carsnob

I personally hate Japanese copy cat cars, and my buddy drives a Lexus 460. I found it too quiet, the steering kind of fights with you and the ride just isn't solid like an S class. Just curious if you all have any opinions. He should switch imo.

Quadcammer

I find the ls to be more isolated. however, I like isolated in this class of car. If I didn't find certain aspects of the interior to be a bit cheesy, I'd be driving a 460.

emilner

I find it to be a wonderful appliance. Certainly not in the same league as the S though. I doubt many people cross shop the two cars and bounce back and forth with which one they are going to get. I would imagine the usual response of LS buyers would be "I would get the S if I could afford it, or stomach spending so much, but I can't so I will settle for the LS"...

MichaelB.

I agree with all that replied. In my neighborhood I have a retired gent that bought a Toyota/Lexus 460 that emulates my S-Class. Color, wheels, interior etc. My wife has even commented that on occasion she thinks its me entering our lane in the S-Class when in fact its the Lexus/Toyota. The gent is an acquaintance of mine so we have shared a look over of the two cars a few times. His car is not terrible, however we both prefer the S-Class.

To each his own though. I am just not a Lexus buyer and he is just not a Benz buyer. I don't think either of us would ever cross shop for cars, clothes, eye-wear, shoes, computers, music or vacations. We are just two different style's of people.

A BMW 750 driver is more closely matched.

Em Bee Lover

It's strictly loyalty and feelings. I find the Lexis too, "me too". Toyota Avalon, Lexus, even the Camry is a knock-off. Honda jumped on the S with its look, also.The net? German engineering and "it's a Benz". Forgive the bias, but I've been Benz for over 20 years, after Audi for ten, prior. To each his own. Physical uniqueness? Check out the long 2011 Audi A8. Wow. That's gonna be a challenge.

Nira_Lim

I have a S550 L and LS460 L.
IMO, the Benz drives wayyy better. Very on point and predictable. However the LS does have a few strong points.

S550 L

Pros:
-Power
-Responsive
-Ambient Lights
-Quality EVERYWHERE
-Attention to Detail

Cons:
-Maintenance


LS460 L

Pros:
-Great rear seats (Executive Seating)
-Extremely Quite
-Feels like your riding on a cloud
-Doesn't Requirement much maintenance

Cons:
-Cheap Material
-Very Thin Leather
-Extremely Quite
-Feels like your riding on a cloud

skrontz

I was actually considering getting the LS600h or LS460L instead of the S550. The key turn-off were:

1. Tons of buttons and cheap plastic in the cabin.

2. Camry-sh outside appearance.

3. Poor handling.

While I would take my 1992 LS400 over 1995 S500L any day, here the scales tipped in the other direction.

Dema

I think LS460l is awesome car. And you can take it $20K cheaper, so if you are not badge *****, then Lexus is a good choice.

skrontz

You always get what you pay for. The looks and the feel are $20K (if not more) cheaper as well. Having driven an S550, I would not trade it for an LS460L even if the difference was $50K.

lkirchner

In a moment of weakness I switched to Lexus from MB ( an LS and an SC) I can honestly say that I absolutely hated the ownership experience--- floaty ride, cheap interior plastics, contrary to customary belief horrible dealer experience and anemic power. In addition in the SC I felt like a male hair dresser. I switched back to MB in less than a year of the "The Pursuit of Perfection".

carsnob

The Lexus does throw in all the toys... rear camera, power trunk, ventilated seats and so on. A lot of Lexus buyers are miffed at having to pay for all the options in a MB. They don't seem to get it that the Mercedes is the real deal -- solid road feel and handling, quality interior details etc. But a base Mercedes S 550 without options is somewhat of a comprimise. My Lexus friends thought I was crazy opting for an S 600 at the price.

cjf_moraga

No one has mentioned the impact on MB's image and reputation from the the early 2000's quality lapse. Despite the recent return to MB's traditional standards (even Consumer Reports agrees) the desire to believe that all MB's are going to cost a fortune to repair seems almost religious among some Lexus owners.

Chris

emilner

I dont think anyone in a Lexus is touting their parent company's astonishing quality at this point. I do not think the marketplace has a bitter taste for MB's quality. They have been putting together a world class product for 5 model years now (starting with the 07 QC focus). Lexus on the other hand has been through the mud.

As I mentioned before, if you want an appliance to get you from point A to point B in a quiet, comfortable manner then an LS460 is a good choice. Now if you want to enjoy that drive, I would look elsewhere...

lkirchner

I have owned Mercedes continuously since 1968 even considering my brief Lexus ownership and feel that I can comment with a certain degree of accuracy on MB reliability over the years. The introduction of the W 140 S class models started the downward spiral. I owned an S 600 and have to say the car was an absolute nightmare. My 210 E class gave it one hell of a race for it's money. The 220 S class was an absolute piece of junk and the 211 E55 had a broken steering box when the car had 300 miles on it. The brake by wire system on the 211 E class cars was an absolute death trap that led to statements such as"Mercedes don' t break, they just don't brake". Mercedes quality certainly did have an adverse effect on the market perception of the Marque. That is one reason that market values on MB's starting in the mid 90's dropped dramatically.
Don't get me wrong, I lived through many years of ownership with the sub par quality but still am a MB staunch supporter. It is heart warming that quality appears to be headed in the right direction. Still one he'll of a better car than the big Toyotas called Lexus.

carlosfernandez

One hell of a thread!!! I love to read another about MB vs BMW like this one!!!

