Lexus inching closer to producing a superluxury vehicle

[Nebor]

This new line will appeal to the same people Lexus has always appealed to, people without class. Lexus' are the choice of rappers and other neuvo-rich.

It's not really worth arguing about though, since it has no bearing whatsoever on me. As long as Europe continues to make 'em, I'll like 'em. And Europe is in no way endangered by Toyota.

 

[Apex]

Originally posted by: Nebor
This new line will appeal to the same people Lexus has always appealed to, people without class. Lexus' are the choice of rappers and other neuvo-rich.

Just as MB _600 series is the choice of drug dealers and pimps.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Originally posted by: NFS4
Lexus has had one major folley though, the IS300. It has been a rather poor seller for the company. Althought he next generation model should do more to correct the sins of the father.

**************************************


As to Lexus being able to sell a $100,000 car.

SC430: $64,000
LX470: $67,000

The next step up is the $100,000 class and Toyota has it in plain site.

I don't think the IS300 was a mistake. True, it didn't fit into the Lexus line-up as it was a brash and sporty car...but it wasn't a sales failure.

Nebor: Lexus owners appeal to those without class? And choice of rappers?? ALL EXPENSIVE CARS ARE THE CHOICE OF RAPPERS!! You can find Maybachs, S-class, the new Bentley Continental GT, and other uber expensive cars in rap videos and in the car collections of the rappers.

Hell, Wyclef Jean (altho he doesn't fall into the stereotypical rapper segment) has an Enzo, a McLaren F1, and a Pagani Zonda!!!! Three of the greatest super cars ever!

Oh, and I hate beer as well (to whoever posted that).

 

[Nebor]

I hate Asian cars.

 

[KevinH]

100K is too much for a Lexus, IMHO. It's fine that some people feel otherwise, but let's face it, if you're spending that kinda money on a car, a part of the ownership experience is the prestige...gimme a Benz thank you very much...

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Originally posted by: Nebor
I hate Asian cars.

then just say that in the first place. why bother entering a discussion with a closed mind?

 

[LongCoolMother]

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN

Originally posted by: Nebor
I hate Asian cars.

then just say that in the first place. why bother entering a discussion with a closed mind?

hahaha. nebor. pwned.

after he stated it plainly-now time to wait for it to sink in with the crowd.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Originally posted by: KevinH
100K is too much for a Lexus, IMHO. It's fine that some people feel otherwise, but let's face it, if you're spending that kinda money on a car, a part of the ownership experience is the prestige...gimme a Benz thank you very much...

The Benz has small cheap cars in the form of the A-class. Doesn't that reduce prestige?

Doesn't the fact that every Benz vehicle comes with electrical gremlins standard reduce its prestige? What about the cheesy interior quality present in the S-class? What about the crap that is the ML class?

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: mAdD INDIAN

Originally posted by: Nebor
I hate Asian cars.

then just say that in the first place. why bother entering a discussion with a closed mind?

I'm a conflicted person.

My daily driver.

 

[ajpa123]

Background: Owner of a 98 Lexus GS400. I bought it new after test-driving a Mercedes C430 couple and bmw 540i.

All i have to say is that all 3 cars are wonderfully engineered and built. I don't think anyone can argue that. When you guyz are ready to buy one of these cars, all you will care about is the one that tickles your fancy when you test drive and not your preconceptions and what your freinds drive/think.

You're probably not going to buy the M5 if the interior makes you sick even if the performance is astounding.. You might settle for the GS because it's more comfortable and has acceptable performance. You won't know until your ready. Some of you guyz need to chill !

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: ajpa123
Background: Owner of a 98 Lexus GS400. I bought it new after test-driving a Mercedes C430 couple and bmw 540i.

All i have to say is that all 3 cars are wonderfully engineered and built. I don't think anyone can argue that. When you guyz are ready to buy one of these cars, all you will care about is the one that tickles your fancy when you test drive and not your preconceptions and what your freinds drive/think.

You're probably not going to buy the M5 if the interior makes you sick even if the performance is astounding.. You might settle for the GS because it's more comfortable and has acceptable performance. You won't know until your ready. Some of you guyz need to chill !

There are few cars in the world that are as wonderful as a BMW 540i. I test drove one when I went to get a new car, but I decided that for a commuter car, I couldn't justify the extra 20k over my TL. I still regret buying the Acura. It's had no maintenance problems, no unexpected quirks, and seems well thought out and implemented. I'll say again, it has no soul.

