hey guys,

i've been lurking here for awhile and really appreciate all the great information shared on the boards.
i have been wanting a lexus for awhile and at first i was set on a 04-06 LS430 and then i thought i wanted a 07 LS460.
however i really love the body style of the 04-06 and after reading every post i could find on the subject it seems as though the ride quality is actually quieter and smoother on the older models (which is the primary reason i want to get a lexus).

so with that in mind i have come full-circle and have decided to try and get a 04-06 model with low miles (hopefully under 50K) in the hopes that it will last me upwards of 300K miles (is that wishful thinking?)

my main question is regarding the features in the different packages, as i specufically would like a car without the navigation feature but i really want the keyless driving feature, but so far i haven't been able to find the latter without the former (i have looked at hundreds of ads fwiw).

does anyone know if its possible to get the push button start function without navigation?
also can you get the massaging rear seats and ice box option without the navigation or are those bundled as well?

any help greatly appreciated.

oh also, it seems as though there are almost no combinations of white exterior with either dark gray or black leather, any idea why that is?
my ideal car would be white with black leather and something like 35K miles but in the hundreds of ads i've looked at i have found only one combo of white on black and it had like 135K miles

also if anyone has any thoughts on the ride quality of the 460 vs the 430 i'd love to hear those as well, cuz even tho i really like the styling of the 430 over the 460, if it wasn't for the negative things i've heard regarding the ride quality i would prolly get a 07-08 as there seem to be more options of low mile color combo's i like.
do you think the differences are very noticable, or is it being overblown?
thanks in advance for any and all input, when i find the right car and pull the trigger i'll be sure to post lots of pics!

EDIT: one big thing i forgot to mention, is included in the ride quality concerns was the actual comfort of the seat in the 460 vs the 430.....basically i do a lot of long commutes (LA to vegas and sf to vegas) so wondering after driving for 6-10hrs which car is going to leave me feeling the best?

 

Welcome! The trim level you want is premium with SmartAccess. Almost all of the cars of any trim levels in the US seemed to have SmartAccess. Don't be fooled with the lack of a pushbutton start. The 04-06 has a key slot, but you leave the fob in your pocket and just turn the starter.

The rear seat amenities are part of the ultra luxury package which includes nav, etc. Follow the link to the sales brochures in the FAQ thread for more detailed info.

You can't rely on seller descriptions to determine the trim levels - look at the pics. Premium will show no nav, there will be perforated leather, and the seat heater /cooler dials in the center stack will show both red and blue regions. There may be a very few base level cars, below the premium, but they are quite rare.

Good luck in your search.

 

Welcome to the Club!

I'm afraid your inquiry as to the comfort of the seats won't result in a definitive answer. There have been numerous threads (mostly on the LS460 forum) about the differences between the 430 and the 460 with people landing on both sides of the seat comfort issue. One thing that does seem to be consistent across both models, though, is that as the seats age they TEND to become less comfortable as the padding compresses. Obviously this is more prevalent in the 430 due to it being the older model but it definitely happens in the 460 as well. And there doesn't seem to be an easy fix, due to the complexities of the seat construction given all the wires for the seat ventilation and heating. I have noticed the 460 owners seem to have issues earlier since many of them are still under the original warranty when they look to Lexus for remedies.

My best suggestion is to test drive the cars you're interested in to see how comfortable the seats are. Of course you would want to test drive for many other factors, but try to pay attention to this as well. A previous owner may have been a 300 pound NFL lineman who killed the seats... so mileage isn't the only factor.

Good luck with your search...

 

Hey, im really new to this hole CL thing but i have found alot of great information..i havent quite figured out how to work this site yet but ill figure it out...i just recently bought a 93 sc400 for 2500$ white with the tan interior 150k miles..good deal?!?!

 

thanks so much for the help guys, really appreciate it.
cheers!

i am going to test drive both, but i have to say i'm going to have to be really impressed with the 460 to get that over the 430 as i just am falling more and more in love with the style of the 430.
esp with the ing+1 body kit