2001 Lexus LS430 "Ultra Luxury" Sedan 4-Door 4.3L LOADED BIG PICS AND CARFAX!

Starting price for the LS 430 is $54,005, while a maxed-out, top of the line car containing every available option will cost $67,775. They hit the showrooms on October 12, 2000.

This car is loaded with standard features for that starting price, including: a larger 4.3 liter engine that offers increased performance and "Ultra Low Emission Vehicle" (ULEV) certification, more interior room, standard in-dash single-feed six-disk CD changer, Automatic Rain Sensing Windshield Wipers, 14-way power driver's seat with 3 position memory, 10-way power front passenger's seat, Vehicle Skid Control (VSC) with Brake Assist and Traction Control. Of coursethe normal complement of luxury car features are all here such as Dual Zone Automatic Air conditioning, Leather and Wood interiors, front and side air bags; as well as, side front and rear Curtain Air Bags.

Sculpted exterior sheet metalproduces the most aerodynamic production sedan in the world, which allows Lexus to virtually eliminate wind noise, making this one of the quietest cars on the road.

The option list is almost $14,000 worth of extra cost equipment available for this already well-equipped yacht. These options include: an Ultra Luxury package containing: heated andcooledfront seats, Dynamic Laser Cruise Control (which will automatically slow you down if you get too close to the car up front), power seats with memory, heat and massage for therear seats, rear air conditioner with air filtration, rear radio controls, laminated water repellent side glass, power door closers (if you don't close the door hard enough, it will suck it closed the rest of the way), Mark Levinson Audio System (He designs home audio systems that start at $100,000), Intuitive Parking Assist (beeps when you are getting too close to something or someone while parking) and a power rear sunshade and manual side shades. (by the way, this is not a complete list)

Walking around the car, the fit and finish is flawless as we have come to expect of Lexus. The Mercedes-look styling seems a bit conservative and unimaginative, but it is tastefully done and it does make a statement. The interior, however is where this car shines. Lexus always puts a great deal of emphasis on ergonomics and this new model is no exception.The placement of the individual temperature controls for the driver and passenger are clearly marked and mounted on either side of the center pod within easy reach.

Sitting in the 14-way power driver's seat, the controls are logically grouped on the side of the seat.

For better handling, Lexus has introducing the Euro-Tuned Sport Suspension which gives this car a German Touring Car personality. The ride is stiffer than with the standard suspension but not uncomfortable. The steering feels not quite as accurate as a BMW, but it's close. Handling is quite good. The Sport Suspension is a no-charge option and must be ordered with 17" wheels and tires (a $100 option).

The Air Suspension system is an amazing piece of technology that comes bundled with the Ultra Luxury Package ($12,290). This system will give you a super-soft ride or a sport ride at the flick of a switch. However, if the system senses that you are driving aggressively, or performing emergency maneuvers, it will instantly tighten up on its own as needed. There is another switch that will lift the car up an inch or so for added ground clearance on bad roads. The same system will drop the car down about an inch at highway speed for improved aerodynamics.

The ride is soft and smooth on any road surface, but it also handles very competently. Two characteristics that are usually mutually exclusive. On the highway, the LS 430 has all the power you could want. Lexus claims a 0 to 60 time of 6.3 seconds which is quick enough to chomp at the heels of a Corvette.

The optional Dynamic Laser Cruise Control system which monitors the road ahead and adapts your speed to stay with the traffic flow. It does this by using a laser beam to scan the traffic up ahead and when it sees a car in front of you that is going slower than you are, the system adapts your speed accordingly. To test this feature, accelerate to 70 MPH and set the cruise control.Then, when approaching a slower vehicle, the system begins to react. The car immediately starts slowing down, first by releasing the throttle, then by shifting to a lower gear, finally by applying the brakes if necessary. At the same time as the system applied the brakes, a rapid, impatient beeping sound emanated from the dash, notifying the driver to take control.

The brakes are powerful and easy to control with a good pedal feel. Anti-lock is there if you are foolish enough to test the limits of this car in the rain and Brake Assist helps you to get maximum stopping power in an emergency stop by sensing that your intention was to make a panic stop but you didn't step hard enough on the brake pedal to activate the anti-lock system on all four wheels.

The Ultra Package also has rain-sensing windshield wipers. The sensor for the system is just above the inside rearview mirror and activated the wipers as soon as a few sprinkles hit the glass. In a light drizzle, the system works in intermittent mode, only taking a sweep when necessary. As the rain intensifies, the wipers will keep up with the demand until they were on continuously.

