Lexus LS (2000 - 2006) 4.3 V8 4d Auto (Premium Pack) (2001/51) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

The car implies that I am a bloated plutocrat. What it really means, though, is that I tired of driving somewhere between 2004 and 2008 when I ran a chauffeur business, and now I just want to travel in peace, insulated from the road and all the other road users.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

They all love it (although if they didn't, I doubt if they would dare say so).

Would you buy this car again and why?

Yes, but I don't expect to need to until this one has done at least 200,000 miles. My previous favourite car was a 1986 Mercedes 560SEL that I bought in 1997. This car is effectively the next generation - It's built like the 560 (i.e. far better than the subsequent S classes).

What are you likely to buy next?

Same again, later model.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£4,000

When did you buy the car?

October 2011

Did you get a good deal and why?

At the time of purchase the Parkers value was listed as about £4,500. I paid £3950 after negotiating the price down by a few hundred pounds and getting the dealer to sort a few minor problems. I think I achieved a reasonable deal, and I don't think the dealer would have dropped much further.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

My GS300, which I had purchased new, had done over 200,000 miles and it was time to change. Having seen that the GS300 was good for that mileage and still not showing signs of age, I decided to replace it with a 100,000 mile LS430 - I wanted extra headroom (I'm quite tall) and more ostentation. It took a couple of months to find a really good LS430. This particular car had 98,000 miles on the clock, 3 previous owners and a full Lexus history.

What was the dealer like?

Nick Anderton of Little Gems Cars of Andover was friendly, respectful and helpful. He didn't rush me, and was happy for me to go for a couple of extended test drives. I would recommend Little Gems.

What's it like to drive?

You don't drive an LS430, you let it take you to your destination in perfect peace and harmony. If you feel like being a hooligan, it will burn off most other vehicles on the road, and it will even get around corners in a hurry if you insist, but it doesn't feel as though it enjoys corners particularly.

What's it like to park?

Oh, by the way, did I mention that it's BIG? It's very easy to park providing you can find a space large enough. It's too long for some parking spaces, but it's worth that small inconvenience.

Have you had any problems with the car?

There is an intermittent fault on one of the parking sensors - It's not a major issue, and I'll get it sorted at the next service.

What's most practical about your car?

It's BIG. The cabin is huge, the boot is huge - Like I said it's BIG. 5 people can travel in absolute luxury with all their luggage. .

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The Levinson sound system is staggeringly good. The only problem with it was that it couldn't take the feed from my iPhone 4, so I purchased a Vaistech unit direct from the USA (half the price of buying in the UK) and had it fitted by David Feast (info@mobileautomotivesystems.com). He did an excellent job.