UL for wifey- air suspension?
03-29-14, 07:34 AM
#1
Pole Position
Thread Starter
UL for wifey- air suspension?
Hey guys. I bought my first 06 LS last year and enjoying it every day. Now my wife wants one! I found an 04 UL with low miles and complete Lexus service records. And all the air struts were replaced last year including timing belt. Do you think that'll buy me at least 5 years without worrying about the air suspension?
Last edited by RA40; 03-29-14 at 01:03 PM. Reason: descriptive title
03-29-14, 12:51 PM
#3
Unless warranty paid for the air struts, somebody spent big money taking care of the car. Sounds like a winner. She'll love it. With the air suspension, I think it's just a roll of the dice. You might never have to fix anything, and you may have a problem in four years. In the meantime, enjoy.
03-29-14, 01:46 PM
#4
Intermediate
Well you have to think about the entire system, not only shocks. The compressor and sensors can get pricey too if they weren't replaced with the shocks. Once the air starts to leak, the compressor is working overtime so it all depends on how long the guy before you waited to replace the shocks. Some people have had issues with the door closers as well. In my opinion, less toys = less headaches when you're buying used.
03-29-14, 02:11 PM
#5
That's Why I Bought a Lexus
Well you have to think about the entire system, not only shocks. The compressor and sensors can get pricey too if they weren't replaced with the shocks. Once the air starts to leak, the compressor is working overtime so it all depends on how long the guy before you waited to replace the shocks. Some people have had issues with the door closers as well. In my opinion, less toys = less headaches when you're buying used.
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03-29-14, 05:05 PM
#9
Intermediate
I personally made a conscious decision to not purchase the UL. I specifically wanted no Nav or air suspension. They're dang near the same price so it's not penile jealousy, my friend. I'm not planning to shell out thousands of dollars on repairs for a 13 year old car. It's full of awesome features as is. The soft close doors would be the only option I would enjoy having. You rich guys can afford to replace stuff and that's fine with me, enjoy.
03-29-14, 05:41 PM
#10
I think what attracts most people to the LS is it's a flagship luxury car without the drama and headaches. The UL models create a lot of additional headaches that I personally don't think are "worth it". It's almost like buying a European flagship when you have to budget $5,000 in extra repairs vs a standard LS.
We have another Lexus in our household we bought new with an air suspension, and it went out at around 85k miles. It's an incredibly expensive fix, it's almost the equivalent of buying a new transmission. For what? You can find a great ride with conventional struts. I wouldn't have even known the difference, it's more of a "gee whiz" feature than anything. If I had the option when we bought the car, I would have paid MORE to not have the air ride.
But if the car has had the airstruts recently replaced, that's about a $4,000 fix, so that's a big plus and it would make feel a lot more comfortable. You've really eliminated the biggest financial risk. There's other things that can go out like the compressor and sensors, but the struts themselves are the main issue. You've then got car doors with those automatic closers at around $1,000 a pop if they go out. And a 10 year old car with possibly thousands of openings and closings, it's probably around the corner.
Some people buy a flagship for all the gadgets, and Lexus made a model for those people. I think for the most part it's gimmicky and costly, but if people are happy with it, more power to them.
We have another Lexus in our household we bought new with an air suspension, and it went out at around 85k miles. It's an incredibly expensive fix, it's almost the equivalent of buying a new transmission. For what? You can find a great ride with conventional struts. I wouldn't have even known the difference, it's more of a "gee whiz" feature than anything. If I had the option when we bought the car, I would have paid MORE to not have the air ride.
But if the car has had the airstruts recently replaced, that's about a $4,000 fix, so that's a big plus and it would make feel a lot more comfortable. You've really eliminated the biggest financial risk. There's other things that can go out like the compressor and sensors, but the struts themselves are the main issue. You've then got car doors with those automatic closers at around $1,000 a pop if they go out. And a 10 year old car with possibly thousands of openings and closings, it's probably around the corner.
