Reliable Luxury rides

wow hearing horror stories like that just makes me want another lexus lol i really could care less for the ultimate driving machine and "feel" of bmw. i really dont care for getting tickets by the local highway patrol and driving around my block like i am on the autobahn, and doing doughnuts at the mall parking lot.



ive heard similiar stories like this with lexus and bmw/mercedes, one thing i cant stand is the "Feeling" of being royally screwed at the dealer, but the car feels good at the steering wheel, to me who cares how a car feels and can take hair pin turns if the car doesnt even run properly and your always in a shop getting your wallet reamed, of have ac coolant on the floor of your car inside.



im more into solid reliable cars, if i wanted a real attention head turning feel type of car id go buy a lamborguini!
 
Frankie,

We own 2 lexus cars/trucks and one bimmer and I can't say that lexus is trouble free. Bimmer had only one small glitch which was solved with simple software update. Both lexuses were in the shop repeatedly with the same problems, one with the transfer case rattle that still hasn't been fixed and the other one with rear brake problems. My wife's RX300 had oxygen sensor failure and it was a nerve wrecking road trip...



My advise is not to set your mind on any particular brand or model but to go out and see what is available. Buying a used car can save you a lot of money but will give you even bigger headache.



Good luck!
 
Sure I agree, no car is perfect. However, across the board certainly some cars are more reliable than others. Like anything else its all a tradeoff...



F1, which Lexus do you have besides the RX300?
 
well thats true for sure. every car has some problems, overall, generally speaking lexus is probably the MOST reliable make around. i have 3 currently and not ONE problem i can think of. many of my friends that have them have the same great experience. one guy has one with a few hundred on his lexus and i cant think of one thing wrong.



so which lexus do u have thats always in the shop? i dont know much about the rx 300

as far as buying these cars brand spanking new no way just look at bmw they have cars that went for 80k that u can buy for 15-20k just a few years old, thats not such a great investement.
 
Well, no car is an investment unless its a classic or something. Investments are things that MAKE you money. A car is a depreciating asset, it always costs you money.



Its just a question of how much depreciation you're prepared to swallow ;)



The RX300 does have its problems, especially certain years...
 
The car is not in the shop all the time but it has a problem that dealer is not able to fix, it's a '99 LX470. Now that the car is out of warranty I will have to fight with them to get this resolved again, fortunately there are records of the work done already.



LS400 is probably the most reliable Lexus out there and usually is a safe bet but it wouldn't suit me. As far as resale value BMW is very strong, among the best. I recently looked into leasing 530i and residuals were very strong.



I would be very hesitant to buy any V6 lexus without checking maintenance records. I've seen bad pictures of the engines with 10K mile oil changes as recommended by manual with dyno oil but I'm sure you've already heard about sludge and Toyota...



My point is that when looking for a used car you have to remember that the way the previous owner took care of the car is much more important than the badge it carries on the trunk.
 
F1Crazy said:


My point is that when looking for a used car you have to remember that the way the previous owner took care of the car is much more important than the badge it carries on the trunk.
Click to expand...



I agree fully.



I also know of some problems with the LX470. What's the issue I might be able to help you out (you can PM me if you want to avoid hijacking the thread). As for the V6 oil sludging, if you follow the scheduled maintenance interval (5k severe, 7.5k normal) and even better use synthetic you wont have a problem. You do have that very same Lexus/Toyota V6 in your RX300 though, just in case you didnt realize.



You should go drive a new 04 LS430 with the euro suspension and 18 inch wheels. You might be impressed l)
 
not all investments make you money, just take a look at the stock market not too many people making a bundle these days, ive know plenty of people buy cars sell than 2 years later and MAKE money, guess all depends on how you work it



f1 u are very right the previous owner's and how they treat cars
 
My conscience was killing me and I had to completely disclose all of the information. The last time I semi-Autopiaed the '96 LS, I noticed that there is an almost unnoticeable discoloration of the lug nut covers. Maybe Lexus isn't perfect.:)



F1 and other BMW owners--I wasn't trying to smack BMW--just look at all the old 3 and 5 series sleds getting around. The horror story just reinforces F1's philosophy that buying lease trade-ins is barely safer than picking up one of Enterprise's cars.
 
Frankie said:
not all investments make you money, just take a look at the stock market not too many people making a bundle these days,
Click to expand...



Quite the contrary, if you know how to play it ;)



I however, don't :(
 
F1Crazy said:
My point is that when looking for a used car you have to remember that the way the previous owner took care of the car is much more important than the badge it carries on the trunk.
Click to expand...



Well said!



Too bad you didn't want a Lexus 2001 RX300. Mine was garaged, Mobil 1 oil since delivery, catch-all mats (originals not used) and only 18k miles when I returned it at end of lease. 10% wear on the orginal brakes! Fully loaded with NAV, Leather, Moonroof etc etc. And of course, nice and shiny, no dings or dents, non-smoking, drinking, eating interior!



Yes it does help to know who had it and how well it was maintained.



Regards,

Deanski
 
Another thought that really is never mentioned on this board and has not mentioned in this thread is a PPI (pre purchase inspection). A $150 PPI from a mechanic that is familiar with the car you are looking at can save you $$$ and headaches down the road.



When I was shopping for my 993 I looked at a lot of cars. I got close to purchasing a fantastic looking car that owner seemed "autopian" with his care of the car. However, the PPI revealed all kinds of problems. I walked away. It cost me $150 for the PPI but saved me thousands in future repairs. Just something to think about.
 
Brians suggestions is definitely a good one. I also had a similar situation when looking for a 500E. The car looked great in pictures but after a PPI at the dealership I found at least $4k of repairs. Total cost to PPI was $250 at the dealership, but it saved me thousands. If a good Indy isn't available a recommended dealership is always a good option.
 
yes thats a great idea to have done, also afshin told me about finding out more about the car with a deal inquiry, although i dont know if u can ask for one as a buyer and the actual owner would have to go to his local dealer and have that info printed out for you regarding al information regarding dealer service and repair history of that particular car, great tip
 
bet993-my mechanic will do a full inspection for about $60 if you are a regular customer of his. Still, a Porsche or other high end sports car should be inspected by someone who really knows the cars well. My mechanic specializes in Honda and Acura (never seen anyone who can swap front axles as fast as he can!).
 
i dont know about jd power they just printed something that said benz was number 10 and jag was 3 well which is it lol and all the other makes were ranked higher or lower also. i think they have all there facts mixed up than
 
Frankie said:
i dont know about jd power they just printed something that said benz was number 10 and jag was 3 well which is it lol and all the other makes were ranked higher or lower also. i think they have all there facts mixed up than
Click to expand...



JD Power works totally off of survey results from owners. Are you talking about the dealer satisfaction rating, initial quality?
 
Just do a search on the internet for "problems per 100" and you will get all kinds of contradictory information from different sources. It's going to be different because each survey consists of a different testing group with different cars. Say for instance, even though Kia may not have a good reputation overall, the Kias in a specific test group may have had very few or not any problems at all putting it higher on the reliability list.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top