LS430FL

Hi, I have been visiting the forum for a while, but this is my first post. I have had a 2001 LS430 for over 4 years now, and simply love it. Literally have not had any problems at all *knock on wood* and the car now has 170,000 miles on it. The car is an ultra luxury edition. Recently, I have seen several VERY low mileage cars in the 2004,2005, and 2006 years. I'm talking about cars with 20K and 30K miles on them. However, none of them seem to have even simple navigation as an option. What is your opinion as far as me keeping my car or selling and getting a low mileage car but with a much smaller option list. Are these cars seriously affected value and desirability wise if they don't have navigation? Do you guys recommend a non navigation car? Any input at all would be greatly appreciated. I am torn... Thanks!! (did a search but couldn't find anything on the topic)

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

The models without navigation would have less stuff to wrong with them, but I do see them go for a lot less than a model with navigation.

Personally I would buy an 04-06 without the navigation. I never liked how everything is controlled by the navigation screen. If it were to go out, you wouldn't be able to access your A/C controls and all of that other stuff. There was someone on here that had an Ultra Luxury LS430, but for some reason it didn't have the navigation screen.

zindallas

I'd say you should get whatever option set you prefer. The nav option came as part of a relatively expensive option set so that explains the cost difference in the cars you are considering. If you plan to own this car for some time and put miles on it anywhere near like you did with your current car at that point the value between a nav and non-nav version would be negligible.

My $.02.

Z

Jabberwock

Lexus 2006 navigation system wasn't state of the art 6 years ago when the last LS430 produced was new. The old LS430 Nav uses a laughably poor resolution graphics system and obsolete dvd based maps that have to be repurchased every year to stay current. Being hardware based (dvd) its naturally prone to failure over time.

How anyone can find the LSA430's obsolete clunky Nav system and interface desirable in a used car has always been a mystery to me. At some point in the not too distant future more and more folks will start to see the obsolete Nav systems in these cars as reasons to avoid the Nav equipped cars.

C8V6C

The UL without nav was a Canadian car i believe...

Id consider one without nav if you don't want or need all the goodies

Stu

I actually refused to even look at an LS430 with Navigation ( or air suspention to avoid expensive failures ) for EXACTLY the reasons Jabberwock stated, plus I didn't want to be tied to Lexus and their map upgrades.

I use my Garmin navigation unit every day ( I am in sales ) - it works great and if it ever breaks, a new one with updated maps it $150 ! Can't beat that !

Lac

iTrader: (3)

I do not like my '04 Navi (outdated) but love Mark Levinson auto system.

jayclapp

I really like the system controls in the nav system. Easy to use without a lot of attention required. I will just refuse to purchase a newer car that has a "joystick". Total nonsense and a safety distraction.

BradTank

Navigation systems in cars are now highly overrated, I almost exclusively use my smartphone if I need directions.

They also put so many restrictions and when you can use them (ex. my wife can't punch in an address unless I'm stopped) and need expensive updates (a yearly update DVD is about the same cost as a whole new smartphone) They're also incredibly clunky. It was a "gee whiz" feature a decade ago, but now it should be a $99 option on all new cars, considering you can go to WalMart and buy a portable Garmin GPS for under a hundred bucks that's FAR better than what's in our cars.

I certainly wouldn't buy a car based on the navigation system, and in many ways would prefer it without because I hate using so many controls through a touch screen.

Jabberwock

100% agree - very few more crappy ideas that adding a joystick and a complex screen interface to a car. We actually were interested in the 2013 GS until we took it for a long test ride and saw just how bad the Lexus joyknob interface was to deal with. Total crap. This era of joysticks in cars in gonna be seen as the low point of car ergonomics someday.


Taking a PC computer interface that was developed for your desk and mouse pad at home and putting it into an environment where the operator is simultaneously supposed to use a joystick and screen and a completely different set of controls (steering wheel, brakes, windshield) to maintain second by second control of 4k lbs of metal moving down the road at 60mph in bumper to bumper expressway traffic is just asking for tragedy. Apparently the car designers are more concerned about being trendy than being safe - maybe they have need to be educated on what "loss of situational awareness" means in a high speed, high risk environment.

Stu

all of this is 100% true.

LS430FL

Hey guys, thanks very much for all of your replies. Jabberwock your point really made me realize that the navigation is not essential. I think that the main concern i had now that I think about it is the aesthetic look for the dash, but I think I will be able to live with a non NAV dash. Does anybody know if you are still able to add an iPod hookup even if you don't have a NAV screen? Also, how do the parking sensors work? is it just the sound? Thanks again everyone!

warminwisc

Nav I can get from Garmin, my base stereo is good, I have Bluetooth in my 012 Touareg which is spectacular. How is the clarity of the Bluetooth phone system in the units with NAV. 04-06?

Jabberwock

Several options avail to add ipod adapter to both Nav and non Nav equiped LS430s. I installed a Soundgate TOYPD2 Ipod adapter. Works great.

LS430FL

Perfect I'm going to look into getting one of those. Do you think that these LS430s from 04-06 with 20-30K mile range are really worth 28K+ with no NAV? There are several around 28K and up! Thanks again