Lexus SC430 - any owners here?

[jhonn]

I'm in the market for a two-seater for me to spirit Mrs Mac off for enjoyable w/e breaks in the country. I'm not wanting anything overly 'sporty' or harsh-riding, and as I've always had a soft spot for the SC430 have been researching these.
I know that they've been slated (Worst car in the world evah' - Clarkson) - however there's a lot to like and in certain colours I think that they look pretty damn good.

Now, Lexus quality is legendary and is one of the main reasons that I'm considering one - however as I've being doing my research I've come across a couple of issues that seem to have caused a number of owners grief. I know that the internet is going to throw up mostly negative information, but the volume of posts and the difficulty and cost of resolution is giving me pause.

Anyhow, if any of you out there have first-hand ownership experience I'd love to hear from you.

Concerns are..
Battery drain rendering the car non-startable after just a few days (lots of reports of parasitic drain to unknown electrical components).

Issues with the Mark Levinson amp failing (up to £1500 fix apparently! could be linked to the above?).

I've had a look through the search function here but am looking for more up-to-date info.

Thanks!

[jhonn]

Oh well, you've all had your chance, now you're too late because.... I've just gone and bought it! (Put a deposit down anyway)

So... I'm still interested in hearing from any owners - if nothing else it'll help prevent (or start!) any buyers remorse.

If you don't know anything about the SC then feel free to slag off my non-PH choice of car, the more the merrier, it'll help keep it on page 1.

Cheers!

This the beastie - pic's from the dealers site..





(Sorry - you probably need to click on them to show)

[jhonn]

Well, thanks all for your positive comments and well-wishes - quite unexpected I must say - I thought I may get a couple of, 'You've bought WHAT??!! LOL', 'Ah, Stevie Wonder's ex-car' etc.

I agree that the looks are polarising - a lot of people think they're just plain ugly - I prefer to think of them as 'distinctive'. Being analytical, it seems to have a bit of, 'Offspring of Ford Scorpio and Audi TT mixed marriage' look going on. Some colours suit them better than others - anyway, sufficient to say that I like the way it looks and I'm really looking forward to getting acquainted with the interior. I get the feeling (and am hoping) that it's going to have a bit of a sense of occasion going on. Either that, or I'm quickly going to be cursing myself for being stupid enough to buy something with a cream interior - 'WTF was I thinking???'

I looked at lots of other options (Merc, BMW, etc) and pretty much without exception the interiors left me uninspired; the only possible exception was the latest TT, but it's still a bit pricy.

So... if issues arise I'm going to deal with them, I won't have the car until probably the first week in October, but will try and keep this thread updated as my joy (or despondency) grows.

Cheers!

[jhonn]

Maracus said:

OP - How was buying from there?

They aren't far from me and always have some decent stock.

Well, only telephone interactions so far, but all good; the salesman Wayne that I spoke to didn't try and bullst me when I asked him a load of very specific questions about the car (i.e. type of TPMS in use, etc) - he did go out to the car, checked it out, took extra photos and mailed me promptly the next day.

Gave me enough confidence to enquire about putting a deposit down - I got sufficient assurance if not seen as described when I go down that'll I'll get my deposit back.

They do have some lovely cars in stock - apart from a classic 911 I think that the Lexus must be the oldest (and cheapest!) car there.

[jhonn]

Thanks! I'm really looking forward to experiencing a V8 again! (the last one that I had was a big Rover lump and wasn't very sophisticated).

I've heard good reports about the Lexus engine - not very highly powered as engines go these days(288bhp), but creamy smooth and reliable with it. I think it will suit the car (and me) just fine.

[jhonn]

Erudite geezer said:

Do not wish to insult existing SC430 owners, and am happy to be corrected, but was this car not universally lambasted by mainstream British motoring journalists on launch?

Aye, I believe it was - Clarkson and others gave it the kiss of death when they proclaimed it the 'Worst car in the world'. Obviously it isn't, though some of their criticisms of the dynamics of the earlier cars were warranted - poor suspension set-up and run flat tyres gave a poor ride.
Post 2006 they changed the suspension and the gearbox and seemingly it improved the car - it's not set-up a sports car which I'm quite happy about - It's bought now, so I'm looking forward to finding out in a few weeks!

[jhonn]

Tryke3 said:

Biggest gripe is that the car is not settled on our roads, it drove me crazy on how difficult it was to drive

Mercedes is much better

I cant recommend this car and i think you will want to get rid asap once you buy it

Thanks for your feedback - it's good (I think!) to hear from an owner.

Some of what you've said is not a surprise, well apart from the bit about rotten eggs - haven't heard that before.

Can I ask what year your car was? If it was pre-2006 that might account for the poor ride. I've heard that it doesn't flex as much with the roof up; I've got relatively low expectations, so I shouldn't be too disappointed!

Objectively and measurably the Merc probably is better, however they just don't inspire me.