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Re: BMW lease offers [dhamilton]
Written by: hpowders on Dec 31, 2006 7:02:36 AM
I have no interest in the M5. Can't see getting a track car for stop and go and interstate driving. I guess dewey can use one on some abandoned former olympic tobogganing runs. Funny post about the gal complaining that she is having trouble with her "newly purchased" 1990 7 Series over in the Luxury Lounge! I agree that if you see a car as "value", it is best to buy ... Read More
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Re: The X6 Edmunds HELC Forum Consensus [lexusguy]
Written by: brightness04 on Dec 30, 2006 8:16:42 AM
Cars are getting bigger as usual. The outgoing RX is 14 cu.ft bigger than the new X3. Even the new RAV4 is a couple cu.ft bigger than the new X3. Benchmarking against old models from competitor is a sure way to lose. Seriously though, I don't think you can make a case for the auto mags being pro-BMW. Many of them have been choosing the Infiniti M over the 5 Series ... Read More
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Re: The C&D Comparo [hpowders]
Written by: merc1 on Dec 27, 2006 3:16:51 AM
What about the other vehicles in these comparos? Aren't pre-production models supplied for these tests all the time? Well not if they're already on the market, which in fairness the Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Jaguar all have been for some time now. I'd read in one of these C&D comparos in which Lexus asked for the comparo. I believe it was the first comparo of the original LS400 back in 1989-1990 ... Read More
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LS460 Review
Written by: dewey on Dec 10, 2006 7:05:35 PM
Here is another review of the Lexus LS460. This reviewer loved the 1990 LS400 so much that he almost bought one. Unfortunately his opinion about the LS460 is a bit different And I would like to pre-empt anyone from accusing me of writing this review. Honest it wasn't me that wrote this. In fact it was a very fine fellow by the name of Jay Shoemaker that wrote this very engaging ... Read More
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Re: It's a no-brainer [lexusguy]
Written by: dewey on Sep 1, 2006 2:41:55 PM
Sharing V6s is ok, many automakers do that. V8s however, should remain M-B exclusive. Lexusguy, there is no company on this earth that is as good in platform sharing between luxury and non luxury autos as Toyota. Unfortunately very few other companies share that success. The disasterous details of Jaguar/Ford platform sharing has been recently discussed here. The details of the success of platform sharing between Honda and Acura is evident ... Read More
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Re: Oac [blkhemi]
Written by: lexusguy on Jul 9, 2006 12:14:37 PM
Japanese comp? We're still waiting..... How about the Skyline GT-R? "The GT-R's success in motor racing was formidable, particularly in the annual race at the Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst, Australia, where the champion three years running was a GT-R (despite receiving additional weight penalties in years two and three due to its unbeatable performance), and in the Japanese GT series where it has remained dominant up to the present day. ... Read More
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Re: Plain as day [tagman]
Written by: sv7887 on Mar 17, 2006 7:06:27 AM
Tagman, I respectfully disagree with your assessment. I still own my 1992 LS400 and will not part with it period. I don't need to justify anything: My experience with Lexus Customer Service and their Service Department has been very poor. How would you like it if you've invested $200K in a certain brand and they treat you poorly when you need them? That's not called Service. They were not loyal to ... Read More
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1990 LS400
Written by: oac on Jan 16, 2006 8:21:11 PM
"In 1989 when Toyota introduced this car to America as a 1990 model, the automotive press thought it didn't have a chance against the likes of Mercedes and BMW. Toyota knew how to build great economy cars and small family sedans but this is the big league. Jokes circulated about this folly, one of which I remember on a TV drama where a car thief who specialized in stealing expensive cars ... Read More
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Re: Sales..... [scott1256]
Written by: syswei on Jan 16, 2006 8:28:14 AM
MB just completed their 12th consecutive year of increased sales in the USA. BMW has a stellar track record too. The success of Lexus doesn't mean BMW/MB are out of the picture. No they're not out of the picture, nor do I expect that to happen, however Lexus has and imho will continue to gain market share. Some others were asking about "where Lexus' share has come from" and I couldn't ... Read More
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Re: MB, BMW?? what else you have? [oac]
Written by: dewey on Jan 15, 2006 1:28:16 PM
Care to back this up with facts ? As far as I know Lexus was introduced before 5 years ago! Lexus started in 1989 or 1990 and MB sales grew quite substantially since those years! Also MB sales at the tail end of 05 grew quite nicely indicating the beginning of a turnaround. And the Lexus LS remains a lower priced alternative to a MB S. There are more Tissot watches ... Read More
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Re: MB, BMW?? what else you have? [dewey]
Written by: oac on Jan 15, 2006 1:21:49 PM
MB sales have grown tremendously since the introduction of Lexus. Care to back this up with facts ? How much %-wise has MB sales grown since 1990 ? This is also a period when MB was dominating the HELM market, but now is #4 in sales...
