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High End Luxury Cars

24723 messages,  Last post on Jan 28, 2013 at 6:55 PM

You are in the Sedans Forum.

What is this discussion about? Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ-Series, Lexus LS 460, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Volkswagen Phaeton, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz CL-Class, Sedan



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.

Messages Page 819 of 2473

#8175 of 24723 Oac by merc1

Mar 02, 2005 (11:10 pm)

It never fails. Every year around this time we get the sales stuff from you and just like in the first quarter of 2004 sales were down for MB and BMW (last year), but they rebounded only to give MB and BMW increases for the year. You'll be proven wrong again at the close of 2005.
 
What is the point? Lexus had a drop in every model except their new GS and ditto for Mercedes except for their new CLS and SLK. They're in the same sales boat yet you and Ljlfx are predicting the worse for MB, yet Lexus had the same sales drop. Do you see why this obvious hype wasn't taken seriously last year and won't be for this year? The second (incorrect) straight year of this I might add.
  
How is what I said to Ljlfx in the "opposite direction". He implied something and no buyers on any board anywhere here even hinted at caring about what he says they should care about, the financial status and earning of a company. I never said that buyers didn't care about quality and reliability reports.
 
M

#8176 of 24723 Re: More of the same... [flyfisher1] by michael_mattox

Mar 02, 2005 (11:12 pm)

Replying to: flyfisher1 (Mar 02, 2005 10:09 pm)
Your point is well taken...The A8 is far too slow to race in this group...even with a 46hp advantage.
 
I would love to the safety figures you are referring to. Are you saying there is A direct comparison between A8 and LS430 in Edmonds? and that Comparison includes safety tests?

#8177 of 24723 Re: Mercedes ABS problems rated common [footie] by tiag_m5

Mar 02, 2005 (11:19 pm)

Replying to: footie (Mar 02, 2005 5:25 am)
Wow, that E-bay seller site that you provided is so professional and no doubt 100% indicative of Mercedes reliability issues. (Sarcasm).
 
I didn't see Lexus parts on the list.
 
No joke? Maybe that's because this is a European site and Lexus really isn't a brand in Europe. However, on that same site I found a Toyota recall for the power steering pump on the Toyota Avensis... Ouch that can't be very safe.
 
Looks like Toyota had to recall 150,000 Camry's because of faulty side airbags: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/toyota_camry.html
 
And this site shows other safety related problems arising in bullet proof Toyota/Lexus cars: http://www.geinsurancesolutions.com/erccorporate/resources/pc/pro- - - - - duct_recalls/
 
Mostly just minor things like 400,000 Camry's being recalled because of "defective brakes" and 34,000 Seinna being recalled that "Do not comply with safety standards." What about "axel bolts may losen," and various Lexi with "Defective brake lights"?
 
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that MB or others haven't had issues, but you make it sound like Toyota/Lexus is invincible. The ponit is, saying that MB safety features will fail when you need them is absurd.
 
* I can't get the geinsurancesolutions site to post correctly, so you will have to take out the hyphens between "pro-" and "-duct" with no space for the link to work.

#8178 of 24723 tiag_m5 by merc1

Mar 02, 2005 (11:24 pm)

I wouldn't bother debating that. It was just too disingenuous to begin with for them to suggest that Lexus doesn't ever have a part fail by them saying that they couldn't find any re-manufactured Lexus parts on that website.
 
M

#8179 of 24723 Re: More of the same... [michael_mattox] by michael_mattox

Mar 02, 2005 (11:40 pm)

Replying to: michael_mattox (Mar 02, 2005 11:12 pm)
Ok I just read the Edmonds compairson and there have been NO safety tests done on the A8
 
It is difficult how you can say the A8 is safer using the Edmonds data?

#8180 of 24723 Re: tiag_m5 [merc1] by michael_mattox

Mar 02, 2005 (11:45 pm)

Replying to: merc1 (Mar 02, 2005 11:24 pm)
Merc.
 
Those of us who own the LS..don't find it hard to believe that so few parts fail that re-manufactured lexus parts are just not something that would have a decent sales volume.
 
And it is hard to debate such a stark example of Lexus quality....my heart goes out to you there.

#8181 of 24723 Re: Oac [merc1] by oac

Mar 03, 2005 (12:09 am)

Replying to: merc1 (Mar 02, 2005 11:10 pm)
"You'll be proven wrong again at the close of 2005."
 
"....you and Ljlfx are predicting the worse for MB..."
 