 

[welst10]

As a owner of 2003 Acura CL, I agree that Acura is nothing but a rebadged Honda. Actually 2003 Honda Accord V6 (240hp) is even nicer than the Acura CL/TL of the same model year. The handling (acceleration, turning, braking) is nothing exciting. The car feels heavy. My next car likely wont be an Acura.

BTw, I just got back from acura dealer. My CL was under transmission recall. They installed a transmission cooler kit to fix a small design defect. Acura (00-04 models) has been plagued with transmission problems recently.

 

[ajpa123]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: ajpa123
Background: Owner of a 98 Lexus GS400. I bought it new after test-driving a Mercedes C430 couple and bmw 540i.

All i have to say is that all 3 cars are wonderfully engineered and built. I don't think anyone can argue that. When you guyz are ready to buy one of these cars, all you will care about is the one that tickles your fancy when you test drive and not your preconceptions and what your freinds drive/think.

You're probably not going to buy the M5 if the interior makes you sick even if the performance is astounding.. You might settle for the GS because it's more comfortable and has acceptable performance. You won't know until your ready. Some of you guyz need to chill !

There are few cars in the world that are as wonderful as a BMW 540i. I test drove one when I went to get a new car, but I decided that for a commuter car, I couldn't justify the extra 20k over my TL. I still regret buying the Acura. It's had no maintenance problems, no unexpected quirks, and seems well thought out and implemented. I'll say again, it has no soul.

True.. great car, a little front heavy because of the V8 huh.. Actually the 530i has a better front/rear weght distribution for better handling. That's the only compromise you have to give for the 540i. I agree that it handles better than my gs400.. No arguments from me. I also test drove the last-generation M3 also.. a yellow 4 door one.. but it was way too small

 

[Doggiedog]

mAdD INDIAN, for example, the accelerator on my car when pressed felt like a milled gear. It had a wonderful feel to it as if there were little teeth in a gear being pressed in. The BMW on the other hand feels like you were pressing a cheap spring (which it is of course).

On the radio, say you were flipping through the channels without looking at the buttons, on every car I've driven, if you pressed the same button twice, you would get a long pause as the radio goes to that station. I find this very annoying. It's nothing detrimental but just something annoying when I do it. On the Lexus, there is no pause or change at all.

Other little things like arm rest positions, door handle positions, accents within the cabin, ergonomics, etc. These things may seem elementary but you'd be surprised how many companies really don't do their homework until you've owned a Lexus. All these little things add up IMO.

 

[sillymofo]

Most of you bashing the Lexus and praising the S500 obviously has never been in one (the S500 that is).

 

[Doodoo]

I wonder if all the people bashing the Lex has ever been in one. I have a GS300 and i like it better than the 330, the 1999 M3, and the Mercedes 320 that i test drove. Its my daily driver so i chose comfort and luxury over handling and speed.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Originally posted by: Doggiedog
mAdD INDIAN, for example, the accelerator on my car when pressed felt like a milled gear. It had a wonderful feel to it as if there were little teeth in a gear being pressed in. The BMW on the other hand feels like you were pressing a cheap spring (which it is of course).

On the radio, say you were flipping through the channels without looking at the buttons, on every car I've driven, if you pressed the same button twice, you would get a long pause as the radio goes to that station. I find this very annoying. It's nothing detrimental but just something annoying when I do it. On the Lexus, there is no pause or change at all.

Other little things like arm rest positions, door handle positions, accents within the cabin, ergonomics, etc. These things may seem elementary but you'd be surprised how many companies really don't do their homework until you've owned a Lexus. All these little things add up IMO.

heh...thats probably why my dad wants a Lexus so bad after sitting in a 1st gen GS300. We test drove a few 2nd gen GS300s and a 94 LS400.

I found a few quirky things wrong with the GS300...one was the tranny jerk during upshifting. I thought it was out of character...it could be the car itself since we test drove it at a normal used car dealer, not a Lexus dealer. Also the text of the radio lcd display was fading....a few "pixels" didn't work. Probably why the car was $9k less than the dealer and why we didn't jump on it. It just didn't feel right.

I want a relateively new GS300...but I want a 87 Benz 560SEC more.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: ajpa123

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: ajpa123
Background: Owner of a 98 Lexus GS400. I bought it new after test-driving a Mercedes C430 couple and bmw 540i.

