2006 Lexus SC430 Review - A Misunderstood Luxury Coupe 

Jeremy Clarkson and James May didnt help matters by calling it the worse car in the world......this car is in my opinion is a hidden gem that does what it wants to do properly and perfectly....yeah the SPORT in S might have done some bad for everyone not for me.......add some extra bucks,put cooler wheels...and this would be a stunner.....

When I first saw this car back in the day I thought it was the most beautiful car Lexus ever made I had no idea I was in the minority,I can still appreciate it today cool review 💯

Love the features these had. They deserved more respect than they got.

I talked my ex into buying an SC 430! Black on red. Beautiful and FUN car. And he still has it as far as I know. He definitely loved this car more than me, which is fine, because I loved it more than him, too 😂

(15 years ago) I knew somebody that had one of this, I didnt like it at all, but about 5 years ago I started to liking it, and I wasl lucky enough to find a 2005 PB edition, black with red interior. I totally love it, its a well made vehicle, not sporty but very responsive engine. this was never meant to be a sport, rader than a luxury coupe with a convertible hardtop. this will outlast any MB, BMW and AUDI

A ecu/tcu remap tune from quantum auto makes throttle response virtually instantaneous, faster shifts and a small increase in hp and tq

These will be collectable one day. Very nicely designed & super reliable. My neighbor has one that he added a performance exhaust, which was not obnoxiously loud but gave that V8 engine a nice, throaty tone.

The side profile with the long curvy trunk is reminiscent of the "business coupe" body style of the 30s and 40s

Blue and black help the looks a lot but don’t forget that a lot of the hate comes from the fact that most of these were spec’d by old people in boring beige, silver, and white so they’re seen as a boring old person’s car but your review has made me appreciate the build quality and potential with the right spec.

Should have been the LC430 tbh.

This car looks like a great summer cruiser

Yeah, that's a nice looking car, especially with that color combo. Not the biggest 'back seat' I've ever seen, but still.

i just got one this year...i like it more and more. they grew on me throughout the years...but after driving it. the luxury and small bit of sport of it won my heart

I always loved this vehicle. I personally think some people just don't want to give credit to Lexus because it is a Japanese vehicle. This car was very expensive when it came out.

I am planning to buy one within the next month. I just love how sleek this car is on the inside. The fact that is a hardtop convertible is the cherry on top. My only concern is the rear wheel drive. I live in NY and snow storms can get pretty nasty, in any case, I think the positives outweigh the one negative. But will def invest in good winter tires.

Great video and Thanks for sharing! I own a 2008 Pebble Beach Edition (360 produced) and I love it for its luxury power and all round comfort. The color combination is awesome!

My dad had a Blue 2004. The back seats were there because it lowered importing taxes per what I had read. You can only put an adult in there sideways. I feel the looks aged well.

People hated these because Jeremy Clarkson said they were terrible and if Jeremy Clarkson said they were terrible, that's all they needed to know. Personally, I never thought these were ugly. It's very difficult to nail the proportions on a hardtop convertible and I think Lexus did a great job with that especially compared to cars like the Volkswagen Eos and the Peugeot 206 cc. I would absolutely own one of these, as I prefer a relaxing drive over sporty. I would relish in putting the top back on a warm spring day and putting the XM Watercolors station on as I head to the beach in this thing. Anyway, I found it amusing that the trunklid on this car wouldn't stay open, as my Pontiac G6 convertible has the same problem (but my trunklid weighs a TON!).

We bought one new in 2006 still owe it updated the wheels to Chrome made a big difference. I agree with what you have said. It could have, however, used more horsepower on the highway. It’s heavy and sluggish but rides great. Keeping the horsepower at 300 would’ve been a good idea

I think they are beautiful pieces of mobile art in motion. There was one thst just sold for only 11K with only 60K miles. There's one for sale right now by me thst has higher miles but it's a rare Azure Blue Colour so I've been wanting to get it possibly .Great video and look forward to Many more.

I have a 2006 PB Edition...i love the car...no problems, like my service adviser says its a tank..very reliable and it suits me great..

