[Jesda]

In my 31 years on this planet I've driven literally hundreds of cars, trucks, and SUVs from around the world. I review many of them at jesda.com. They have ranged anywhere from $110,000 to $400 to value, and I can say with confidence and certainty that this 2003 Lexus LS430 is the WORST CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. The superbly skilled engineers at Lexus and Toyota do nothing by accident, and this LS430 is the blandest, dullest, numbest, most lifeless automobile I have ever have the disprivilege of driving.

All of the soul-sucking awfulness that this car exerts is fully intentional, meant to ease the paranoid concerns of the lifeless, soulless Olive Garden-eating dullards that buy them. Its only redeeming characteristic is the unexpected power and presentation of the base Pioneer sound system that it comes equipped with.

I would rather drive a 1983 Toyota Tercel (and bear in mind, I have driven one!) than spend another moment behind the wheel of this worthless, pointless appliance. This awful, awful car deserves to be torched or dunked in the river.


EXCEPTIONS: SC400, SC300, IS-F, LFA

 

[Aron9000]

^ From a style standpoint, I agree with you. The 01-06 Lexus LS is just downright UGGGLLY!!!!! Its not only boring, but its like they didn't even make an effort to make this car look special from the outside. That front end/headlight treatment is horrible, combined with the very UPRIGHT, slab sided middle section, and a very formal trunk line and blah rear end treatment, it just so horribly boring and under styled. Honestly I think a comparable Avalon, Lexus ES, GS, and Camry models have WAY MORE design flare than this pathetic, boring, sleezy, lazy, BAD copy of a 90's S-class benz.

That being said, from an interior standpoint they are pretty nice. Except there is one detail that annoys the hell out of me, the Lexus gauges are that traditional florecent bright white, the digital readout below them is a hideious orange color, while the radio/hvac controls are that traditional "General Motors" green color.

Overall that mish/mash of colors drives me nuts, this coming from a 92 Lexus SC owner. In the 92 SC the traditonal lexus style gauges and digital odometer readouts are a more soft white. The HVAC/Radio controls are a nice light green/almost blue color. Even though the 2001 Lexus interior might contain more gadgets, a navigation unit, and better fit/finish, I still think their overall color schemes suck compared to my 92 SC with the very light tan leather interior. Seems like you get an uglier version of two tone tan, a really ugly all white leather, dull grey, or all black(all black is pretty nice with the light wood trim) on the 01-06 Lexus LS.

 

[thebigjimsho]

I like Olive Garden?

 

[Cadillac Kid03]

I like Olive Garden?

Me too its good food on the cheap and the girls that work there are worth just eating there.

 

[Jesda]

^ From a style standpoint, I agree with you. The 01-06 Lexus LS is just downright UGGGLLY!!!!! Its not only boring, but its like they didn't even make an effort to make this car look special from the outside. That front end/headlight treatment is horrible, combined with the very UPRIGHT, slab sided middle section, and a very formal trunk line and blah rear end treatment, it just so horribly boring and under styled. Honestly I think a comparable Avalon, Lexus ES, GS, and Camry models have WAY MORE design flare than this pathetic, boring, sleezy, lazy, BAD copy of a 90's S-class benz.

And it's even more baffling and confounding because the old LS400 got so much right by comparison, even if it wasn't so exciting to drive. They regressed in almost every measurable way with the 430.

I assume much of that was remedied with the 460.

----------

I like Olive Garden?

Why pay to use someone else's microwave?

 

[orconn]

Please try the 460 and let us know.

I suspect that the engineers and designers of the senior Lexus cars were trying to design in all the attributes of what, in their minds, were the perfect Japanese wife. Super reliable (at the cost of fun and personality), inocuous looking (so as to not attract distractions from others taking her away from her wifely functions), low cost maintenance (leaving more of "salaryman's" paycheck for drinking with coworkers and other "wife not included" activities), easily approached and dismissed for fulfilling the bare necesssities of marriage. You got to hand to the Japanese, they can design what they want in a wife and a transportation "luxury" car. The "luxury" part here is the lack of need for involvement!

