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Hey guys! I have never had a lexus before, always drove passats. I've had enough of vw lol. So I'm shopping, right now for either LS430 or LS460 (2007-08) under $10K. I've read everywhere that 430 model is pretty much "bulletproof" / very reliable and comfortable vehicle. On the other side I like 460 a little bit better for its modern look. However, can't find much info about its "bulletproof" reliability. Plus not sure if timing chain lasts long or engineered to destroy the engine like the vw's tsi engines are with their faulty tensioners, rounded edge chains so it's skips teeth easily and other crap.
So those guys who had both cars would you honestly recommend ls460? Will it bother me with repairs? I'm looking for a reliable car.
Thanks in advance
With a budget of $10k or less I wouldn't buy an LS460. It most likely will be high mileage and require maintenance. That's a small budget in my opinion for an LS460. As far as a 430 you can probably get a decent one for $10k, but don't forget at the absolute newest its still a 13 year old car. They might be great reliable cars (I've had two of them) but at their age now things will start to go wrong. Nothing lasts forever and I would not necessarily expect complete reliability in a car that is 13 years old or older.
With a budget of $10k or less I wouldn't buy an LS460. It most likely will be high mileage and require maintenance. That's a small budget in my opinion for an LS460. As far as a 430 you can probably get a decent one for $10k, but don't forget at the absolute newest its still a 13 year old car. They might be great reliable cars (I've had two of them) but at their age now things will start to go wrong. Nothing lasts forever and I would not necessarily expect complete reliability in a car that is 13 years old or older.
Thanks for the input. Of coarse I understand there is no complete reliability, I do take care of my cars and fix what's necessary. The question is more like with the engine last long on 460? like 250-300k miles. How long do they last on average? I only found that there is common problem with suspension arms that sometimes need to be replaced. I will most likely get 430 but will consider 460 with 120-150k miles. Sorry to ask these questions but with 430 people tell me high mileage isn't a problem bc they last long, I was just wondering if 460's are also well made cars? Thanks
It will be hard but if you can find a decent 460 I would go that route. You could probably get a really nice 430 for 10k but you might have to search a bit. The 460 just looks more modern. Just ignore the adolescents in the room.
"without being rude" LOL. Where in that post were you NOT rude? As others stated, ignore the asses.
ANYWAY.... it's not "subjective". There are reliable cars and unreliable cars. in GENERAL, the LS460 is reliable and the LS430 is more reliable. In GENERAL (and also "subjective"), the 430 is more homely and the 460, sleeker and more modern and "techier". The 430 has a timing belt that needs regular replacement. The 460 has a chain and I haven't heard of any failures yet.
I've owned about 20 vehicles in my lifetime and the LS is probably the most reliable of all of them...except maybe my 1984 Honda CRX which had ZERO technology. The LS was also the most satisfying to drive, though my SHO is starting to exceed that. I don't feel like it's any competition, the 460 beats the 430 hands-down. I could never bring myself to drive a 430, because of the looks and dated tech. There are fleets of 460's that are used by limousine companies that have gone hundreds of thousands of miles. There are many accounts of 300-500k miles. Personally, I went about 150k miles and the only issue I had were a bad water pump (less than a hundred bucks to repair - easy DIY) and one control arm and one ball joint. That's it. I consider that "bullet proof".
Understand that you will be rolling the dice with either purchase of a 10+ year old car with 120k+ miles.
All these engines SHOULD be stable for 200k+ miles... but that's maintenance dependent. I'm guessing any car with a highly detailed maintenance history is going to go for more than $10k.
All these cars SHOULD be relatively trouble free, but if something significant goes wrong (arms, ABS Controller, Media Console, etc) then it's going to cost thousands to repair it.
Are you setting your budget at $10k because that's what you can afford? Or that's what you can afford with several thousand held back in case of major repairs? If you don't have the latter, IMO you shouldn't be investing all your disposable auto funds into a decade+ old car. If you must, the 460 is a much better vehicle than the 430, as others have stated.