All i have to say is that all 3 cars are wonderfully engineered and built. I don't think anyone can argue that. When you guyz are ready to buy one of these cars, all you will care about is the one that tickles your fancy when you test drive and not your preconceptions and what your freinds drive/think.

You're probably not going to buy the M5 if the interior makes you sick even if the performance is astounding.. You might settle for the GS because it's more comfortable and has acceptable performance. You won't know until your ready. Some of you guyz need to chill !

There are few cars in the world that are as wonderful as a BMW 540i. I test drove one when I went to get a new car, but I decided that for a commuter car, I couldn't justify the extra 20k over my TL. I still regret buying the Acura. It's had no maintenance problems, no unexpected quirks, and seems well thought out and implemented. I'll say again, it has no soul.

True.. great car, a little front heavy because of the V8 huh.. Actually the 530i has a better front/rear weght distribution for better handling. That's the only compromise you have to give for the 540i. I agree that it handles better than my gs400.. No arguments from me. I also test drove the last-generation M3 also.. a yellow 4 door one.. but it was way too small

There has yet to be a 4 door m3. It will be coming out soon as an m4 though... So what are you talking about?

 

[Apex]

Originally posted by: cr4zymofo
Most of you bashing the Lexus and praising the S500 obviously has never been in one (the S500 that is).

Could be true. But it's more likely simply a case of being a fanboi, much like AMD vs Intel, or nVidia vs ATI. There are certain people who will never be able to appreciate a certain brand of vehicle simply for its origin, regardless of its mix of qualities. Really not that uncommon.

 

[SuperTool]

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: SuperTool


1. $70K != $100K.
2. Dick Grasso isn't buying.

That's the point. If Lexus can kick but at $70,000, imagine an all new model at $100,000 instead of the same car with a bigger engine like the "other guys" :roll:

OK, I am trying to imagine. What can they put in it that they don't already have in a $70K LS430, that someone would want to pay $30K for? That's the problem for Lexus. Lexus driver isn't exactly interested in having a 6L V12, because they just want adequately fast cushy ride luxury boat, not a sports saloon. So I don't think they'll find any suckers willing to plunk down extra $30K for an incrimental luxury increase over the already super luxurious LS430. MB buyers are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for incremental performance increases, but I don't think Lexus customers are. I like the LS430 for what it is, superluxurious A-B transportation. I just don't think there are customers for $100K Lexus to cover the development costs. I just think LS430 has everything a lexus driver wants, and it will be hard for them to convince owners to plunk down $30K more for additional luxury.
Maybe the new $100K model is just a fully loaded LS430 with $30K in cash in the trunk?

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Apex

Originally posted by: cr4zymofo
Most of you bashing the Lexus and praising the S500 obviously has never been in one (the S500 that is).

Could be true. But it's more likely simply a case of being a fanboi, much like AMD vs Intel, or nVidia vs ATI. There are certain people who will never be able to appreciate a certain brand of vehicle simply for its origin, regardless of its mix of qualities. Really not that uncommon.

That's true. Like I've said repeatedly, Japanese cars just have no soul. There's no feeling there. They all seem like dressed up Civics. They get you where you want to go, reliably and comfortably, but that's about it.

Like I said, I've never had any problems at all with my Acura. My last few Volvos & a BMW had plenty of problems. My 960 had to have the alternator replaced 4 weeks after it was new. But what a car. Amazingly comfortable, solid, handled like a champ, you never wanted to get out of it. It was truly your car. The little niggling problems are part of the alure, it makes you feel important when you say, "Oh, this bimmer's in the shop, one of those crazy gizmos locked it down while I was on the freeway!" It's part of the character of the car.

I guess it's just hard to explain. And I realize I sound crazy wishing I had a less reliable car.

 

[ajpa123]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: ajpa123

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: ajpa123
Background: Owner of a 98 Lexus GS400. I bought it new after test-driving a Mercedes C430 couple and bmw 540i.

All i have to say is that all 3 cars are wonderfully engineered and built. I don't think anyone can argue that. When you guyz are ready to buy one of these cars, all you will care about is the one that tickles your fancy when you test drive and not your preconceptions and what your freinds drive/think.

You're probably not going to buy the M5 if the interior makes you sick even if the performance is astounding.. You might settle for the GS because it's more comfortable and has acceptable performance. You won't know until your ready. Some of you guyz need to chill !

