2002 Lexus SC430 Review: Sports Car or Grand Tourer? 

I have this car as well but my 2002 SC430 rides like a dream! I pick up my newer 2008 SC430 Pebble Beach addition next week (waiting for the snow to melt). I can't wait! This is the perfect convertible for me. I don't like sports cars, I like luxury cars and this one fits the bill beautifully.

People who drive this car aren't really the paddle-shifter type. They cruise and drive around, either weekends only, or to and from work. And they love this car too, it has a loyal following.

0-60 in 5.8 seconds, isn't it? That's better than a Porsche Boxster c.2000. Isn't that pretty sports-car like? Or is that the wrong stat for 0-60?

It's only something like 133lbs over the Camaro and 355 under the Challenger. I think it's an awesome car if your goal is comfort, while being a bit sporty. I'd prefer more power but this car in dark colors is so awesome looking that I can forgive the lackluster power. The low power can be fixed easily though...AGAIN I must stress that this car looks so hot in Black and other dark colors!

I own a 2002 with 145,000 miles. I have owned it for 17 years. I love it and will never sell it.

I had wanted this car so badly back in the day. I couldn’t afford it.

I have that exact car and a 2003 with white wheels and it looks great No paint flaws and the interior is still brand new with only 53000 miles A true gym!!

Love my 2002 and my 2005 sc430 's as well as my 1998 sc400! Picture me rollin...

I just picked up an updated 6-speed model in August. It's a fantastic daily driver. I just got 31mpg highway using cruise control at 55-65 mph, hand calculated.

I got an 03 sc430 with PPE headers and magnaflow exhaust system and use royal purple, k&n filter and I've hit around 147 mph on it lol

This is a good review but the only thing I have a gripe about is your mention of paddle shifters; there is a detent for every individual gear in the selector and you can literally run through gears 1-5 just "bumping" the shifter. I find leaving it in 3 or 4 works great to keep revs above 3000 on backroads. It's pleasant to drive at 60 or 70%, it's not a sports car and would probably start to be sloppy if worked too aggressively. But control over gears is certainly not an issue. I've had never vehicles with steering wheel shifters and +/- gates in the shifter and they all lack any sort of tactile feel to know what gear I am in without looking for a display. This Mercedes-style knockoff shifter is the same as my 1980's Mercedes and works great.

I love mine. I have it in black with 20 inch tires and wheels. Staggered setup with 10 inch wheels in back and 8.5 in front. Tinted the windows, and put in new Pioneer stereo with Apple CarPlay and put in front and rear dash cams. It feels and looks even more modern. I have had it for a long time and have not had any issues. I can’t count the hundreds of compliments I’ve received lol. Dropping the top at lights is so fun. Kids scream lol. I can go on and on about this car. It’s fun to drive and I will keep it since they quit making it.

This is a great car, I’ve had em all and this is at the top level, it is so smooth it feels like an electric experience. 10/10 I absolutely love it.

My 02 SC430 has the same interior as this one but has a dark blue metallic exterior. I fitted good quality gas shock absorbers and they transformed the ride, steering and handling. It has never had run flat tyres and rides and handles well. I wonder how worn the suspenion was on the subject car. Mine is an Australian RHD model with spare tyre fitted as standard. It drives beautifully, the drive train is creamy smooth and I get better than 30mpg with most driving, but I do live in the country. It is a car you can love for a long time.

Great video, gorgeous Lexus!! I absolutely love that color combo on the inside with the gold wood!! Gorgeous, thank you!!

Solid review 🔥 you can hold the revs by shifting down to the lower gears. Gears 2-4 are perfect for canyon driving

Excellent review, informative and succinct.

Would a 6'1'' 200 pound man sit comfortably in this car? I'm thinking about purchasing a low mileage, well cared for 2005,2006 SC430 if possible.

I have one and it definitely doesn’t look like a 20 year old car

Nice review. I love the looks, I also think it's stunning...

No one who buys one cares about paddle shifters. It's a middle age and up cruiser. Nothing better on highway rides. Smooth as glass and seats second to none. Have one and will never sell it

How tall are you? Your head is up against the roof!

Use the gears it wakes up and scoots

Yes

Get some Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires on those four corners, and you'll get significantly better acceleration/braking results. I'd also recommend some coilovers to reduce body roll.

Considering purchase - thanks for an informative post !

Our 06 jdm with 70k sounds so much better than so many new vehicles New. When you open and shut the doors. Open and close the hood and trunk. Or touch anything. Try it. Compare directly side by side with your choice of brand new vehicles the sounds each makes and sc430 18 years old sounds alot tighter and so much better built. 18 years older than the new product you made the mistake of throwing your money away on lol😂

I am Japanese. This SC430 is an early model of the Lexus brand and has been made with great care. It was priced at $80,000 at the time, has a V8 engine, and a sturdy chassis, so as long as you maintain it properly, it's a car you can drive for another 20 years. In Japan, enthusiasts are buying it back, and the price has gone up since then. Please take good care of it.

Shocker...2002 GS300 has Paddle Shifters ..what were Lexus thinking?🥳...won't put me off buying one though🤣

I don't understand why you don't shift it manually if you want a lower gear. I do that all the time in my LS460. Fun review, thanks!

Very honest, accurate opinion. Absolutely enjoyable, refined and trouble free. Rare and time will demonstrate, unmatched in its ability to cover EVERY aspect of car ownership so well!

As for the ride quality: 06+ refresh models had some revised suspension which helped. My '06 74k mile example had stock 18in wheels/Michelin Pilot Sport tires. I have since put them in storage, and tried some 17in BBS replicas/Pirelli Grand Touring tires. The combination of over an inch more sidewall (245/40/18 vs 245/50/17) and decreased sidewall stiffness (sport vs grand touring tire) has really helped. The larger diameter of this combo actually fills the wheel wells out more, and really doesn't look that out of place compared to the 18's.

Hey guys - looking at a 2002 with 40k miles. I’ll need to replace the timing belt/water pump I assume, give the years regardless of miles, as well as the brakes and tires as they haven’t been replaced. They’re asking $18.9k. I’m thinking about offering $12k, hoping they’ll go to $15k due to the work needed and it had a small accident a couple years ago (still a clean title). It’s green with saddle brown interior. I’m a 34 year old single guy. Do you think this could be a practical, daily driver for the next 5-10 years? I’ve always had Honda sedans, but I’ve bitten the Lexus bug...just want to make sure I’m being somewhat reasonable/responsible, and also not driving a “grandpa/girl” car, haha. Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

I have a 2002 w 42k on it. It’s a great car the interior is beautiful

Лексус тема !!!

The driver appears to be fairly tall. What is his height? I am 6'4", so I need to know if I will fit.

Was this the first model year for the US and if so what month was it first sold?

Very nice. Very informative. Thank you!

The G35 [especially with the Sport Package] is so much better looking than the SC. Looks good but still, I'm happy with my G...

That is not a good braking number.

Those wheels are so ugly!

Is NOT a sports car!

My 07 was $68K

I have this car and it is awesome. If you don’t think so go drive one

Any idea what was done /treat the exterior and paint? never seen one with any signs of rust anywhere in the north

Is the headroom as bad as it seems or is the driver a tall guy? I am 6'2, 238 lbs. It's beginning to look as though owning one and comfortably driving it might be better left as a dream.

Grand tourer, yes, but I'd be hard pressed to not consider the Jaguar xk8 a better choice. For about the same money today plus the Jag mystique I think it's both more practical and a better looker.👍

325 pound-feet of torque not 317

What does the SC stand for?

That color is so bad