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Re: Just a Thought.. [dewey]
Written by: sv7887 on Nov 18, 2005 6:10:20 AM
Hi All, Michael is indeed correct. That recall was a one off thing, as the first batch of the 6 speeds had a production fault. Trying looking anywhere on the web to find anyone complaining about a Lexus drivetrain. I'd prefer a one off recall to the myraid of electrical problems that German cars have these days. Try a failing Airmatic suspension or cars with a complicated iDrive system that doesn't ... Read More
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Re: Just a Thought.. [manifold]
Written by: killerbunny on Nov 8, 2005 8:33:27 AM
I dont care what Lexus or Acura does, it will take them a while before they get accepted in the very snobbish world of luxury cars. Only a while. Less than 10 years, to be exact. Lexus was introduced in 1990 and became the top-selling brand before 2000. They are already accepted. Lexus, Acura and Infinity combined outsells BMW, MB and Audi combined.
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Re: Lexux? [ljflx]
Written by: jtbenz on Aug 12, 2005 12:23:10 PM
You really need to check your facts, the 190 was discontinued in 1993 so how could they drop prices in the late 1990's. And above average compared to who, Lexus is behind, BMW and Benz, Audi, Infinity, Jag and the Caddy's. They all make models in the same price range as the LS but have better performance. Above average when compared to the Camary, But in the luxury car market they ... Read More
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Re: Merc1 [oac]
Written by: merc1 on Aug 8, 2005 1:46:57 AM
What about the fact that buyers TODAY have more choices of high-end lux cars than in the past, say a decade ago, that you don't understand ? Lexus and Infiniti are new entrants within the past 15 years, right ? Prior to 1990, its either MB or BMW... Now Lexus via its LS, and Infiniti via its G cars have provided much better competition to the dominance of the traditional leaders ... Read More
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Re: Merc1 [merc1]
Written by: oac on Aug 8, 2005 12:35:54 AM
Whats old and worn is the diversion into irrelevant issues. You're bringing up why MB's prices are where they are instead of supporting your original point about MB not being the choice for the high-end buyer. No one said anything about why they're prices are what they are. You said that MB is no longer the choice for the high-end buyer and I see nothing to support that theory. Sometimes it ... Read More
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merc1
Written by: lexusguy on Jul 11, 2005 11:58:45 PM
"Mercedes gives a percentage of their cars that are still on the road, yet it is seen as untrue or silly. Yet if Lexus said the same thing from 1990 onward it would be seen as a true testament as to how good Lexuses are. Like MB would really make such a statement without some research." Well, the point I was trying to make is that a sweeping statement like that ... Read More
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Re: sales volume [kdshapiro]
Written by: brightness04 on May 8, 2005 6:09:03 AM
> BMW is still the benchmark, when respect to the drive. I can't remember the last > time I heard some manufacturer saying I want my car to drive better than > a "GS". > Selling more does not make one better, it just gives one more sales. > MacDonalds sells billions and billions, yet it is better than Outback at burgers? Hmm . . . the last time I checked, ... Read More
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My Journey to the LS430
Written by: rgsw on May 3, 2005 4:14:11 PM
Purchased used MB in 1978, took Military BX European delivery of 300D in 1980, had to wait 18 months from date of order to delivery at factory. Traded in 1990 for a 1989 MB 300E (a lease return with some damage repair unknown to the dealer), 1993 traded for another 1993 (New) MB 300E. 1995 traded for new GMC Yukon, 1998 traded for new GMC Yukon. 2001 started looking for replacement ... Read More
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Oac
Written by: merc1 on Mar 13, 2005 10:04:52 PM
"Now as to the rest of your long post, I really don't know what to say. Let's start with the one about Lexus' presence or lack thereof in its home country. I disagree. Lexus has been in its home country since 1990, except that it is cloaked as a "Toyota". This is prime example of what I'm talking about here. You simply can't have it both ways. Either it is a ... Read More
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Re: Oac [merc1]
