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Hey there- As a ES300 owner, I'm looking to step up to an LS, either late '90s, or early 2000's.. My question after reading volumes on both models is, what is your opinions on advantages/disadvantages of these two models? I'm more focused on drive-train performance/maintenance/reliability etc., than convenience features/bells & whistles etc. So please chime in with your opinions/experiences/recommendations- Thanks!
The way I look at it is the 430 has more than the 400. And they'll all be newer/easier to find good examples of. They're both still largely the same platform and from a time when Lexus actually cared about quality. Get which one you like better.
I dislike the look of the 430s, so I went with a 400.
a 1998 LS is almost more like a 430 than it is earlier 400 models, the 3UZ in the 430 is essentially just a bored out version of the 1UZ in the 98-00 car so working on a 430 engine is almost directly translatable to a 98-00 LS, and the pre-facelift 430 uses the same 5-speed
the 430 is probably the 'wiser' choice at this point but i still prefer the 1998 since it looks better, is faster, and the LS 400 is the OG lexus model and the name that will go down in history as an industry changing force to be reckoned with... plus the 430 is no longer 'nineties' which as we know is the best decade for japanese cars lol
Obd2 is big for me. Purchased my 1995 LS400 last month after much searching. Neglected to notice the OBD2 thing. Love the car....but if I had it to do over again I'd have gone with a newer LS400 or LS430 strictly based on that one thing. Huge deal for me.
If you're a collector, my 2c would be on the first generation LS400. Prime examples are going for $20k+ these days which is just crazy. And as others have said, these cars don't have OBD2. Which makes things... a lot more challenging.
If you want to actually drive it, I think the second generation has enough leaps in both styling and features and power and transmission and headlights and and and and that make it worth it, to me. And if you get a 98+, you are far less likely to have to deal with the ECU ****ting the bed.
The LS430 isn't a enough of a leap forward to sell me on the car because of the awful slipstream styling all cars from the 2000's have. The only exception I would give is the GS430, 2nd generation. I rather like that one.
1998 LS400 vs 2002 LS430? I mean they're both 20 years old and will have 20 year old car problems. The 430 being "newer" is kind of a rounding error at this point.
Instead of trying to decide which one, try and find one that's in the best condition. Irregardless of model, look for one that's been looked after properly and doesn't have a ton of deferred maintenance.
1998 LS400 vs 2002 LS430? I mean they're both 20 years old and will have 20 year old car problems. The 430 being "newer" is kind of a rounding error at this point.
Instead of trying to decide which one, try and find one that's in the best condition. Irregardless of model, look for one that's been looked after properly and doesn't have a ton of deferred maintenance.
this is probably the best advice to be given, i feel i definitely see more 430s though it's likely easier to find a nice one
Both the LS400 & LS430 have great drive-train performance/maintenance/reliability. I would say generally newer is better providing it was maintained properly and taken care of and has acceptable miles for its year. Seems you are good with the 430 styling so if that's what you like you may want to go newer. l'm a big fan of the 98-00 styling myself I've always liked the design, I personally would go out of my way to find a nicer 98-00 than buy an LS430, that's just me because I like the style that's all, I don't like the styling of the 430, doesn't mean it's a bad car far from it its a nice car. As far as bells and whistles I might stay away from air suspensions they can be very costly when the fail, there's just a lot of points of failures that air suspensions can have so to me they are not worth it can cost big bucks to fix.
look for one that's been looked after properly and doesn't have a ton of deferred maintenance.
As Stroock639 said; "best advise".
I've always stuck with 93-94 mainly cuz of the interference engine and love the body style. I am looking for a new (used) car within 6 months now. (after winter) At this point I'm looking towards the 430 only cuz they're not as old. I never liked the looks of the 430 but, I can get used to it. It's gonna be parked most of the time anyway. Bells and whistles don't mean anything to me seeing how I very rarely drive more then 10 miles away from home now after an injury. I'd rather go up to the 460 but what's the sense of spending even more money. But that's for me.
You, on the other hand, should get the style that fits you. The engines are all reliable as can be, as for everything else on the cars, it all depends on how you treat it.
this is probably the best advice to be given, i feel i definitely see more 430s though it's likely easier to find a nice one
Interesting - around these parts I almost never see LS430's. A ton of ES cars, and a ton of LS400's and a ton of RX's. But I've almost never seen a LS430\460.
Interesting - around these parts I almost never see LS430's. A ton of ES cars, and a ton of LS400's and a ton of RX's. But I've almost never seen a LS430\460.
I see more ESs then anything else in Ct. Normal amount of 430-460s, and barely any 400s. That's another reason I like my 94, for now.
I see more ESs then anything else in Ct. Normal amount of 430-460s, and barely any 400s. That's another reason I like my 94, for now.
well of course it's half the price lol... the ES is a camry XLE V6 with a bit more wood in it, perfect well rounded luxury car for someone who never uses phrases like 'driving dynamics' or 'handling characteristics' and primarily just wants something quiet comfortable and reliable
When we compare a LS400 and a LS430, it would be better to see the exchange rate of US $ to Japanese Yen below. Toyota was selling L400s with VVT-i engine only for 3 years starting July 1997 (red arrow) to ending August 2000 (blue arrow). They had to cut the cost quickly to keep the profit due to the big drop of exchange rate only 1 year after LS400s were started to sell. US $1 became Yen 146 to 102 within a year and a half. The first 1 year had been quite good after the start of the sales VVT-i model. But it only had lasted about 1 year. Toyota decided to change the model quickly targeting to meet the cost. There were cheaper prats a lot used for LS430s although newer technologies were implemented. I myself prefer a UCF20/21 to UCF30/31.
（Correction: The red arrow should be like this. The green arrow shows the peak of the rate. I also extended the chart up to the end of 2011.)
Last edited by Yamae; 12-25-20 at 10:57 PM.
Reason: Correction
When we compare a LS400 and a LS430, it would be better to see the exchange rate of US $ to Japanese Yen below. Toyota was selling L400s with VVT-i engine only for 3 years starting July 1997 (red arrow) to ending August 2000 (blue arrow). They had to cut the cost quickly to keep the profit due to the big drop of exchange rate only 1 year after LS400s were started to sell. US $1 became Yen 146 to 102 within a year and a half. The first 1 year had been quite good after the start of the sales VVT-i model. But it only had lasted about 1 year. Toyota decided to change the model quickly targeting to meet the cost. There were cheaper prats a lot used for LS430s although newer technologies were implemented. I myself prefer a UCF20/21 to UCF30/31.
Thanks for giving good confirmation to a thought that I had previously. When I owned a 10 year old 96 LS400 and sat in a brand new 2006 LS430 at a car show, I got the distinct feeling that the LS430 felt more cheaply made. Later on, now as an owner of an LS460, I have seen a whole lot of cost cutting changes implemented to make the LS460 cheaper to produce than the LS400 as well. Small details but they all add up in the end to a lower quality vehicle.
Well fwiw, it's a bit more complicated than that. The YEN had slid 50% while the LS400 was being designed before the car even launched.
USDJPY was in a fairly stable range from 1996 until 2007 compared to what happened in the late 80's and 1993-1995.
This all being said, I think it is suitable to argue that in general, more and more cost-cutting measures were implemented over the generations as the car has evolved away from the original LS400 architecture.
12-23-20, 07:36 AM
LS400 verses LS430?
