Let Me Just Say...i'm Impressed!

[luxury1]

I am a Mercedes E class (2004) driver and have been VERY pleased with my car (and still am). It was in the shop today for a minor repair (no smart comments please). Just for fun I went out looking at other cars and decided to stop at Lexus. Now my wife has an RX330 and I haven't been that impressed with the RX because it seems cheap, noisy, unstable and only moderately luxurious. That said, I have liked the service. I was curious about the GS and decided to stop by the Lexus dealership. While there I sat in the LS and let me tell you that I was thoroughly impressed!

I didn't drive it, I just sat in it. I studied the materials and played with the gadgets (the key was in it) and I simply fell in love with it. Nobody bothered me and I just had a good 15 minutes with the car and had a chance to appreciate every aspect. It was truly incredible. Now this wasn't the first dealership I was in for the day (Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover, Acura) but it was the last.

Ultimately I am not going to trade my E right now and I am buying a boxster for a fun sports car on the side but I am 95% sure that my next luxury sedan will be the LS (probably in 2007 or 2008).

A tip of the hat to all of you LS owners on a good decision!

[melhadri]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the LS. I highly suggest you take it for a test drive one day. Very smooth, luxiorous ride. The LS is clearly one of the most premiere Lexus models. Many of the owners in this forum can testify to that. New LS model will be introduced in 2007.

By the way, I noticed your located in Pittsburgh. I went to school in Pittsburgh. Go Steelers and Pitt Panthers.

[RFeldes]

Good honest report from a future LS owner. How refreshing!!! MB's have a great Bloodline, better than Lexus. But I am with you.. That is why I switched and never looked back. Good luck in whatever you decide. Thanks for your honesty.

[PHX ATC]

I too, am impressed with the LS. In fact, I just sold my GS and bought an 03 LS430. My wife drives a 2002 E320 MB and I love that car too. There's something about the Lexus though...simplicity and thoughtfulness wrapped into a luxurious package.

I love both the MB and Lexus that we drive.

[Lexusfreak]

Yup, if you were impressed with the current LS, I'd be patient & wait until the redesign comes out soon. B) I think it will debut at the Detroit auto show in January. B)

[luxury1]

Yup, if you were impressed with the current LS, I'd be patient & wait until the redesign comes out soon.  B)  I think it will debut at the Detroit auto show in January.  B)

 

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I just hope they don't inflate the price much because it is currently affordable but any higher would be tough to justify to the wife. I hope that more becomes standard also. We'll see!

[jainla]

I drove a Mercedes diesel for 12 years; a little 240D with manual transmission.

That car was indestructible; I still have it. People who ride in it marvel at the quality of the interior materials and how well they have worn, and aside from a little rust (the car was in Pennsylvania for the first 10 years of its life) the exterior has held up well. After 25 years, it starts on the first crank and it gets about 27 mpg. Some cars 1/2 its age can't do that.

For years I thought a pre-owned E or S class would be the next logical step. When I went shopping for a new daily driver, all the reports of the reliability issues made me think twice. One of the things I loved about my 240 was its durability and dependability.

I had been intrigued by the Lexus models, but never really thought of myself as driving anything that didn't have the 3 pointed star on the front. A friend of a friend told me to drive a Lexus since I had a MB for so many years. I figured what the heck....

I have had my LS430 for 2 months now. It's an '01 but it looks and drives like it's brand new. Every surface, control and interior piece operates with precision and feels like it will last forever. On the road it does everything with an understated, friendly competence. Every day I seem to notice something it does particularly well.

Toyota took what Mercedes cars used to be and improved upon it; my LS has been a delightful surprise. I'm very curious to see the next LS when it lands in a year or so.

One day I hope Mercedes will return to the lofty levels of quality and durability they once enjoyed; management seems to realise that they have some work to do. If that's a side effect of Toyota entering the luxury market then we all win!

When that happens maybe I'll buy one, but I'll certainly consider another Lexus.

[nc211]

Luxury1, great post! I have a 95 with 109k miles. It is my intention and plan to keep mine until the thing blows up. Even when it's fully paid off, I plan on keeping it for my daily driver / commuter and then buy a newer car for my long drive cruiser, and it will probably be the LS430. The increadible thing about these cars, is that they do not get louder, rougher or looser with age. They maintain their composure for years, if not decades. The LS400 is by far the best used car you can buy.

[EastWind]

We look forward to you joining the family.

I grew up around 3 pointed stars, and longed for one for quite a while. I fell in love when the 97 E420's came out and the with the mid 90's S class. But no matter how much I looked at them, there was always some dobut about quality, they just didn't feel like the did back in the days. The benz of the 80's are just rock solid. I still grin whenever I see one and peep inside the interior. RUGGED LUXURY. I kept convincing myself not to until I mistakenly bought a BMW, very fun, but lacking the reliability that I dreamt off, so I had to get another decent luxury car that had quality, kept eyes out for old benz 300E actually, until I ran into the LS400, and Wooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

[VBdenny]

My wife just got a 2006 Chrysler 300 with every goody except the hemi. It is rated at 250HP, the same as my 1990 LS. No comparision, the 16 year old Lexus drives better and certainly has more horsepower than the "screaming six" in the 300 Limited.