Always thought these were neat

It was great to have you out to review my SC430 Zach! Now I need to replace those truck struts before someone gets completely devoured! I agree with you on everything and believe the name TC430 (Touring Coupe) would have been more fitting. My time having this car, driving it, researching it, and listening to other enthusiasts has been enlightening. This car will never be a crazy cool collectible, never blow the doors off a sports car, but it will always be what it is. A hard-top convertible that is comfortable and reliable. A summer car that gives no fuss. I only bought this car because it was wrecked and a great deal, but has been very enjoyable to have. If you want to see what this 06’ SC looked like when I got it, I have a couple videos on my channel. It was not as pretty as it is now!

Price as not discussed, but the comment that the LC500 is better, and to NOT mention that car is over 100K is a bit off the mark. Sure, it is "better" but is it better relative to the price? For me, no. Of course, to big bucks buyers, sure, maybe better even with the price. But it is always about price--for 99 percent of us drivers. Put another way, what is the "bang for the buck?" Pretty damn high, to me.

I saw nearly this exact same spec on the skyline drive the other day! 271k miles and looked brand new. I want one so badly now

My wife still has her 2004 in Egyptian Sand. The car does look better in dark blue or black, which she didn't get because dealer wanted a premium. It's not a sports car, but it is a two-seat coupe as reliable as a Corolla. And it runs fine on regular. Unfortunately, it is impossible to update the NAV system, and this is a real problem in our area where the roads have been significantly altered since 2004. So, navigation is now by phone. It's easy enough to replace the trunk struts, but pricey ($150 ea) from Lexus. I did have to replace the blown-out Mark Levinson door speakers, which were unlistenable, but those were really pricey ($700) even with a discount from the parts guy. Does sound like new, though. The styling still looks contemporary, especially from the front. It would be stupid to sell this car with only 118,000 miles, since all you could get for it would be a base Kia. Scotty Kilmer had a client in Texas who had 690,000 miles on one. And the underside of the car, with that mileage, is DRY AS A BONE!

Ok, who tuned in just to see Zach get in the back seat :) I knew someone who had this and loved it - it suited his personality (yeah he had the chrome manhole cover wheels), yet it was pretty universally trashed by reviewers. I was always intrigued and I love the interior color here, but it's a single purpose car and I don't have a 3 car garage.

mine has 155 thousand and is cherry get looks everywhere

The Pre LC500

Regina George's car from the movie "Mean Girls" 😅

I had an 06 with 20k mi when I bought it. Sold it @ 60k mi. It was a great 2nd car. The chassis was a little flexy as with most convertables but overall a cool car. Love the hard top convertable idea. Im 6'4" so it was never going to be my forever garage queen.

The engine alone is why you buy this car. The 4.3L V8 is Lexus' second greatest engine of all-time behind the OG 4.0L V8 that came out in the introduction of the Lexus 300.

Whoever called this car as the worst car made really helps not making the price not skyrocket even more! :) Even though it is still expensive. Lol!

It is a beautiful car n super reliable... Top gear are biased... Could they talk about reliability on their british cars german cars, etc ??? NO, right?

I love the sc430. Would buy one for sure if I had the money. This particular one looks beautiful

My mom has owned this car for 10 years and I have a 2016 rcf The contrast of the best and worse driving Lexus in my driveway is hilarious And by worse I mean this is one of the smoothest slowest best built cars that exists, it’s amaZzzing vehicle, get on a smooth road and u can almost fall asleep in the wind lol

Thanks for this amazing video, it helps me so much to have an idea about this car, that actually I love it! Greetings from Italy ;-)

Top Gear did get it wrong but the SC430 never had a reputation for being ugly or compromised. It did exactly what it was supposed to while looking amazing. Still the quietest convertible I've driven measuring an average of 67 dBs WITH the top down.

It's a car you either love or hate. I love it, but hate that awful colour wood, the maple I love. A very practical alternative to a Mercedes SL.

Great review; very underrated car. 144k miles and it looks showroom ready.

I love just looking at this design.

Of course it is not the worst car ever as Clarkson would tell you. Having just placed one in my garage I can say the only thing Lexus got wrong was classify it as a Sports Coupe (SC). All they needed to do to keep Clarkson from vomiting was to call it what it actually is, a Luxury Coupe (LC). Its also true that the engine is silky smooth and mated to a silky smooth 6 speed. The suspension however needs to be silky smooth as well. Modern suspension alternatives will make this car perfect. It will be a classic now that it is the most reviewed car ever thanks to Top Gear. I will also have to buy the LC500 because it as good as they say it is. The LC500 is perfection on steroids. That said, the LC500 was also classified incorrectly as it is a sports coupe (SC). Lexus makes the best cars but their car naming office needs a readjustment.

