jonra99

I've owned my 2002 SC430 since it came out around April 2001. It's been the best overall and most reliable car I've ever owned. Even with all the bells & whistles it has.... All I've done is replaced the tires with non-run flats, changed the oil evey 3,000 to 5,000 miles with mobil-1. And nothing else, no problems. I have about 28,000 miles. It still feels & drives like a new car.

So after 7 years I thought about buying a nice new car. Test drove the 2008 BMW hardtop convertible (looked over the bimmer forums for reliability), 2009 Volvo hardtop convertible, & drove a few others.

Overall - I still like my 2002 Lexus SC430 best!

So, I will keep it and do some cool stuff. New wheels/tires 285, 35, 18s or 19s in the rear, 245s, 40 in the front. TEIN Comfort Sport coilover kit, and some other things.

Still happy after 7 years... Just to let everyone know.

jjbenzo

How about trading in and upgrading to a 2009 SC? That way you get a brand new car, but still drive an SC.

cliffud

iTrader: (3)

jonra99. good decision. i have a 98 GS3 with over 192k miles and it is so reliable that it would be foolish to even think about getting a newer car. if the SC is paid off, it's a no brainer to keep it.

LXLUTHR

iTrader: (21)

SC's are timeless, please keep it and continue with your modifications!

coach1

I had bought an 84 733 BMW......loved it.....so much I decided to buy a brand new 535 in 89. It turned out to be the worst car I ever owned. I'll give you the short list: Car had to be completely repainted due to peeling on the front half, computer mother bd replaced, air conditioning system replaced, clutch replaced, brakes and rotors in 30K miles.....high dollar, with the quality of a Hugo......BMW of America did nothing to rectify anything. I swore to never own another.

Lemon or not, bad years or not, I felt being the first owner and, for what I paid, BMW should have stepped up. The high end body shop that worked with BMW told us horror stories and that BMW will Not buy back problem cars or even freight damaged cars. I also hated the fact that only a BMW dealerships could reset service clocks and plug into onboard computers system. Great car if you can afford to maintain it. I also owned a 500SL for 13 yrs....solid built, but everything plastic breaks and unreliable electronics.....superior to BMW, but I wouldn't buy another one of those either.

My Lexus experience has been a pleasure.

jonra99

Thanks for the feedback! I owned a 96 SC400, 98 SC400, now the 2002 SC430. All have been perfect - NO problems. That's why I've sticked with the SC series. All my cars are paid for in CASH. The reason I haven't bought/ordered a 2009 SC430 is because it's not much different, the 2002 has more horsepower (300 horsepower vs. 282), and also because the personal property taxes on a new 09 would be around $2500 per year. My 2002 is only about $500 per year now. So, I'll keep it, totally enhance it with great wheels, suspension, nicer tires, and more cooll stuff!

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

Not to put you down or anything, just want to point out some facts. I loves the 02' SC430 also.

The 06'-09' SC430's lower horsepower rating is due to the government rating system change, they all got the exact same engine that make the same power. The 06'+ cars are even quicker due to the 6-speed tranny.

jonra99

no problem, thanks for the clarification. The 02 is plenty fast/quick for me.

Stefwilli

Only 28k miles? Thats still new, you have some more years of care free driving out of your SC. I think that is a very smart decision you are making to keep your car and simply mod it. One thing you should get that makes a big difference is the updated LED tailights, other the that like you said suspension, wheels, tires, ect... Give us a call, I'd be happy to assist you with charnging the look of your SC.

-Stefan

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

Yes I agreed the 02' is planty quick for this type of cars

GS3.0

iTrader: (1)

Off topic, but of all the cars i've owned, nothing beats the reliability of my 99 GS300 track record. The past Mercedes C class, BMW 3 series, and volvo's don't even come close. Not to mention the service i get from my local Lexus dealer (Don Valley Lexus) is impeccable and they always make me feel important even though my car is 9yrs old. Definitely thinking of upgrading to a SC430 and stay in the familia.

jonra99

Stefan,
Thanks, I'll look into the updated LED tailights. I'll contact you for the rest. There are some really nice wheels I saw on an SC430 - Romani posted I really like, but I haven't been unable to find them anywhere. It's the 6089SSR_Velbret_430-med

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=174618