Yeah, and the G35 coupe looks nothing like the Porsche. Paaaleease. They reason why I love my G is because it IS the affordable porsche.

 

Have u driven a Porsche?
The G35 and SC 430 may both be coupes but on opposite ends of the spectrum. THe G35 is sportier and a much cheaper car. THe SC 430 is twice the price of a base coupe. The SC 430 is more a GT, for relaxed cruising. Handling is not sloppy but nothing like the G35. Interiors are worlds apart, period. V-8 vs V-6.
And no one has mentioned yet, the SC 430 is a hardtop convertible. You can drop the top in a pinch, when u want. And amazingly, in JD Power, the SC430 is the most reliable car ever recorded. Not bad since it has so many gadgets.

You don't have to like the SC (I am not a huge fan either) but some of the comments here are hilarious.

 

If they offered an manual tranny SC, and I could actually afford that thing, I'd own it over the G right now.

Don't get me wrong, I love the G... but damn... hardtop convertible, AMAZING reliability... as for looks... i still like it. Relatively weak 4.3 liter, but still... 4.3 liters..

The hardtop conv alone is enough for me, as I love convertibles, but hate the way softtops look when they're up.

 

Let me see if I can dig up the poop on it. I think the guy has over 100 grand invested on top of the car. TT setup.

Ok, I found it!

SC 430 Build

 

The car is ugly.

I would not take it over a G, except in the case of selling it and going for the new Z06 or a M3.

 

I think SC430 is a sweet car, but its weight for a small car turns me off!... all Lexuses are Heavy, they aren't meant for racing!. i'd rather go for the G... your getting speed a lexury and you can definately take a SC430!

 

I think SC430 is a sweet car, but its weight for a small car turns me off!... all Lexuses are Heavy, they aren't meant for racing!. i'd rather go for the G... your getting speed a luxury and you can definately take a SC430!

 

Both cars are GTs, but the G35C does a much better job at being one.

 

The weight/horsepower ratio on both cars is almost the same -
'05 G35 5AT - 3486lb/280hp = 12.45lb/hp
'05 SC430 - 3840lb/300hp = 12.8lb/hp
Torque is where the SC430 has the G35 beat, it has 325 ft-lbs@3400rpm whereas the G35 auto has 270 ft-lbs@4800rpm = 55 ft-lbs more at 1400rpm lower. One reveiw I read said the SC430 does 0-60 in about 6.7 sec. (Lexus claims it will do it in 6 sec.) while the G35 does 0-60 in about 6.2 seconds. So I think it would be a drivers race and there would be no assurance that the G35 would beat the SC430.

Prolix

 

don't forget, that hardtop convertible feature probably adds a couple of hundred lbs.

 

or you can keep the G and get a Z06 or M3 also

 

I borrowed a silver 2003 SC430 over the Christmas holidays and other than the Nav system, I thought it was just an okay car. It had 18" wheels with performance tires and it rode like a buckboard. It had some pretty good torque off the line but nothing spectacular. When I drove the driver's seat was right up against the rear seat. You could only haul friends that were amputees. The trunk is non-existent because of space needed for the stowaway roof. I'd take the G anyday. I think the SC430 stickers in the high 50's. No thank you!

 

UGGHHH!!!

You might as well buy a Hyundai or Daewoo. I wouldn't care if the SC430 had a 500HP V-10 in it - it still looks like it was designed in Korea by 1st year drafting students.

And other than it being ugly, 9 out of 10 drivers are women - that should tell you something.

 

Great post....I agree 100%.

 

How'd they come up with the SC as "under 60k"? The vehicle rolls out just under 65k$ w/ T/T/T. Granted, it has every option almost automatically on it.

I didn't consider the SC b/c of the price and lack of backseat room. I also was not looking for a convertible. I think it a very nice car although the new SLK350 would have my attention (prob the SLK55 ^__^) for the hardtop convertible 'sporty' market.

It is a VERY nice ride. It is like most upper-end Lexus models where you don't feel the speed. That may be a negative to some :-). Again, the back seat is a joke. I think it is the smallest in existence and really shouldn't have been included. You really couldn't fit any type of person (even a child) back there. I would have gone for more front seat room instead. A friend of mine's bf has one, and she's let me drive it before. It is quiet with a lot of power. The interior is much nicer than the G's, although a 2002 might be missing a few features a new 2005 would have (Sat Radio, MP3 playback). My friend even mistook the G when I first got it as the SC - they do look similar in the front-end only area. 40k$ for an '02 is about right, but you'll have to add everything to make the G that price.

I did not like the wheels, but neither did my friend's boyfriend. He ended up taking them off and replacing them with some nice wheels that prob set him back another 5k$. It made a HUGE difference to the outer appearance. I wish Toyota had not made the Solara back end look like the SC430's. That was the first 'special' Lexus to me because it was very different from any Toyota (or Lexus) model made. The Solara look-alike really bumped down that to me.

I don't think you'll have to worry much about the Lexus - their certified pre-owned program is probably the best out there. It's definitely dependent on what you want it to do. Both cars are fast and look nice. If you need a functional back seat and trunk with a sportier ride, the G is a much better choice. If you want ultra refinement and a convertible, there's not much to beat the SC right now.