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Sedans Lexus LS 460/460L Lexus LS 460/LS 460L Styling Impressions
3321 messages, Last post on Apr 22, 2007 at 12:29 PM
You are in the Lexus LS 460/460L Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: nvbanker (Aug 13, 2006 8:48 pm) I had a similar experience with the last gen S Class. I went for a test drive and just before we left the dealership, I tried to tilt the steering wheel down and it would not go. The salesman said that there was a problem with a fuse. Then the windows wouldn't operate properly. I couldn't believe that this was in an 80K car. That car drove so great and looked so good to me that I still almost pulled the trigger but then, like you, I drove the Lexus and my "brain" took over. That said, I think that cars are emotional purchases and in the end you should get the one that delivers more on that emotion since even if you have a few problems, the vast majority of the time you will be driving what you like and will enjoy it. I go back to my wife's BMW X5 which twice had electronic malfunctions that required it to be towed. Terrible right? But you know what? It's her favorite vehicle of all time. That's because for the other 99.99999% of the time, she loved the way it drove. With the LS, Lexus delivers astonishing reliability and quality but is somewhat devoid of emotional attachment. I've had mine for 2 years and I can't say anything bad about it. Nor can I rave about how enjoyable it is. It does what it says it will do and does it every time. It just does not "stir one's sole". Just my opinion.
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With it's new look, greater size, greater power, new features, and new pricing, it seem Lexus' goal is to start to aggressively challenge German-intenders to find a better car, or a smarter buy. Lexus' demos should change significantly from now on, as this won't be mistaken for a "Big Toyota" anymore. This will be "The Best Lexus Ever"!  The Germans will have a much tougher sell on their hands. DrFill
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Replying to: drfill (Aug 14, 2006 6:57 am) Let's see if they can improve on the driving dynamics and depart a bit from their softer "American roots". It will be interesting. |
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Replying to: drfill (Aug 14, 2006 6:57 am) I'd like to believe it, Doc... but there are no reports of a test drive yet, and its only 6 weeks to release. What gives !!!! Is Lexus hiding something, or is there something to hide ??? Why is it that nobody can say categorically how the new LS drives ? Any ideas when Lexus will let the autorags have at the new LS ? For a change, I'd like to hear/read about the DRIVE not the features, the final specs on the car, the full options list, and the price (final). |
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I know about 50 people who drive an S-Class, and not one of them bought it because it was a better ride than the LS. Each and everyone of them bought it because it was a Mercedes, and they wanted to own a $100,000 car. Funny thing is, they all used to own an LS before, and moved up as they were financially able to. To them, Audi & BMW are cars their kids drive(A4 & 3series), not something worth spending 100k on. They are looking for the status that an S-Class brings. I think the people who are spending $100k on a BMW and Audi are perhaps the only group that really care about performance. Mercedes is more for the name, and the Lexus LS is for a mixture of name, quality, and value. Lexus is building its name, and Mercedes has been slipping. With all the people complaining about their controls and their numerous problems, Lexus has a shot to be a powerhouse brand! But, everybody who thinks the LS is hurting b/c of it's performance are not reading the right signals.. ON the price side: The only way Lexus will be able to dramatically increase the price is to do it slowly and over a long period of time. Also, by offering more options (like the first class seating in the back), and perhaps even a V-10 or V-12 engine. I think the bottom line is that the new LS is better looking than the last one, and they just need to aim for a bit more "sexy" instead of "stodgy" when they do their designs.
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Replying to: uvawahoo (Aug 14, 2006 7:52 am) Well, I have to disagree. No question that the name and prestige of MB are part of the equation but it's not the whole thing by a long shot. I know several people who have gone the other way. That is, they have been devoted MB S drivers for years and finally got fed up with the problems of the last gen S Class. They moved to Lexus for a trouble free experience. That said, if the MB was as reliable, I think they would have been very happy to stay at MB because of things like the ride, driving dynamics, seat comfort, safety, solid feel of the car and of course prestige. I drove both before I decided and to me the S Class did drive better (for whatever you think it's worth, CR said that the last S was the best riding car they ever tested). The LS is a very traditional American riding car and there is a vast difference between that and the European type ride. I like my LS but if I were to go on a 4-5 hour drive, I would prefer the seats and the feel of control that an MB or BMW imparts. Remember, the status of the MB came about because of better quality at that time. When American cars were falling apart after 25K miles, the MB's were cruising around like tanks with 100K miles (as long as they were serviced) and on top of that they were very safe and solid, wouldn't rust out etc.. Prestige didn't just "happen" it was earned. |
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Replying to: nvbanker (Aug 13, 2006 8:48 pm) Actually yes, for 2 weeks. Then, I ordered one. But that was before I ran into the LS. After driving that, and noting that there were 13 defects in the new S-Class that needed fixing, and 0 in the Lexus, I cancelled the S and bought the LS the same day. I do freely admit, however, that the S-Class was more fun to drive, more comfortable, and more stylish, inside and out. OUCH! Your demo experience was shameful that a dealership would even permit so many things to be wrong with ANY demo. Pitiful, at the least, but I do not believe that it was completely representative of the more typical scenario that most folks would have experienced. And, in spite of the quality issues that plagued that demo, it is admireable of you to indicate that "the S-Class was more fun to drive, more comfortable, and more stylish, inside and out." TagMan |
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Replying to: uvawahoo (Aug 14, 2006 7:52 am) The LS competes really only against the S. BMW and Audi are too few and far between for Lexus to really get worked up about. If you consider the prestige of the S, that's what the LS aims for... And it should be incremental and that is the way the LS has gone about its business. Now comes the new LS series of sedans. This is a defining moment for Lexus. You may sometimes get a second chance to outdo your opponent, and when you do, grab it and don't let go. If the LS460/600hL fails to make a dent in the prestige quotient of the S-class, then the LS would have a long road to climb. Hopefully, Lexus will combine the beauty, features, and price of the new LS with a higher prestige and help lift the entire Lexus line with this new LS series. Ultimately, Lexus will need some sport-tuning for more "performance" in its cars to gain more traction and higher recognition among car fans. The future rests on the younger generation, and you must attract and keep them, and having a sporty look and feel and perspective will truly help in that direction.
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Replying to: oac (Aug 14, 2006 10:24 am) The higher tier of the upcoming LS600hL will boost the prestige factor a bit, IMO, since that particular vehicle will be so exclusive. In the final analysis, I expect the target audience for the LS to be about the same as it always has been, with exception of the LS600hL, which will successfully fish in the waters of the even more affluent. Sportiness and performance will most likely be delegated to the other Lexus lines, particularly the GS and IS, with exception of the HP ratings of the LS600hL, and the upcoming rumored "super-sedan". TagMan
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