 

[truckinman]

I've driven an 03 430 as well, and although I don't agree to the same degree as you do, jesda, I agree for the most part. It is a very bland car to drive. I test drove one a long while back when my parents were looking to buy one. They ended up going with an 06 Avalon Limited which, IMO is nicer to some degree. It's just as fast as the LS even tho it's a 3.5 6 cyl Vs the 4.3 8 cyl in the Lexus. And better mpg. And nicer styling. For the price, there are more options for the money on the Avalon like that laser cruise. Granted the LS was available with laser cruise since 01, but for the money the Avalon is better pound for pound. And I believe there's actually more space in the interior of the Avalon.

I use to have a 98 GS400 and that was much more fun to drive than the LS. Although I'm saying that as far as a Lexus can go. Bc not long after the GS, I bought a 2003 Eclipse coupe 5-spd GTS and, although it had 90 less hp (210 on the GTS) it was a much bigger blast to drive. Yet the cost difference was substantial. I mean, in 03, the GS was still the exact same as in 98 other than adding 3 tenths to the displacement numbers. But the hp and torque didn't gain a single number by doing that. So I'm sure they weren't any more fun to drive. Hell, I believe in 01, the GS no longer had the manumatic shift anymore with the buttons on the steering wheel like my 98 had. That alone made my 98 probably more fun than the 01-05 GS430s even. Lol.

 

[MotownPimp]

Your ranting about a 10 year old car?

 

[cadillac kevin]

Your ranting about a 10 year old car?

Yes...because he is jesda and he can....

 

[orconn]

Come to think of it I don't think I have ever driven a Toyota product that was actually "fun to drive!" They all had that "appliance" like ho-humness about them that left me in search of some fun and texture in my life. The Lexus GS400 i drove was just a faster appliance!

 

[Jesda]

Your ranting about a 10 year old car?

The average age of a car on the road in America is about a decade. They aren't like iPhones that become obsolete every 8 months. Additionally, this is more about the guiding philosophies and principles behind vehicle design and engineering rather than one specific car.

----------

Come to think of it I don't think I have ever driven a Toyota product that was actually "fun to drive!" They all had that "appliance" like ho-humness about them that left me in search of some fun and texture in my life. The Lexus GS400 i drove was just a faster appliance!

I love their trucks. And then there was the MR2, Supra, Celica, and the light and lively Scion TC. And now there's the [Subaru engineered] Scion FR-S!

After years of churning out nothing but bland turds I think they're finally waking up.

 

[ted tcb]

I dunno, for eating up the miles, commuting in comfort, I really liked owning a 2004 LS430. The Mark Levinson was overhyped, crystal highs but no bass
response. The light wood interior was stunning, the self closing doors and double laminated glass delivered a very quiet ride. The seats, to me, were the most comfortable I've ever sat in on a long drive.

I agree on the instrumentation ... the glaring orange trip computer status was obnoxious.
On my 2000 LS400, it had the same problem, but Lexus chose an ugly green solid bar for the status monitor ... it was just as annoying.
Funny, the top of the line Mark Levinson stereo in the LS430 was inferior to the older Nakamichi stereo in the LS400.
I found it to be a step backwards in car audio, despite the ML's rave reviews.

I hated the exterior styling, the very thin paint, and I agree the car was boring to drive around town.
But for a luxury touring car, I really liked it. Little touches, like the extra soft leather where your fingers touch the inside of the door pull, or the little hidden
wings that catch anything dropped to the side of your seat, were appreciated.
The LS430 also had the highest headroom of any car I've ever been in. Of course, this led to the ugly high roofline and uninspired side views of the car.
I found the switchgear to be beyond reproach. Everything was well dampened and offered a tactile, sensory rewarding touch.
The real suede headliner was a nice touch.
Hated the wood/leather steering wheel. Your hands fall on the hard wood surface. Am I the only car buyer who prefers the standard leather steering wheel?

None of these things contributed towards an inspiring, canyon carving drive. But they did, for me at least, offer a relaxing way to drive long distances on
boring 16 lane highways.

I'll never own another one. Didn't love the car, but I didn't experience your level of distaste, either.

 

[77CDV]

Don't be shy, Jesda. Tell us what really think! :lol:

In my 31 years on this planet I've driven literally hundreds of cars, trucks, and SUVs from around the world. I review many of them at jesda.com. They have ranged anywhere from $110,000 to $400 to value, and I can say with confidence and certainty that this 2003 Lexus LS430 is the WORST CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. The superbly skilled engineers at Lexus and Toyota do nothing by accident, and this LS430 is the blandest, dullest, numbest, most lifeless automobile I have ever have the disprivilege of driving.

