I don't mind discussing similar competitor cars. I think the occasional thread about'em is okay. If the mods didn't like it, they'd take care of it. I think most people here enjoy cars and don't mind learning about the other offerings.

Also, more long term comparisons between the w203 and the GS

 

i valet'ed cars part time at a country club a couple years ago and ive driven so many lexus, bmw, and mercedes its ridiculous. i know where every button on all of those cars is. playing with the lexus auto park, slamming the short shifter on an rs4 repeatedly while tearing around the huge parking lot...

the point is, lexus all feel the same. it feels like youre floating around on a cloud, and on the inside, the cloud is made up of 99% plastic, even the LS EVEN the LS460L has a complimentary full plastic dashboard. while lexus has nice amenities like putting air conditioned seats even in the IS (neither merc nor bmw offer this for their low end cars) i dont think its fair to your mercedes to try to compare lexus and mercedes.

honestly, people who buy lexus just dont feel like affording the extra cash for the MB equivalent. no wonder EVERY old jewish woman at that club drove a LS430...

 

the LS has been one of the most prestigious sedans in it's class, ever. even in it's relatively young life.

 

I had fallen prey to the Lexus monster! But I am okay again now.

There is a metallic red IS350 with black interior that parks near my work. I walk past it every day during lunch and started to fall in love with it. The low stance, the 18in wheels with 225/40s front and 255/40s rear clad in Continental Conti-Extreme Contacts, the beautifully sculpted hood and body kit... I loved it.

After weeks of building the car up, the 2008 Atlanta Auto Show rolled around and I was excited to have the opportunity to see the IS350 up close. Unfortunately, when I went to see it, the car did not live up to its appearance at all. The interior was cheap feeling and looked terrible, the doors sucked, the seats sucked, the entire thing SUCKED! As did the rest of the cars in the Lexus section. I spent maybe 15 minutes there, and 10 minutes of that was because they had GT5 Prologue set up ... which also sucked.

I spent 3 hours in the Mercedes Benz area! 100% infatuated with the S550, S63, E63, 2009 SL600, and a red C300 Sport Sedan. Among others!

Additional rant:
Wow Lexus! Good job with that new 8-speed automatic transmission. You REALLY stole MB's thunder with their meager 7-Speeds. How will they ever recover from this fatal blow you dealt them??? Did you decide that 8 automatic gear ratios was what your cars needed? Did you really? Are you sure that you didn't just want to beat Mercedes's 7-speed, and then tell everybody that you did so?

to lexus/toyota:
Go die ... and take your pretty IS350 with you.

 

Got any picures of your New GS350?

 

Ignorance is abundant in this thread.

 

no I don't, yet. I need to take a few.

All this talk of Lexus is crap and don't handle is very funny to me. The gs handles good for its size and does not feel like a buick road master rolling down the road. It's a nice luxury car that has more room than the e class and will be dependable. Sure, it isn't perfect but name a car that is.

At least I won't have 4 billion electrical problems with it and constant sun roof problems. Quality control. Let's not get started in this area where MB screwed up with the w203. Don't one single user say I'm nuts either because we all know the pain most of us went through with the cars for 50,000 miles. My auto up and down windows still don't work after several trips to the dealer. Keys screwing up, trunk getting stuck, fiber optics, etc. Passenger side PLASTIC door handle breaking off.

Did I mention I got the Benz and an happy with both cars?

I just posted to share we bought it and I got the Benz as my car to drive when I am not in my Z.

 

exactly. there's so many diehard MB fanboys here, it's absolutely ridiculous! i myself wanted a GS when i was shopping for cars, albeit not the newer model, but a GS nonetheless. i thought it looked great (and it still does with the next gen.) and i had so many mods planned ahead. but it was too $$ for a low mileage car. as AML said, ignorance is abundance.

 

you are more moronic than i thought.

the GS doesn't share the platform with Avalon and the IS definitely doesn't share the platform with Corolla. you only got 1/3 the facts right.

shut up and learn the facts before talking smack.