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Average Retail Price
$4,400 - $5,825

First Take
Refined comfort and crisp performance coexist happily in this rear-wheel-drive luxury coupe. The SC300 comes with a spirited 3.0-liter, 225-hp Six. The SC400 has a new 4.0-liter, 290-hp aluminum V8, but you'll pay considerably more to get it. The ride is firm, and the front seats offer generally fine accommodations. The rear seat is better left uninhabited, however, and the trunk is very small.

2000 Sports cars & Convertibles Reliability

No Data Available

Crash Tests

IIHS Front Moderate Overlap
NA
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver
NA
IIHS Side Crash
NA
NHTSA Overall Crash
NA
NHTSA Overall Frontal-Crash
NA
NHTSA Overall Side-Crash
NA

Crash Tests

IIHS Front Moderate Overlap
NA
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver
NA
IIHS Side Crash
NA
NHTSA Overall Crash
NA
NHTSA Overall Frontal-Crash
NA
NHTSA Overall Side-Crash
NA

Lexus vs. Other New Car Brands

Lexus vs. Other New Car Brands

Crash Tests

IIHS Front Moderate Overlap
NA
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver
NA
IIHS Side Crash
NA
NHTSA Overall Crash
NA
NHTSA Overall Frontal-Crash
NA
NHTSA Overall Side-Crash
NA

2000 Sports cars 4/5-seat Ratings

$4,400 - $5,825
economy-icon
EPA MPG NA
Road test
Reliability
Owner Satisfaction
$3,150 - $13,325
economy-icon
EPA MPG NA
Road test
Reliability
Owner Satisfaction
$3,450 - $4,425
economy-icon
EPA MPG NA
Road test
Reliability
Owner Satisfaction
$3,200 - $3,700
economy-icon
EPA MPG NA
Road test
Reliability
Owner Satisfaction
$3,625 - $8,050
economy-icon
EPA MPG NA
Road test
Reliability
Owner Satisfaction
Features & Specs
Body Style
    coupe
Seating
2 front, 2 rear
Drive Wheels
Rear
Engines Available
  • 3-liter 6 (225 hp)
  • 4-liter V8 (290 hp)
Transmissions Available
  • 5-speed automatic
  • 4-speed automatic
Warranty
Coverage varies among versions of this vehicle

In most cases, automotive warranties are based on the vehicle identification number (VIN), and the warranty will be valid regardless of ownership. The dealership can tell you exactly how much warranty is left.

Read more about extended warranties
Model History
2002-
Current Generation

While the configuration of the Lexus SC430 may lead you to believe it is intended to be a sports car, it isn't. A personal luxury car with a retractable hard top, the Lexus SC430 offers the attributes of a plush coupe with the potential for open-air cruising in one of the most sumptuous and refined interiors on the market. The SC430 is very well finished, with extremely soft carpets and supple leather seats. Motorized panels covering the navigation screen and radio create a nearly continuous sweep of nice-looking wood across the dash. The 4.3-liter V8 engine is smooth and refined, but the SC430 is not particularly quick. However, it does return decent overall fuel economy at 21 mpg on premium, and the six-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly.

1992-2001
1992 Redesign Year

The original SC coupes were introduced for 1992. The six-cylinder SC300 cost less than the V8-powered SC400 and still delivered good performance, though at the expense of some engine smoothness. The SC300 offered a five-speed manual transmission, but the SC400 was only available with an automatic. These cars handled nimbly in our tests, and their suspensions soaked up bumps without fuss. The front seats offer fine accommodation, but the rear is tight. The trunk is also small. Both cars were dropped following the 2000 model year. Their successor, the SC430 convertible with a retractable hard top, bowed in 2002.