Is This Lexus Quality?

[highlander]

Just thought it would be funny to add

Guys, I've got the solution!!!!

After watching a few minutes of an QVC "foodsaver" info-mercial,  this is the answer!   Get the manufacturer to make a Lexus-sized version of this and we could Vacuum Seal our Lexies for storage. :D

No air,  No corrosion, No deterioration...............

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I like it and i want one...

still i feel that lexus quality is not all that great...

How do you feel that a 98ls costs less than a 98 camaro SS or pontiac transam for that matter????? that is dissapointing. anyways... still......... i love my lex.. i love my 96 maro... :D

[SRK]

Saab's are pathetic cars in North America. Maybe ok in Sweden. They need crutches from GM just to have any semblance of a dealer network in North America, something they have been unable to attain after about forty years of trying. Lexus did it in six months, and never looked back. They sell more cars in a month than Saab could in three years.

I had a 94 Camaro, and during that ownership time experienced all of the mechanical faults that plague the drivetrains of those cars. Optispark distributor, water pump, head gasket failure, ignition wires, the works. The 4L60E trans was out of it twice, once for a full rebuild at 70k miles, and again, for a completely unrelated problem not present at the time of the first rebuild, at 90k miles.

Never own one again, or a GM product again, as a result.

When I worked for a while at an import repair shop for the owner/friend, he made it clear that Saab's were "Sob stories" and the owners best kept at arms length. Porsches, Benz, BMW"s, were all welcome, even the rare Audi, but Saab's were not profitable, because parts were hard to get, the owner's difficult. They broke a lot, but who wants that kind of work anyways.

As for Volvo 960's being even close to a Lexus, that's a real laugh. I have seen several early 960 engines split from one end to the other, just below the head gasket surface, from poor design. They also toss timing belts before the recommended interval, and that destroys them. I have worked on and owned Volvos for over thirty years. No more owning them, and although I still work on them, its getting boring. How many heater fans, water pumps, fuel pumps, cover gaskets, engine mounts, and relays does someone have to do in a lifetime? Too many if you work on Volvos.

I am a convert to Lexus, and will be until they take the keys from my cold dead hand.

And that's my gentle opinion.

[bartkat]

That's interesting cause I kept my 94 Firebird Forumula for 10 years and 100,000 miles and never a minute's trouble with it.

[nc211]

I just have a problem with shelling out money for a car that has a name that resembles an emotion that I hope I never have.....Sob...Saab :(

But...I sure would like to abuse the snot out of one...especially the turbo!! Just as long as I could hand back the keys to the owner and have them sign a waiver to release me from all liability.

[RFeldes]

That's funny...........You guys are too much...:chairshot: What a hoot... that I needed...............Still laughing :cheers:

[SKperformance]

I just have a problem with shelling out money for a car that has a name that resembles an emotion that I hope I never have.....Sob...Saab :(

But...I sure would like to abuse the snot out of one...especially the turbo!! Just as long as I could hand back the keys to the owner and have them sign a waiver to release me from all liability.

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Its called a test drive........

Let someone buy it for less than sticker for an " EXECUTIVE DEMO" , I love how people still fall for that marketing trick.

[W201 sweden]

A lot of SAAB opinions, in spite of the brand's minor role in US... :)

That was however not my point. My point is, that som brands (even SAAB... :) ) build cars with MATERIAL (if not drive) quality that exceeds Lexus and BMW and MB, without charging a leg and an arm for it. My uncle has a -92 Mitsubishi Lancer (Golf sized japanese) with approx 100 000 miles on it. Had it since new - car still looks very good. That car is certainly built to a price, but it just keeps giving trouble free service, year after year.

BTW, SAAB was totally independent until GM bought it in -89 (?).

A few years later FORD bought Volvo's car division.

/Alexander

[falciott]

I think noise level is partially a design issue as well as a quality issue. You can design a car with the lowest coefficient of drag, but if you put a $10 piece of weatherstripping on the door, it's going to be all for nothing.

I have to agree that my LS is not very quiet on the freeway either. Then again, it does have ~270,000 miles. My problem is the wind noise, and I can't pinpoint it (and the weatherstripping on the front doors is new). I drove a new Town Car the other day, and if my LS was half as quiet as the TC, I'd be thrilled!

There was a technical service bulletin from Lexus, at least for my year.. 1990 LS400, about moonroof wind noise, and it can be either not properly aligned, or there might be gaps between the roof opening corner and the corner of the moonroof panel. For the latter, they instruct putting one sided adhesive foam tape under the moonroof panel weatherstrip. I've downloaded the whole shabang! I am gona try to fix mine this weekend, windnoise on the highway is a bit annoying for me as well.