There is something to be said for that I guess.

[ED.]

Funny thing is I did the same thing in an E500 on Friday. I was picking up my BMW (turns out the problem wasnt fixed after all so they gave us an X3 for the weekend and I will find out tomorrow whats wrong with the awesomeness). The MB dealership was next door and I went over there and was playin around with all the cars. The new SLK350 is not as nice as I thought but that E500 was really nice. Too bad it had no NAV disc though. I was in their for about 10 minutes screwin around. Nice car.

thanks

[luxury1]

Funny thing is I did the same thing in an E500 on Friday. I was picking up my BMW (turns out the problem wasnt fixed after all so they gave us an X3 for the weekend and I will find out tomorrow whats wrong with the awesomeness). The MB dealership was next door and I went over there and was playin around with all the cars. The new SLK350 is not as nice as I thought but that E500 was really nice. Too bad it had no NAV disc though. I was in their for about 10 minutes screwin around. Nice car.

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The E is an exceptional car and you won't be disappointed. Reliability is not perfect but it drives very nicely. It also has great prestige and you will receive a lot of compliments. I came over from a '02 5 series and have never looked back until I was in the LS but they are two different cars as the LS competes more with the S. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. The garage I am working towards is an RX (for the wife), E, LS and Boxster...

[LexKid630]

The LS430 is the best luxury car on the road right now in my opinion. It's unbelievable!

[ED.]

LexKid I thought you bought the LS for you?

thanks

[oohryry]

Luxury1, great post! I have a 95 with 109k miles. It is my intention and plan to keep mine until the thing blows up. Even when it's fully paid off, I plan on keeping it for my daily driver / commuter and then buy a newer car for my long drive cruiser, and it will probably be the LS430. The increadible thing about these cars, is that they do not get louder, rougher or looser with age. They maintain their composure for years, if not decades. The LS400 is by far the best used car you can buy.

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Man nc, you said it. I let a couple of people drive my car for a test and they are ready to trade their cars already. They were like, this is a 98. Are you sure. I'm like yeah, I purchased it didn't I. The other guy was like, it rides like it's brand new doesn't it, he was like yes. He's ready to trade in his Solara, the other guy wants to keep his Acura TL but get an LS. I don't blame him. His TL is a very nice vehicle that I like also. The cabin just isn't as quiet, but I still like it. I'm with you nc211. I want to pay mine off and add a 2001 LS430 beside the 400. Financing charges are the only thing that keep me from getting it sooner. If I could get a 6 or 7 percent rate, I'd be in business. Payment is now 490.00, I pay 600. So should be finished in the next 2 years. Price shouldn't be too high by then.

[RFeldes]

I posted, but probably in the wrong place. It seems more appropiate to place it here. Take a looksee!! In case you haven't already.

http://autos.msn.com/advice/CRArt.aspx?con...023544&src=News

[nc211]

Yeah man, it's damn near impossible to let a LS400 go, even when it's old. They just run and run and run and run. My payment is $200 and change, and I couldn't be happier. I thought about buying it outright, but got my loan at work, with a 1.5% discount on normal rate. So I figured I'd work on another debt issue, start saving up for that rainy day and invest the rest of the money in an interest baring account. When it all comes out at the bottom of the equation, I'm actually EARNING just a tic' over 1.35% interest on my car loan. Go figure that one huh? Hahahaa!!

You just can't beat having two of the world's best engines "Toyota 2.0 liter 4 banger" tied together and working in harmony. Just can't walk away from it. These cars actually become a badge of honor to show off, like yours to your friends. I get a kick out of people who own new cars, ride in mine, and are amazed that it's going into it's 11th year, with over 100k miles....and it's just now getting to the point of being broken in. When most cars are coming to the end, ours are coming into their stride!

Luxury1, great post! I have a 95 with 109k miles. It is my intention and plan to keep mine until the thing blows up. Even when it's fully paid off, I plan on keeping it for my daily driver / commuter and then buy a newer car for my long drive cruiser, and it will probably be the LS430. The increadible thing about these cars, is that they do not get louder, rougher or looser with age. They maintain their composure for years, if not decades. The LS400 is by far the best used car you can buy.

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Man nc, you said it. I let a couple of people drive my car for a test and they are ready to trade their cars already. They were like, this is a 98. Are you sure. I'm like yeah, I purchased it didn't I. The other guy was like, it rides like it's brand new doesn't it, he was like yes. He's ready to trade in his Solara, the other guy wants to keep his Acura TL but get an LS. I don't blame him. His TL is a very nice vehicle that I like also. The cabin just isn't as quiet, but I still like it. I'm with you nc211. I want to pay mine off and add a 2001 LS430 beside the 400. Financing charges are the only thing that keep me from getting it sooner. If I could get a 6 or 7 percent rate, I'd be in business. Payment is now 490.00, I pay 600. So should be finished in the next 2 years. Price shouldn't be too high by then.

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