The Problem with Lexus

CarsFreak,



The problem with surveys (how those reports came about) is every owner has different expectations and experiences. Someone could go from a lemon Toyota to a flawless Taurus and they would rate the Taurus better even though Toyota, overall, has the higher quality vehicle. Other owners are just a PITA and will nitpick everything and I think that especially holds true in the luxury market. Then you have other people that have problematic vehicles and have never owned anything else. Because they're used to problems, they may not fairly rate their vehicle(s) (they'll rate them too high).



JD Power sent me a survey a few months after I got my Solara. I filled it out but never sent it in (yes, I kept the $1) because a few months ownership was not long enough to fairly judge the car (they were asking fairly detailed questions), not to mention I am biased because of other Toyotas my parents have owned.



Take the quality surveys with a grain of salt.



:)



BTW, GoodnClean,



I'm sure you could have come up with a better response than, "Oh please."
 
GoodnClean said:
lol, the point is, they liked what they liked. Mercedes lost a lot of loyalists with that change. What have they gained? Horrible reliability ratings and 4th place market share vs what they were which was the motoring standard of the world. Was it worth it? Probably not.



I know many people who drive their old Mercedes and happily pay to repair them because there is *nothing* on the market they would want to drive. I also know people who have sold their old Mercedes for LS series Lexuses because its the only thing left *similar* to what they had.
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:sosad I have owned MB's continuously since 1968 and last year I decided to switch to Lexus even though I still held on to a few of my MB's. In April I purchased an SC 430 and in August an LS 430. Last month I traded the SC 430 on a '05 SL55 AMG. The SC was a true nightmare and the dealer service, or lack thereof, was in lock step with the car. It somewhat reminded me of an XKE that I once owned; beautiful to look at, leave in the garage and admire but not a car to drive. The LS while I have nothing to say bad about it has not made me go GA GA. The problems that I encountered with the SC were not consistent with a $65,000 Lexus or any car for that matter. The LS likewise has not been without fault. I also purchased a CLK in February of last year and have had zero defects with the car thus far.



The phrase "The Ultimate Pursuit of Perfection" should be changed to "The Ultimate Pursuit of HO Hum But Done Very Well" (Probably won't fly with the marketing gurus). The SC did not even fit that banner. I will continue with MB even with their problems. True they are more expensive to purchase but they are a more enjoyable car in my estimation and give you a choice in performance options; from the docile to the beasts in the AMG line up. Someone said to me your comparison is not fair since you have owned MB's for such a long period and Lexus for a short period. My reponse to that is the experience is not time weighted--- experience is exactly that; experience.



When it comes down to the bottom line it is a matter of preference. Debates as to which Marque is better probably started when the second car was built. Just take a look at the Chevy vs Ford vs Mopar; these people are probably willing to settle their cases with pistols at 20 paces.



Lou K

'04 LS 430

Several Mercedes Benz's
 
GoodnClean said:
lol, the point is, they liked what they liked. Mercedes lost a lot of loyalists with that change. What have they gained? Horrible reliability ratings and 4th place market share vs what they were which was the motoring standard of the world. Was it worth it? Probably not.



I know many people who drive their old Mercedes and happily pay to repair them because there is *nothing* on the market they would want to drive. I also know people who have sold their old Mercedes for LS series Lexuses because its the only thing left *similar* to what they had.
Click to expand...



There was no replacement in the US for the S320. :(
 
TW85 HHI said:


I'm sure you could have come up with a better response than, "Oh please."
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Basically I meant what you posted, just short on time. Didn't mean anything by it.



Lou- I think you just had Mercedes for such a long time, and inherantly enjoy them so much that nothing will impress you as much. Nothing wrong with that, like you said its all a matter of personal preference.
 
Now where were we? Ah, yes, it's a killer to have the Avalon faster than the GS300.



If they used the Avalon's 3.5L wouldn't the gap between the GS"350" and the GS430 not be much horsepower wise? 300 vs. 280? I'm not sure about torque.



So maybe some owners would sway over to the GS"350" and Lexus could lose a profit compared to those getting a GS430.



Any company would always want to gain as much $$$ as possible. Just a thought.
 
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