2005 Lexus LS430 Ultra Luxury Review - Built Like A Tank, Drives Like A Cloud!

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The thoughts, feelings, and opinions expressed in this video are the sole thoughts of Zack and no one else. The thoughts expressed in this video do not reflect the owner, dealership, or organization that owns the vehicle featured. The purpose of this video is to provide entertainment with the hope that you will take what you see and formulate your own opinions. DO NOT make a financial decision based off of this video.
#Lexus #LS430

Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
1:16 - Drivetrain
3:01 - Interior
6:09 - BFB Test
6:31 - Interior
6:54 - Back Seats
8:39 - Trunk / Cargo Space
9:26 - Exterior
9:49 - Final Thoughts
13:00 - Outro

[@TheCarCareNut]

Beautiful car! And one of the last unbelievably over built Lexus sedans. 631,000 miles and counting here. Runs like a dream with a sprinkle of nightmares here and there 😂

[@rayh91]

I'm thinking oscillating air vents would be a disaster in most cars. Here an almost 20 year old, 300k miles LS430 with everything working. That's impressive.

[@davidp2888]

I had a 2007 ES 350 that I inherited from my parents, they bought it new. It was a great car, never had any problems and was very solid and reliable.

[@boogitybear2283]

That car will last you at least another 15 years since it was made.

[@gsczr1]

I own a 03 LS430 Ultra with 54 k on the clock. I could make the argument that it's probably one of the best cars ever made regardless of price. No stone was left un-turn when Lexus was developing this third generation. I also think that the LS430 was the last Lexus that took direct aim at it's Germany rivals and beat them at there own game. The 3UZ-FE V8 is so good it was certified for light aircraft use. Even though my car is now considered a Classic it's technology has held up well. For example it was the first car to offer active cruise control in the US. it's also pretty quick. Even though the transmission upshifts as fast as possible, if you give it the beans it will do 0-60 in the low six second range and because it's coefficient is 0.25 it's top speed is over 160 mph. To put things in perspective, the Tesla Model S has a coefficient of, 0.24 and it's 20 years newer. Anyway, if you can find one, buy it. Cheers!!!

[@wilsonhung8654]

Great ride. But I am thinking about sending my 2006 LS430 UL to the junk yard now. Very sad, but this makes more economic sense here in Taiwan. First of all, the car cost about USD 120,000 in Taiwan back in 2006 when I bought new. With ONLY 240k kilometers (not miles), its transmission has just started to malfunction last week. The transmission is stuck in the 3rd gear I guess. So it would not be practical or comfortable to take it on expressways or highways. The VSC and check engine lights have been also illuminated all the way. All and all, it will not make sense to spend at least thousands of dollars to fix the transmission alone for a car with minimal residual value. The engine though, is still very efficient and powerful. All the amenity functions also work well. What a shame, I need to go to my garage now to take a look at it again. This Lexus has accompanied my family for 17 years already. Together, we have been through everything ~ from the birth of my daughter to her high school years now. No any new car down the road can provide such memories.

[@jacobmontes5000]

i’m looking at a 2005 ls430 black on black ML with 94k miles guy is asking 13,000k is that a fair deal?

[@davinp]

As a mechanic said, these cars are overbuilt. They are very reliable. Lexus is the most reliable luxury brand - more reliable than German luxury cars

[@retrocompaq5212]

im a mechanic, 00 japaneese cars are just gold badged cheap cars, its not overbuilt since their transmissions are weak as fuck and the engines are way underpowered

[@kubap7398]

@@retrocompaq5212 Transmissions are solid, the only problem I've ever experienced is the old 5 speeds hate the cold and refuse to shift until they're warmed up a bit.

[@gavinr9107]

@@retrocompaq5212 If the transmission is so weak then why is it still performing fine after 18 years? The Mercedes S430 it was competing with has an almost identical power output. How is that underpowered. As a mechanic - then what would you say is better engineered and more reliable luxury car from 2005? What do you drive?

[@nativeoutdoors1780]

​@@gavinr9107i mean hes not wrong, toyota always makes underpowered cars, underpowered is synonimous with overbuilt. But toyota on their trucks are now venturing into high output engines and they are failing, not good, many issues. So toyotas products are good but so are old american cars since they were also underpowered

[@joe6096]

@@retrocompaq5212Who ever bought a premium luxury car with the intention of winning a drag race to begin with? There’s plenty of power required for daily driving.

[@faheemabbas3965]

A shame that the newer Lexuses will never be as reliable ever again. And now the LS might get discontinued.

[@joey86bu1]

If this was a GM product it would be on it's 2nd engine and 3rd transmission.