Imo, it depends ALOT on either the outgoing or incoming model to have people decide if the model is a good looking one. In this case, like you mentioned, the previous gen was sporty & luxury, whereas this was intended for luxury only. You may rather call this the first gen LC. This car really doesn't look bad unless when compared to the predecessor.

Beautiful Jewel of Lexus 💎

It wasn't ever supposed to be a sports car......I mean it's the same category as a personal luxury coupe remember .....thunderbird ,eldorado, Toronado, Riviera, Mark series, though these cars were spirited they weren't performers. Luxury was first on the list. Not performance.

Thanks for posting.

have always wondered about you getting in behind the driver side.. but you know, I kinda think the way you get in behind the driver is actually a better test cause you actually have to sit behind the seat that you already adjusted for yourself, so it's more of a real world situation. so keep doing it your way. driver side is a better real world example imho.

Had this car a couple years now and love it! Lowered mine one inch and put some wheel spacers for a more flush aggressive stance.it already had an exhaust from manifolds back no cats and a computer.its pretty quick but feels a little heavy.my other cars are 95 vettes.one convertible one coupe.the convertible is about the same as the sc speed wise.its definitely not faster than the coupe .its much lighter and the 5.7 just has that torque.the 4.3 does get going with the dual cams and vvt in higher rpms.better build quality and reliability in the sc.

Passenger side is mostly because especially with toyotas there were quick access seat folding and passenger seat can be moved far mkre forward so both rear and front passenger can fit and have leg room. Coupes still need more spread out leg position, but still can be comfy if people in front set the seata right in most 2+2 cars. Not so much in ones that are completely hopeless like BMW i8, LC500 or RCF.

This is a good review, taking the car as it is, without any preconceived prejudices. I am biased as l own a 2002 the same colour as this one. l love my car, a great long-distance cruiser that is very comfortable and well built. The style has aged very well. The back seats were included for insurance purposes. This is a strictly 2 seater car.

love this car ! so, so good and a pleasure to drive !

I had one! 2004 was fun to drive with top down or up it was great!

8:52 Jeremy and James dedicated an entire Gaiden special about "The Worst Car In The World" late in their tenure on Top Gear and this thing is what they ended up with. They tested 70s American land yachts, Eastern Bloc cars, Italian cars, Malaise-era British stuff, modern cars, old cars, etc. etc. etc. and THIS is what they decided was the worst car in the world (all things considered). With their influence, that's why everybody decided to hate these... I'll throw in my two bits and say that this thing isn't any worse than most roadster/convertible/2+2 cars from the 2000s. Almost all of them targeted retiring boomers (from Vette to Sky to this to the Cadillac Vette to even the NC Miata) as their primary market and almost all of them did precisely what they were supposed to do: yes, in theory it's quick or something, but it's meant for an elderly person to take it out once or twice a year when the weather's good and they aren't in a "mood." Frankly, the car wasn't built for me (a poor excuse considering my daily drivers) and (more importantly) the era is not to my taste. But, thanks Zack for confirming my suspicions that this is no worse than an NC Miata (my least favorite Miata. lolz)!!

I had the first year 2002 black / Tan & it was a great looking car & very reliable car & very beautiful interior especially compared to any of its computation at that time. And the car was only $68.000 dollars fully loaded & a much cheaper than any of its completion, Mercedes Bendz or Porsche, But as much as I loved it it had one very large problem. The tires were run-flat tires which made a very harsh ride that was not like any other Lexus product which had very smooth ride. The car kept getting flat tires & only Lexus was able to fix it.There was no spare tire in the trunk because of no room. The wheels would bend over time because of the bad ride / runflat tires. And there was no kits in those times to inflate the tires. Maybe because of the harch ride it affected the sales to mainly older customers who were not happy with the lack of the smooth ride? I had the car for 5 years & never had any other problems & trouble free.

This is a handsome car

Everyone that has one loves it. My wife actually has people in the backseat quite often. Granted it is her coworkers and they only drive like 5-10 minutes with the top down to get lunch

Manufacturers should take notes from this SC430 & certain Audis on their Infotainment Systems instead of the the ones that look stuck on top of the dashboard!

