Fun video from Mat Watson. The Bangle 7 design has aged remarkably well.

 

disagree about the bangle, still looks bad... original LS 430 is the worst looking of the 3 though, which is unfortunate since it's the best car there

 

I am partial to the W220 personally but having worked extensively on all of them (engines out and full suspension work and interiors out) there is no question the 430 is in all ways better, I would never even entertain the 745i but the S430 might get my attention if it wasn't substantially slower than a 430 among some general interior quality issues even at 100k mile marks. I also think it looks the "best" from the perspective of it embodies the "old world" look the best of any of them, I prefer something at pulls off a look/style well vs something that just doesn't look like it belongs fully in any era.

The 7 looks the best inside IMO and has the best back end followed by the W220, 430 has the best interior and front end IMO and best driveline and ride. 7 Has the best features as well provided they work.....and they never do lol! If the 2003+ S55 was in play it would be my favorite of this group no hesitation. ABC issues included.

 

the only reason i'm not completing writing off the S430 is that M113 V8 is a GREAT engine and i have way more faith in it than a BMW engine... the rest of the car is slightly a victim of the chrysler cost cutting unfortunately

 

The M113K is a awesome one, just have a spare rear main seal and other than that they are great. I only dislike the fact the 5.0 version still loses to the LS430s 4.3 somehow....the AMG more than makes up for it though.

 

The Bangle Butt as applied still looks dumb but the rest of the car has timeless proportions and body lines. Very clean and chiselled compared to the S and LS in that video. I don't feel like BMW has moved on much from this design language in the past 20 years other than their recent slapping on of beaver teeth.

 

I look forward to watching this..

The refresh bangle 7 like Motorola posted above was a huge improvement, as was the refresh LS430. We actually skipped the pre-refresh LS430 and kept the LS400 because of the styling,

 

I actually skipped the LS430 entirely just because of the exterior styling, even though I admired the car for just about everything else .....

 

Skimmed most of the video. Only car I really like is the S class Really nice. BMW is meh. Never liked the styling of Lexus sedans during that era

 

LS430 pre refresh is hideous, the 2004 facelift is one of the "best" in history. (no offense to anyone)

I still remember the auto show where I first saw it (before prevalent internet), and I was stunned how ugly I thought it was. The interior was awesome but it was just plain ugly, the one shown had the hideous 16" rims. The outgoing LS400 still looked good.

Looking forward to watching this video too. Unquestionably, LS430 is the best car there. Not even close.

 

I would not be able to tell the diff before a 2001 LS or a 2006 LS

 

Lol oh yes you would. One looks slick and one looks plain goofy. The 2004 headlights still look modern and good even if they lack all the tech. The pre-refresh headlights, it looks like the car is crosseyed from some angles.

 

Maybe someone else can post pics as I can’t right now.

 

The W220 was a great looking car, but had a lot of problems, and some interior material issues etc. The LS430 of that era truly was a better car, just not as stylish.

Its pretty clear. Like AJT, the refresh made the 430 IMO a great looking car where pre-refresh I really thought it was ugly. Its the roundedness and lack of any aggression in the front of the pre-refresh.

Pre refresh:




Refresh:

 

Eh they both look old but I prefer the pre-refresh since it looks more like an old world car vs the 04-06 that doesn't really look modern or classic.....the headlights of the 04-06 are some of the best in the automotive world with the AFS system and really powerful D2S bulbs, they hold up against my Audi and are almost as good as a pre-13 460 that holds IMO the title of best.