I love everything about this car 03 Lexus GS430 4.3 V8 .
....luxury and performance all in one...i could never get enough of this car. Good points are ultimate ml sound system, nice soft leather seats, powerful smooth v8, navi, with the hid's you can see the road like never before, ect..ect..

Can be challenging to move from stop in snowy roads. Looks like there is now LSD - limited slipping differiantial.
Radio frequency response to narrow, about 120Hz~10kHZ, especialy at highs. A little to loud at highway speeds ~ 180km/h. (wind noise) No more complaints :) Love this car. Love Lexus. If money will let - all my car will be Lexus.
Owner of GS430 2001.

Just A great car, you pay for what you get and trust me you get alot.

I find the Lexus GS400 an exceptional vehicle. I did not want to turn it in after the lease was up 2 years ago so I bought it and love it today just as much as the first day I brought it home. It has styling cues that are ahead of its time and it is very dependable...and all that power! Can't say enough, a true performance luxury sedan that puts the rest to shame.

Never thought I'd be satisfied with a Lexus having driven German for 20 years. But this car, although not as firm as its German counterparts, is great. What little you lose in handling you make up 5 fold in in quality of build and just plain "nice to drive". Near perfect commuting car and if you find an empty piece of road your can have some fun. Most comfortable seats and ergonomic controls on the market. The HID lights, sound system and nav are second to none. Just a pleasure to drive and not too bad to look at. Worth a look if you're looking in the $50K range

Have had the car for a month and love it. To my great surprise, it's as quick as my Audi S4 was, but only when I ask for it. The rest of the time, it's a superbly built luxury car equal to the Lexus marque. Trade-off is the lack off road feel that the Germans provide. The benefit is for those who have to do long daily commutes and may not want to have to "drive" their M5's or S4's the whole way every day. The power and handling is there when you ask for it, the amenities are there the rest of the time. Finally, Lexus is the ONLY car company that understands service and the art of appreciating the customer. As a company, they cannot do enough for you, and that feels great.

Got this Lexus GS430 car after my 540i was stolen, my other car is the RX330 SUV. This is one smooth power filled auto. It can kill most cars on the road. When it is in gate shift and you go to third at 120kmph, it is lighteningly fast, the beemer could not come close to it. I preferred the Beemer handling which inspite of my 16" all seasons was still razor sharp. Beemer was more of a contact car, you felt like you and the road were one, this has that slight seperation which may be part of the Lexus philosophy. All in all a fantastic car. No doubt it's reliabiltiy is way superior to BMW as is its dealer service where I feel like I am a king. Waiting for the 2005 model and then will compare it to the new 5 series.

I went out to buy a BMW540i but happened to drive the Lexus GS430 when my wife was buying an RX300. After that, the BMW seemed rather pedestrian by comparison. I still prefer the 540's classic styling proportions and the sporting flavor. In fact, I've gone back to the BMW dealer twice and almost traded in the GS430 for a new 540, but each time concluded I must have been out of my mind to even consider getting rid of the GS430. The fact is, I really like the GS430 better from almost every vantage point except styling, and I don't really dislike it, just prefer the 5-series. The 5-series (1997-2003) have a beautifully sculpted look from the windshield to the front end.

My only other complaint -- I wish the GS430 had the Formula 1 steering wheel shifters that the GS300 does, or even the BMW Steptronic transmission. If you use the GS430's gear selector and run it out hard through 2nd and 3rd gears, however, you begin to hear the 430's sweet engine notes. The acceleration from a dead stop is unbelievable, almost scary. The GS changes from Clark Kent into Superman almost instantly, and literally blows off the line -- the engine gains RPM so fast it sounds like it's on the verge of exploding. If you keep it in 1st and shift manually, it's even more impressive. So I'm finding you almost have to shift it manually to feel sporting flavor, while BWMs seem to exude it without effort.

I have owned two (2) Lexus GS 400/430's and have put nearly 60,000 miles on each car and driven them HARD. The only time I bring them in for service is for oil changes and new tires...

When this car was introduced in 1998 Motor Trend called the car "Velvet Lightning." Drive one and you will see why.

i have had 2 of these Lexus GS430 cars and they are amazing!!!!!! look out BMW, Lexus is gonna get ya!!!!!

There are only 4 BMW's which are quicker than the Lexus GS430 (all M's). A real wolf in sheeps clothing. Great value for money, you would have to add £6.5k worth of extra's to a 540 to bring it upto the same level as the lexus.

The GPS navigation on the Lexus GS430 allows you to explore alternate paths to work. My wife found a new route that takes us on back roads instead of the highway. We both take this route which is a consistant 35 minutes rain or shine. If we took the interstate, it would always take longer. In the year we have had this car, I'd say we have saved 300 hours between the both of us. So, to justify the money: 200 * $30 per hour = $6000.00 (laugh if you want). If you make more, you justify it more; if you make less, you shouldn't be buying this car.
Mechanical problems: Subwolfer went out (no, not because of playing it too loud). Bad headlight.
We are not looking at selling this car for a long time. Its a keeper.

I have the new face-lift IS200 Lexus currently, but was given the distinct pleasure of having a GS430 Sport delivered to my door by the local Lexus centre when my car was delayed prior to delivery for 2 days.

What can I say other than my father has a Merc E-430 (similar power/spec etc... but £10k more!) and even he said it was by far the best car he had ever experienced, and he is not easily impressed!

Blistering performance, superb specification (touch-screen DVD very nice), and fair economy from that big/smooth 4.3 V8 (26 mpg!)

If you are looking for a luxury car - do not even consider buying a BM, Jag, Audi or Merc until you have at least driven one of the Lexus range.

'Lexus - the relentless pursuit of perfection'?

I would say it should be - 'Lexus - Perfection obtained'!

what a great car