- Refined 4.3-litre 3UZ-FE V8 petrol engine
- Supremely quiet cabin
- High standard of interior fit and finish
- Generally comfortable ride…
- … but upset by uneven surfaces
- Suspension lacks body control
- Light, overly-assisted steering lacks feedback
- Sensitive traction control system
- Soft throttle response
Review: Lexus XF30.I LS 430 (2000-03)
Overview
Released in November 2000, the Lexus XF30 Series I (XF30.I) LS 430 was a large, luxury sedan. Manufactured in Tahara, Japan, the rear-wheel drive Lexus XF LS 430 was powered by a 4.3-litre petrol V8 that was mated to a five-speed A650E automatic transmission.
3UZ-FE V8 engine
The 4.3-litre 3UZ-FE V8 petrol engine had an aluminium block and cylinder head, double overhead camshafts (per cylinder bank), four valves per cylinder, variable intake valve timing (VVT-i) and a compression ratio of 10.5:1. Although the engine could operate on 91 or 95 RON unleaded petrol, Lexus recommended 98 RON premium unleaded.
The LS 430 could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and had an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h.
Dimensions
Compared to the Lexus XF20 LS 400 , the XF30 LS was 10 mm longer (at 5005 mm), the same width (1830 mm), 55 mm taller (1490 mm) and had a 75 mm longer wheelbase (2925 mm); kerb weight was 1830 kg. According to Lexus, the LS 430 also had a drag coefficient of 0.26 Cd – the lowest of any passenger vehicle then available in Australia.
Suspension
The XF30 LS 430 had unequal length double wishbone front and rear suspension, controlled by coil springs and low-pressure gas-filled linear control valve dampers with rebound springs. Furthermore, the front suspension utilised hot-forged aluminium upper control arms and uprights, while the rear suspension was ball-jointed throughout, mounted on a braced tube subframe and utilised stamp-forged aluminium upper control arms and cast aluminium uprights.
For Australia, the LS 430 had the firmer, European suspension calibration.
| Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS 430 | 4.3-litre petrol V8 (3UZ-FE) | 5sp auto | 207 kW at 5600 rpm | 417 Nm at 3500 rpm |
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the LS 430 included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full length curtain airbags (i.e. for front and rear occupants), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front and outer rear seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.
Brakes
The LS 430 had 315 mm by 30 mm ventilated front brake discs with four-piston monobloc aluminium calipers and 310 mm by 16 mm ventilated rear disc brakes with monobloc aluminium two-piston calipers.
Features: LS 430
Standard features for the LS 430 included 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/55W R17 tyres, a 470 watt sound system with seven speakers, a six-stack CD player, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, leather seats with heating, a twelve-way power adjustable driver’s seat (with memory settings), a ten-way power adjustable front passenger seat, front fog lamps, xenon headlights, cruise control, rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, a multi-function steering wheel, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, a power adjustable steering wheel, power-operated sunroof, trip computer and an immobiliser. From September 2001, the LS430 was also fitted with satellite navigation.
An optional rear-seat ‘enhancement pack’ added black semi-aniline leather seats and eight-way power adjustable rear seats with memory and massage functions.
Related links
Review: Lexus XF30.II LS 430 (2003-07)
Overview
Released in September 2003, the XF30 Series II (XF30.II) LS 430 introduced a six-speed A761E automatic transmission with a sequential shift function, improved equipment levels and revised suspension settings.
Visually, the XF30.II LS 430 could be identified by its new front mask, rear garnish, rear combination lamps and rear bumper with exhaust diffusers. Inside, there was an improved Optitron instrument cluster with information display and rear seat illumination with yellow-amber footwell lighting.
| Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS 430 | 4.3-litre petrol V8 (3UZ-FE) | 6sp auto | 207 kW at 5600 rpm | 417 Nm at 3500 rpm |
Safety equipment
Safety equipment for the XF30.II LS 430 was improved with the introduction of knee airbags for front occupants and larger front seat-mounted side airbags. Low-set intelligent adaptive headlamps also provided greater visibility for night driving.
Features: LS 430
Standard features for the XF30.II LS 430 were extended to include 18-inch alloy wheels, an eleven speaker Mark Levinson sound system, improved satellite navigation system, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, radar-based active cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and a rear vision camera. The previously optional rear seat ‘enhancement pack’ was also made standard, adding eight-way power adjustable rear seats with memory and massage functions.
Related links
