jstjohnz

I recently purchased an '01 LS430, 15k miles with the ultra package. I was looking at two vehicles, the other being an '02 with the Custom package and 9k miles.

I guess I went for the ultra because I am a gadget freak, and maybe because I was a bit afraid that if I went with the Custom I would always be yearning for that bell or whistle that it didn't have.

For those not familiar, the difference between these 2 packages is that the ULtra includes the Air Suspension, and the "back seat" features including power recline, power headrests, manual rear side window sunshades, rear seat massage, and separate rear A/C unit with cooler box. Also rear stereo controls, although I'm not sure if this comes with the Custom package also.

So far I am very pleased with the car. The only "glitch" is that the automatic wiper feature doesn't seem to work.

The "radar cruise" on the other hand works better than I had hoped. The "Park Assist" is also a very handy feature.

My biggest concern right now is what it is going to cost to maintain and repair this vehicle. I have seen several posts re horror stories of repair costs for even minimal front'end damage that kills the sensors for park assist (9@ $500 each!) or radar cruise (to the tune of $4K for the radar cruise sensor!).

Also I have seen estimates of 100K miles life expectancy of the air shocks, and something like $4K to replace them.

Also, updates of the Nav DVD seem to be running $500-$600, and I realized going in that the '01 would need an update as it's data base dates back to 2000.

The Nav, by the way, has been the biggest disappointment to me. There are MANY areas where street-level and point of interest data simply aren't available, and even the 2002 update only adds a handful of new metro areas. Contrast this with my Garmin unit that, for a one-time charge of about $250 gives street-level detail and POI for the ENTIRE country. Given that the same vendor supplies the data bases for all of these systems, it's appaling to me that Lexus is so far behind, also the cost of the updates is outlandish, but that's been beaten to death in other threads.

This last point is certainly nitpicking, but why on earth does the driver's "window lock" button lock out the driver's buttons for the passenger windows as well as the passenger's buttons?

-jim-

michaelcorbett3

I don't know...I don't think it's picking nits when you pay what you do for a 430 to have irritations that seem so fixable. I was aghast at the fact that a $60,000 LS 400 ('99) like mine had no compass! Yes, that car rides and performs and looks and feels like the best in its class, but no compass?!! I also had '96 LS 400, which, as you may recall, had a retractable radio antenna! (And no compass.) So pick away. You've got every right.

Leeladisky

Lexus is notorious for concerns over safety... My biggest nit is the fact that everytime you start the vehicle, you have to agree to a usability clause before you can look at the Nav data... You also only get 3 keypresses on the NAV screen while the vehicle is in motion. I imagine that the window lockout feature on the drivers side is a safety feature as well. Every Lexus/Toyota I've owned has had the same "feature."

Nonetheless, it may be annoying but the car is still the best damn thing on the road...

L

Static911

The annoying thing on a 2001 LS430 mid-luxury:

The climate control button is on the passenger side of the NAV screen!

Also, to show how stupid I am, I still don't know how to program the "memory seats" or whatever it is... even on my 1993 LS400!

Go ahead and laugh. Every time somebody in the family drives my car, I have to sit there for 10 minutes adjusting the height of the seat, the way I like it curved, headrest height, etc.

Ethan

oac3

To add a word or two to this:

One of the fascinating thing to me about the Lexus Nav is the lack of a zip code option. Here is why: The dealership where I purchased my '99 LS 400 is 93 miles away from my home, and yet I found it remarkable that the Nav could locate my home w/out a zip code option on the input address. I like that a lot. Of course, this is my first vehicle with a Nav so maybe I am way over my head as it is.... A friend of mine in sales has it on his E320, but he needed to since he is in sales, which I am not. I figured Mapquest or yahoo will help me find my way around so why bother with a 'useless' option such as the Nav. Little did I realise how wrong I was. Now with it, I find it highly useful. I do not need to spend that extra time on my PC mapping my trip out. I have come to trust the GPS to get me to the right place. Yes, it can pick some quacky direction which may actually be longer than one that I know, but that is no worse than Mapquest or Yahoo does too. In fact, the Nav is a far better option than Mapquest or yahoo maps, imo.

My report card after 1 week of ownership - bliss ! A couple of my friends with the E class are jealous, and so is my buddy with the 528i who tried desperately to get me to buy a Bimmer to no avail. Turns out that the LS, while no Bimmer, is just right for me and my lifestyle. A nickname my 9-yr-old daughter gave to my two vehicles: "Beauty and the Beast".... The LS being the 'Beauty' and the Sequoia been the 'Beast'; and appropriately so, I have to agree.

raines

Ethan- I finally gave in and read the manual. Hey, some owners keep manuals for souvenirs so I was lucky. Keep it up.

If you still need a quick lesson: Start car, adjust your controls while in park and hold down the "set" button and the "1st driver" button until you hears a beep (make sure you press simultaneously or else it will not take). That should do ya!

jstjohnz

Now that you mention it, the LS430 doesn't have a compass if you have the Nav option. Now that 'sort of' makes sense, but it isn't always easy to get a quick direction determination off of the nav screen. First you have to see if you are in 'North Up' or 'Course up' mode, then figure accordingly....

jstjohnz

The Nav screen nag is a pain, and in my opinion it's counterproductive. Someday somebody will pile up a car while trying to read just what it is that they are being asked to 'agree to'.

Not sure what you are referring to by the '3 keypress limit'. All that I have noticed is that you can't enter an address while in motion.

The window lockout makes absolutely no sense to me. Just to clarify, the driver's lockout button locks out the driver's control buttons, as well as the passenger's control buttons, for the passenger windows. Everyother car that I have owned just locked out the passenger buttons. What possible sense does it make to prevent the driver from operating the passenger windows? Although, as I type this I recall on more than one ocassion hitting the wrong button and closing a window on my wife's arm. So maybe they are protecting me from myself...

-jim-