[sv7887]

Hi All,

A few days ago, I replaced the front parking light bulbs, and I was shocked by the bad shape of the back of lenses. They were so brittle and cracked that little pieces started to fall off. Is this typical of LS400? Or what? 

Jacob

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No that really isn't typical. My 1992 has never had a problem with trim quality. These cars are built like tanks. Maybe someone damaged the corner lenses when trying to replace the lights. It's real easy to do if you aren't completely sure how to take them out.

Keep in mind while these cars are well made, they are only as good as their owners. An abused LS will give you problems like any other car. Even an abused Rolls Royce will give you nothing but problems. That's more of a reason to be very cautious when buying a Pre Owned car. Ask for all the maintenance records. If it doesn't have a long service history, don't buy it. I have records for everything dating back to 1995 when we bought the car.

Sam

[nc211]

I hear ya' And I do agree. I use to have a 1992 Nissan Sentra SE-R that was by far the most perfect little screamin' deamon I've ever owned. Infact, that was the reason why I had my last car "01' Maxima SE"....but was not impressed with it enough to buy out the lease at the end of the term. Yeah, I think GM got Saab in the late 80's or early 90's? They do have some cool looking seats in some of their cars! Like space-ship style seats. I'd like to drive one actually. I think now Subaru is connected to Saab as well, as you can see the design similarities in the small 9-3? hatchback.

A lot of SAAB opinions, in spite of the brand's minor role in US... :)

That was however not my point. My point is, that som brands (even SAAB... :) ) build cars with MATERIAL (if not drive) quality that exceeds Lexus and BMW and MB, without charging a leg and an arm for it. My uncle has a -92 Mitsubishi Lancer (Golf sized japanese) with approx 100 000 miles on it. Had it since new - car still looks very good. That car is certainly built to a price, but it just keeps giving trouble free service, year after year.

BTW, SAAB was totally independent until GM bought it in -89 (?).

A few years later FORD bought Volvo's car division.

/Alexander

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[ko90ls]

personally i like saab, but only the old school! 900 turbos! all are tanks and still sell used(well in ohio) as for the 90-03ish who knows what happened? don't see them in any lots or on the streets! all i see now are 93's and such. good car but i think it kinda weakens the appeal of saab. 900 turbos just look fast! mini rocketships and such... but i really would like to drive a saab in it's native country WITH NO GOV REG!!!!! True turbo power!

[oohryry]

My corner light on the drivers side was rotted pretty bad, but that's because it was wet with water. My vehicle had been in an accident before I purchased it last year, probably why I got it for 16000. But sometimes we may not know whether our vehicles have been in minor collisions before we purchase them because it's not always listed in the carfax reports. A simple collision can cause air pockets anywhere along the car and let in moisture and rain. That can cause deterioration at an elevated time. I'm waiting for my crystal corners I ordered three weeks ago at luxurymods.com, they were on back order. I hope they hurry up and get here.

[Jacob]

Who would have thought that this thread would come to life after all this time?!!

Since I have both a Saab and a Lexus, I can say that Lexus is the reliable not the Saab… I might come back later.

Good times

[branshew]

The car is 9 years old now. All materials, regardless of how high quality they are or how well put together they are they still have a life, time marches ever forward. Those lenses are subject to not only variations between hot and cold weatherwise but the drying effects of UV light and heat from the lamps being illuminated ESPECIALLY where you live in Arizona. They're going to age, Lexus or not.

A big pet peeve of mine is when people come in here with approaching and beyond decade old Lexuses and rag on Lexus as a brand because they have begun to decay, its just not fair.

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Agree 100%. If it wasn't a Lex it probably would have fallen apart years ago!

I have no problems with my 13 year old LS in terms of that happening. Maybe a 2nd gen thing?

NC211 - GM owned part of Subaru - hence the Saabaru model. They recently sold their share to Toyota.

[W201 sweden]

There seems to be a lot of people focusing on the SAAB brand? That is not my point! My point is that I can see a other (cheaper) cars equal or better in the longetivity of the cloth, leather, suspension parts, plastic surfaces etc.

Even an old SAAB (superior to the GM-SAABs) might stand up as an equal/peer in durability.

/Alexander

[bartkat]

Those old Saab 2 strokes were really great cars.

[RFeldes]

w201 sweden...........Take all of this "lightly" as almost all cars from "most" every country have had their heyday and some will "Rise Again" :whistles: As the Red States have. LOL.......SSS!! We, as Americans, can honestly tell you about our never having achieved a quality vehicle due to a multitude of reasons that have been pointed out on this thread and others. I will say, Sweden has a history of some of the finest automobiles of their time as well as Germany. I guess the point is that the Japanese have beat us "all" in quality and also they are "spanking" manufacturers into making a better automoble. So, you are right about the SAAB and you are right about quality.