Written by: oac on Mar 13, 2005 3:39:55 PM
Phew !!! Where to start ??? That was a very looooonnnnnng response, I must say; one of your longest.... But first, I thank you for answering to my request per the new GS. I take all of your points as genuine and well put. Thanks. Now as to the rest of your long post, I really don't know what to say. Let's start with the one about Lexus' presence or lack ... Read More
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Re: ljflx [ljflx]
Written by: merc1 on Mar 7, 2005 10:09:10 PM
"Well then that progress to produce a sporty design took a long time - 100 years or so." Right, like other cars during those years, 4-door luxury cars to be exact had such swoopy designs. Like I said before this is all because Mercedes kills Lexus in design today so naturally the only defense is to reach back 30 years to knock Mercedes, when there was no Lexus to compare to ... Read More
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Re: [syswei]
Written by: tiag_m5 on Feb 24, 2005 10:43:51 PM
Oh, so we should do this by number of innovations rather than their importance to the industry? OK, let's play it your way. Just visit the USPTO site and see how many patents have been issued to Toyota vs MB since 1990. Answer: Toyota 4906, MB 1998. Yes but the question is how many of these patents were for worthwhile technologies. I would consider MB's patent for ESC of greater value ... Read More
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Re: [tiag_m5]
Written by: syswei on Feb 24, 2005 7:16:56 PM
"Would you please provide a list of Toyota/Lexus innovations, in total, since 1990 that make them "at least as significant" to MB innovations?" Oh, so we should do this by number of innovations rather than their importance to the industry? OK, let's play it your way. Just visit the USPTO site and see how many patents have been issued to Toyota vs MB since 1990. Answer: Toyota 4906, MB 1998. (The ... Read More
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Re: [syswei]
Written by: tiag_m5 on Feb 24, 2005 3:11:46 PM
If you look at my original post, I never claimed that Lexus has out-innovated MB specifically in SAFETY since 1990. I did claim that, since 1990, Toyota/Lexus innovations IN TOTAL are at least as significant to the industry as MB innovations. Really? Would you please provide a list of Toyota/Lexus innovations, in total, since 1990 that make them "at least as significant" to MB innovations? For all of MB’s 120 years ... Read More
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Re: [syswei]
Written by: jovialanus on Feb 24, 2005 12:46:17 AM
"What has MB done for the industry in the last 15 years?...Yes, MB has managed to do more here in 120 years than Lexus has in 15. " You must have been living under a rock for the last 15 years. Even if we disregard countless Mercedes innovations and only include those introduced since 1989 Mercedes STILL trumps Lexus by a wide margin. Virtually every safety feature in every Lexus car ... Read More
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Ljflx
Written by: merc1 on Feb 22, 2005 6:05:43 AM
Well the quality and reliability part really isn't anythin new and sales haven't dropped either. They were off a few percent last year compared to 2003 worldwide. The exageration is just about every post about MB on this board. Like I said before they're still selling cars are a premium and will continue to do so. Their pre-1990 days are gone and so are BMWs and anyone else in the luxury ... Read More
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Re: King of the castle [designman]
Written by: ljflx on Feb 21, 2005 6:34:04 PM
That was downright impressive. I like your choice of the word blessed to. Hope Pat appreciated it. I almost forgot your marketing question. I can tell you that Lexus is going to make a real big deal about the new models and worldwide branding in 2007. This will be equal to or greater than the pre 1990 pre-launch and continuation after launch marketing and brand awareness push. Some of this I ... Read More
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Re: [denaliinpa]
Written by: sv7887 on Feb 13, 2005 10:59:30 AM
Hi All, Having high end >$100K cars isn't the sole definition of "High End" That's just pure snobbery. Jaguar's XJ Vanden Plas is around 80K these days, yet it is outperformed by LS430 hands down. It goes to show price isn't commiserate with competitiveness. Of course "status" is a big MB attraction..Have you seen their "Unlike Any Other" media campaigns lately? They show pictures of people posing next to their cars..It's ... Read More