I made no predictions, so no need to be proved wrong. And you should note that I provided the same reports for all the luxury brands *most* discussed around here (MB, Lexus, Audi, BMW).... Fair is fair... You and anyone else can read whatever you like into these numbers. Feel free to defend whatever, I am certainly not defending Lexus or BMW or Audi.... I have no stock in any of these auto companies, so no need to play defense.

#8182 of 24723 Re: More of the same... [michael_mattox] by tiag_m5

Mar 03, 2005 (12:10 am)

Replying to: michael_mattox (Mar 02, 2005 8:52 am)
Because they are not the same cars...What Lexus is the Rav 4...Or the Chevy that you showed...Even the Camery which shares a platform with ES only shares 25% of the ES total content...Further all the Models shown were old and out of date most from the 90S.
 
But you see, all of those cars were Toyotas. Toyota and Lexus are the same company, so you shouldn't expect "Lexus" to be held to a higher standard of safety than the rest of the Toyota line. Yes most of those are older models, but think of it this way: If it took Toyota/Lexus this long to get their frontal crash tests in order (which they prepare for in advance), how can you expect them to perform in real world crashes where they aren't held accountable through testing?
 
Are you saying that A8 and Mercedes S have better performance..When you have already acknowledge that Lexus LS has better Acceleration...it has better 0-60 times then Audi...
 
Sorry but 0-60 times aren't the only measure of performance. I would rather have a car that handles and stops well (S) than an unbalanced whale that screeches its way around the track (LS). And trust me, if the S430 loses to the LS430 in 0-60 times, you can be sure that an S500/S55/S600 will walk all over it in this regard. I don't know much about the Audi A8 so I can't vouch for it, but my instinct tells me that it probably outperforms the LS in most, if not all, quantitative and qualitative areas of performance.
 
Here are a few of my favorite quotes concerning the chart topping performance of the poised and atheltic LS430: “skidpad grip was weakest of all, 0.73 g;” “Tires eager to squeal…never very involving on the back roads."
 
In contrast, the S class and others were universally lauded: “Mercedes was endowed with road grip exceeded only by that of the BMW;” “Three cars in the group (Mercedes, BMW, Audi) stand above the others, having braking distances of 169 feet or better, and skidpad adhesion above 0.82 g;” “Benz gave a first-rate account of itself as it slipped through the lane-change test at 57.4 mph... 4.3 better than the slow-guy Lexus.”
 
Safety...We have had that discussion and determined neither car has an edge..even though Mercedes invented Air Bags....40 years ago.
 
Actually, the S class does have an edge for safety. Unlike corner cutting Lexus, Mercedes includes rear side airbags as a standard feature in the S as well as across the model line. Also, the S class has pre-safe as standard equipment while Lexus makes you pay for their pre-collision system. And regarding the entire model line, Mercedes has a safety advantage on every car (Standard belt ETDs, standard belt load limiters, standard rear side airbags, standard rollover protection, etc). Lexus likes to skimp and trim on safety as can be seen throughout its model range, but I think this is perhaps most evident with the SC430... A $65k convertible that will literally grind your head off if it flips. The SL on the other-hand, has had the handy pop-up roll bar since 1989, as does the current CLK. Another interesting tidbit is that the side airbags on the SL and CLK (front and rear) are large enough to protect the head and the torso, whereas the side airbags on the SC430 (front only) protect just the torso... Looks like Lexus needs to do some more R&D with all that money they're making. I won't even get into the fact that Lexus is consistently 2-4 years behind the curve when it comes to adopting the new safety technology pioneered by other companies.
 
Just add up what we know about MB and Lexus and the answer is clear... or at least it should be if you have an open mind. Apparently you would rather ride in a car built by Lexus, the company slow to adopt safety features, the company with fewer standard/optional safety items, the company with a history of imitation and non-innovation. I would much rather ride in a car built by Mercedes, the company always on the cutting edge of safety, the company with the most available safety features , and the company with an unrivaled reputation for safety innovation.
 
To each his own…. ?

#8183 of 24723 Re: Oac [oac] by merc1

Mar 03, 2005 (12:13 am)

Replying to: oac (Mar 03, 2005 12:09 am)
Ok fair enough, and no this year you didn't make a prediction so I take that part back, but you did seem to jump in with sales after Ljlfx made his usual prediction about Mercedes falling from this and falling from that.
 
M

#8184 of 24723 A8/LS430 by merc1

Mar 03, 2005 (12:15 am)

What comparo on Edmunds are you guys talking about???
 
M

Messages Page 819 of 2473

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