COS55

The Lexus is just plain boring in my book. No excitment and nothing to look at that I find pleasing to the eye.

JDM

...
frankly, I am surprised that there would be so much support for toyotas, nissans, and honda's on an MB enthusiast site. ? Hobbies are expensive, and car enthusiasm has it's risks..I'll take my chances!

MBZFAN55

And with passion missing in the Lexus, I agree. My friends rave about how "bullet proof" their Lexus's are, but you know what, they just don't have that panache!

JDM

I agree, lexus is for getting from point a to point b very nicely.
MB is for going from point a to point b just for the drive.

FThornton666

BMW is for going to point A to Point B but taking the canyons to get there.

BenzKid24

Lexus...what can i say about them,other then there boring inside,nothing about them looks good other then the outside do to there continued approch on making them look like a MB,plus there a Toyota..lmao. just can go there. its like William Hung with voice lessons..not going to work out. Lexus suck and allwayz will,compare the LS430 to the older BETTER MADE...MAN MADE W140 and it will kick its a$$..long live MB..Dump Chrysler,and move us back to Germany!

Arnie

I agree with everybody who said that the Lexus is a boring car. It is boring, because everything works and nothing ever brakes. The later models of MBZ, on the other hand, are full of excitment! You never know what is going to brake tomorrow, and how many thousands of dollars the dealer would charge to fix it.

On a serious note, it's sad. I currently drive an 11-years old E320. I am ready for a newer car. I always liked MBZ, the one I have now is my 3rd, but I can't think of any post-2000 model that I would trust. I wish I could find a boring Mercedes with no surprises and no excitment. However, visiting this forum almost daily, I don't know if it is possible.

pilot20

Oh, yeah. Nothing quite like those quality built cars made by Turkish immigrants in Germany.

ML55CLA45

i havent read any of these post... (too lazy)

but in my oppinion...

the lexus ls is a knock off of the w124 e-class....

which... in my oppinion (very opinionated post)....

is one of the best mb's ever built.... right next to the w123

-my 2 cents.... (and opinions)
carino

Messerchmidt

This post is still alive and kicking?

If you trade your car every 3-4 years then anything goes.

If you want it to go longer, then get the Lex-ota. Yeah the LS430 is a MB knock off, but hell the chances of it breaking down are less.

Like MB, Lexus is a good car.

SamIam43vr

I would definitly choose an S500 over an LS430. The LS is too much of an imitation. Thats why it sells better, because people wanted a reason to buy a luxurious car, but at a cheaper price. Consider the technologies. The reason why the Benz has a lower reliability rating, is because of how advanced [or computerized] the vehicle is compared to the LS. The LS doesnt not move your seats to the correct position, or close you sunroof, in an event of a collision does it? Plus why are people comparing the two when the current S-Class has been out for quite awhile now, when the LS was recently redesigned? LS does that just so it can see what the major problems in the S-Class are then it would simply improve the flaws, and at the same time make it look the same. I think I even read in Hondas history stuff, that Mr. Honda knew that the japanese like to i guess "imitate" so he created his own brand Honda.
I mean if your buying a "prestigous" flagship, wouldnt that mean you should buy a vehicle with the highest power in its class or better design. Thats why the LS isnt as prestigous as the S-Class, because its looks are just an imitation, not a 'leading' design, it doesnt have as much power as the S-Class. The LS is not even as advanced as the S-Class, or better yet, does it provide enough safety, like Pre-Safe or Brake-Assist. Oh yea btw why does LExus use similar technological terms as the Benz? i.e. [MB]Pre-Safe=[Lexus]Pre-Collision, Smartkey=SmartAccess couldnt lexus be more original.
So yea S-Class all the way; design & performace, cuz i would like to out run the LS on the road, i mean i dont care bout the price, as long as i know the S is more prestigious than the LS, plus the S looks graceful, not boxy like the LS, which looks like a 'Bloated' S...haha

SamIam43vr

Haha i like that. Only the owners of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, yea too bad Lexus drivers who always have the sad look in their faces when driving their cars, cuz its a boring whale [the LS]

mikeblah

I have to say that I have a 98 GS 400 with 160K miles on it and have really not had any problems with it at all. I replaced the starter in it for about $600, but other than that, it's just as reliable and well put together as you would expect a Toyota to be.

