LS 430 Still Timeless After 20 Years, Over 100K Miles
Despite being built at the turn of the millennium, 2001 LS 430 still has it, offers some features still not available anywhere else.
A lot happened at the turn of the millennium. AOL bought Time Warner. Sydney, Australia hosted the first Summer Olympics of the 2000s. And Lexus revealed the third-gen LS, the LS 430, in Detroit as a 2001 model. The flagship sedan received a ton of new features, from lidar cruise control, to the strong 3UZ-FE 4.3-liter V8. Not to mention a new look that was a huge departure from the previous two generations of the LS.
Twenty years later, the 2001 LS 430 still holds up. Zack Pradel of Shooting Cars recently reviewed one such example with over 100,000 miles on the V8 and five-speed automatic. Though it may have come from the time of hanging chads, the third-gen LS is timeless, and then some.
“I’m super-excited to be driving this here LS 430 for two main reasons,” said Pradel. “First of all, you, as well as I, love LS 430s ( and the LS 400s, for that matter) […] The second reason, and the more important reason why I’m excited to drive this car is because it is the UL, which stands for ‘Ultra Luxury.’ This car has all of the bells and whistles.”
Aside from the smooth gallop the 290 horses and their combined 320 lb-ft deliver to the rear, the 3UZ-FE also brings an average of 18.3 mpg to any given road trip. Meanwhile, the analog gauges still look modern with their near-digital appearance, while a newer infotainment system doesn’t look out of place in its home. The HVAC system includes oscillating vents, a feature still not available today on most cars. And because this LS 430 is the UL version, it has reclining rear seats with massage and radio controls.
“Now, we gotta talk about the looks,” said Pradel. “And the looks are very understated. I like this sort of ‘stealth wealth’ approach, because this is a very highly equipped car. This car almost as James Bond-level gadgets inside of it. Yet, it won’t stir the crowd.”
Though Pradel adds that the LS 430 “looks like a blobby Toyota Avalon,” it shouldn’t be taken as an insult. Rather, this LS is for those who don’t want prying eyes upon them, whether they’re a CEO or someone who just values their privacy bar none.
“I think this is one of the best purchases you can make,” said Pradel. “First of all, this car is 105,000 miles, but it is barely broken in […] This car was modern 20 years ago, which is just so crazy to think about.”
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