[@retrocompaq5212]

never blew a gm engine but i replaced ton of shitty toyota transmission, especially those garbages, people dont know shit about cars, no wonder why lexus is still the most stolen vehicle, its because people needs parts, transmissions are like 12k$ used

[@bwofficial1776]

@@retrocompaq5212 I suppose it depends on the country. In the US, Honda Civics and Accords, pickup trucks, and full-size SUVs are the most-stolen vehicles which also correlates with the best-selling list. Hyundais and Kias may be creeping up on that most-stolen list because of how easy it is to steal some models.

[@joey86bu1]

@@retrocompaq5212 Cool story I guess reliability ratings lie and thieves steal products that aren't worth anything. Great input, thanks for taking time away from your pride parade to comment.

[@Jazc-mp889]

@@retrocompaq5212 LMAO you have to be joking and projecting.

[@zakmoon7065]

Proud Lexus owner here! and I can say that nothing beats the quality build and long term performance of my 2005 ES330!!! Amazing

[@JustOneMoreWatch]

Nice video mate. LEVINSON, LEVINSON 😂. I have this model, but Aussie spec, so no air suspension. Awesome car, smooth, fast, quiet, reliable, comfortable, spacious, and more economical than you might think given the size of the engine. I've had it 3.5 years now, done all the preventative maintenance stuff (belt and pump and seals) and I'm settling in to a decade of affordable luxury motoring. You are right about pre-GFC Japan representing a peak in build quality. 18 years old and everything still works.

[@deiveonmartinsen1831]

JOMW & Shooting Cars crossover. My favorite channels!

[@The_gear_head_]

300k miles and it only needed two things replaced and the importance of one of those could be debated wow

[@dave11686]

If the Japanese built Cadillacs, this is what they would build

[@BrainFuck10]

No, the Toyota Century is more like a Cadillac than this. This is the Japanese S Class Mercedes because the looks are more conservative.

[@retrocompaq5212]

but lexus is american and cadillac makes fun to drive cars, lexus makes caskets

[@dave11686]

@@retrocompaq5212 I’m sorry what

[@bwofficial1776]

@@retrocompaq5212 Many people want, as you say, caskets. Not everyone cares about having a car that's fun to drive, they care more about being able to get from point A to point B in comfort with a minimum of issues. Lexus's materials and build quality are far above GM's. Lexus is not American either. Capitalize American and show some respect for the greatest country in the world.

[@lordbrennanofsealand5772]

The Japanese would be more respectful of the brand Cadillac than GM ever have, guilty of slapping the badge on any mediocre POS for 40 years when the brand last had any hint of cache. Dam shame.

[@joeseeking3572]

Totally viable alternative to the then current S Class. At the time I probably wouldn't have admitted that - if you spent the extra $$ you damn well told yourself it was worth it (maybe, the LS 430 Ultra was about 60k new (yes that's it, I have the price book), and the Merc S500 was 76k base plus you needed a couple thousand in options to equal LS specs) Twenty two hundred - damn! Sign me up.

[@bwofficial1776]

It may be 9/10s as nice as an S-Class or 7-Series but it's outlasted 9/10s of those cars. It may not be the most exciting car but that's part of the appeal. It just works without any drama.

[@familycruisin7531]

ANOTHER UL? Love these cars!

[@RyGuy900The2nd]

$2200 for a Lexus LS430 is insane. I'd kill for a deal like that.

[@mulamadison599]

just found a 03 with 197k miles for 2,500 in NYC, navy blue exterior tan interior

[@loransjo5382]

IN JORDAN $10,000

[@jacobmontes5000]

i’m looking at a 2005 ls430 black on black ML with 94k miles asking 13,000 fair deal or overpriced? i want it

[@johndavidson1010]

We own a 2004 LS430 UL with 90,000 miles. Replaced one air shock and that’s all. Our car has air conditioned front seats. It is also equipped with radar cruse control. It works flawlessly . Thanks for the video.

[@10cpaul]

It’s crazy all the little motors that are in this vehicle the crazy one is the seatbelt and it’s still works

[@mark.namoco]

Those look timeless

[@jenniferh725]

some interesting info about the fans! According to experience and the manual, those fans will point directed air towards areas of the car that differ from the desired temperature. If there is a passenger, the vent will move to point at them. Once they leave the seat, it moves back to the driver. The car is also supposed to automatically switch to circulate interior cabin air when it detects contaminants, but mine doesn't seem to do that.

[@getdealtwithquick]

So one thing I would miss in this over my E38 are the sport comfort seats with the added adjustability half way up the back rest. Soft close and seat ventilation makes up for somewhat but that is one feature that really makes a difference on longer drives especially.