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no title
Written by: sv7887 on Jan 11, 2005 12:45:49 PM
Hi All, A tongue in cheek remark about the 5 Series.."There is no such thing as an ugly car, you just haven't drunk enough!" The only BMW I find remotely attractive is the 6 Series..Nice lines but it's still weird looking. The 5 Series looks like some Japanese cartoon artist gone mad. (IMHO) I like the dignified stately look of my new LS430. It's not too flashy. Reliability is still ... Read More
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michael_mattox
Written by: merc1 on Aug 1, 2004 10:15:27 PM
This is amazing. (Last Post) "In your previous post the chart showed 700+ units and you said that was US sales???? I accept 1700+ for the SL500....Allante sold 6700 in 93." No chart or link I ever posted said anything like that. Period. It said (they MBUSA.COM) said 1721 sales for 1993. End of story. You said 700 or 800 in your confused state. The link didn't change from one posting ... Read More
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michael_mattox
Written by: merc1 on Jul 29, 2004 6:03:43 PM
It is painfully obvious that you don't have a clue about the Mercedes SL. You seem to be the only one that is "confused" here. Everyone else has pretty much agreed that the SL was the superior car. The question is whether or not the Allante is so lame that its sole supporter is reduced to harping about trunk space over a decent top design, you know something that most people ... Read More
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ljflx
Written by: merc1 on Jul 27, 2004 9:37:01 PM
"I'll bet most critics of an LS430 have never sat behind the wheel of one. I'll also bet that many LS430 buyers have owned MB E or S class cars before. Do I have statistics - no. Just my feeling because it's the situation with the people I know and I'd bet its representative of a large part of the buying group." You might be right on that because most German ... Read More
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Re: Steel thickness not the issue... [dieselbreath]
Written by: footie on Jul 19, 2004 4:29:38 AM
I appreciate your long post. I still don't think you are thinking fully about what is happening. Saying that the Japanese are making cars to 'just pass' the tests is a good debating point but it doesn't have any substance in a discussion since you can't establish if it's true. It's just an opinion. It's just like someone saying, Mercedes and BMW cars are heavier because they are rear wheel drive ... Read More
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Re: maxhonda99 [merc1]
Written by: maxhonda99 on Jul 15, 2004 6:18:15 AM
yes differences do exist but they are by all means slight today. 15 years ago, there were night and day differences between cars, such as the LS400 was lot more luxurious than the 7-series and the 7-series was in turn alot more sporty same with the 7-series vs. the S-class in 1990 vs. today. In the last 15 years as Lexus helped BMW discover that american luxury car buyers look for ... Read More
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michael_mattox
Written by: merc1 on Jun 13, 2004 10:29:40 PM
"Note to mention your constantly changing the years we are reviewing..I provided specs for a 93 SL and a 93 Allante...AS IS YOUR CUSTOM YOU WANT TO MOVE THE BALL TO THE 90 ALLANTE AND NO DOUBT COMPARE IT TO THE 93 SL." You're confused. It doesn't matter which 1990+ SL you use! You can use whatever year SL from 1990 onward and it will be the same outcome since the ... Read More
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Michael
Written by: ljflx on May 17, 2004 10:08:04 AM
I think merc1's arguments are simple monetary demographics. The cheaper something is the more buyers it can attract. It's far too logical an assumption to argue with as far as I'm concerned. There are simply more people that can reach the price point of an LS430 than can reach that of an S-class - particularly the $85K S-500. Thus it should sell more based on those broad paramaters. There are many ... Read More
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maxhonda99
Written by: merc1 on Apr 29, 2004 5:08:21 AM
Well I didn't exactly say they were useless. My position is that there are other things to evaluate a car on. I do take issue with some of the things JDP says because they really don't tell you much other than where a certain brand or car places. Not much detail. Secondly since this is the board for survey worshipers with a Toyota bias I just had to point out that ... Read More
