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Sedans High End Luxury Cars
24700 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 12:24 PM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
Let's try to define this forum as being limited to luxury performance vehicles where the mainstream version in a typical configuration has an MSRP of at least $60k.
A luxury vehicle with a base price of $59k qualifies because it would typically be bought with some additional equipment, bringing the MSRP over $60k.
Vehicles like the E, 5, A6, M, or GS, even if available in certain versions over $60k, don't qualify because they are cars from companies that have higher end cars in their lineups.
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Replying to: drfill (Mar 16, 2006 8:16 pm) The 1990-1994 had a flair to me. I remember a line from a Car and Driver review of the 1995 that said it lacked the flair of the less perfect model. That car was too antiseptic to me. There are some posters on here which have commented about Lexus acknowledging that the revision was too conservative. The original model was a timeless design, a la Jaguar. Look at a 1st Generation LS400 today and it still looks nice. The succesor models IMHO have not aged as well. I passed on the 1995 and got a 1998 CPO. I had enough issues with that to trade up to a 2002 Ls430. It was a nice car, but then again did not have the bulletproof service record the 1992 LS had until recently. Also, the exterior design was quite disappointing, a creative dud. The 2005 LS430 was a big improvement, but that shape was still there. It looked bulky. The LS460 is an interesting car no doubt. But it still doesn't have the flair of the 1990 model. The design is modest, but not very exciting. The interior is great however. The Tech gear is another plus. It just didn't do it for me. Have a look one day at a 1990-94 model. Pay attention to the window switches, turn signal stalks, dimmer switch for the console and even the side mirrors. You'll see the plastic on those are much thicker than the newer cars. The 1992 had an off switch for the Steering Retract and Keyless entry. Everything about that car give the feeling it would last forever. Sure my 1992 is starting to have some issues, but it still can do a 100 MPH with an eerie silence. It's hard to believe a 14 yr old car can perform so well. As I mentioned before my son has spent a few thousand fixing every little cosmetic and mechanical item that was out of spec. For the first time in months, I drove it a few days ago. I didn't even hear the engine as I drove. The ride was silky smooth, and the paint gleamed as if it were brand new. It sure got to 85 MPH in a hurry and was pretty stable on the highway. No moving about in the crosswind like my LS430 does. (Due in part to its higher profile). The old Pioneer 7 speaker stereo sounded wonderful. Absolutely nothing is wrong with this car. After parking it at the mall I turned around to look at it..It still the looker of the lot. People refuse to believe me when I tell them it's 14 yrs old. Do you see what I'm talking about? When Lexus builds another like this, I'll be first in line to buy it.. The people at the Lexus dealer refer to that car as the "Golden Age" I have had many a Lexus mechanic lament to me that they don't build like that anymore. I hope you understand now that this has nothing to do with petty my car is better than yours attitude. I think the only car I'm missing now is a 1998-2003 Jaguar XJ8! -Sam
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Replying to: sv7887 (Mar 17, 2006 7:06 am) Whoa, that sounds like one of MB's current commercials. I'm still in shock here SV! M |
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Replying to: sv7887 (Mar 17, 2006 7:24 am)
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I think it is safe to say that there are some bad dealers for all brands of cars. The bad Lexus experience that SV talks about is very real and unfortunate, but that is not a genuine representation of the larger population's situation, as I think ljflx would agree. There are quite a few Mercedes dealers near me to choose from, which I guess says a lot about demographics, and sure enough, folks have their preferences and also their horror stories. But, even though one of those MB dealers is clearly nastier than the others, it does not genuinely reflect the larger population's positive ownership experiences for Mercedes vehicles. IMO, the service treatment is important, but too often a vehicle owner ends up paying more attention to the service experience than the vehicle and driving experience . . . and that's a shame. TagMan
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Replying to: tagman (Mar 17, 2006 10:14 am) Just in my neck of the woods there is an MB dealership that is equal to my Lexus dealership (based on my limited experience). Like everything in cusomer service there are stars, there is medocrity and there are failures.