[@bazilwreckerloughead]

My sister used to have one of these, she loved it.

[@DrCharlesMontague]

Love my LS430 “Modern Luxury” edition (model with nav, Levinson sound, front and rear heated seats, front ventilated seats, and devoid of complex air suspension, self-closing doors, and other ultra frivolous items). Although these cars are very well-made and last forever, they are NOT necessarily cheap to run. They are reasonable to run *in their class*, but doing the timing belt properly will cost quite a bit, replacing even standard struts/shocks will be pricey, the steering wheel tilt motor fails, the xenon headlight bulbs go out, the LED tail lights gradually flake out, the oxygen sensors fail, the door lock actuators fail, the speakers and subwoofer all lose their foam surrounds and require re-foaming, and they’re not exactly economy cars on gas. Lexus dealerships are also SMUG and act like it’s unreasonable for you to expect a reasonable price on something in the service center (I was quoted $960 for rear brake pads and rotors at my local dealer, which is more than any brake work estimate I’ve gotten even from Mercedes, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Audi over the years). There is also an issue where the PCM can develop an issue that causes hard shifting, which can fortunately be repaired even preventively. Tires are also expensive on the 18” wheels like the one in the video has (mine has those, but in polished silver and not chrome). All of that being said, I love mine and I’m fine with the maintenance since it feels worthwhile and the car is so rewarding to drive. I only list the issues and maintenance so maybe people won’t buy one thinking it’s a Corolla and destroy one of these fine vehicles if they aren’t equipped to maintain them properly.

[@Nathan_Jay]

Another LS! My second favorite, the 04-06 LS430UL!

[@iheartgs400]

Great cars indeed i feel there getting way overhyped af now. You still need to keep in mind refreshing the suspension and having solid budget for maintenance is key for the LS’s too many cheap out on this. Get it if you got the $ for maintenance otherwise the IS/GS will serve you for lesser $ in overall maintenance costs.

[@DissonanceEngineer]

I've heard whatever air ride suspension you could get was an expensive fix, but not much else. What should people be budgeting for it maintenance wise?

[@retrocompaq5212]

weak transmission, garbage underpowered engine, interior feels same than a camry, lexus always been overhyped

[@gavinr9107]

@@retrocompaq5212 - have you ever owned a Lexus? What you are saying is complete bull$hit. That engine is one of the most reliable in existence. The interior is far superior to a Camry. Lexus is not overhyped, it is recognised as the most reliable luxury vehicle manufacturer in the world. Always a troll in the comments...

[@woe.num.1]

@@retrocompaq5212I can tell you’ve never been inside an ls430. The engine is not underpowered at all, max torque is at 3500 rpm (320 lb-feet) and a very smooth transmission and engine. The interior is very high quality with not a single piece of plastic exposed! Not to mention every luxury feature you could think of. This guy covered about a third of it features. Not to mention it’s as reliable as it gets. A true car above cars. There’s really nothing in its class that can compete with it. I can go on and on about the ls430!

[@mrgodspeed]

​@@retrocompaq5212delusional take

[@gsanchez711]

My 04 has 317xxx and drives super smooth going strong

[@n1khera]

oh yes, that's what I needed 💪

[@ClassicXL86]

I have a 2017 Ls460 (last year with the nearly 390hp V8) but i love the Ls430s just as much and would love to own a mint 2004-2006 in white with those wheels .

[@santaanaroadwildman3614]

Crazy. Over 300k and it looks brand new!

[@FTRVDenny]

I just made keys for one of those today where the owner lost all keys. A bit tricky to program as there are 2 different transponders available for them. It looked to be a pearl white color.

[@Orangematz]

Yes, these were one of the first Lexuses with proximity lock and unlock with the key fob. It's amazing how many modern features this generation of LS had.

[@riccosmooth481]

Best Luxury Bargain Today. Better Believe It.

[@davinp]

Wow I didn't know adpative/radar cruise control existed back in 2005. All Toyota's have it now as it is part of the safety sense suite introduced in 2017

[@Nathan_Jay]

Toyota had it back as early as 1995 (Crown Majesta). Pretty nuts

[@supreme2005]

The different wood between the steering wheel and everything else drives me crazy

[@JDYTC]

Great video! Do you have a link to Jacob’s channel? 10:27

[@TheGeorgiaMediaGroup]

Great cars

[@ubiased23]

I love the Lexus Ls430, and I believe this is the prime Lexus when it comes down to quality. I have one question for about the ultra luxury trim. I know the Lexus LS430 UL trims comes with automatic air suspension. How reliable is the air suspension?