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saugatak
Written by: ljflx on Apr 24, 2004 6:03:11 AM
I don't think BMW is in trouble from Lexus. I don't even think they are in trouble right now. I think they have developing problems which can and probably will lead them into trouble. Given the Toyota juggernaut and the fact that Lexus set dead aim on MB - you actually have to give MB a lot of credit for withstanding it and re-inventing themselves. I think BMW will have far ... Read More
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no title
Written by: sv7887 on Apr 19, 2004 12:53:49 PM
Hi All, I'll just add my two cents to the discussion..I'd agree with Merc that MB and BMW are not in serious trouble. I'll qualify that with a "Yet" however. You can't ignore the bad press both automakers are having right now. Reliability is still a major part of the decision making process. IF left unaddressed, this is going to start to hurt their bottom line. Anyone have profit/loss data on ... Read More
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footie
Written by: merc1 on Apr 4, 2004 10:22:36 PM
It's just like I said before if you can't count all those taxi Mercedes, then you can't count all those so-called "Lexuses" running around in other countries as leathered up Toyotas. We disagree on what makes a "luxury" car obviously. Leather doesn't define it for me. I'm not trying to say you don't know what you're talking about here, but with the engine thing you really would benefit from doing some ... Read More
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oac
Written by: merc1 on Apr 3, 2004 11:04:21 AM
Why have a CLK and CL? Have you taken the time to look at the two cars? As good as the CLK is the CL is in another league. Styling, features, engines and technology seperate the two cars mainly. The CLK, unlike the CL is also available in a convertible. The SLK and SL. Come on now, you don't see the reason or difference here? The SL is the luxury roadster ... Read More
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Lexus Plans
Written by: merc1 on Apr 3, 2004 10:36:07 AM
Lots of dreamy talk going on in here about Lexus I see. All the hundreds of thousands of MB diesel owners who kept their cars all these years haven't been waiting for a new diesel model. Makes sense to me. The average person (most Lex fans too) doesn't even know about diesel technology, except for the 1980s or what they've read in the past. Hello...diesel technology has changed in the last ... Read More
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Bzzzzt, wrong again...
Written by: shipo on Mar 9, 2004 3:47:44 PM
Sorry guy, I've owned four Audi's and I am now on my second BMW, a 530i this time that I had the pleasure of picking up in Munich and running it through its paces on the Autobahn. If that's not enough, I spent several years in the mid 1990s working for MB-USA in Montvale and Stuttgart, and I drove everything they had as well as all of their competitors that they ... Read More
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1988 560 SEL is a tank
Written by: jsb16 on Mar 4, 2004 4:38:50 PM
I just sold one of these last week for my dad who was the original owner of the vehicle with 67K miles. I agree that it was solidly built but was more costly to maintain than my 1990 LS which had 100K more miles. The MB was much larger and made the LS look like a compact. Even the MB lovers out there have to be glad that Lexus came along ... Read More
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no title
Written by: merc1 on Feb 24, 2004 9:32:53 PM
Actually drive by wire isn't new. BMW debuted this technology on the 1988 750iL and Cadillac on the 1990 Allante. Needless to say this was a long time ago. There have been no complaints or problems with this type of technology since the very beginning. Even Honda uses it on several cars that cost much less than most Lexus, Mercedes or BMW models. Brake by wire has proven in certain applications ... Read More
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ksurg
Written by: merc1 on Dec 1, 2003 7:03:23 PM
Well I can't say that I've had enough time to get use to idrive. I've driven the 745i twice and the OMG 760Li once. I had a chance to take the 760Li for about an hour during BMW's annual charity (Susan G. Kormen) event so I can't really comment on the details about idrive. I do know that it would require time for even me to get used to and proficient ... Read More
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What should I buy?
