I own a IS300, 2001 model that I bought new. It has 78K miles and barelllllly has any vibration felt through the steering wheel when I have the brakes on with it in park or drive. It's almost like new.

I dont think I have any at all with my 1990 LS with 177K mi (I got it last week).

But yesterday I test drove a 2002 SC430 with less than 60K - and at a strandstill I felt slight vibration, but much more than my IS. I tried the same with a new SC and it had no vibration at all.

And it felt like it had no more power than the IS. Plus it felt like I had to push the pedal in further to get it to accelerate like the IS. It almost felt like the SC had a bit of hesitation to it (unlike the feel of my IS).

The used SC is pretty decently priced at the Lexus dealership at under $27K. And in great shape, but should I be concerned with these issues? Is it normal? I'd just hate to dish out the extra cash for a car that doesn't feel as smooth as the IS and no more power than it.

 

Peter:

I have an 03 SC with only 8K miles. I can say I mentioned to my wife just the other day at a stop light that I can hardly feel the engine is on. NO VIBRATION. If the SC you are considering has vibration I would say the engine is not tuned correctly. I would recommend having this condition corrected by the dealer prior to your purchase. It is not normal. As for the pedal response, mine is the same. It has a long throw. I also must push the pedal down fairly far to get the car to accelerate quickly. This is normal. The SC is not a fast car. It is a classy car to cruse around in. It will not win any races. I find myself driving slow and enjoying the ride. If your looking for a fast sports car I would not recommend the SC. It is what it is and it is good at what it is. CLASS and STYLE.

 

My SC400 after 12 years had and my SC430 after 7 years has no such vibration. Their is hardly any vibration at 80 mph. Something is not right with that car.

 

I have an '03 with 45K on the odometer. It's glass smooth; at idle, near red-line, cruising along at 60 or 80.

But yes, there is a hesitation with the car. Personally, I think a big part of it is the transmission (stick the car in "1", turn the VSC off, then hit it...it goes!) but, clearly the car was designed to be a luxury touring car, not a "sports car".

 

Thanks for your input guys.

I know it's not supposed to be a sports car. Instead it is a "Luxury 1st, sports 2nd" car- which is what I am looking for. So why does my Older, more milaged, and "lower down the lined Lexus" with a much smaller engine have just as much power and less vibration than the newer, less milaged, better Lexus with the bigger engine?

I guess there is something wrong with it. But I'm going to test drive a few more today to see how they compare.

 

Obviously this car must not be certified pre-owned...can't imagine one being sold that has such a noticeable problem like that. Don't let good "deal" cloud your judgment...even the nicest car can have its problems if its been abused and neglected.

If you want to know how a "real" SC drives like, go to a Lexus dealer and test drive a CPO.

As for why it doesn't feel stronger than an IS, an SC weighs in an a whooping 3840 pounds. The IS300 weights only ~3280. That's quite a difference. Plus the SC's transmission is designed to for a smooth ride, shifting at lower rpms (~2000). This engine provides peak torque at ~3400, so unless you do what Habious suggested and "manually" shift, you won't experience the true power of the 3UZ engine.

 

Check the engine & transmission mounts, I am almost 90% sure those are the culprits



These cars tend to adapt themselves to their drivers habits, if the previous owner has not pushed the car then it does not take advantage of the full power band, reset the cars ECU and go have some fun.


Oh and IS300's are in no way a match for an SC430, as long as its relatively stock IS a SC will take it without a doubt.

 

It might need an tune up. Also, ask them what kind of gas they have been putting in for the last year or so.

 

There is definitely something wrong with that car, SC430 are quite a bit smoother then a 01' IS300 and definitely wayyyy quicker.

Forget that car and move on.

 

also, check which mode the transmission is in. if it's in normal mode, it will feel quite sluggish unless you stomp on it. flip the switch to ect pwr and it will feel a lot faster.

 

Don't bother with a problem, move on to the next candidate. Car should be very smooth at idle.