[@amandaburleson2035]

trash. most replace them with coilovers. but double pane windows is nice

[@joe6096]

When Toyota brought out the original Lexus LS400 in ‘89 it turned the premium luxury market on its head. Previously it was just acceptable for high end cars to require lots of maintenance and expensive repairs. The theory was the people who own them could afford it so it’s no big deal. Then this hit the market. Precise and consistent panel gaps. High quality materials. Silky smooth, silent engines……. And could go forever with minimal maintenance. They forced Mercedes and BMW back to the drawing board and made Cadillac completely obsolete.

[@tleoipl37]

430k on my 2006 Avalon daily😎 check it out on the channel and I love Lexus toyota

[@bigguy43055]

207k on my 2005 Avalon still goin strong! Lexus and Toyota forever

[@samukahtviv1]

430k?! That’s awesome. I seen a guy on here that had over 600k same generationavalon. Are you on original motor & transmission? My 07avalon transmission at 230k is acting up and not shifting correctly at times especially while warmed up / cold. Not sure if I will have to replace in near future. is it even worth a Toyota reman?

[@tleoipl37]

@@samukahtviv1 yes all original and my trans only slips on low speeds but no problem otherwise

[@HoagMurkula]

😢 my fav car Ive ever owned. Too bad mines sitting in a field now. Dang trunk fire

[@file.name.420]

How come you’ve never mentioned the Mitsubishi Lancer??

[@jordanbloomfield]

I want this car 🤤

[@ooalawioo]

in UAE we still love this car and buy it , it costs around 10k$

[@ChefS.Keller]

Do a 5th gen es350

[@OscarSegundo]

99 GS400 owner here and I'm at 220k

[@DangerDucking]

So uh....it's a soft close trunk...no need to slam :D

[@thejaredev]

Take a shot everytime he says, Ultra Luxury 😂

[@KokohG4UL]

Toyota + Benz = Lexus

[@paulm6481]

Why does wood on steering wheel look different in color than wood in rest of car?

[@davidm2938]

It gets sun damaged happens to all of them.

[@Mabeylater293]

Like that since new on all of them. Must be on purpose unfortunately.

[@TheGeorgiaMediaGroup]

Car was taken care of

[@koolkev75]

Air filter to get rid of swamp ass in the summers lol 😂

[@650jay5]

Do the ls460

[@abhinavmj1613]

Man I have been wanting to buy one of these for almost 15 years now but I don't have enough money to buy even peanuts.

[@bennettsunder7376]

3:32 I assume you mean LIDAR here...

[@TassieLorenzo]

This *or* a Lincoln Town Car, which would you pick? 🤔

[@spacecowboy3456]

I have the same question

[@fabianschmidt7755]

9:22 Why you slam the trunk so hard? It has soft-close, man!

[@sputumtube]

Just to be clear then - do you like it or not?

[@samfitBlrrrd]

love the old lexus'es. But if youre honest, the extirior is just so heavily copied from mercedes. Kinda disappointing that they didn't came up with their own designs.

[@onlyrog5]

22 gallon gas tank.

[@Vlad6525]

1997 ES300…

[@ganelon76]

This is a used car I always tell parents to get their teen.

[@damilolaakanni]

While these are great cars, I wouldn't really recommend it to a teen driver, except their parents are going to cover the maintenance (which includes filling the fuel tank, these are gas guzzlers obviously) and insurance for this car. I'd steer them towards an ES from the time (300, 330) instead. You'll lose the V8, but it's going to be easier on the wallet.

[@Orangematz]

​@@damilolaakannithis I agree with. While the powertrain and transmission are often flawless with these vehicles, as they are 20 years old, they do still have problems. And being a top end luxury car, they are not always cheap to fix. Cheaper than Audi and BMW, sure. But still not cheap.

[@cyrilmatthew2995]

Looks terrible

[@Clamjammer]

You have 0 taste

[@bwofficial1776]

It's the inside that matters. It's comfortable and built to last. If you're the kind of person who wants everyone to know what kind of person you are, an S-Class or 7-Series is your car.

[@cyrilmatthew2995]

@@bwofficial1776 I don't know why we can't state an opinion without being judged ... Reliability of Lexus earlier vehicles is even known by kids ... Look at the OG one ... That was the perfect design ...this sucks ... Period ..accept that .. I can say Audi A8 that's understated, even the 7 series if this era wasn't a showy vehicle ... No matter how bad the Europeans are in terms of reliability..blending ultra luxury with performance is something that LS if these generation could deliver ....

[@joer1678]

Looks are up to the individual. I personally think it looks great for a luxury sedan

[@bitemyshinnymetalass1569]

Would love to find one with the ultra luxury package. 😊