e_dasani

Austin, the more high-end the luxury vehicle is, the more it has depreciation. You heard correct advice, if you are worried about lower depreciation buy a Camry. If you are painstakingly worried with reliability get a Toyota brand - they are simple cars, with fewer things that could go wrong. With MB, there are lots that could go wrong. They are very reliable but not compared to a Toyota, and that is easily understood generally by all. You are fretting too much, enjoy your next car whichever it may be.

AustinGuy

Why do you have to be a jackass?

To paraphrase Warren Buffett: To some, people like you who just throw $$$ and don't make sound prudent decisions...probably don't have much to begin with

AustinGuy

This thread is strictly about the LX vs. the S Class.

Please keep references to Camry's, Fiat's and Ugo's out of of this discussion.

The fact that there are lots of pros/cons is precisely the reason that many out there (including this BBS) want to weigh in. We're talking about high end LUXURY auto's..... 1 having a long standing reputation for quality & reliability and the other not so much. So my main reason for wanting to hear others' opinions is to understand the reliability of the W222's and what this whole "Mercedes is unreliable and is always in the shop" stuff is all about. I want truthful unadulterated opinions. Stupid arguments about buying Camry's makes me wonder about the IQ level of those who bring up such....

So yes I do want to enjoy my next car.... but having had a sour experience selling my S63 I'm wondering if much has changed since 2012 with the new W222

TonyMeister

Me a jackass? You are the one who wants to play, but you are not willing to pay and paraphrases a textbook champagne socialist, not me.

hyperion667

I'm not detecting any jackassness here.........and I have a strong sense for it too

pamiboy

Why don't you get an Extended limited warranty and pre paid maintenance for as long as possible if one of your worries is maintenance costs. I believe you can go about 7 years with that. It should nearly cover your 5-8 years of ownership anyway and you can drive the awesome car you like.

AustinGuy

Wrong. I'm a die hard Trump groupie

Playing doesn't imply paying stupid $$$. .....

If I really wanted to play with silly $$ I'd just buy a Bentley and really get myself in a hole.

Wolfman

There are a lot of pre-conceived notions about MB reliability in your comments.

I think a quick search through W222 forum shows that there is no such thing as "Mercedes is unreliable and is always in the shop" situation, so I am not sure where that is coming from.

I am reading about minor gripes which you can find in any forum, so I am not sure what other opinions you are expecting.

That said, AMG's have the worst resale value of any Mercedes for as long as I can remember. Nothing new and nothing bad.
Most AMG's owners I know bought or leased their cars knowing that but the fun factor offsets the extra cost of ownership.
This literally can't be taken into account when comparing MB versus Lexus.

GoRovers

Austin, I considered (and researched) the same two vehicles before choosing the 2016 S550. I've owned three "Lexi" and they are fine cars, but the Lexus LS will be TOTALLY redesigned next year (2017). Some insiders predict it will look very similar to the Porsche Panamera.

I couldn't be happier with the S550, but I'm really curious to see what the new Lexus LS will look like.

AustinGuy

Well, it's not like the MB reliability issue is making headlines on CNN. It's all the stuff that's out there. JD Power, etc. Lets face it, Lexus is known for "reliability" and with that comes the notion that everything else is not as reliable. MB and BMW do have a rep (maybe not as bad as Audi/VW) for quality issues and being expensive to maintain. We all know that, but what I'm trying to find out is how true that is for the later W221's and W222's. For the latter, that data might not be known for another yr or 2. Then there's the issue of depreciation.

Right now I'm soliciting bids from Lexus and MB dealers: There are only 2. I repeat TWO 2015 LS 460's available w/in 500 miles of Austin (and that includes DFW, Houston and San Antonio!!) Yo! TWO. The 2 Lexus dealers won't budge on price (1 is 71k the other is 67K). The MB dealer OTOH won't stop spamming me! He literally calls me 2-3 times a day EVERY DAY! Each day I make up a new excuse why I'm not ready to buy (I should just tell him that I'm waiting on the guys at mbworld to give me the verdict )

Mind says LX460..... heart says S550.

I really don't believe in leasing. To me leasing = rent a car for 2-3 years and then do it over while holding 0 equity and nothing in hand. I'd rather OWN a car after 5-8 years, spend little to nothing maintaining it and then decide whether to buy new or continue to use the existing car. I'll give you an example: In 2005 we purchased our '06 GX 470 for 48k (or $52k - can't remember) brand new. In 11 years (going on 153k miles as of today), I've only had to replace the timing belt once together with some brake jobs and 50k/100k services. The car has been appraised as of last week at $12k. It runs flawlessly. We've decided to keep it until it literally stops working bec. to me it's worth A LOT more than $12k. That's the wife's car ... I wouldn't drive a car that old.