For me, I didn't care for my LS430. It just felt like driving a Buick. Nothing wrong with a 2005 Buick, it wasn't my thing. But if you don't care about style and can find a 2006 then maybe that's an option. Personally, I'd save up a few more grand and find a decent 460. No worries with the timing chain. Engine should go well past 300K if it has a clean maintenance record on Lexus Owner Site. You may even find one that has had brake actuator and control arms done. Or maybe they're ok to begin with. If you're a do it yourself-er then you should be ok. Just keep in mind, the cars you are considering are now pushing on the low end 12 years old and the high end let's say 16 years old. I'll tell you my 08 is a prize example of a great car with low mileage for the age, and it's a dream to drive. So, maybe you can research the various car sites and find a diamond in the rough. They are out there. Good luck.
$10k could get you a 2007-2009 GS350. I'd argue that the GS350 is more reliable than LS460. I had a 2007 GS350 and it does about 85% of what an LS460 does. Quiet on the highway. Mark Levinson system was great. The Dvd bypass mod I did was cool. It has the "L Finesse" styling and has good power for a V6. I'd recommend to get at least a 2008 with interior and exterior refresh. Stretch your budget a little and you could get a 2010 with updated Nav and Bluetooth audio streaming.
I've seen a few LS430s around the neighborhood and they just look waaay to dated for me to even consider ever again.
I believe the 2013-17 model LS460’s are the most reliable out of all, but nothing is without problems. Some on this forum had 2007- 2017 with no major issues at all, but others had major mechanical and electrical issues that end up costing major coin. Every car I owned had some sort of problem, major & minor. I haven’t had any major issues wit my 2013 LS460L yet, but I have 82,000 miles on it so I’m willing to pay for whatever goes wrong on this amazing piece of craftsmanship. Btw guys, anything man made is gonna have flaws.
Your budget is way too low for a LS430 or 460 to expect something very reliable/bulletproof. 10K would be a 07 or 08 with well over 100K miles likely not in the best condition. You probably won't even get a later model LS430 in good condition and not too many miles for 10K.
In general a Lexus is going to be a lot more reliable then a VW but the LS is a flagship which means flagship prices, more complication. The LS460 is pretty reliable but from what I have read it is probably the least reliable Lexus model and most expensive to maintain and fix is something goes wrong.
With a LS460 the main things to look out for and what may possibly go wrong are
-Control Arms
-Air suspension if equipped
-Mark Levinson Amp
-Melting/Fading Dash/panels
-Brake actuator
-Oil consumption
-Door lock actuators
-Battery on the rare hybrid
-07/08 Valve tensioners I believe and possibly other engine issues.
If I were you I would get a Civic, Accord, Camry, Corolla for your budget if you are looking for reliability with your budget or wait until you have at least 15 or better yet around 20K or more if you want something nicer/luxury car to get something not too old with not too many miles. I know a guy who had a Passat and was tired of dealing with so many expensive problems, he got a civic and could not be happier.
$10k could get you a 2007-2009 GS350. I'd argue that the GS350 is more reliable than LS460. I had a 2007 GS350 and it does about 85% of what an LS460 does. Quiet on the highway. Mark Levinson system was great. The Dvd bypass mod I did was cool. It has the "L Finesse" styling and has good power for a V6. I'd recommend to get at least a 2008 with interior and exterior refresh. Stretch your budget a little and you could get a 2010 with updated Nav and Bluetooth audio streaming.
I've seen a few LS430s around the neighborhood and they just look waaay to dated for me to even consider ever again.
I have to disagree. My wifes GS does NOTHING like my LS. I'm not saying it's a bad car but it just does not compare. Now if I did not have an LS to compare it with I would not mind having a GS.
Another suggestion is to start looking on the usual used car sites, go and see the cars in your budget and see if you could live with their condition. Also, plug in their VIN to the lexus owners site and check their maintenance history.
05-21-19, 07:33 PM
Would you recommend LS460?
