Hi there,

Can someone educate me on the major differences (cosmetic and mechanical) between 01 vs. 06 model years? My fiancee is in the market for one. Thank you in advance.



Best,

 

I added the +'s.

Note: Some features are only available on ML, CL & UL trims.

Buying an 04-06 Lexus LS430 vs. Buying 01-03 Model

The Lexus LS 430 benefits from substantial engineering upgrades for 2004 + that significantly improve what was already a superb luxury car. It's quicker and more sophisticated than last year's model.

Model year 2004 + brings major changes to the LS 430: revised styling, suspension refinements, safety improvements, and mind-boggling technology. A new six-speed automatic replaces last year's five-speed for improved acceleration performance without sacrificing fuel economy. There are more airbags than ever before (eight) and a system that tightens the seat belts before a crash. There's a tire-pressure monitor, a backup camera, headlights that swivel for seeing around corners, and Dynamic Laser Cruise Control that maintains a set following distance to the car ahead. With Bluetooth and SmartAccess, you can unlock the doors, start the car, drive off, and make hands-free phone calls without even pulling your key or your cell phone out of your pocket or purse.

The front fenders, hood, headlamps, fog lamps, grille, front and rear bumpers, trunk lid, and rear combination lamps are all new and the front combination lamps (signal/parking) have been redesigned. The standard 17-inch wheels have been redesigned and new 18-inch wheels are available with the Sport Package, freshening the profile. These changes clearly upgrade the appearance for 2004 +, giving it a more substantial look and more presence, but few are likely to say, "Ohmigosh! It's the new LS 430!" Perhaps most noticeable to other motorists are the newly exposed dual exhaust tailpipes, which protrude from the lower edge of the bumper and project a look of power and performance to those in your rearview mirror. New LED brake lights are brighter, light up quicker, last longer, and draw less current, plus they look neat.

The navigation system is improved for 2004 + with more datapoints (5.6 million vs. last year's 785,000).

Source: Automotive.com

 

The 2004- 2006 are identical.

Here is what Edmunds.com says about the 2004.


With refinement and comfort levels equal to or better than the German uber-sedans, the LS provides an exceptional luxury sedan experience without the holier-than-thou attitude.

Pros

Superb ride quality, impressive array of standard and optional luxury features, top-notch interior materials, Lexus reliability.

Cons

Not as athletic as some competitors, adding options raises the price to un-Lexus-like levels.

What's New for 2004

Lexus gives the LS 430 a midcycle freshening for 2004. Along with mild exterior revisions, the LS gets a number of new standard features, including a six-speed automatic transmission (with a manual-shift gate), adaptive headlights that swivel during turning maneuvers, knee airbags for the driver and front passenger and a moonroof. New options include the Pre-Collision system, which uses radar to detect an avoidable collision, and prepares for impact by tightening up the seatbelts, switching to sport mode on air suspension-equipped vehicles and activating maximum braking pressure. Among the other highlights are SmartAccess, which allows the driver to start up the LS without inserting a key; 18-inch wheels as part of the Sport Package; and a rear backup camera, expanded voice recognition functionality and Bluetooth hands-free phone compatibility on vehicles with the navigation system. An upgraded Mark Levinson stereo now offers seating position-optimized sound, and satellite radio is a new dealer-installed option.


Cheers,
Ian

 

The difference is about $14K comparably equipped (i.e. UL to UL). hee hee.

Basically, major ones are:

6-speed instead of 5-speed transmission (resulting in 0.4 sec. faster 0-60)
LED tail lights
Slightly better NAV

All the other subtle differences won't be caught by the casual person who is not particularly interested in the LS. My wife loves our '04, but she still can't tell the body difference from early LS430s.

 

Here you go Tomf-1: lots of FAQs regarding the LS430

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...4-12-09-a.html

just tell her to look for the rectangle fog lights vs. teardrop

 

Thank you everyone for your invaluable inputs. Does anyone have pics of the rectangle fog lights vs. tear drop? Also, how much more is the Ultra Luxury package? Worth the money? Thanks again.

 

That is a subjective question, it will depend on if the extra features are worth the cost to you or not.

 

My wife is "shade-blind" so she would see this picture and still go "I can't see the difference...." I find it easier to tell from the back actually, the LED or not and there is a shape difference of the assembly.

 

look at this...
http://www.lexus.com/cpo/model_library/LS/2004.html
New For 2004

Standard Features:

* - 17 x 7.5-in alloy wheels with 225/55HR17 tires [4]
* - Rain-sensing variable intermittent windshield wipers with mist cycle
* - Power tilt-and-slide moonroof with one-touch open/close and sliding sunshade
* - Wood- and leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift ****

 

Money no object, the refresh is the way to go. More features and IMO looks better.

 

The audio system was greatly improved from 2001-2003 to 2004-2006. I've owned both of them with the UL package and there is a world of difference. The punchy subwoofer and absent lows have been fixed to a great degree. I love my 2005!

 

I love bringing threads back to life. ha
So, the ML Audio is different in the '04-'06 models? I didn't know that... what's the wattage on the sub...via the Mark Levinson amp? Does anybody know?

 

It's not as 'punchy' as newer systems. I'm not a hip-hop guy, my 05 UL is all original and sounds great to me. I would describe the Bass as adequate. I'm sure the folks that are in to Hip Hop would disagree.

 

I think that most car audio is simply licensing. Meaning, there was some time and some edition where Subaru had McIntosh stereos...did anyone really believe it had a McIntosh stereo? I always wanted McIntosh and have accepted that will never be. I don't have six figures to get a home hifi system--I thought I would have that when I was in college.

So Bose, HK, whatever, it's all acceptable, but not extraordinary.

I have yet to even see any technical documentation on any optional stereo systems except for BMW. Believe it or not the HK 13-spk stereo that was standard in the 2007 335 (they actually made it optional in later years maybe 2009) is the best stereo I have heard in a car, it has 2 subs under the front seats. The LS430 is good. My wife's GM has Bose and it sounds like total garbage lol

My friend's wife even had B&O in her Audi, only sounded good, not excellent. Is it really B&O? If money were no object I would get McIntosh and B&W at home...yeah right.

 

In GM's defense, most Bose sound like garbage

"No high's, no low's... must be Bose"