I bought a 2005 LS430, Silver on black ecru with CL and 18 inch chrome rims on Friday. I had been searching for 2 months for one and finally the color scheme (I was partial to black interior) and the package came together in this car. It also had very low mileage, 41k.

I am in san diego and the car was in San fran, so we agreed on a price over email and I flew up there and got picked up at the airport. I got in the car and it was the cleanest one I had ever seen, literally like a new car. This car had been babied. I did a visual check of the engine, undercarriage, fan belts, etc and then headed to the bank to transact.

Around 12pm, I hit the road for the 450 mile trip, looking forward to every second of it. The dynamic cruise is an awesome system, and the CL pack made the trip so quiet. My Moto droid paired with the bluetooth seamlessly. It was an effortless 8 hour trip.

Truthfully I discovered the LS about 2 years ago when I was living in Nyc. Not sure how I stumbled upon this forum, but it hit me that I could get a reliable, large luxury car in the LS430. I ended up moving to LA, shortly thereafter and leased a very cheap subaru legacy for 24 months. I actually liked the car, and subaru makes a great car. The deal was just too good to pass up, so I pushed off an LS for 2 years, spotting them on the freeways, yearning.

This past week, 2 05 CLs with black interior and under 50k crossed my path. One sold very quickly from a small dealer in LA, and the one I would eventually own I knew was going to go fast. I had to pounce.

I settled on a price of $25,750, my limit was $25k, but he was asking $26,900 and knew it was the best I could find, so I paid up a little. It was worth so worth the trip to SF.

I am still trying to figure out a thing or two with the car. How do i transfer the phonebook from my droid? How does the auto climate system work? It seems to have a mind of its own with fan speed.

Anyways, I never posted before, but read a ton on this forum and I want to thank everyone for educating me on getting the most perfect LS.

Charlie

 

Congradulations! Very nice car. I also like the color combo as I too am partial to Millenium Silver. Does your car have the standard suspension?

 

That is a very fine looking car - perfect for your local climate- congrats and welcome!

 

Congrats on the find. That trim and color combo was my #2 choice.

 

Nice looking car and deal you got there.

 

Congratulations. I have the same color combo. Sorry for the poor picture quality. My blackberry is not a picture taker.

 

The interior needs to be detailed as well as does the exterior. She is no garage queen. Gets driven daily and well.

 

Nice UL with that color combo

Mine is not an ultra luxury (UL), so it does not have the air suspension. I read a lot about problems with the air suspension later on and wanted to avoid these issues. I have the custom luxury package (CL). I plan on posting a pic of the new car sticker that details the CL package. The main things you get is the dynamic cruz, auto door closers, and dual pane glass on all windows.

As a side note, the previous owner cracked the windshield and had it replaced by lexus. It cost $1295. If this ever happens to me I think I will opt out of the dual pane windshield..

 

I had my windshield replaced a few months ago with OEM Lexus windshield at the cost of $2100 through my comprehensive insurance coverage. $1295 seems rediculously cheap for Lexus replacing OEM windshield. The cost for the shield is over $1600.

 

Congrats on the purchase!!

 

Great pick up. Price is on higher side, but if in "mint" condition and low miles, you'll always have to pay a little more. I have the CL trim and first time taking trip from NJ to FL was super cool and so quiet. Made the long trek a whole lot shorter.

Anyway, enjoy it for a long time and keep up the maintenance. She'll be yours for a long time.