Written by: miroslav1 on Nov 10, 2003 4:23:45 PM
Hi all, I ride a Honda CB100 and have never owned a car in my life, so I really need some help. My wife wants a nice big Sedan, and I don't want to spend more then $20,000. Should I get an early 1990s MB S class or BMW 7 series, or a more recent Lexus, Infiniti? Are there any particular years when the MB S class was really fine, like ... Read More
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merc1
Written by: ljflx on Nov 1, 2003 9:22:35 AM
At $69k (the estimated price C&D put on the car, which they thought might be low) the Phaeton is not worth it. Plus it is a very heavy car. I'd buy an A8L long before I'd ever consider a Phaeton. They aren't going to cut it here in my opinion and I still am missing VW's whole strategy. The US market is not big enough at this scale. You already have ... Read More
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oac3
Written by: ljflx on Oct 15, 2003 6:54:32 PM
Let me know what pricepoints you get on the LX470. I'm also buying or leasing at the end of the year or in January. If you are still shopping then I'll let you know prices I am getting as well. In the meantime check prices and lease deals at LexusUS.com to keep your dealer honest on prices he gives you. It's a great suv with an LS430 like ride if you ... Read More
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legendary and catching up
Written by: sorter on Oct 11, 2003 2:49:32 PM
No doubt Benz was legendary and in fact both BMW and Lexus have been catching up. Things changed since the early 1990s when Benz was till the best made and most reliable car. Lexus came up with LS which cost half of a Benz and keep kaisen it into the closest of any car can ever get to become flawless. BMW keep winning customers away with the excitements they feel every ... Read More
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no title
Written by: merc1 on Oct 9, 2003 12:22:39 AM
I think that generally speaking people buying a car that ranges from 55-72 are little less deep in the pockets than people looking at a car that starts at 73K and goes to 125K. Yes there is some overlap for sure, but to say its the same exact demographic I think is incorrect. Yes Lexus has grown market share, but its been at the expense of every import luxury brand on ... Read More
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Europeans behind U.S. car companies?
Written by: syswei on Oct 7, 2003 7:11:07 AM
from JDP: "While Japanese-branded vehicles continue to dominate in terms of long-term vehicle quality, the Europeans have lost their edge over the U.S. domestic-branded vehicles... The 2003 study, which measures problems reported by original owners of 2000 model-year vehicles at three years of ownership, finds that although there is near parity between U.S. Domestics and Europeans in terms of initial quality, substantial quality gaps appear between the Domestics and the Europeans ... Read More
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ljflx
Written by: merc1 on Apr 8, 2003 4:13:48 PM
Yes it would be an embarrasment and totally ridiculous for the original carmaker to start taking styling cues from a Japanese brands who's sole existence was trumped up to mirror them. And to take something from Ford would be even more ridiculous. No Mercedes isn't totally original in every single respect and every now and then over the past 117 years they've had to take a lesson from others, but for ... Read More
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footie
Written by: merc1 on Dec 20, 2002 10:07:26 PM
If Mercedes isn't THE technology leader, then they certainly are among the top 2. The other being BMW. Electronics, such as CD changers are hardly "technology" as most people understand the word. It's the brand culture that keeps/kept Mercedes/Porsche and other German makes from installing these things, not that they couldn't. I know you realize that. Lexus doesn't make it's own stereos, neither does Acura. In short if Mercedes felt that ... Read More
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RL / E - Difference in priorities
Written by: footie on Dec 20, 2002 3:22:28 PM
Well, I guess there's just a difference in priorities that constitutes value. And of course, individual experiences vary. Performance didn't seem very different to me and I've driven both, my sister's and a friend's E320. They feel a little different in the driver's seat, but both felt very stable, surefooted, in every driving situation I had them in. I also don't look at Mercedes as a technology leader anymore. I would ... Read More
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Whew
Written by: sweetjeldorado on Oct 29, 2002 3:22:07 PM
How do you guys find the time to post so much? Maxhonda, I been out of school twelve years now and back then, my favorite luxury automaker was a Cadillac and still is to this day. Cadillacs were pure luxury back then in 1990 and '91 when I begin to take interest in the product. I don't care for Mercedes or BMW back then. I thought they were ugly as sin ... Read More
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no title
Written by: magnetophone on Oct 29, 2002 12:13:14 AM
It's as simple as this - Cadillac has not created a car in the past 20 years or so that has become a trendsetter and copycat to other luxury brands. This is an essential for a true luxury brand that is setting an example. Here's a few examples. In the mid 70's, the S-class, and E-class Mercedes set a standard in contemporary luxury design. It was emulated by everyone from the ... Read More
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no title
Written by: 1487 on Oct 23, 2002 3:25:33 PM
i dont know who was saying that lexus whurt the US lux makers more than the Germans but that is false. Even in 1990 people didnt see US makes as equal to German imports and therefore the people who rushed to the Lexus dealership were people who would have considered a MB or a BMW (although that is a stretch) not a cadillac. Lexus made a big splash but i dont ... Read More
