the good value, reliablity, v8 and luxury category very well.
Owned an LS400 for 10 ten years and 315,000kms till it was written off last year. I have been in similar vintage Fairlane/Statesman models and they are not as reliable, smooth or comfortable as the LS400. Toyota spent a billion dollars developing the original model in the 80's and it clearly shows in the build quality.
@@gavinr9107 oh def i agree with that. Id have the ls over the others any day. But i was just making a point 👍
But of course the commodores and falcon were total shit.
I bought a 10 year old 2001 100k LS430 (with recent 100k cambelt change) and had it for 80k miles and 5 years. In the first 4 years and 60k It cost me tyres, brakes, a Lambda sensor and a headlight bulb. I had it converted to LPG when I bought it and effectively got circa 50mpg equivalent. It was and still is the best car I ever owned and I've had Mercs and BMW's.
I did a few Dordogne runs driving 17hrs with ease. When lack of noise when running was uncanny. It was a car that just gave you a a smug sense of satisfaction. You just sit there a waft along letting everyone else get hot and bothered and aggressive.
Unfortunately in the 5th year of ownership I had a couple of major issues. The radiator went, taking the combined gearbox oil cooler with it which in turn wrecked the autobox. If you are worried about that as a preventative, a separate oil cooler could be fitted which is a few hundred quid saving a potential bill of several thousands. The second issue (also a known one) is the 'fridge' air con pipes going at silly money to replace. Simple cheap fix of blanking off fridge feed and a re-gas = no fridge but you get your aircon back.
The main reason I sold it was I couldn't get a tow bar................well you can but it was a lexus only part and it also required a separate oil cooler and cost was half the value of the car.
Test driving one I was so close to getting it. Thought it wasn't the right time however I still look back wanting one to this day....this video has not helped one bit
Right?! I’m here in the southern US and looking at this UL in England is really making me want to push my budget and pick up an overpriced UL from Auto Trader
Was just looking at a cheap Lexus on autotrader this afternoon. LS460 (2006) or GS300 (2007) both round £5k. This is my type of content - subscribed. Keep this content up. Nothing better than a luxury barge.
It's everything you'd wish a large Mercedes or BMW of the same era would be
Always been interested in these, but never seen a proper up close like this... those oscillating vents are awesome!
Just seen one of these with a genuine 600k on the clock- still going strong!
Best car ever... My 2001 LS 430 has just over 161,000 miles on it. Before that I own a 1991 LS 400 and drove that car to 367,132 miles before selling it. Interestingly enough the car is still on the road today.
Amazing
Could you please tell me how much you pay in road tax? I am about to purchase one and I keep finding mixed price ranges. thanks!
@@ozhoneybadger I live in America and in California we pay annual registration fees and it was around $750.00 USD
Best all round car I've ever owned
I bought a 2004 Volvo S80 Executive 2.4 D5 about 5 years ago. It was high mileage, around 250k miles but I only payed £1000. The spec was unreal for a 2004 car. It had full heated front and rear leather, dvd player with screens in the headrests, fridge with glass case, parking sensors, sat nav, memory seats cruise, AC and literally electric every thing. I had it chipped to around 220hp giving it decent performance yet still getting 60mpg. I kept it a year just for commuting and got my money back when I sold her. Not the most stylish car but was really comfortable and cheap to run. Love a bit of cheap luxury 😁😁
Very high on my list for favorite cars and certainly my favorite Lexus (this generation, this model) I'd driven this car used a few times years ago when I worked at a Lincoln dealership, one thing you forgot to mention was the outstanding turning radius this big car has. For such a land barge this thing can turn on a dime! I was impressed. This car hardly does anything poorly, anything you'd expect it to do, it does it and does it well, plus some.
If I didn’t need a dirty diesel for my commute I would definitely have one of these. 👍🏻
Lexus hybrid cars are as reliable as the old ones ! Try it one and you will love it ! Perfect commuter machine !
@@fenrirComes I have been tempted by them in the past, one day I might.
Mine's an '05 LS430, bought nearly 5 years ago with 105K on it, now 160K and maintenance only, the one big item being the rad which I replaced at 150K. Just runs and runs. The engine is one of the best V8s ever, super creamy, quick enough and surprisingly economical.
I have a 2001 ls430 and I love it, everything still works like new after 21 years and 115k miles!
I love these. However, we get taxed up the wazooo in Ireland on lovely old barges like this. I'd have one in a heartbeat otherwise.
Scary money - Mine was bought from Co Offlay in 2018 and I have a 2017 disk that says the tax was 1809 Euro for the year. a year later up here in Northern Ireland it cost me 255 sterling
I watched a man drinking a Guinness in Dublin and the landlord charged me a euro.
@@richardturner4848 ha ha...you got off lightly. In Cork it would have been €10
@@oldwarrenpointforum yep, that's for pre 2008 cars. Top tax rate post 2008 is 2350 for over 225 GCO2. Madness!!
www.gov.ie/en/publication/41c9cc-motor-tax-rates/#vehicles-registered-after-july-1-2008
@@richardturner4848 Haha!! Good one pal 👍😂
My second one. Like a Rolls but more reliable. Amazing vehicle. Love being a Grandpa in it. Yet to get to 3,000 revs 😆😆
I have a 2006 GS430, bought it 5 years ago. Last month I bought a custom made stainless steel exhaust for it and it sounds now awesome.
