Parsonsm

I have the opportunity to purchase a 2005 LS 430 UL. One owner, clean carfax, recently had timing belt and pump done and struts replaced. Has about 65k miles and they are asking just under 15k. Have never owned one but have read such great things and looking for a ledger sedan. Also comparing with other newer sedans like the Passat and wanted to get some advice and input on the best direction to go.

Thoughts.

Johnhav430

I think the price is a bit high, but if they recently did all four shocks, they're likely trying to recoup some of that cost as the job should have cost over $4k.....it's easier to negotiate as an armchair quarterback, so right off the bat, I'd say I understand you did the shocks and they are not cheap, but with those done, the car's only worth $11,500 to me, I'll come up to $12,000. No joke, pretend you're on an episode of American Pickers, this isn't an easy car to sell, it's to a niche audience. My point is that whatever they're asking, it's not their lowest offer. And anyone who doesn't want to accept a reasonable offer must feel confident they're close to finding someone who will pay too much.

As far as how it compares to a Passat, well my sis in law had her TDi bought back, and also I rode in one yesterday. The Passat is somewhat sporty in comparison, as the LS is a sofa on wheels. The only thing is the LS has heavier steering than the latest generation Passat. Good luck.

Bocatrip

I would consider it if it were any other model than the UL. Yes the price is too high regardless. The UL is very expensive to maintain and now it is an old high maintenance car.

Parsonsm

Thanks for the responses. That is my concern is the high cost of ownership on the UL. The struts were done by the owner before the trade as was the timing chain and water pump. The dealer did a round of breaks on it as well before putting it up for sale. I was actually surprised after sitting in a Passat that the LS did not feel as big to me. Still going to look around though but wanted to get some inputs. Will also keep an eye on the price. For those of you interested they have three LS430s for sale at Lexus of Jacksonville in Florida.

Parsonsm

Brakes, I meant to say brakes.

Lexuslsguy

The only thing that is "high cost" on the UL is the air-struts. And even then there are alternatives to buying new units if they fail such as easily converting to a regular suspension. Between the upgraded interior, rear seat package, upgraded glass it is a wonderful vehicle. Absolutely loved mine and it was not high cost for me. Extremely reliable.

2KHarrier

Totally agree. UL is the same regular LS that we all own own, but with a few added amenities. And really expensive struts. Remember, though, there are alternatives to new air struts.

LS430Lexus

Generally, those that criticize and downgrade a UL are those that have not owned one. Those that have usually highly recommend them. I would find out if the new struts are air struts or conventional steel struts. Also, are they new OEM or used. It is common to replace the OE air struts with conventional steel struts.

If you like everything about the car, the price is right. With proper maintenance, the car will easily go to 300,000 miles so you should have it for another 10 years. If so, a thousand or two shouldn't make a difference.

Bocatrip

In all fairness, the UL has quite a few amenities that are vulnerable and not cheap to fix. Air suspension aside.... as another example....how about the door actuators? They do fail and the repairs can be fairly expensive. And that's 4 doors not counting the trunk. Just using that "one" feature as an example. I own a base LS430 with no ventilated seats, no bluetooth,no led lighting, and a standard key which I had to replace 2 times. Just trying to say that these aging cars realistically are not low maintenance cars. Yes the engines and transmissions are almost bullet proof and these cars don't break down....but they require repairs that cost. $$$$

Hagar

I don't get it. Now I may be as savvy as some of the other seasoned members here, but am I missing something. This sounds like a good deal. Kelly Blue Book has it as of today 03/14/2017 at $14,577 to $16294 and a fair deal would be $15,436. AND this had the struts replaced, bonus.

I've got a 2004 LS430 Ultra with 157,000 for $11,950 and it had impecable records of all work done at a Lexus dealership as well. The struts were checked as well as everything else and found to be okay. I love it. My wife loves it.

Somehow, I just think a few naysayers over strut issues are casting a dark shawdow where none maybe should be.

Now maybe I'll sing a different tune when I need to replace my struts but right now, it rides great.

If I lived in Florida, I'd go for it.

Dave

toddmorr

65k mile UL for 15k? value is in the eyes of the buyer but that one would interest me, depending on the interior condition, colors etc. Esp if all four shocks were done as OEM???? That suggests someone not shy about maintaining their car. Get them down a k or so and that's a reasonable deal.

completely disagree with the suggestions that the UL or any LS430 for that matter is an expensive car to maintain. They are fundamentally reliable and the little stuff can be dealt with DIY easily. Take it to the dealer for every little thing and sure it gets pricey but any car aside from a Corolla would get pricey.

2KHarrier

I agree with Hagar. That car is not overpriced at all. I paid 19,000 for my 2005 ML with 48K on it. It seems to me that unless we have owned a UL, it would be hard to make an educated comment about whether someone should stay away from one or not.

Just my .02

Johnhav430

It's most important what the person parting with the money thinks. Online resources say one thing, imho sites like cars.com say another. Then you can get into cargurus which imho is all over the place. It showed the car I bought as $2000+ under. In retrospect, I don't think so. My dad bought a new car this weekend. edmunds, which I consider to be a reliable source, did 2,200 off list as part of their "price promise" program, and stated that the avg price paid was 2k under list. He got $5,888 off list. imho because of his mouth, nothing more. The low end of kbb fair market range is 3.1k over what he paid, which is consistent with edmunds. I'd take these online tools with a grain of salt. Your mouth is your best means of getting a discount. Easier said than done, but like I've said, pretend you're on an episode of American Pickers. I ain't too proud to say I paid too much for my car. A Florida 2006 with 81k, ML, $14,700 last October. Live and learn. Stuff like, "this is a 300k car easily," or, "This car costed $65,300 new," etc., those are all nice, but it doesn't change the fact that they're 11 y.o. and the market is limited--the buyer is in the driver's seat.

FatherTo1

I also second 2KHarrier/Hagar. We purchased our 2006 ML, in April 2016, with 48K miles for $16,900. I don't believe the UL OP is looking at is overpriced at all. Of course, we purchased in California where prices are typically higher.

jayclapp

I think it is very, very difficult to take the "many" posts that badmouth the UL as being typical of that car. You can always find someone who has a negative thought or experience. But what we don't know on this forum is the actual data to sort this out. For instance, there may be 20,000 very satisfied UL owners who do not post on this forum. Likewise, there may only be a dozen or so people that are negative on the UL. The percentage might be so low as to be insignificant. They may not even be a UL owner. Consequently, I find it somewhat annoying that people suggest avoiding a UL when they may not have any first hand evidence. We are all influenced by our own prejudices and beliefs and may not really be interested in knowing otherwise. Consequently, in lack of any meaningful data, I do not consider this forum as a statistical base to draw objective opinions. Some people are a victim of their cultural beliefs and upbringing.

My challenge: just how many owners of UL's have actually had bad experiences and more specifically, intolerable air suspension failures. Just produce the actual meaningful data.