2007 Ls 460 Price Comparisons

[mkaresh]

I entered the new LS 460 and LS 460L into my database to see how the pricing compares before and after adjusting for features. My site's page for the LS is here:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/LS460.php

Competitors in the database include the 2007 S-Class and 2006 7-Series (I'll add the 2007 soon, shouldn't be much different). Also the 2006 Cadillac STS, though interest in that car is pretty much nonexistent.

I haven't input the Audi A8 or Jaguar XJ (or the pretty much dead Q45) because sales for those cars are so low. But if someone's interested in comparing these let me know, and I'll try to get them in there.

[OmarG]

dude. your reviews are the best! i love how down to earth and real they are. I really cant trust magazine reviews. I totally trust yours though. keep up the good work man.

[SW03ES]

We had a discussion about this on the www.priuschat.com forums, but the main flaw with your "price comparison" approach is that the car isn't availiable except in very few option packages, you cannot buy most vehicles and pick the options a'la carte, especially for a Lexus. The LS460 for instance is only availiable two ways here, with ML audio and without. The LS460L is only availiable two ways as well.

[jainla]

We had a discussion about this on the www.priuschat.com forums, but the main flaw with your "price comparison" approach is that the car isn't availiable except in very few option packages, you cannot buy most vehicles and pick the options a'la carte, especially for a Lexus. The LS460 for instance is only availiable two ways here, with ML audio and without. The LS460L is only availiable two ways as well.

I think the only valid comparison for the cars where they are both feature-comparable is fully loaded. The LS can get expensive; my mom's friend in San Diego paid 101,000 out the door for his LS460 L. :chairshot:

[SW03ES]

Well yeah, out the door including taxes, tags, etc

[mkaresh]

We had a discussion about this on the www.priuschat.com forums, but the main flaw with your "price comparison" approach is that the car isn't availiable except in very few option packages, you cannot buy most vehicles and pick the options a'la carte, especially for a Lexus. The LS460 for instance is only availiable two ways here, with ML audio and without. The LS460L is only availiable two ways as well.

Thanks for the comment.

Toyota/Lexus is the ONLY manufacturer where this is a significant issue. The available package combinations change from place to place and time to time, and I don't have the time or energy to track this all down. Even large sites like Edmunds don't deal with this BS system, they just present Toyota/Lexus option packages the same way I do. The only exception might be a site that actually offers cars for sale like Carsdirect, but I haven't checked.

With no one but Toyota/Lexus can you go to the manufacturer site and see packages you simply cannot get. Sure, with others there might be late availability options or limited production options, but with Toyota there are often many packages that will simply never be available where you live.

That said, I should include a note to this effect. What people should do with Toyota/Lexus if they're interested in the actual sticker prices is learn which packages are available, and then use the "user selected" mode to select the features they want accordingly. Far from ideal, but I honestly don't know what else to do.

I'm hoping Toyota will come to its senses and stop playing shell games with its packages.

And THAT said, if you're mostly interested in a feature-adjusted price comparison, to get a sense of how large the price difference is for the basic car, then it doesn't matter so much how this shakes out. The final price might not reflect what you'll actually have to pay, but the feature differences will largely come out in the "wash" of the feature adjustments. The prices will be lower, but the cars will also include fewer features.

I think the only valid comparison for the cars where they are both feature-comparable is fully loaded. The LS can get expensive; my mom's friend in San Diego paid 101,000 out the door for his LS460 L.:chairshot:

The MSRP tops out just under $91,000, and this is with the insanely overpriced "Executive Class Seating Package." I suppose taxes might add $7,000 or so. But what's the other three? Dealer accessories or market adjustment?

Is your mom's friend planning to ride in back, with a chauffeur?

Otherwise I'm not seeing the value of the Exec package except for those people who simply must have every feature, even ones they'll never have a use for.

dude. your reviews are the best! i love how down to earth and real they are. I really cant trust magazine reviews. I totally trust yours though. keep up the good work man.

Thanks.

And dude, your car looks just like the 1990 my father used to own, except for the wheels. He's had a GS in recent years, but has always missed the smoother, quieter ride of the LS.

[OmarG]

Is he gonna get the new LS? Today is the day they get released right?