On the other hand, my 2000 S430 costs me $1000 everytime something happens... Air Pump replacement, spark plugs and this and that and this and that... I'm still waiting to see what happens with the SL.

But if I drove what I 'SHOULD' drive it would be a Vespa scooter. There's just something sexier about a MBZ than a Lexus to me and I guess I'll keep paying the price to be seduced...

naadp

I wouldn't even call the LS430 a "car" -- it's more of a soul-less transport appliance with about as much excitement and style built in as the standard side by side refrigerator.

Maestro

Actually, you can get a new 2005 LS430 for $50,000 via CarsDirect.com. Less if you go through the Fleet Manager at your local dealership. I purchased an LS430 for my father last week, and he's very happy. Most options which cost a fortune with the competition are standard on his car. Additionally, the LS430 has been called the "Most Well-Built Car Ever" by numerous publications.

I hate the back end, but the front has presence...

Maestro

That S/E55 AMG must have some ridiculous mileage for a 50% depreciation in one year.

The current LS430 design is approximately 4 years old. The new LS460 will be a 2007.

cracker123

what is a lexus ls430 is it some sort of car ??????????????? :p :p :p :p

Maestro

No. It's a tasty sandwich!

1SICKLEX

d2-autosport Project

Jetman

I just bought a S430 a little while ago so I can't say anything in regards to reliablity. But in my choices of cars I never even thought of buying a Lexus. I was in between the BMW 7's and 5's and the MB S500/S430. I have driven my friends LS430 and all I can say is "BORING". It also has that Camry feel to it somehow.
I love my S-class though. The styling, the feel of the interior, the way it drives, love everything about it except for the nav and the power. The is very poorly done on the MB, my 2001 740 BMW had a much better nav system. Also I should have boughten the S55....the S430 feels a little bit under-powered on the pick up, its alright once you get going but nothing like my old 740i sport. I drove both the S430 and S500 and found no difference in power between the 2 of them.
Bottom line....if you buy a Lexus you will always be wishing you had boughthen the Mercedes.

Maestro

Not really. You do realize that most LS430 owners are former S-Class owners, right? They were tired of the constant problems and ridiculous cost associated with the repairs. They complained that they did not spend $70K+ for a car that spent more time in the shop than anywhere else. Reliability and value are the two most important factors when looking at the LS430. Most of the options which cost $$$$ in the S-Class are standard for the LS. Additionally, the LS430 has been called the "most well-built car... ever" by numerous publiciations... talk about reliabilty!

Jetman

Reliability...maybe. So far I have had no problems on my S430, but then again I haven't owned it long enough. Before the S430 I have always owned either Mercedes or BMW's. Both have never caused me any problems. I did hear that Mercedes quality has been going downhill over the past few years though. To me reliablity isn't as important as the design of the car and the fun level. I'm not saying that the Lexus is a bad car... it most likely is more reliable than the Mercedes and it is definately cheaper. But the car would bore me to hell. Maybe if I were 80 years old, hardly ever drove anywhere, and just wanted a reliable car to get from point A to point B, then I might consider looking at one. The Lexus also doesn't have the prestige of a Mercedes. People see it as an upgraded Toyota.

All I'm saying is that even though the Lexus maybe a lot more reliable than the Mercedes, it lacks that German design. It doesn't look its part. In my opinion BMW and Mercedes are the best cars ever built. But then again thats only my opinion and everyone is allowed to have their own.

JonnyBlayz

It just happens that I was an 02 LS owner before I was lucky (or unlucky) enough to end up with an S430. The Lexus is a great car, but it is not really comparable to the S class.