Got this car a year ago, 128,000 miles for 8,000, i didn’t know it was a convertible or a v8 it was my first car I didn’t know what I was getting and they didn’t know what they where selling cuz I got it for a Absolute steal I love this car so much

Apparently they can't see any at all if they say this car is unattractive... The vision for one of these would be coilovers to help the stance and nicely fitted set of 19's with updated LEDs a front spoiler and update the radio and there you have it. 💯⭐😎

Not bad or ugly cars imo but these are misunderstood and “hated” because it was totally different from what previous Soarers/SC have been. Not unlike what Mitsubishi did with the Eclipse.

I just inherited a 2004 Pebble Beach edition. Amazing car to drive!

A cassette player option was actually pretty desirable way beyond the point where cassettes had been surpassed by CDs (then MP3s, etc.) Lots of folks, especially those in the target demographic agewise for this thing, had accumulated a vast library of cassette tapes, and had only begun to transition to the latest medium. Spending big bucks on a luxury car where you couldn't even play your "obsolete" jams was not exactly a selling point.

I always liked this car. A comfortable cruiser convertible.

These are neat

I also think it is a beautiful car! Not AS beautiful as the current Lexus convertible,though. Strange...i always thought headlamp washers or wash/wipes just operated when you washed the windscreen,not with a separate button!

I would buy this car just as it's shown here....perfect color combo

Im about to buy one of these.

if I could buy one I totally would

I love this car. Not ugly but interesting.

These are so expensive now just like everything now days.

why would you have timing belt issues with just about any car or engine?????

I loved the sc430.. but sc400 had more room far as back seat, but it was a coupe

LOL, those front seats would amputate rear seat passengers' legs off at the knees when positioned fully back. Now THAT's a feature.

They have so much criticism about the SC 430 is because it's ugly to them. It was nice and different to me and to ofter car enthusiasts in America The reason why it was ruined by non-car enthusiasts that don't care, it's because they don't appreciate good things that was brought to America from overseas, that we never get the cool cars. Only boring trucks and crossovers of what they ask for.

Art work on wheels even when sitting still....

The rear seat ruined these for me. Never thought that a Scion iQ would have more rear seat room. I'd respect it more if it was a two seater and probably have owned one if that was the case.

The Quantum ECU Tune will wake up the 3UZ engine big time. Good review

When I was a kid, I always wanted to buy this car. It look awesome to me. Now I'm older :p and they no longer have it in production. I'm thinking of buying a used one. I don't like buying use cars reason is simple you don't know how people abuse their cars.

A very nice car!

I love mine

If you actually watch the whole Top Gear episode, it can see that Clarkson was extremely subjective in description of the SC. Haven’t drove one, only seen online reviews, and almost all of those reviews counter his position.

It looks like Lexus's take on the Miata. So it is weird anybody wouldn't like it. unless they thought it a pricey imitation.

Welcome to Kentucky 🐎

This car is gorgeous clarkson is on crack

the trunk: NOM NOM NOM

Can it fit golf clubs in the back trunk?

I’m planning to get one of these and remove the front seat and just sit in the backseat for driving my wife has always said I’m a backseat driver. I guess she’s right.

I don't understand why they steered so far away from the sporty nature of the sc300. While the Soarer (the JDM car this originates from) was never exactly a sports car, it was never exactly an extreme luxury cruiser either.

If it was marketed as a boat it would be a hit.

For convertibles you need to jump over the doors

Surely the price when new also had something to do with the hate?

I have 2002 with 57k miles drives like a cloud if I want too drive sporty I drive my c4 or c6 I call my Lexus my turtle because it kinda looks like it with the top up 😂

the back of it looks real nice the front idk lol

150 tsd Meilen? Respekt.

If this is what we have to look forward to, other than the lucid i am underwhelmed, it is just recycled content and a variation of a car already in the game

Can the roof be opened through the key fob? Anyone?

The reason why Top Gear called this the "worst car in the world" is actually pretty reasonable. It's not because it was a bad car, but because it didn't excell at anything despite having a price tag of over 110 000$ adjusted for inflation. It's ok to make compromises when the car is cheap, not when you're charging 6 figures for it. This is the same reason why the Allante failed.

What’s a cassette?

Pretty car But it's engine is... Too comfortable.

In the UK the Lexus badge isn't as highly regarded as it is in the States. There have been some great Lexus models but the majority are tarted up Toyotas and, I think, this isn't enough when there are already premium German makers that are more established.