Hi Guys,

Need a little compromise with the S, I need a car with 4 Seat albeit 2 small ones (for the kids), so I am really after a 2+2. And I really love the feel of driving a roadster so it needs to be a convertible. I came across the SC430 and it seems to tick most of my boxes.
Have any of you guys had a play with one and if so what did you think.
Or if you have any alternative let me know. Budget

 

It's a rebadged JDM Toyota Soarer.

Nice and luxuary, but nothing special in the handling stakes (run flat tyres don't help).

Looked weird (in a bad way) when it came out, and time hasn't improved it at all in my eyes.

 

Awful.

My ex's uncle bought one new. I'd just got my second S2000 and he was desperate to show me his new car.

I took his, he took mine for a drive.

Soggy, vague, slow (for the size of engine), ugly. A really bad car.

Honestly, if you need 4 seats and a convertible, buy a BMW, Saab or an Audi. Seriously the Lexus is that bad.

 

I've never driven one and, by all accounts, I should never want to

Not a fan of the look seither.

Not many about I suppose...

Surely you could stretch to an M3?

I know they're on every second driveway down your neck of the woods but it's got to be a better bet. No?

 

Do you need a roof down car? If so M3 is just in price range but it'll be higher miles but my mate just picked up an Alpina B3 Conv for

 

I remember Top Gear giving the SC430 a right slating. They compared it to a Hyundai Coupe and said the Korean car was the better of the two and so much cheaper.

 

Is another mans, smooth, comfortable, relaxing, "enough" power. Well built, reliable open top crusing etc.

Granted they're not "sports cars" but not aimed or marketed as such.

I wouldn't compare them to the cars you mentioned. How does the Lexus compare to the Merc SL which is where it's aimed at I think.

 

It was competing for the US market and I think it is perfect for that. Especially as it is pig ugly, fat and has a V8

If you want the kit and open top cruising then why not look at a Merc CLK instead

 

Come to think of it, I know someone who has an SC430 but never discussed cars with him. Will ask next time I see him what he thinks of it. He's had it a few years so guess he likes it, certainly a car that looks *better* in the flesh than in pics tho.

 

Maybe.

But if you read the first post, he's replacing his S2000 with it. Suggesting he wants a sporty drive with a few nods to practicality.

The Lexus is firmly in the 'kids flown the nest, piles playing up want to have a quiet cruise to the golf club with the top down' camp, rather than a sports car with a nod to practicality.

Problem is, it's not smooth and relaxing, it's like Lexus thought "Oops, gone too far into comfy slippers territory, lets make the suspension really hard to compensate and see if we can fool anyone it's sporty", but the firm suspension didn't make it handle, certainly on British roads it still manages to wallow round bends. It's quite a feat to have given buyers the worst of both worlds, but then the Americans don't really worry too much about handling it seems.

And a roadster with a more 'middle aged' image I can't imagine.