All of the soul-sucking awfulness that this car exerts is fully intentional, meant to ease the paranoid concerns of the lifeless, soulless Olive Garden-eating dullards that buy them. Its only redeeming characteristic is the unexpected power and presentation of the base Pioneer sound system that it comes equipped with.

I would rather drive a 1983 Toyota Tercel (and bear in mind, I have driven one!) than spend another moment behind the wheel of this worthless, pointless appliance. This awful, awful car deserves to be torched or dunked in the river.


EXCEPTIONS: SC400, SC300, IS-F, LFA

 

[Jesda]

I dunno, for eating up the miles, commuting in comfort, I really liked owning a 2004 LS430. The Mark Levinson was overhyped, crystal highs but no bass
response. The light wood interior was stunning, the self closing doors and double laminated glass delivered a very quiet ride. The seats, to me, were the most comfortable I've ever sat in on a long drive.

I'll never own another one. Didn't love the car, but I didn't experience your level of distaste, either.

I preferred the LS400's spring-supported seats. They were so, so pleasing on cross-country drives. I remember taking it from Tampa to NC to TN to AR and then back up to St Louis on a long road trip. The 430 is comfy but I just don't find it to be as supportive or pleasing. The 400's front seats were even comfortable enough to lay back and nap in because it was so much like a spring mattress.

I also share your sentiment on steering wheels. I'd rather have the grip and control of leather than slippery polished wood, and in the winter that wood wheel is like a piece of ice.

I could see myself enjoying an old LS400 as a travel car if one snuck up on me with an appealing price. I think they're attractive and classy while the 430 is so... blargh.

 

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

I'd rock an LS400 if I didn't live in Minnesota. Damn snow.

 

[truckinman]

I preferred the LS400's spring-supported seats. They were so, so pleasing on cross-country drives. I remember taking it from Tampa to NC to TN to AR and then back up to St Louis on a long road trip. The 430 is comfy but I just don't find it to be as supportive or pleasing. The 400's front seats were even comfortable enough to lay back and nap in because it was so much like a spring mattress.

I also share your sentiment on steering wheels. I'd rather have the grip and control of leather than slippery polished wood, and in the winter that wood wheel is like a piece of ice.

I could see myself enjoying an old LS400 as a travel car if one snuck up on me with an appealing price. I think they're attractive and classy while the 430 is so... blargh.

I agree I like the 400 more as well. Especially a 2000 ls400 in the burgundy pearl with tan leather. Sooo appealing to the eyes! And I couldn't believe the first time I rode in one. That spring supported seat was amazing. It was unbelievably comfy.

 

[Aron9000]

I'd also much rather have a 90's LS400. The styling is so much nicer, better proportioned, and has some nicely creased lines, which look good on a formal luxury sedan. They're also built like a tank, in some ways they feel better screwed together than newer model 2000+ 430's or 460's. Vs the SC300 I have, the 90's LS cars are definetly screwed together better.

 

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Those spring-supported seats are awesome! My Mercedes had them (Mercedes had it first on the W126 S-Class in the '80s, and of course, Lexus copy-catted the design) and even though they were firm, they were extremely comfortable over long trips with the utmost of support.

The LS400 seemed like one of the best built, most reliable full sized luxury sedans ever produced. I'd heard it was one of the least problematic cars of it's class ever! The initial 1990-94 models were rather bland looking inside & out, but they revised them in 96 and they got to be a bit more assertive looking, then when they redesigned them again in '98, it was really one of the best looking, best proportioned Toyotas ever!

 

[truckinman]

Those spring-supported seats are awesome! My Mercedes had them (Mercedes had it first on the W126 S-Class in the '80s, and of course, Lexus copy-catted the design) and even though they were firm, they were extremely comfortable over long trips with the utmost of support.

The LS400 seemed like one of the best built, most reliable full sized luxury sedans ever produced. I'd heard it was one of the least problematic cars of it's class ever! The initial 1990-94 models were rather bland looking inside & out, but they revised them in 96 and they got to be a bit more assertive looking, then when they redesigned them again in '98, it was really one of the best looking, best proportioned Toyotas ever!

When I bought my 98 GS400 in 2005, it was a certified pre owned Lexus at the Lexus dealer, and they said of all their years, they had never had to remove the head on any of the 400 series engines. They were that good.

 

[Stoneage_Caddy]

i just have one thing to say ...

fake exhaust tips mounted to the bumper