Do all LS430 models have thick glass? Thicker glass than Toyotas and Hondas and Mazdas? My 2002 is a base model, and am curious for a correct answer. Thank You.

 

Are you referring to the laminated glass on front left and right? My 2001 UL has that and not sure what trim levels it starts so not all LS430 has that.

 

Only the Custom Luxury (CL) and Ultra Luxury (UL) models have the double plane side glass in the door windows. While they do make the car a bit quieter, they can delaminate and become cloudy.

 

Any window glass on the car is what I was curious about.

 

Well, I am not an expert, but I did get obsessive at one point about OEM windshields, and in fall of 2023 had a new OEM windshield put in. To confirm the above, yes, only CL's and UL's had laminated side glass.
As for glass in general, the front windshield is a completely different animal than the sides and back. I read the front windshield is credited with as much as 65% of the vehicle stability on any car, so it is not just a window, it is a structural and performance component of the car, like an invisible pillar. When the LS430 first came out in 2001, you can find an original ad on Youtube about how they "virtually eliminated wind noise". Well, some of that is side channel design and thick, dense foam and rubber framing, but some of that is just straight up thick glass. I got to see and touch mine when it arrived before it got put in and it was a beast!
Front windshields have to meet strict UV standards, 99% I THINK, and lamination for safety. Side windows have very little requirement for UV, don't know the numbers and obviously only a base lamination requirement. But look at your side window when it is half down and that is probably 1/3 to 1/2 of the thickness of the front.
I have not been able to compare against non-luxury models, but my gut check is it is thicker simply for the quiet ride expectation of a luxury car, but I cannot say with authority.

 

Thanks

 

To be precise, possibly pedantic :-), all of the CL/UL LS430 glass is laminated.
Lamination is a process where 2 or more pieces of Tempered (normal car window glass) are stuck together using sheets of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) plastic as the "glue" layer(s).
On the CL/UL the side windows are 2 sheets of thinner than normal glass laminated together to give better sound reduction, and the rear screen is also laminated for the same reason.
The side windows have a much thicker layer of PVB to further enhance noise reduction, which is why they go cloudy when the laminate layers separate.

ALL car windshields are require by law to be Laminated, but side windows and rear screen are usually just Tempered glass.
Tempered glass shatters into small pieces that don't have razor sharp edges, and it is also much stronger than ordinary window glass which is why it is required for all car glass, even for the mirrors.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminated_glass