Trinsoca

i have often wandered about MB "S" vs BMW 7 series. i know that there are several persons that have driven or owned both.

tomd

I own a 2009 S550. I'm 55 and a car nut.
My mother owns a 2010 LS460. She's 86 and doesn't care a bit about cars.

Each car suits us perfectly.

Protools

I moved from a 2007, 750i (sport package) to a CPO 07 S550 4Matic w/ 19k.

Main reason for changing is that I live in New England and need a car that I can drive in the snow. My wife was furious every time there was even a dusting as I had to take her SUV!

There are really 3 things that stood out in making a decision of which is best IMO.

The first thing that caught my eye between the 2 and also now sitting in the new 7 series is the aesthetics. 2 totally different looks. If I was into modern minimalist homes I'd probably LOVE the no cluttered look of the 7, but I love classic architecture and little details hence I am more attracted to the 550's styling.

Steering is the second most noticeable, the steering in my 7 was so heavy that my wife refused to drive it long distances. It's the thing that attracted me most to the 7, it's almost incomprehensible how stable and controlled you feel, it truly feels like no other car when you are driving hard and fast! After you drive it you are addicted. Don't get me wrong the steering/responsiveness in the 550 is pretty darn good but nowhere in the class of the 7.

Third, maintenance/service, there is a bit more prestige with the MB over a Beemer. I noticed a slight more snootiness/upper crustness (what's the work I'm looking for?) when walking into the showrooms, service centers, documentation etc... You are treated as though you are "someone" and this is coming from somebody who has had more than a a few issues with the car.

All in all, I think the MB ends up being an all around better vehicle, aesthetically and mechanically , but if you are a race car type driver who is into a modern interiors, the 550 is not for you (I've never had the chance to drive an S63 or 65 but maybe they would compare, but a different price range anyway)

Jan AMG

I have been considering buying the last production year BMW E66 745d which is a lovely car but the lack of four-wheel drive and tiny boot, lack of pano roof and old navi among others - mostly interior design related issues made the S a clear winner. Reliability of these two could be about the same..
Comparing the new 7-Series with the current W221 is much more interesting but again, the S is a winner
The exterior styling of the S is also much better .. interior ergonomics of the last BMW 7 have improved incredibly and it is a very fine machine
I have been considering the Lexus as well but the car isn't as exciting as MB and doesn't have the same appeal. It is perfect for people who don't like cars very much though (but they could buy VW Phaeton and save another 50% of the price of the Lexus - speaking of CPOed cars).

skrontz

One thing I absolutely hate about the 7-series is the instrument cluster; my 2003 Seville STS had better gauges.

carlosfernandez

thats what Im talking about!!! I love the comparison !!!

soldier2304

A lot of people replying in this thread are just talking out of their *** and most likely have never even driven an LS460L in their lives. I owned an LS460L for 2 years and it is an awesome luxury car. To start off, the LS is super quick I would say much quicker than the '10 S550 (idk about the older models). Whoever said the interior of the Lexus was just like a Camry you must be smoking some good grass. The steering wheel is made of some sort of special wood from Yamaha. At night the instrument cluster is beautiful in every sense and the car rides amazing (except the suspension it's very stiff even in non sport setting). One of the big negatives of the LS is the driving feel (like every japanese car) when compared to a german car like the S550. I just prefer the ride of the S class (even though I'm pretty sure it's much slower) than the LS. But for $84,000 the LS460 is a hell of a luxury cruiser with all the amenities that you can find in the S already included at no extra price. Not to mention the Lexus navigation is superb compared to the lame BMW and Mercedes Nav. In resume, I would definitely buy a LS460L again if I was looking for something a bit cheaper than an S-class. For those that have never driven one and speak so much non-sense I would suggest you give it a try, you'll be surprised.

Jan AMG

Thanks for your review as an owner. I will try to go to Lexus dealer tomorrow and look at the LS just to make sure how good it is.

You can compare both cars' specs here

Here is a review from Jeremy Clarkson

Jan AMG

The Lexus LS460 has only 400 l boot .. that is smaller than BMW 3-Series by 60 liters .. sorry but that is just funny.. big car has to have a proper boot.. 400 liters is nothing. That can be one of the reasons why LS460/600h sales in Europe are so low..
Brand/image and direct comparison with competitors make other brands (A8,S,7) more successful.
I think you could also consider a VW Phaeton if you would be looking for a reasonably priced big luxury saloon.

Em Bee Lover

Accepted points. But, I have driven Benz' S' for 20+ years and Audi's for years prior. I have also spent many miles in 460l's. Waterbed ride, nice amenities, some stupid restirictions. Early ones would not allow integrated call and navigation moves while in motion. Other contrivances irritated. But, they also exist in the ones from the land of great beer. My gripe is for us ego driven, not 120km/mile purists.

Those of us who appreciate fine things and distinctive, set apart amenities like S. Cameron putters and Rolex watches. We like folks to say, hmmmm. the boy's arrived. It seems, w/in two years of a unique new Lexus platform, Toyota clones the sheetmetal with a Camry or Avalon. You look at an Avalon coming at you and you see Lexus. Even an ES series mimics. From my eyes, Benz hasn't copied the S to other series. Some, but not where the two blur. But, look at VW and Honda's latest Accord and you see the S being copied. That flattery is okay.

The net? It's like comparing Japan's Kirin beer to Germany's Beck's--to each his own.