The trunk is 33% larger than the previous model due to the fact that the gas tank was moved from the back of the trunk to below the rear seat. There is a pull-down handle for the trunk lid and a glow- in-the-dark emergency release handle inside the trunk to prevent someone from being trapped. The trunk contains a full-size spare tire and the usual Lexus Tool Kit. In addition to the electric trunk release, there is a power trunk closer which means that you simply pull the lid down until it clicks and the motor will pull it closed the rest of the way eliminating the need to slam it shut.

Headlights are automatic on/off High Intensity Discharge (HID) units with an auto level feature. The auto level system insures that the headlights are always properly aimed regardless of the load in the vehicle.The outside rearview mirrors tilt down when you put the car in reverse so you can see the curb before you hit it. The outside mirrors are also auto-dimming and heated

There are some cool features on the climate control system, like a smog sensor that will automatically switch from fresh air to recirculate when the outside air is bad. There is also a temperature and sun sensing swing air register that automatically directs airflow where it is needed most. Temperature is adjusted individually for the driver and front seat passenger by controls mounted on either side of the central pod. At the top of the pod is a display showing the two temperature settings as well as the time and the outside temperature.

The Vehicle Skid Control (VSC) system uses the anti-lock brake and traction control sensors, actuators and computer electronics to help avoid and correct vehicle skids and spins caused by over-zealous drivers. It accomplishes this magic by cutting the throttle and applying the brakes on one or more wheels to bring the car back under control. In effect, it makes bad drivers look good and good drivers look great.

Throttle Control is essentially "Drive by Wire", which means that the gas pedal is an electrical switch that controls an electric motor that, in turn, controls the throttle. The net effect is that the car responds exactly the way you expect it to. Give it an inch of throttle and you receive the same level of thrust whether you are going up a hill or you are driving on level ground.

So far, everything that we talked about with the exception of the Dynamic Laser Cruise Control comes as standard equipment on the base model. Now, let's take a look at some of the features in the Ultra Luxury Package. We'll start with the Navigation System which is also available in a separate package. This system uses a DVD disk to hold every street in the United States as well as points of interest such as gas stations, restaurants, parks, ATM's and hotels. If you see a hotel of interest, touch the screen and the built-in cell phone will dial it up so you can see if any rooms are available. Lexus chose a DVD-based system because a DVD disk can hold 10 to 15 times as much information as a CD-ROM disk and is just as easy to handle. When new data becomes available, just pop the old disk out and pop the new one in. Speech recognition is part of this system and can control many features without your getting distracted by searching for buttons.

Another feature of the Ultra Luxury Package is the Climate Controlled Seatstm. The CCS system monitors temperature sensors in the seat, warming or cooling them as required, then circulating the heated or cooled air through the perforations in the leather. The heart of the system is a solid-state Thermoelectric Device that converts electrical current into thermal effect. When electric current is applied to this device, one side gets hot and the other side gets cold. Reversing polarity reverses the effect.

The best part of the Ultra Luxury Package, however, is the back seat. Pull the center armrest down and you are greeted with a control panel that contains a number of interesting features. Let's start with the power rear seats. As the cushion moves forward, the seatback reclines. There is a two position memory for each rear seat (not to mention the front passenger seat.) There is also a heat button and a massage button for each rear seat. The panel contains a complete climate control system for the rear passenger area that is separate from the front system and has its own filtration system. Finally, the rear console has radio controls for volume and station selection. Inside the armrest is a small glove compartment and two cup holders. Behind the armrest, there is a door that leads to a beverage cooler that has enough room to hold a six-pack. There is a power-operated sun shade that pops up from the package shelf to shade the rear window. This shade automatically retracts as soon as the driver puts the car in reverse. The rear doors also have shades that are manually operated and cover the door glass with a separate shade for the vent window.

Lexus LS-430 RearSpecifications

Lexus LS-430 Rear Wheel Drive Premium Luxury Sedan

Major Available Options

• Euro-tuned Sport Suspension
• Upgraded Tire Package with 17 Inch Wheels
• Chrome Wheels
• Power Tilt and Slide Moonroof
• Heated Front and Rear Seats
• Mark Levinson Audio Package
• Navigation System Package
• Lexus Link (Includes One Year of Service)
• Interior Upgrade Package with Black or Bordeaux Semi Aniline Leather Trim
• Interior Upgrade Package with Ecru Nappa Leather Trim
• Ultra Luxury Selection includes Mark Levinson Audio, Navigation System, Lexus Link including One Year of Service, Power Moonroof, Dynamic Laser Cruise Control, Air Suspension with AVS, Laminated Side Glass, Power Rear Sunshade and Manual Rear Door Sunshades, Intuitive Parking Assist, Power Heated Rear Seats with Memory and Massage Feature, Front Climate-Controlled Seats with Heat and Cool Knob, Rear Air Conditioner and Air Filtration System, Headlamp Washers, Rear SeatRefrigerator and Power Door Closers.