I am picking up my Cypress Pearl 2004 LS430 tomorrow night! Can't wait...

The official Lexus car cover for the LS is $299.00.

Is it worth it? There are several multi layer aftermarket covers for $100 or less.

It will be parked in the hot Arizona sun during work hours so I want to keep the paint as perfect as I can since I kept my recently deceased ES300 nearly 10 years.

Thanks for any expert feedback...

 

Go with the OEM cover!

 

I covered my then new 92 SC400 at work every possible day in Phoenix for 8 years. The OEM cover is a must. It fits perfectly, the mirror pockets are essential in installing and removing the cover. Roll up from both front and rear to mirrors and then flip the rolled cover over to the opposite side and remove and store in the trunk. Do the opposite to install.

You won't need a tie down with the OEM cover. Just don't install when the weather looks bad and you won't have a problem. Use the cover as much as possible and it will save the exterior and the interior as well. On 110F Phoenix day at 2 p.m., the interior of the car will be 130F vs 150F for on cover. I know this because I ran extensive tests and took data. You can grab the steering wheel and the car will cool down much quicker. I could almost sell car covers, etc.

By the way, if you let the car heat soak from morning to 2 p.m. the color of the car makes no difference. The real difference in black and white color cars is that the black will heat up faster. Consequently if you are shopping and making a lot of short trips, the black car will be hotter.

 

I have been leaving the moon roof open about 1 1/2 inches and it seems to help a lot.

 

I lived in AZ for 7 yrs and covered all my cars. The best cover I had was one made of block-it material for my Honda prelude (OEM cover). I have the Lexus OEM cover for the LS430, and it pails in comparison. Although the fit is good, the material is very thin. If you can find a good fitting one with mirror/antenna pockets made of block-it, buy it! Now that I live in NM, the weather here is too volatile to use a cover. It's often windy, so once the dust blows on your vehicle, using a cover causes more damage than no cover since the abrasion of the cover and dust puts fine scratches in the clear-coat. I almost never use my cover anymore. To keep the cover on in any breeze, you need to tie the mirrors on with small diameter rope, and run a rope underneath the vehicle. Otherwise, the wind catches under the cover and blows it off.

As far as car color goes, my honda was silver with a black interior, Lexi are tan w/ tan interior and white with tan interior. The lighter color cars are far cooler, even after you get in the car and blast the A/C. The black just absorbs more heat, even w/ the A/C going. In fact, at the time I bought my LS, my dealer had 3 CPO LS430's, one ML, one CL, one UL. All were white. When they get a black trade in, they sell it cheap (have seen 4 yr old CPO GX's w/ hardly any miles, black, for like $30K). Now that I'm in the mountains where black is your friend during the winter, my next car will likely be black (if I can find a cheap one in AZ ).

 

Suggests on good inexpensive covers that are actually waterproof? I have a Covercraft Evolution (made w/ block it) that's great for hot sun and keeping the car clean. Easy to install, fits tightly and stays on even if it's super windy. Mirror pockets help. However if it rains, zero protection. Manufacture claims it's water resistant. Not. I bought a generic Tyvex cover that stops most of (but not all) the rain. Doesn't stay on if it's windy unless I spend 10 minutes securing it w/ rope and clips. I'm looking for a better solution.

 

I wouldn't waste time on the OEM cover just to have the Lexus Logo. Most of the OEM cover are contracted out and are made out of the same fabric utilized by CoverCraft and such. Go with the custom fitted CoverCraft that way you can get the mirror pocket and have more variety and options on selecting the type of fabric for your needs. I ordered a NOAH car cover for my BMW when I was in Hawaii. Great cover, it was water resistant and thick, but a hassle to put on. The extra thickness help protect the car from door dings so that was the upside. It kept the car mostly dry when it rained but also allowed the car to breathe to prevent moisture from getting trapped underneath. I would recommend as others say to get the locking straps to prevent your cover from flying of due to gusts of wind.

 

My review of the Covercraft Evolution cover: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...-ls-430-a.html