Lexus Sc300 Vs Sc400, Which Areas to Focus on?
Sc300 Vs Sc400, this argument will be on two of the famous trim of the Lexus SC series. Specifically, both of the vehicles belong to the first generation of the series. However, these two car shares major differences.
They will be different in size and look. Also, the output power will not be the same for them. Importantly, the SC300 will be more efficient in fuel consumption than the SC400. The eye-catchy difference they have is the price range. Well, one will get all the point-to-point information from the logical discussion below.
Sc300 Vs Sc400
Both of these trims mentioned in the title belong to the Lexus SC series, which is a grand tour vehicle. Originally, this manufacturer is a luxury division of Toyota, which is a Japanese manufacturer but well-known worldwide. The manufacturer started with this series back in 1991 with the SC400 and continued till 2010, containing two different generations.
However, the SC300 and SC400 of them belong to the first generation of the series. When Toyota decided to launch this series, they hadn’t any luxury coupe option to compete with others. To complement the successful Lexus flagship model, they launched the V8-powered luxurious sedan. Though both of the trim belongs to the same series and the same generation, people may think they do not share any differences.
Well, this is not something to say on guess. Let’s deep dig and find out the reality about both of the cars to make things easier. We will be illustrating an organized table according to the information and experience our experts had with these two vehicles of the Lexus Luxury sedan.
Table: Sc300 Vs Sc400
| Lexus Sc300 | Lexus Sc400 |
| The manufacturer launched this trim in July 1992. | It was launched in June 1991. |
| Features 3.0 L 2JZ-GE I6 engine | It features a 4.0 L 1UZ-FE V8 engine |
| The base engine type is Gas | The base engine type is Gas |
| The base engine size is 3.0 L | The base engine size is 4.0 L |
| The cylinders type is Inline 6 | The cylinders type is V8 |
| The maximum horsepower is 225 HP at 6,000 RPM | The maximum horsepower is 250 HP at 5600 RPM |
| Maximum torque is 210 lb-ft at 4,800 RPM | Maximum torque is 260 lb-ft at 4,400 RPM |
| 5-speed manual transmission | 4-speed automatic and 5-speed automatic transmission |
| Rear-wheel drive drivetrain | Rear-wheel drive drivetrain |
| The fuel type is regular unleaded | The fuel type is regular unleaded |
| Fuel tank capacity is 20.6 gallons | Fuel tank capacity is 20.6 gallons |
| Fuel economy in the city is 17 MPG | Fuel economy in the city is 16 MPG |
| Fuel economy on the highway is 22 MPG | Fuel economy on the highway is 20 MPG |
| Fuel economy combined is 19 MPG | Fuel economy combined is 18 MPG |
| The driving range in the city is 350.2 miles | The driving range in the city is 329.6 miles |
| The driving range on the highway is 453.2 miles | The driving range on the highway is 412 miles |
| The length of the car is 192.5 inches. | The length of the car is 191.1 inches. |
| Overall, the Width Without Mirrors is 70.9 inches. | Overall, the Width Without Mirrors is 70.5 inches. |
| The height of the car is 53.2 inches. | The height of the car is 52.6 inches. |
| The wheelbase of the car is 105.9 inches | The wheelbase of the car is 105.9 inches |
| Cargo capacity is 9.3 cu.ft. | Cargo capacity is 9.3 cu. ft. |
| The turning circle is 36.1 ft. | The turning circle is 36.1 ft. |
| Curb weight is 3,538 lbs. | Curb weight is 3,575 lbs. |
| Original MSRP is $43,805 | Original MSRP is $56,305 |
Before going into a deeper discussion, one must realize that the SC400 is more expensive than the SC300. Specifically, the SC400 will cost $13000 more than the SC300, which is a huge difference. So, one cannot expect similar or similar performance from these two trims.
As we said, the SC400 will provide more power is less RPM. Moreover, with the same amount of fuel tank, the SC300 will provide more driving range even though this trim is a little longer than the other one. It is because this trim is more fuel-efficient than the SC400 trim. To clarify things for the buyers who do not see the price range as an issue, we will be illustrating more features.
| SC300 | |
| 1. Anti-lock brakes will automatically sense when a tire has stopped rotating under extreme braking. 2. Front-impact airbags for the driver and passenger have been designed to protect the head during a frontal crash. 3. Seatbelt pre-tensioners will automatically tighten seatbelts. 4. Can detect unwanted vehicle intrusion. 5. Equipped with an ignition, disable the device. 6. 16″ silver aluminum Wheels 7. Front air conditioning, automatic 8. AM/FM stereo, seek-scan Radio 9. Key fob Remote keyless entry 10. Front Fog/driving lights 11. Heated mirrors 12. Premium cloth Seat trim 13. Driver and passenger Lumbar support |
Well, this table also illustrates that both of the trim share similar benefits in safety, security, and comfort level. So, in that huge price difference, one will be getting more power. However, more power comes with less fuel efficiency. So, at the end of the day, that $13000 price difference does not bring anything extraordinary.
Therefore, it is on the buyers to decide what they want. We can only illustrate the possible features and keep a mirror in front of the options. However, buying these cars may lead to enormous misery because of the expensive parts option. Moreover, it is almost hard to find any aftermarket parts for this series. So, one may decide to give this a real thought.
What are the engine options of the Lexus SC series?
One of the popular 2 door coupes was the SC series of Lexus. From the start of the production back in 1991 till the end of the production in 2010, they have launched eight different models with a different power level of engines. Let’s see the detailed information in the table.
| Model year | Model no. | Engine type | Transmission | Power | Torque |
| 1991–1995 | SC 400 | 4.0 L V8 | 4-speed AT | 250 hp (186 kW) | 260 ft⋅lb (350 N⋅m) at4400 rpm |
| 1996–1997 | SC 400 | 4.0 L V8 | 4-speed AT | 260 hp (194 kW) | 270 ft⋅lbf (370 N⋅m) at 4800 pm |
| 1998–2001 | SC 400 | 4.0 L V8 | 5-speed AT | 290 hp (216 kW) | 300 ft⋅lbf (410 N⋅m) at 4000 pm |
| 1992–1997 | SC 300 | 3.0 L I6 | 4-AT/5-MT | 225 hp (168 kW) | 210 ft⋅lbf (280 N⋅m) at 4800 rpm |
| 1998–2001 | SC 300 | 3.0 L I6 | 4-speed AT | 225 hp (168 kW) | 220 ft⋅lbf (300 N⋅m) at 4000 pm |
| 2002–2005 | SC 430 | 4.3 L V8 | 5-speed AT | 300 hp (224 kW) | 325 ft⋅lbf (441 N⋅m) at 3400 pm |
| 2006–2010 | SC 430 | 4.3 L V8 | 6-speed AT | 288 hp (215 kW) | 317 ft⋅lbf (430 N⋅m) at 3400 pm |
Conclusion
Before going to buy this luxurious and expensive vehicle, one has to make sure that it is up to date in the market. Because one will need to replace different parts after four or five years of using the car or even before that, in case the parts are not available at a low price in the aftermarket, it will become a nightmare to maintain the car.
Overall, we have illustrated every possible information on Sc300 Vs. Sc400 in the above discussion. These will be enough to help make a wise decision.