Ls460...is It Just Me?

[SuperCoupe400]

Omar, my man, you're right on point. The BASIC design language used by both Lexus and Mercedes on these two autos is about as distinguishable as two snowflakes.

And Steve, you've got a good point too. It's inevitable that different people are going to pick up and compare different design cues between autos. It's usually based on first impressions. In most cases, even after a similarity has been pointed out by someone else, people will still see it the way they've always viewed it.

Case in point: I happen to think that this Joe Rogan guy (Fear Factor) looks like he could be the little brother of Tony Danza. But not one single person I've ever mentioned that to seems to see the resemblance. :whistles: But I'll go to my grave convinced that they look alike - I've thought so since the first day Fear Factor aired.

btw, if anybody else out there thinks they look alike, please chime in - I feel so all alone. :cries: LOL

[SW03ES]

I said I see it on the LS430, but not on the LS400 vs the 1990 S class.

[scottelble]

For what it's worth, i had the SAME initial thought at first sight......And i EAT, *BLEEP*, and BREATH Lexus products!!! They ARE Strikingly similar in the front. Creating a brand image is one thing, but for those shelling out a large amount of $$$ it should be easily distinguished from the ES........It's the FLAGSHIP for a reason;)

[bartkat]

:D :D

[SW03ES]

Damn, so THATS where they got the design for the SC430!

[OmarG]

I said I see it on the LS430, but not on the LS400 vs the 1990 S class.

Ok. Cool. We are on the same page.

[SuperCoupe400]

LOL, Bartkat! Where'd you dig that up?

[scottelble]

I too notice quite a similarity in the avalons and older LS's, especially the head lights.

I think it's just going to take some time for the market place to accept and get use to all the new toyota cars running around out there now. So many changes to so many models all at once, is sort of update-overload, especially when they were done with such similar "not same" design characteristics. My bet? Those of us who can't see the real uniqueness of the LS460 over the other models "me included" will probably be praising them in 5 or 6 years, sitting in our garages with 80k miles on them, as our "new" cars.

AMEN;)

[nc211]

I was at the dealership yesterday dropping my car off for service. They had the entire line up sitting out front, in the order of IS, ES, GS & LS. To be honest, it reminded me of McDonalds..... small, medium, large & super-sized. To me, the GS looks the most distingquished, more stretched in length I guess. They all look like they have more sheet metal, and less glass, like they cropped the tops down a couple inches. I'm not saying they didn't look great, because they didn't....they looked beautiful!! They're enitre line is awesome!

I still like the 430 better though.

[91LexusLS400]

I was at the dealership yesterday dropping my car off for service. They had the entire line up sitting out front, in the order of IS, ES, GS & LS. To be honest, it reminded me of McDonalds..... small, medium, large & super-sized. To me, the GS looks the most distingquished, more stretched in length I guess. They all look like they have more sheet metal, and less glass, like they cropped the tops down a couple inches. I'm not saying they didn't look great, because they didn't....they looked beautiful!! They're enitre line is awesome!

I still like the 430 better though.

I agree on the 430, I think it's a great car and a hell of a deal if you can still find a new one. I bought my parent's 91 400 last year when they purchased a new 430. For my mother, she can't tell the difference between a 460 and 430 anyway, good thing, saved my old man a lot of money! I went with my dad to pick the 430 up and that was the most beautiful car on the showroom floor that I've ever seen. Must be the lighting! :)

But now that I've refurbed just about everything on the 91, I'm in love myself. The original LS is hard to beat as a daily driver. Here's to the next 300,000 miles!

[stuart8181]

There is a darned good reason that the Mercedes S550's styling is a significant departure from the styling of its siblings.

When Mercedes introduced the W220 S-class in 1999-2000, it was ridiculed by Mercedes owners and in the automotive press for looking way too much like the less expensive Mercedes models. In fact, there was quite a scramble amoung Mercedes enthusiasts to buy up the very last of the previous W140 "Panzerwagen" S-Class models -- especially the previous S500 and S600.

I walk past a Lexus ES350 in the company parking lot every day. The first time I saw an LS460, I thought it was an ES350. I've now seen quite a few LS460's and I am still having difficulty in telling an LS460 from an ES350 unless I look at the badge on the trunk lid. OK, my vision sucks but I'm not unconscious. LOL.

Personally, I don't think it is all that bad that it is difficult to tell the bottom of the line from the top of the line Lexus sedan. I kind of like the "stealth" aspect. However, generally, car manufacturers try pretty hard to make their most expensive models really stand out visually from their cheaper models.

Attached are photos of both the ES and new LS. Which is which again?

2 ugly buggers.

[Brooklyn Digital]

I have a 2003 LS430 ultra got it w/ 40K it now has 45K since 3/20/07

( goodyear assurance 225/55/17 )

It rides like my 2007 camry LE.

I drove the LS460 5/23/07 it feels the exact same as my 2003 LS430.

I love the newness but the ride and seating is the same ( my leather is better )

I feel every shift from 1st -- 6th.

the sound system is the same.

I still hear wind noise @ 50 & 75

It has bridgestone tires, I went into a parking lot and did a donut @ 20mph, almost lost it.

Park assist is a joke, you still have to break then adjust. It also puts car 8" from curb 5X.

The dealer wanted to only give me $28.5K for mine then wanted $39k more out the door hoover.gif censored.gif

I'll wait for my lotto winnings and get the 2010 that hovers over groung

stay well all,

B careful

Carmine

[SW03ES]

If you think the LS rides like a Camry, the 07 or your 03...somethings wrong with the LS' you've driven. The LS rides much better than the Camry.

[tjfair]

My two cents worth:

Yes, the 2007 ES and LS models look more alike than ever before. I bought my wife an ES350 six months ago and took delivery of my LS460 last month. After looking at them side by side in the garage, I felt the same way you did at the dealership. BUT, the similarities stop at that initial glance you described.

The quality of construction on the ES is "Lexus Lite" when compared to the 460, but still better than most other companies' top of the line (my wife's opinion of her 350 went from "awesome" to "a dressed up Avalon" after driving my 460).

The interior space configuration differences go well beyond the dimension differences listed in the official vehicle specs. I'm amazed at how spacious the 460 is in relation to my '96 LS400, considering how similar the specs were.