tftimm

My wife currently drives our 2004 RX330. Recently, my wife had the opportunity to drive a 4-door car again (we traded our TSX in for the RX in preparation for our kids). Well, we have two young daughters (2 years and the other is 1 month).

My wife missed the ease of getting the car seat and 2 year old in and out of the car. Keep in mind, my wife is 5' so she has to put everything "UP" into the RX.

She told me she wants me to get her a car. She didn't care what it was and that I could pick. She does like Lexus like I do though. I have always had an eye on and LS430 because I like a quiet cabin, have heard that it is bulletproof if maintained, and I like the leg room and space the car gives the passengers in back, and also for road trips.

I am looking at a 1-owner, base model at a Lexus dealer. I would prefer to have the Mark Levinson since I really like the way it sounds, but it also comes at a premium price.

Couple questions:

1) Gas mileage? My RX gets 16-17 in the City, my wife drives it 95% in the city/suburbs. What can I expect in the LS430?

2) Insurance, would I expect to pay more or less in insurance compared to my 04RX?

I drive a 92 SC400 that needs a little TLC that is approaching 100K miles. I'm don't like going back to a car that is 2 years older but I would rather an older LS than a newer ES or GS.

Thoughts?

caddyowner

Most folks prefer a taller vehicle for small kids for the sake of their back. But, I can see you're wife's POV given her height. How often will you have to stoop and lift to get the kids in / out?

If you are going sedan, an LS would be a good choice given the trunk & back seat space.

john339

Before we purchased our LS430 we both sat in the back. Lots of legroom and very comfortable.
This is a heavy and safe vehicle and I would recommend it in your case.
The trunk is immense and can easily carry all the baby things and a huge amount of shopping bags.

vinodc

In my opinion, your daughters safety would be #1 on my list. The LS430 in my mind, is a very safe car, so that alone is a great reason to purchase this car. I have to say, maintenance wise, my car has been rock solid(tho I have to admit, just today my passenger door lock stopped working...doh!)...but thats a minor issue. It has such a nice smooth ride, its so quiet, the kids will fall asleep everytime they get in. I'm not sure your budget, but I have nothing against the early model Ls430's.........I would aim for 2004 or newer. Simply because I like the refresh design and minor updates. I probably get around 18mpg in the city.

Jabberwock

I would get an ES330 for a kiddy ride car. I hate the thought of car seats grinding into the seats along with kiddy spit up, cracker crumbs, etc on those beautiful leather LS seats

tftimm

I'm not a fan of the ES330. Right now I can get a 2002 LS base for the same price as a 2002 ES so I'd much prefer the LS.

The biggest part for her is lifting my daughter into the truck in her car seat. She is a big girl and she will only get bigger. I would say she lifts them in the truck atleast twice a day.

I had not thought about safety. I'm sure the LS is safe and solid. I feel fine in the RX.

How about gas mileage, what are you guys getting?

I would like to go for a higher mileage 2004+ that was well maintained, but it might be out of my budget. I'm looking for something less than $15K OTD.

warminwisc

My 04 LS is 281 6 months for 500k coverage, my 012 touareg is 391 same coverage. i was told taller vehicles have a additional cost like SUV's. Prolly have a tendency to roll in accidents versus sedans?

Jabberwock

If you can get a used LS for near same cost as an ES than the LS is a no brainer. My LS430 avg mpg is 21.5 in mixed use city/hwy driving. But I drive my cars gently and smoothly - brake pads last me a very long time. The car is so well designed with a super low COD it will get 26-27.5 mpg at 70mph if driven relatively carefully.

tftimm

Thanks for the heads up on the MPG. My wife get 16-17 in the city, I drive more smoothly and I usually get 17-18.

What do you think about getting a Base? I have a Garmin, so the toughest part for me is not getting the ML stereo since I like the way it sounds. I would think that if the car is so quiet and smooth, a good stereo would sound better than a great stereo in a car with a lot of noise...just curious.

Is there any difference in build quality, sound proof materials, etc. between the Base, ML, and UL versions?

My wife will drive it around town most of the time, but we also go on 200 mile (one way) road trips once a month or so I'm sure the LS would be a great car for that.

I've been looking and apparently the ES330 is known for transmission problems, not sure about the ES300. The loaded 2002 ES300 (ML, nav) is $1K less than the 2002 LS430 Base.

We'll see...it will be interesting to see how much they can give me for my RX330.

AlexusAnja

Before you get to CL and UL trims, there is no diff in interior feel. The custom and ultra levels add addition leather on lower dash and console, along with double pane glass for additional quietness.

Garmins I use too for my RX and MDX, but the LS is too nice to have wires dangling around. I like the clean look.

sajack

The best reason to get the LS is that the RX is WRONG WHEEL DRIVE!
Room, safety, looks, driveability, comfort, I could go on and on. RX is a funny-looking little tall car that is Camry based. The LX was designed from the ground up as a world class flagship for the Lexus line.
You will get 18 mpg in town and 25mpg on the road. Insurance on the LS should be a little cheaper, mainly due to the fact that LS drivers tend to take better care of their cars.
Little women like crossovers and SUVs mainly because the high seating position conveys a false sense of security with its commanding view of the road. The RX can't compare with the quiet, luxury ride of the LS.

Jabberwock

I have the base system - CDs and an Ipod interface (self installed) on the base LS stereo system sound great. FM radio sounds terrible but that's 99% because the FM signal (highly compressed 6khz) being transmitted these days is crap.

I use a top of the line latest and greatest version of Garmin (with lifetime updated maps) - Unlike what's in the LS I prefer to use a NAV tool that was designed in this century. Looking at that clunky GIU and that coarse low def screen on the LS OEM NAV makes me cringe. I'd rather have the modern NAV tool sitting on the dash with power cord dangling - but that is just a personal thing - the OEM NAV is a basic functional unit but thats the most generous statement I can make about it.. To clarify it was great stuff 10-12 years ago, but it is under featured, underpowered, and the resolution is embarrassing compared to what;'s available currently.

jimbosr1

jab,remember the good old days where we had to read a map?

Jabberwock

Jimbosr1 - yep read many a map - had a job in those days where I had to regularly go visit different customers in surrounding states and cities - map in one hand, steering wheel in the other going down the interstate in a strange city...not much safer than texting is now... : ) The NAV systems are like magic...I take mine with me on every business trip flying in to different cities still going to visit customers...a little easier these days.

tftimm

I like the updated ML sound system and the double pane glass to help keep it quiet. How much quieter is an ML or UL compared to a Base or Premium?

As for the navigation, driving around town I wouldn't use it, but I use my Garmin on the road trips.

I would definitely rather have a ML with Navi and the ML. Even with more miles, as long as it is taken care of, preferably 1-owner, 100K miles doesn't bother me.