I seen alot of threads about this and been lurking and want a more 2022 update on how y'all feel.

Due to covid prices cars are holding values. I have been shopping for ls430 for a while since that's what every thread say to go with.

Locally in Dallas:

a clean ls430 (base) 230k+ mi without timing belt, water pump, struts, suspension work is min 7k. (Good interior no cracks or rips. If ripped drop by 500-1k


Ls460 runs about 2007 7.5k for 95k miles to 2011+ 11-12k.

I've heard nightmares about breaker actuator this and that. Is the ls430 still the better car? If so, I might just bite the bullet and pay 9-10k for a cl 200k clean interior/exterior LS with no big maint done.

What is everyones thoughts? Are the 2007-2012 ls460 really that bad ownership wise?

 

Won’t find much updating other than both cars are older now both in age and technology and both are more expensive due to current market conditions. Search and you’ll find all the same answers you get here


It’s ben covered exhaustively, these are just some of the 4ls threads, you’ll find similar in 3ls.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ht=Ls430+ls460
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ht=Ls430+ls460
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ht=Ls430+ls460
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ht=Ls430+ls460
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...ht=Ls430+ls460
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ht=Ls430+ls460
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ht=Ls430+ls460
etc etc etc.

 

460 suspension parts are consumable more than most other Lexus models. Great engine, 8 speed helps with efficiency (speaking from a GS460 owner POV). Not much between them really..


Maintenance wise you'll want to do shocks at that mileage (if you have air ride RIP your wallet lol), trans you'd pray has been flushed/done already. Plugs might be worth looking at, clean TB out, PCV etc...
If you are on a budget slap non adjustable shocks in it. But the main issue is the LCA rubber is a bit over-stressed with LS weight.

 

The 95k mile 460 will require less work, the 430 post 200k miles practically needs to be rebuilt with complete suspension replacement and resealing of everything that is leaking. The 460 is a better car, the 430 is better engineering example.

 

Yeah I'd agree with that. Both will need work if you want to really look after them but the 460 will have more life and better features.
I'd just ditch the air ride when it goes, if you don't want to pay 4k for a set of shocks. Convert to AVS or stock.
Other than that just get really good at changing LCA and your main issues will be covered. Does treating them with rubber conditioner help or they still get shredded?

 

Just install them correctly, the 460 suspension is much easier to work on that the 430 actually. The individual arms are faster to get on/off and cheaper overall, having replaced the entire suspension on my 430 and also being used to working on multilinks the 460 would be the easier of the two to deal with.

 

Yeah good point when I did look at LS arms out of curiosity they weren't too pricey. I'd just buy the bushings and press out/in it would be even cheaper in my country (shipping BS). I also found GS suspension pretty easy to work on, it's quite similar to my old 90s camry. Except the camry has a fatter rear sway bar ffs.. anything to sell the ISF I guess.

 

Thanks that's exactly what I'm curious about. I've read through almost every ls430-460 and it just feels like everyone says ls430 is better. I'm not really mechanically proficient beside oil changes.

I was originally hoping to get a ls430 for around 4-5k spend 3-4k to work on everything but bc of this messed up market I'm debating to wait for 6-12months or bite the bullet and go with ls460. Everyone says brake actuator fix is gonna be painful and consistent which is why I'm still hesitant and I'm assuming why ls460 prices tanks much faster even at lower mileage.

 

Honestly...if you aren't mechanically proficient I would buy a much newer different car than either.

 

Not every actuator goes bad. If fluid has been changed and mileage lower, no issues for many. On a forum, you're going to have failures reported, the people with no issues don't make posts.

 

In fact, very few actuators go BAD, they just start making noise and get annoying.

 

The 460 wins in all the usually measured metrics.....the 430 is just a oversized Camry complexity wise that drives well and silent. The fine touches in the 430 and overall attention to detail are higher but they are not that much vastly easier to work on excluding the engine.

The 430 however at these ages will need cam, crank seals and valve covers if not oil pan reseals and those are all hard jobs. I have done all of these since I expect my car to not leak and to work properly so from firsthand experience if you want a perfect 200k mile 430 you will need to refit the car to some extent. Low mile ones that weren't garaged will have a lot of age related issues as well that you will not see as much of in a 460 since they are more sealed up and frankly newer. The 460 will likely never have you touch anything on the engine or trans at all......

The brake actuator and melting interior are the big ones, for interior any 13+ is a guaranteed way to make sure that probably never occurs and the brake actuator can be avoided/minimized as an issue if you properly flush it. I have not seen it done in a way that fully cleans it out in here before I mentioned you need to zero it down repeatedly to fully clear fluid out.

I also would suggest to use Bosch ESI6 fluid instead of DOT3 or dealer stuff, it is designed to make sure corrosion is limited and it's also very lubricative compared to normal brake fluid and rejects water far more.

If you are buying something to keep as an example of a extremely well engineered car get a 430 and assign it a garage slot and make sure to keep it under a cover. If you are buying something to drive get a 460....

 

I'm getting to the point of willing to bet money if noisy ones are flushed properly and with the fluid I recommended they will shut up. Worked on a customer car already for me, if you remember that absolutely best to hell one I had in. Ended up also needing a full engine harness replacement.....but everything is fixed now. He actually wanted me to fix it all.

 

Ok thanks! I'm planning 20-30k mi a yr as commuter. That's why I wanted something comfortable.

 

No way you can buy an LS430 with 200k+ miles on it lol. Even an old LS460 with much lower miles.

These are not great cars to put tons of miles on unless you can work on them yourself, they are also expensive to fuel...