I own one it’s just clocked over 700,000 kms it’s still very tight and smooth no rattles etc I will say keep up the maintenance. I’d have another one 👍
Do you think you'd buy another or go for a different Lexus?
he is spot on just bought my fourth one superb cars,
I really want one of these. Hard to find a 2006 one though. Keeping my eyes peeled
These are fab motors. The car trade love them. They glide. Just fab
A whole lot of car, for not a lot of money. I'm going to trade in my Prius!
I've had my 05 LS430 for 3-4 years only small maintenance things love it. And I plan on keeping it forever. Keeps me out of trouble since it's not a quick car to. Definitely a gem
Hi Sir I’m a big fan of your show and cars ! Your show is very accurate and informative no gimmicks‘perfect I watch all your shows for 2 yrs
You really can't go wrong with any old Lexus V8. Design wise it's also much better than the Mercedes W220 or the BMW E65 from the time.
I've had afew of these ls430's, engine wise they are bang on, very reliable, everything else, no, air suspension fail, gearbox fail where the coolant from the radiator will leak into the gearbox causing gearbox failure, I think the ls400 was a better built car, subwoofer fails, cd player stops working, rear air conditioning stops working
Ive had 3 only have had subwoofer failure thats it
Yep lexus rocks... I drive a 2009 lexus ls460 shortwheelbase in Malaysia... And It is just sublime
If you are spending your own hard earned cash, Lexus are by far the very best Luxury car on the market. They out perform all other cars when it comes to reliability and durability. If you buy a new Lexus, you will be treated to the very best customer service. Don't bother with the unreliable German brands they are way overrated and very troublesome when they get to the age of the Lexus you are driving. Thanks for a great review.
One of the big problems in the UK is that these big, old luxury cars carry a hugely disproportionately high annual road tax/VED payment. Sometimes this exceeds the value of the car. Yet overall for the sake of the environment it's better to keep them on the road rather than scrapping them and buying a newer car
The options on this one in the video make this a very special car, keep it alive!
Love these cars. We had an 2000MY LS400 MkIV for fifteen years and it was great. The later cars are not really that much better to drive. I would stick to the 430, it will outlast any German car you would like to mention.
Speaking of bargain luxo barge 4:33, an oddity, A Volkswagen Phaeton
Very underrated car
Hi Jay, your video prompted me to go on Ebay and have a look. Search params: under £3400, '05-06, . Most had been converted to LPG as well, mileages ranged from 140K to 323k !! High spec, some need a good clean of drivers seat, most had FDSH. My fav? Dec 2004, LPG'd, 140k and belts/water pump done, £2750 or offer.
I'm from the US and I own 2 a 03 and a 04. Both are flawless and extremely reliable. One of the best cars ever built I'd say.
When I was looking for a better car to buy back in 2016, I found a cheap pre-facelift model for about €3000 locally. I test drove it, felt fine even in winter and snow, had enough space to comfortably seat 4 guys of 6'4" and a massive boot. There were some issues, like broken plastic gears in the motorized steering column and a leaking fuel tank. However the biggest issue was, that is was too rare.
With an old European luxury car, in Europe, the wrecking yards are full of them. With American old luxury cars, there are fewer them in wrecking yards, but still some, and between eBay and Rockauto, you can almost build your own American car one piece at a time. But with a Lexus, no such luck. The only way to have it fixed would have been taking the car to the official dealership and getting all new parts. And that's why I did not buy it.
Love these. Always was a big fan of the first generation, but they are getting pretty damn rare now.
This video got ZERO dislikes till now! Well done!
Those things are beasts, total sleeper car too, “want to look like an old man but go 0-60 in 6.5 seconds?” Ls 430
2004+ 0-60 in 5.9sec
Couldn’t agree more with your Lexus comments Jay. I’ve had an RX300 for nearly 12 years and all it’s needed was servicing , tyres and a new rad .Love it. Can be juicy round town though. Please keep up the good work mate 👍
Bought a 2001 a year ago, 107000 miles, FSH but a Sunday car for last 4 years. An outstanding car in all aspects especially on price, £1700! Service parts are Toyota, not expensive. Absolutely love it.
Much awaited review. Thank you James and would you be able to review the original LS400 too?
LS 430's rock, but so do well loaded ES 330's and early 350's. Cannot beat the prices on them right now. Those 6-cylinder ES's are insanely reliable and are pretty damn fast. I bought my mom a 34k miles 2010 ES 350 about 18 months ago and it is incredible. Ten times better than my new Campry XLS. Not even close.
0 to 60 for the 2004 to 2006 models was 5.9 secs per Lexus. The 2001 thru 2003 were around 6.4 to 60 mph and perhaps 6.7 to 62 mph (100 kmh)
Can’t wait for further reviews of this series, but you already have started with my favourite 👍👍
If you can get past the slightly old man reputation & the anonymous looks I agree, they're a very reliable V8 barge with incredible build quality. Only the M113 V8 in Mercs of the same age come anywhere close for being bulletproof.