The great thing about Lexus is thier attention to detail, though the dash may not look as snazzy as the S its funtionality exceeds where the S fails. Controls are all at your fingertips (volume, band, disk change etc...) without having to cycle thru' menus and its Nav system is the best. No fumbling around with the knob on the S or swapping out DVD's - depending on the region you are in - just touch set and go. Since I am not fortunate enough to own a later model S I don't know if they corrected the multiple disk DVD thing for the different regions - but it is truly a pain in the *** if you like to travel and own an 02 like me. Lexus's attention to detail covers that and much more. But in terms of ride.... UUUUGGGGH!!!! THe Lex reminds of the stiffness of a Caddy. Skipping on curves, stiff and sluggish and the exterior is plain ole boring... Again conjuring up images of a Caddy, nothing really exciting about the look, feel and handling - but other than that I think the Lex is a great car.

But it can't hold a candle to a Benz - even with its faults, etc...

J Lucas

.....checking dictionary.com......scanning...checking dictionary.com....scanning...

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Can Drive 55

I owned a 2004 LS430 for a year and I traded it in on a 2005 E55. The Lexus was boring, the Beast is not. Well, duh! That was a given.

The Lexus was a good quality car, quiet, and comfortable. But, there were so many things that irritated me, it quickly lost its appeal and I began to hate the car.

I did not like having to touch "I Agree" on the nav screen every time I started the car. MB lawyers evidently think the owner is mature enough to read the caution statement and behave accordingly.

The default screen on the nav system was the map. I don't know about you, but I rarely use the map. The audio display is the one that I use. On the Lexus, if the audio screen is selected and then the park assist is activated, or the back up camera comes on, the screen returns to the map. You then have to change it back to the audio screen.

The park assist display is in the speedometer and the nav display. It is not in a line-of-sight position like the MB and is practically worthless. The back up camera was about useless in the daytime because the sun washed out the screen.

There were a boatload of features/functions that would not work while the car was in motion - the seat memory buttons, most telephone functions (you cannot dial a number or access the main phonebook), most of the nav functions (forget about locating a Bar BQ restaurant in the next town unless you pull over and park), the FM RDS info, and several driver selectable settings, such as the sensitivity of the smog sensor to automatically change the AC to recirculation.

The headlights were also a joke. The low beams were zenons, but the high beams were halogen. What a difference with the MB bi-zenons. The Lexus low beams were white in color and the high beams were yellow. The high beams were nowhere near as bright as MB's. Also, the adaptive function did just about nothing. They did move left and right, and it was easy to see them move. The light pattern was not up to MB's standards. There were light and dark spots/lines that I could see on the road moving left and right as I turned the wheel. They did not light up anything that I could not see otherwise, but they did move so Toyota could advertise them as adaptive.

The adaptive cruise would not change speed settings in one mile increments like MB. Only 5 MPH changes were possible.

The buttons on the steering wheel were placed in a position that was in the way when I turned corners. I would hit the radio button and the channel would change about 10 times a day.

The rear window sun shade would lower itself when the transmission was place in reverse, as if I could not see out through it. I suppose some lawyer made that decision, rather than some engineer.

I did not like the loud beep and light flashing when I opened the doors when they were locked. I also did not like turning an ignition switch to start the engine (even though it had keyless ignition). The MB button on the shift knob is soooo much better,

The outside mirrors tilted down in reverse. This was OK, but the position was not programmable, like the MB.

The turn signals did not flash 3 times like the MB when the lever is moved and released. (I am getting a bit picky here, but it was a difference that I missed every time I changed lanes.)

The voice control function was just about unusable. It would take 5 to 10 tries to get it right. However, this did not bother me too much, as it didn’t do anything very important. It was a lot easier to change the climate control a degree or 2, than to try to get the voice control to do it. It did not control the telephone’s phone book. That was a problem. The MB voice command works correctly every time and I don’t have to do anything, but move one lever, one time, to make a phone call.

That is all that I can think of off the top of my head. If you are considering a Lexus, think it through and try to spend some time in one before you decide. They are marketed well and seem nice at first, but the Japanese engineering quirks get old, and get old quick.