2nd. example: I currently own a 08 GS 350. Nice looking car, drives like crap... I mean it's a nice cruiser but it's not fun to drive on curvy roads and doesn't handle like a "German machine". Certainly not like my AMG But damn - I can't even try to get into the shop. Darn thing runs like a well oiled machine. The car is going on 8 years now... and I've only spent $400 to fix a water pump rattle (which wasn't a huge deal other than the annoying sound every time the car started)

RJC

I recently viewed a rendering of the new LS due out as an '18 in one of the major car mags previewing Lexus' future car line up...very nice/much improved design wise and if it stays this way for production they'll have a big hit.

Here's a link to some other pics/info etc from a different source...

http://www.carscoops.com/2015/11/201...rom-lf-fc.html

AustinGuy

Hhhmmm..... looks too much like a coup. Not sure what to think. Front end looks great but the side/back? Too coup-ish

hyperion667

looks a lot like infinity......another car I cannot stand LOL

teksurv

Or spell correctly That said I have owned three Infiniti's and they have been great cars, fun to drive. That said, my last two Mercedes-Benz cars have been way more interesting to drive. Outside of reliability, I have never owned a Lexus because I find them to be ... stale. Just not inspiring in any way. Just my opinion, The S Class is on my list moving forward.

GoRovers

Austin, the reason why there are so few LS460s available now is that Japan severely restricted last year's crop --> due to expected low demand --> due to expected building anticipation for the all-new LS in 2017. Here in SoCal it's near impossible to find a new LS460.

Few people want to buy the last model year of a dated car, unless it's an automotive icon...which the LS460 wasn't.

The Lexus manager from whom I've bought a few Lexi over the years told me that Lexus actually scrapped their first re-design of the new LS because focus groups found it "not enough like the Mercedes S-class." So they went back to the clay modeling phase, which delayed everything.

Personally, the only thing I don't like about my new S550 is the long wheelbase. Canadians, Europeans and the RotW have the short wheelbase as a choice. Wish we did too.

hyperion667

ah ha, didn't realize it was spelled that way...
I love Seinfelds bit about car names haha

wilassasin

What's all the subliminal uumm... ahem! About? I was just offering a suggestion as a current member of clublexus and a current Lexus owner as well. If you don't like what people have to say then leave, we are not all trying to down play Lexus, I for one am not. At the end of the day the choice is yours don't get your panties all in a bunch. In the words of the great Aaron Rodgers, "RELAX".

hyperion667

"then leave"


LOL

drsaab

To me the "no brainer" decision would be to get a CPO S550 2014 or 2015 and get the 2 year extension warranty, so its covered for 7 yrs /unlimited miles from when new, and then add pre-paid maintenance.

And I have owned and sold plenty of both of these cars over the years.

The LS is a 2007 model design with some cladding added on it in later years.

Jason B

I agree. And there is a huge hookup on this. I just saved my friend about $1,700 over what his dealer was charging for the Mercedes warranty.

This is who you want.

Jeffrey M Santos
Finance Manager
Mercedes-Benz/Sprinter of Elmbrook
International Porsche/Maserati
262-821-5000 ext. 349
Fax: (262) 785-4167
jsantos@mbofelmbrook.com

Chime in if you used or are going to use him. This is the Mercedes warranty that any dealer will except. This guy sells in bulk and prices are incredible!

AustinGuy

Good info! Thanks.

What's a good price to pay for a '15 S550 CPO with ~10-12k miles?

Jason B

Hoenstly, I'd call your local dealer first, then call Jeff. You will be amazed. And no sales tax!

emilner

I think it is rare for people to cross shop the two cars. I'm sure some do, but mostly those who have a Lexus and they want to check out a Benz. The LS is a very dated car with absolutely terrible looks. For those who want a reliable luxury car and could care less about anything else it's a great car. But there is a reason it's never included in a comparison test with the 3 Germans. It's designed as an appliance with no soul. Personally I've never had any issues with my 222, and I've not noticed a theme of anyone else having issues. Frankly I'd argue the 222 is very reliable. The S class was built and designed to be the pinnacle of automobiles, and for the time being it is. It's also substantially safer than a Japanese car. These cars are built like tanks, over engineered at every corner. In the end I would say you pull up in a Lexus, you arrive in a Mercedes S class...

Jason B

Yes to the above. The only thing is, you really only want to own a Mercedes under warranty, or if you are out of warranty and don't mine the repairs, that's fine. Or have a good independent shop when you are out of warranty to save half the costs.

I've had quite a few luxury sedans, and lexus is nice, but it isolates you from the road. The S is a tank. You feel the weight, you feel the security, nothing drives like it. After you get an S, it will be very hard to go back to something lesser.

Lexus builds great reliable cars, but they are now a dime and dozen with lack luster appeal. They drive like a Cadillac, super soft and floaty. That's good and fine for some, but I prefer and little more enjoyment than to be fully isolated.

e_dasani

On the reliability issue then maybe I have been lucky, I have owned older S-classes for quite a few decades now, never had any significant issue. Owned an LS once, it was equally reliable, but not even close to the experience of an S.