[Patric]

Today is the day.

I'm heading down to my dealer shortly for a look see.

Bib on. :)

Pat

[jainla]

The MSRP tops out just under $91,000, and this is with the insanely overpriced "Executive Class Seating Package." I suppose taxes might add $7,000 or so. But what's the other three? Dealer accessories or market adjustment?

Are you sure? I thought the Exec seating package was more than that. Sales tax in CA is almost 9%, and then there is the registration, dealer prep charges etc etc. I dont' know if dealers are charging a markup yet or not; I know for the Prius you are basically stuck with some overpriced dealer package as their 'markup'.

Is your mom's friend planning to ride in back, with a chauffeur?

Who knows. This is the guy who spilled coffee in his last LS, and they couldn't get it cleaned to his satisfaction so HE BOUGHT A NEW CAR.

:chairshot:

Otherwise I'm not seeing the value of the Exec package except for those people who simply must have every feature, even ones they'll never have a use for.

My feeling exactly. I have the UL package and I have sat in the back with the massage seats on exactly twice; both times with the car parked and running (after a particularly long day at the office). The parking guys down there must have thought i lost my mind.

All my friends who I end up carting around love it though. :) And if you were looking for a smaller, less expensive version of the Maybach experience then that is your car.

On the 460 I can see going for the rear seat upgrade package to get the power adjustment and the rear seat controls (not sure if you can get the cool box or not which is surprisingly useful) but the Exec package means 1) you have to have a chauffeur and 2) it's basically a 3 seater car because in order to use the ottoman you have to move the front seat all the way forward. This option is popular in Japan on the Nissan President and I think the Century actually has a pass through space in the front passenger seat for your legs--so you can have limo like space for the rear seat passenger without having a huge car-- but in the US it's an interesting curiosity at best. I bet the DVD player and coolbox will soon appear as separate options; it seems ridiculous to pay 12k for them.

[UCF3]

Oh they're definitely charging 20% higher than the Sticker.

When the Infiniti M35/45 came out a few years ago, the sales manager charged 18% above sticker for the very first M45 sold in the region, and this is a Lexus.

I wouldn't call the LS a smaller version of the Maybach.

[jainla]

I wouldn't call the LS a smaller version of the Maybach.

But would you call the Maybach a larger S Class? Because that's technically what it is..... :)

[mkaresh]

Oh they're definitely charging 20% higher than the Sticker.

When the Infiniti M35/45 came out a few years ago, the sales manager charged 18% above sticker for the very first M45 sold in the region, and this is a Lexus.

I wouldn't call the LS a smaller version of the Maybach.

That's the "more money than sense" fee.

[SW03ES]

That said, I should include a note to this effect. What people should do with Toyota/Lexus if they're interested in the actual sticker prices is learn which packages are available, and then use the "user selected" mode to select the features they want accordingly. Far from ideal, but I honestly don't know what else to do.

There's honestly not much more than that you CAN do. Whats availiable also varies depending on region. For instance you cannot get the executive seating option on the LS460L or the UL package on the ES350 on the east coast, but you can on the west coast.

If I were you I'd just put a disclaimer that says "Lexus package availiability varies by region, verify that the package you want is availiable at www.lexus.com". I like the concept of your site a lot, this is just an issue that I see.

The MSRP tops out just under $91,000, and this is with the insanely overpriced "Executive Class Seating Package." I suppose taxes might add $7,000 or so. But what's the other three? Dealer accessories or market adjustment?

Is your mom's friend planning to ride in back, with a chauffeur?

Otherwise I'm not seeing the value of the Exec package except for those people who simply must have every feature, even ones they'll never have a use for.

I agree with you, really the package is just so they can say they offer it. BMW and Benz have 4 seat packages too, but I've yet to ever see one in person. My guess is the LS will be the same way.

Oh they're definitely charging 20% higher than the Sticker.

When the Infiniti M35/45 came out a few years ago, the sales manager charged 18% above sticker for the very first M45 sold in the region, and this is a Lexus.

Lexus does not charge over MSRP for any car, regardless of how popular it is. Its part of the Lexus franchise agreement, they CAN NOT do it. Some dealers get around this with silly dealer packages with pinstriping and chromed wheels, but most are honest.