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Sedans Lexus GS Lexus GS 300/GS 430
3054 messages, Last post on Aug 05, 2008 at 8:39 AM
You are in the Lexus GS Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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"Take it from me you people in these forums have no clue as to what turns on the typical Lexus buyer." I'm glad that you said that and I totally agree. I have a 2001 GS 300 that I absolutely love. My next car will very likely be a GS. The chance of a bigger and/or hybrid engine will definitely encourage me to wait a few more years, but I AM NOT THE TYPICAL BUYER. No offense to you all, but the bread and butter of Lexus' business is not from people who sit and chat on Edmunds discussion threads. It took me a while to realize this, but no matter how educated you become as an entusiast, it doesn't make you the "norm" and does not make companies market to you.
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| I think he makes a good point about the horsepower, 0-60 times, etc and the typical Lexus buyer. When you look at our hospital parking lot, a good 20-25% of the cars there are Lexi - and definitely more than BMW, Audi, MB, Acura, Infiniti, Toyota, Honda, etc. And from knowing many of the owners well- they could care less about horsepower and 0-60 times. Most of them don't even know how many horsepower their ES/GS/LS/RX's have. All they want is a comfortable ride, a luxurious interior, and reliability/safety + some measure of prestige. That's it. My wife wanted an RX330 simply because it looked good, rode well, was pretty luxurious, and is reliable- all for a "reasonable" price. My sister just bought an ES on Saturday- for precisely these reasons. Neither of them have any idea if the RX is faster than the MDX, ML, X5, G35, 330i, etc- and they really don't care- | |
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They are all roughly similar. The Pilot\MDX have a displacement and power advantage, but the Highlander and RX are featherweights for the midsize SUV class, and that makes up for it. "The residuals will be so bad they won't be able to give the car away." As bad as the G35s? Last time I checked, its residual values are VERY strong, and they thoroughly beat IS300's. NO automaker is invincible. Lexus will continue to sell more SUVs than any other luxury maker, but performance cars is something Lexus has yet to figure out how to do. |
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| And that's because of the cars we're talking about. I'm sure that M3, Z4, C6, Boxster, AMG and Audi S/RS owners all know every "statistic" about their cars- but that's not who the ES/LS/GS/RX are competing against. My sister (age 30) test drove the G35, TL, and 325i (about the same prices), and said, it's no contest, the ES330 is the most luxurious, comfortable and quiet, and is plenty quick. End of story. Lexus is competing for people like my sister- fairly naive about auto-technology who simply want a comfortable/fairly luxurious means of transportation. G35? "Too loud", bumpy ride. TL? "Too loud, bumpy ride, prefer wood on dash instead of aluminum". 325i? "Too expensive for what you get, too small, and RWD- not good in chicago winters. There was no consideration given to horsepower, displacement, whether there's a new engine coming out, etc- | |
| Lexus has never had trouble selling ES300s to women. The problem they've had is getting people who actually LIKE the 3 series and 5 series to drive a Lexus. The GS is not an ES. If it doesnt have the performance cred, it will get crushed, just like last time. | |
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"Mercedes .BMW,Infinity are all light weights in the real world." LMAO. You really can't be serious. Infiniti is a lightweight maybe. But MB and BMW lightweights? Now I like Lexus products and I think MB and BMW is overpriced, but this is seriously insane. "They don't have any interest in the new M" Is this what you said when the G came out? ".. The residuals will be so bad they won't be able to give the car away." Naa... The residuals will be good. Just like the residuals for the G35 and FX, which are at or near the top of the class. "You will see Lexus within the next 5-7 years dominate to the point of annilation all the competition." Maybe, maybe not. True, Lexus SUV's sell like hotcakes. But historically, they've only had 2 successful sedans, the ES and the LS. One of the reasons that the ES sells well is b/c it really has no competition from luxury import makers. No other import luxury maker offers a cushy boat like the ES in that price range. Don't get me wrong, I like the ES. But it is what it is. What the LS has done is very commendable. It was able to take on the S and the 7 and outsell them. BTW, your "You guys know nothing, and I know everything" attitude really doesn't work around here, especially when your comments are so biased. Good zealous loyalty to Lexus though, they must like you as a salesman. |
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I think it's almost impossible to have someone who enjoys the 3/5 series to also want a Lexus ES or GS. Part of the enjoyment of the 330i is hearing the engine, feeling the road (a bit), having true steering feedback, rowing the gears yourself, etc, whereas the ES330 buyer probably just wants isolation, a quiet and luxurious cabin, decent performance and a solid chassis. It's almost impossible to please both types of people. That's why I've pretty much given up on the single "perfect car"- instead, bought a used GS400 last year for everyday rush hour, crappy weather driving, and looking for a used boxster/Z4/S2000 for more spirited driving. Total cost- less than a new GS430- but sure as hell more fun. I think it's the only true (but expensive) way to satisfy all needs-
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| BTW, I agree with the notion that the typical Lexus buyer doesn't care that much about hp. And I think the GS will sell pretty well... and so will the M... | |
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Replying to: hfang (Feb 03, 2005 5:16 pm)
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But the majority of buyers in this price range are married. And whether the guys want to admit it or not, when it comes to buying a car as a married couple, the man WILL buy a car that his girl loves, and he likes. It is a compromise. Unless they can afford two seperate $40k cars, which is not common. Guys buy BMW. Girls dig Lexus. Manuals and firm leather, and dark interiors. Or wood trim, soft leather, velvety rides. Guys appreciate the value of a Lexus. But they want to DRIVE the BMW. That's all. Considering the fact that this forum is mostly car GUYS who don't own these cars, but would like to, the commentary reflects these DESIRES. In a perfect world, Lexus would make a car that plays like a BMW, but coddles and endures like a Lexus. They haven't gotten there yet. A man's Lexus. Not something a man will appreciate. Something a man WANTS, and feels passionate about. Another problem is the "Passionate pursuit" slogan remix. It brought false hope. Lexus hasn't shown a commitment to building any car that evokes passion. It looks like the IS is our last shot for a while. DrFill |
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