Some people buy a flagship for all the gadgets, and Lexus made a model for those people. I think for the most part it's gimmicky and costly, but if people are happy with it, more power to them.
03-29-14, 05:47 PM
#11
I think what attracts most people to the LS is it's a flagship luxury car without the drama and headaches. The UL models create a lot of additional headaches that I personally don't think are "worth it". It's almost like buying a European flagship when you have to budget $5,000 in extra repairs vs a standard LS.
We have another Lexus in our household we bought new with an air suspension, and it went out at around 85k miles. It's an incredibly expensive fix, it's almost the equivalent of buying a new transmission. For what? You can find a great ride with conventional struts. I wouldn't have even known the difference, it's more of a "gee whiz" feature than anything. If I had the option when we bought the car, I would have paid MORE to not have the air ride.
But if the car has had the airstruts recently replaced, that's about a $4,000 fix, so that's a big plus and it would make feel a lot more comfortable. You've really eliminated the biggest financial risk. There's other things that can go out like the compressor and sensors, but the struts themselves are the main issue. You've then got car doors with those automatic closers at around $1,000 a pop if they go out. And a 10 year old car with possibly thousands of openings and closings, it's probably around the corner.
Some people buy a flagship for all the gadgets, and Lexus made a model for those people. I think for the most part it's gimmicky and costly, but if people are happy with it, more power to them.
We have another Lexus in our household we bought new with an air suspension, and it went out at around 85k miles. It's an incredibly expensive fix, it's almost the equivalent of buying a new transmission. For what? You can find a great ride with conventional struts. I wouldn't have even known the difference, it's more of a "gee whiz" feature than anything. If I had the option when we bought the car, I would have paid MORE to not have the air ride.
But if the car has had the airstruts recently replaced, that's about a $4,000 fix, so that's a big plus and it would make feel a lot more comfortable. You've really eliminated the biggest financial risk. There's other things that can go out like the compressor and sensors, but the struts themselves are the main issue. You've then got car doors with those automatic closers at around $1,000 a pop if they go out. And a 10 year old car with possibly thousands of openings and closings, it's probably around the corner.
Some people buy a flagship for all the gadgets, and Lexus made a model for those people. I think for the most part it's gimmicky and costly, but if people are happy with it, more power to them.
I think the point is your don't hear UL owners complaining about their cars. Just a little more suspension work over time.
03-29-14, 06:30 PM
#12
Funny
I personally made a conscious decision to not purchase the UL. I specifically wanted no Nav or air suspension. They're dang near the same price so it's not penile jealousy, my friend. I'm not planning to shell out thousands of dollars on repairs for a 13 year old car. It's full of awesome features as is. The soft close doors would be the only option I would enjoy having. You rich guys can afford to replace stuff and that's fine with me, enjoy.
If I had to do it over again, I'd have bought a ML...or maybe a CL. I wouldn't buy another UL based on air suspension. There is no reason for any car to have air suspension. Maybe the air suspension is intended to function as a euphemism for a penile enhancer.
03-29-14, 06:41 PM
#13
I would have no issue buying a UL except I need the pass thru for my skis. Alot of cool stuff otherwise and if coils are 1200 bucks no biggy as I think bought right the air is less problematic than we think. But like air in every other car Benz etc it will last only so long. Does Arnot make any replacement stuff yet?
03-29-14, 07:24 PM
#15
Pole Position
My optimal configuration for the LS430 would be a UL with the base suspension. I would not purchase a LS430 (or really any car) with air suspension. I honestly couldn't tell much if any difference between the ride quality, so I didn't think the exposure to major repair expenses was worth it. This may sound odd, but to me, the most desirable option exclusive to the UL package is the rear side shades. One of the few things I miss about my 460L.
But that just my opinion. It's definitely a personal preference decision. The only right answer is the one you come up with.
But that just my opinion. It's definitely a personal preference decision. The only right answer is the one you come up with.