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Replying to: ljflx (Mar 17, 2006 9:37 am) I think Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The person who spoke of the Golden Age is the Head Mechanic at my Lexus dealer. Other mechanics have made the same comment. You can argue that there is nicer leather and what not in the 1995+ models and I'll have to agree with you. Mind you the 1995 was very similar to the 1994 mechanically. It had the same 4 spd Automatic and 1uz-FE engine in it. It was just a 10 HP increase. The interior was completly different however. The exterior was a clear derivative of the original. Next time ask your Service Writer what he/she thinks about the quality of the early ones compared to now. Did you ever see any recalls for fuel pumps and transmissions on the old one? Did you see any problems with the display cluster like they had in the 1998 model? How about the jerky accelerator? They had a single recall for the Cruise Control in the 1990 model. The question here is absolute quality. Look at the side mirrors for example. They are much thicker on the old car. Feel the dimmer on your new car. Then go feel the dimmer on a 1990 LS. Then feel the door handle. The 1990-94 had a much thicker handle. Check the grille next, and then the window switches. Everything is thicker plastic or chrome. You'll notice the difference, but I appreciate it is hard to realize this unless both cars are sitting next to each other. My 1992 sits next to the 2005 so it's easy for me to make the comparison. I will be the first one to say that my experience is NOT the norm. Maybe it is just the MA dealers. Of course. I've never been out of state for Lexus service. In dispute resolution with Lexus HQ I've found that they always offer the same excuses and apologies. It takes legal action to force action on their part. Like I said, Lexus still makes a great car. This is an undisputable fact. They are technically advanced as they come, and they're starting to establish themselves as an innovator. I see only good things happening to them in the next few years. As a long time owner I've really been let down by their customer service. I would have bought the LS460 without hesitation had I not had such a bitter experience with Lexus HQ and Dealership over the maintenance of my 92 LS. In fact, the goodwill of the 1992 experience kept me a Lexus buyer, even though I liked the S Class more. By Probability it is unlikely the S430 will be as reliable as the LS cars. It is also true that it will not hold value as well nor will it have Bluetooth, Backup Camera, and Parking Radar. I've always maintained that Lexus appeals to the objective buyer. What does the S430 offer then? Many Safety features standard, a timeless graceful design, Airmatic (Hope that doesn't cause more problems than it solves), 4 Matic (Big one for me), and enough toys to keep me occupied. Of course I didn't have to pay for it, so that's a plus! In addition maintenance is paid for over 3 yrs. I fully expect this car to be more problematic. That isn't the issue. The MB dealer really treated me like royalty. That was the clincher. This doesn't mean I'll cease being a Lexus fan. The 92 LS has created enough goodwill that I'll always defend them! However, I won't be so quick to slam Mercedes unless this S430 falls apart of breaks down somewhere! -Sam
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Replying to: ljflx (Mar 17, 2006 10:20 am) M
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Replying to: merc1 (Mar 17, 2006 10:26 am) On Idol - I'm still amazed at Chicken Little's survival. Someone told me that there's a "vote for the worst" group that is probably keeping him alive each week. It's a shame that he can be so awful each week while the others can't make a mistake or they're in danger of being gone. Some of the better people, who can actually win this thing are worried each week with this crazy voting when Seacrest puts them on the bubble with his safe or danger calls. I see this coming down to Chris, Mandisa and Katherine. Mandisa's weight could be a problem but she does have a beautiful face and great charisma going for her. I think those three plus Lisa and Paris will all have future careers. Taylor's the oddball as he is a great entertainer and should get into the business in some way. I just don't see a future where we are listing to his songs on the radio. Lisa and Ace almost being eliminated was sickening and while I was not a real big fan of Melissa, I still think it's a shame she's gone as she is light years beyond Kevin Covais in talent. I have a feeling Randy is going to come down hard on him the next go round as I'm sure Simon is speaking to him and Paula behind the scenes about this contestant.
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It has always been my contention that the dealer is the pivotal player for service...As we have had many lexus cars over the lastfourteen years or so, I personally can say the first was the best and had the least trouble for its time,..Four years later there was good improvement, but not quite the build quality and a little more problems, then the next was a huge improvement in the driving department, but again the build quality was a bit worse....All those years the dealer has been the best I have ever experienced...Right now I have an Audi as a change is nice occasionally....The Audi for me is a wonderful change and has been trouble free so far..I further think the dealer is going to be a good dealer---I just haven`t had occasion to test them out yet, but I know they won`t be better than lexus.. I bet the Lexus will not be priced much higher than the present model LS, and will be a huge sucess....My Audi cost a bit more than eighty thousand and the Lexus is a lot less than that...Tony
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Replying to: anthonyp (Mar 17, 2006 1:39 pm) Agree.
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