This documentary explains a lot. It’s for the 400 but that same perfection was part of the 430….460, not so much

 

You want a nice fat sway bar. Best 100 bucks I ever spent on the car.

 

I’ve seen a Toms sway bar that goes under the hood but is there something for the rear??

 

Ultra Racing rear sway bar - 19mm
I guess I paid like 250 not 100 though.

 

I saw that article as well. The '65 Cadillac was actually still well built, it really wasn’t until 1966 or '67 where the quality severely dropped off, but I could even tell that the interior wasn’t as nice on a '65 like they are on all Cadillacs from 1964 on down into the 50’s. Their drivetrain, mechanically was extremely stout and reliable. That 7.0 429 with the TH400 transmission and the 472 big block motors were like no other. I actually think Cadillac interiors and quality improved a bit by the mid 70’s, they really improved with the 1977 redesign however, but again, nothing compares to the older 1950’s and 60’s era. Those 1975 Cadillac doors weigh a ton! Sometimes I would wonder how all the little old lady’s and men would be able to get in and out of those huge cars not including popping the hood, which again is super duper heavy!

I don’t think many people know, but Lexus or was it Lincoln? Emulated their soft ride quality from old Buicks. Buick was actually the softest riding car from GM’s lineup of the day, not Cadillac.

Japanese cars were at their peak in the 90’s for sure. I loved all the 90’s Hondas, Toyotas, including Nissan and yes, Mitsubishi like the Eclipse, Evo and GT3000. It was truly the golden era for all of them when it came to performance, quality and reliability. Back in the day when Japanese brands used their own suppliers for the most part unlike today where a lot of the brands use suppliers from all around the world with inconsistent quality standards. The plastics and vinyl trim on the interiors for instance was much better quality and very durable compared to the stuff today. Most 90’s Toyota interiors hold up extremely well, including Lexus. Fit n finish was better, everything felt very tightly put together, this goes for the LS 430 for sure.

 

The 460 is actually a great car minus some typical common problems they have. But once fixed, they are extremely reliable just like the 430’s are.

However, it wouldn’t be worth upgrading to one especially the non “L” models, if you already own a 430. The power difference is huge between both cars as well, and gas mileage on the 460 is like if you were driving a V6, it’s great considering that the car has almost 400hp and the 8 speed transmission does a great job keeping the rpm’s low on the freeway, passing power is instantaneous too.

I can never understand why anyone would want to drive a new Mercedes, BMW, or any other luxury car for that matter, rolling on 40 series tires. That’s just plain stupid and all it’s going to do is destroy your tires/wheels and put unnecessary stress and damage to the vehicles suspension and steering components. Plus they ride horribly with more road noise, leave those kind of wheel/tire combos to drivers with Honda Civics and the likes.

I honestly would op for the 2013 redesign. The look is more aggressive and stylish IMO, and the interior quality improved big time. No more worries about sticking dash/door panels issues either.

 

Agreed. The ES330 had a fabulous interior the 350 was nice but less so.
I'm willing to chalk the ride in my hybrid up to the 1000 lbs of extra weight the car has to carry around. My friend has a steel sprung 2010 460L and it feels smoother than my car but not as floaty as my 430. Lexus did add structural adhesives and other stiffening to the 2010 and 2013 refreshes so those cars probably ride better than my OG 2008.
All the air sprung 430s I drove when I was shopping felt a bit stiffer than the steel sprung ones but no harsher. Tires also play a huge part; I put the same Kumho's I love on my SC on the 430 and it does have sharper steering and handling but that magic hovercraft ride you get over certain roads is gone.
Toyota has admitted they let quality slip in the late 2000s as they were chasing profitability and market share but the recall-o-rama from that time I think has caused them to retreat; the interiors of recent RX LC and LS cars I've been in show that materials have improved markedly and quality seems to be back on top.

The 4LS is a great car in many ways, it's faster, more fuel efficient and handles better than the car it replaced, and rear seat legroom is palatial in the L models (better than the long wheelbase 7 or S of that time). With inflation though you are talking about both these cars having $100k MSRPs and the cost of parts and maintenance will reflect that. That being the case the cost is a fraction of what a 7 or S of that era costs to keep on the road which is why so many of them are bought cheap and then done in by expensive repairs; they were once a common sight here in LA now they have all but vanished.

The 430 and 460 are both terrific bargains for what they are but they are 10+ year old cars that will need some care and tending to as they get older but that's life. The 460/600 program was the most expensive program Toyota has ever attempted (for a single model) which is why a) the cars were built for 10 years and b ) that platform is now the one that sits under the $200k Century sedan sold in Japan.

I agree that with both these options buying a $40k new car doesn't make sense from a financial perspective; even with a couple pricey repairs you'll come out ahead and have a much nicer car in the end.

There's really no bad choice between the two.

 

When I bought my 05LS UL in 2009 (21k miles), I also test drove the custom luxury and modern luxury grades. The difference was the air was a bit floaty. Otherwise , they drove similar. I replaced the air suspension with conventional OEM at 130k mi and the lower ball joints (steering column would jolt when hitting the seam on the interstate overpass at 80mph). After that, it was like driving a new car. The height sensors failed after moving to the Northeast (wet, lots of rain), but it just meant losing the AFS. The body had quite a bit of roll when entering the freeway on the clover compared to newer cars, so I replaced the rear sway bar with the OEM sport version, sway bar bushings and end links (front/rear). Cornering was much improved, could drive the clover at 45 mph vs 35mph before, and the car stays straight and steady in strong cross winds. Only other upgrade is USASpec BT45 TOY Bluetooth audio. Currently my DD at 195k miles, still gets 27mpg on the interstate and 21mpg mix of city/hwy. I have changed the timing belt, pulleys, tensioner, serp belt, radiator hoses, water pump, pcv valve every 90k miles.