Window shopping (for now)

[is200 Newbie]

Wife turned to me tonight and said she fancied an SC !! (I had showed her a picture of one a while ago when the prices seemed to be lower and she liked it)

She has a Vauxhall convertible at the moment and I have an IS 250.

My question is probably one that's been asked before. I know how reliable the Lexus brand is having owned two models over a few years but I don't know about the SC. There are a few on Autotrader and eBay which I have just looked at to get an idea of prices etc. These are all around 80 - 120k miles.

My IS is on 101k and (while not as new) I cant fault it. So my question is, what am I looking for fault wise in an SC around these miles or in general - I know there will be quite a few more moving parts that a saloon as its a convertible - would also be handy to know running costs etc, are parts readily available etc?

The ones I have seen are driven on cam belts, is that the case for the whole range? I also like to work on my cars myself as I like to know what is done is good and like to know for sure the right fluids etc go in - is it an easy car to work on?

Her annual mileage is usually around 6k and she loves her shopping !!!! so I guess boot space would matter.

 

thanks

 

[messi]

Hi well I have a 2001 Lexus sc430 that has 183000 miles. It's been to Austria a few times last year that's reason for high mileage, but having said that, it's still drives smooth and quiet like a Lexus should. They only I can think have that go wrong and that's probably ball joints and shocks but that's just down to our roads and wear and tear. 

They all have cambelt, mine was replaced last year along with the water pump. 

If you go to a website called Lexus world.com, you can get more info from there as that forum is dedicated to the sc430.

[Neil E]

Firstly, your wife clearly has excellent taste. If you like the IS, you will love driving the SC.

The SC430 is a very reliable car, the build quality is excellent and it's fun to drive. The V8 3UZ-FE engine is one of the very best, 80k to 120k would be regarded as just 'run in.'  If serviced correctly the engine is just about unbreakable.

There's no SE, SEL, F Sport, etc, they are all highly specified V8s as standard so choices are mostly about colour however there was a 'face-lift' revision in 2005 with a few extra features that add up to a worthwhile improvement. 6 speed box, AFS lights, new wheel design, etc. 

It's ideal for shopping with the roof down as it limits the amount that can be purchased in one visit to what can be placed on the back seats but being serious, the boot with the roof up, is actually only slightly smaller than that of the IS.

Expect about 26 mpg overall, less in town and more on a long cruise. When looking for a good one, check the service history and make sure that everything operates as it should. I would pay attention to all the of the usual parts that wear; brakes, suspension, tyres and exhaust. It's a big powerful, V8  but not so different to your IS chassis. Parts are easy to source and there is a healthy amount of knowledge online for repair and servicing advice. There are a few difficult jobs but overall it's a good car to work on if you're handy with a spanner.

Just one piece of advice for your wife when you discover the joys of an SC......hide the keys.

 

[Bob King]

All good advise above ...not Much to add..prices can be dictated by colour combination and wheel choice, factory wheels are best to my mind and the strong blue, red,silver colours with light interiors are the way to go.....only downside of the Ivory leather is its shows it's age yet all the black leather cars I've ever seen all look like brand new inside .

       Dark leather also mean dark headlining ...so can feel a little claustrophobic or snug , light interiors feel  ariy and maybe stay a bit cooler on the legs in the summer 

      The UK has a negative thing about high mileage cars so you could get a bargain if you go over the 100k but make sure it has Lexus service history and make sure all the big jobs have been done ....timing belt, tyres, ball joints ,shock absorbers .

 

[is200 Newbie]

On ‎02‎/‎06‎/‎2017 at 9:18 PM, messi said:

Hi well I have a 2001 Lexus sc430 that has 183000 miles. It's been to Austria a few times last year that's reason for high mileage, but having said that, it's still drives smooth and quiet like a Lexus should. They only I can think have that go wrong and that's probably ball joints and shocks but that's just down to our roads and wear and tear. 

They all have cambelt, mine was replaced last year along with the water pump. 

If you go to a website called Lexus world.com, you can get more info from there as that forum is dedicated to the sc430.

Thanks messi - will give the web site a go

On ‎03‎/‎06‎/‎2017 at 9:35 AM, Neil E said:

Firstly, your wife clearly has excellent taste. If you like the IS, you will love driving the SC.

The SC430 is a very reliable car, the build quality is excellent and it's fun to drive. The V8 3UZ-FE engine is one of the very best, 80k to 120k would be regarded as just 'run in.'  If serviced correctly the engine is just about unbreakable.

There's no SE, SEL, F Sport, etc, they are all highly specified V8s as standard so choices are mostly about colour however there was a 'face-lift' revision in 2005 with a few extra features that add up to a worthwhile improvement. 6 speed box, AFS lights, new wheel design, etc. 

It's ideal for shopping with the roof down as it limits the amount that can be purchased in one visit to what can be placed on the back seats but being serious, the boot with the roof up, is actually only slightly smaller than that of the IS.

Expect about 26 mpg overall, less in town and more on a long cruise. When looking for a good one, check the service history and make sure that everything operates as it should. I would pay attention to all the of the usual parts that wear; brakes, suspension, tyres and exhaust. It's a big powerful, V8  but not so different to your IS chassis. Parts are easy to source and there is a healthy amount of knowledge online for repair and servicing advice. There are a few difficult jobs but overall it's a good car to work on if you're handy with a spanner.

Just one piece of advice for your wife when you discover the joys of an SC......hide the keys.

 

She likes shopping ... good point   -  think I will keep the spare key on my key ring

1 hour ago, Bob King said:

All good advise above ...not Much to add..prices can be dictated by colour combination and wheel choice, factory wheels are best to my mind and the strong blue, red,silver colours with light interiors are the way to go.....only downside of the Ivory leather is its shows it's age yet all the black leather cars I've ever seen all look like brand new inside .

       Dark leather also mean dark headlining ...so can feel a little claustrophobic or snug , light interiors feel  ariy and maybe stay a bit cooler on the legs in the summer 

      The UK has a negative thing about high mileage cars so you could get a bargain if you go over the 100k but make sure it has Lexus service history and make sure all the big jobs have been done ....timing belt, tyres, ball joints ,shock absorbers .

 

I have the dark leather in my IS and it does not show wear easily and always cleans up well. The couple I were looking at had ivory leather and to be honest it did look a bit tired.

 

Thanks guys - all good points - I will carry on looking cheers

[Simonkent]

Hi

I may be looking to sell my SC430 - it is a 54 reg silver with black leather and 77K. All Lexus main dealer history , ridiculously over serviced by age rather than mileage so 11 main dealer stamps , last one being last month where it had brand new full exhaust system at Lexus and service costing over £1500.

Car is superb and has the latest style alloys which are unmarked , the car is in superb order throughout

Let me know if interested and can let you have any details

Thanks

Simon