There are few cars in the world that are as wonderful as a BMW 540i. I test drove one when I went to get a new car, but I decided that for a commuter car, I couldn't justify the extra 20k over my TL. I still regret buying the Acura. It's had no maintenance problems, no unexpected quirks, and seems well thought out and implemented. I'll say again, it has no soul.

True.. great car, a little front heavy because of the V8 huh.. Actually the 530i has a better front/rear weght distribution for better handling. That's the only compromise you have to give for the 540i. I agree that it handles better than my gs400.. No arguments from me. I also test drove the last-generation M3 also.. a yellow 4 door one.. but it was way too small

There has yet to be a 4 door m3. It will be coming out soon as an m4 though... So what are you talking about?

I'm talking about the M3 that was available in the late 90's in the USA. It came as a 2 door and 4 door model... lol
I called it the last-generation one.. I thought that would be clear enough (it's the previous bodystyle to the current one in the showrooms today)

 

[PoPPeR]

From a practical standpoint, I have no doubt that Toyota can make a better 100k car then Mercedes can.

From a "wow!" standpoint, I'd rather have the benz.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: ajpa123

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: ajpa123

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: ajpa123
Background: Owner of a 98 Lexus GS400. I bought it new after test-driving a Mercedes C430 couple and bmw 540i.

All i have to say is that all 3 cars are wonderfully engineered and built. I don't think anyone can argue that. When you guyz are ready to buy one of these cars, all you will care about is the one that tickles your fancy when you test drive and not your preconceptions and what your freinds drive/think.

You're probably not going to buy the M5 if the interior makes you sick even if the performance is astounding.. You might settle for the GS because it's more comfortable and has acceptable performance. You won't know until your ready. Some of you guyz need to chill !

There are few cars in the world that are as wonderful as a BMW 540i. I test drove one when I went to get a new car, but I decided that for a commuter car, I couldn't justify the extra 20k over my TL. I still regret buying the Acura. It's had no maintenance problems, no unexpected quirks, and seems well thought out and implemented. I'll say again, it has no soul.

True.. great car, a little front heavy because of the V8 huh.. Actually the 530i has a better front/rear weght distribution for better handling. That's the only compromise you have to give for the 540i. I agree that it handles better than my gs400.. No arguments from me. I also test drove the last-generation M3 also.. a yellow 4 door one.. but it was way too small

There has yet to be a 4 door m3. It will be coming out soon as an m4 though... So what are you talking about?

I'm talking about the M3 that was available in the late 90's in the USA. It came as a 2 door and 4 door model... lol
I called it the last-generation one.. I thought that would be clear enough (it's the previous bodystyle to the current one in the showrooms today)

Wow, I didn't know they made them. I just looked it up though. It called them the M3 Evo generation or something. Guess I was wrong.

 

[ajpa123]

Originally posted by: SuperTool

Originally posted by: NFS4

Originally posted by: SuperTool


1. $70K != $100K.
2. Dick Grasso isn't buying.

That's the point. If Lexus can kick but at $70,000, imagine an all new model at $100,000 instead of the same car with a bigger engine like the "other guys" :roll:

OK, I am trying to imagine. What can they put in it that they don't already have in a $70K LS430, that someone would want to pay $30K for? That's the problem for Lexus. Lexus driver isn't exactly interested in having a 6L V12, because they just want adequately fast cushy ride luxury boat, not a sports saloon. So I don't think they'll find any suckers willing to plunk down extra $30K for an incrimental luxury increase over the already super luxurious LS430. MB buyers are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for incremental performance increases, but I don't think Lexus customers are. I like the LS430 for what it is, superluxurious A-B transportation. I just don't think there are customers for $100K Lexus to cover the development costs. I just think LS430 has everything a lexus driver wants, and it will be hard for them to convince owners to plunk down $30K more for additional luxury.
Maybe the new $100K model is just a fully loaded LS430 with $30K in cash in the trunk?

Wait till you get older and settle down.
There's that 'keeping up with the Jones's' thing.
or the 'buy it cuz it's cool' thing
or 'buy it cuz it's expensive' thing

There's a market for this kinda car. One that we don't quite get because we're not the target audience.. simple. It's not necessarily what's in it. It's how much it is so I can brag to my freind that i bought one. Kinda like mentioning that you just had one of those designer spring waters or $10 expressos that morning.