Talk me out of a Lexus LS 430....

The GS430 is very nice and Lexus/Toyota has a great reputation for reliability. I would suggest also checking out the new Infiniti M45, I looked one over at the dealership and was impressed. The interior is comfortable and has all the amenities you would expect for this segment, I like the more aggresive exterior of the M45 over the GS430 and the performance seems better on paper, M45: 335hp/340tq the GS430: 300hp/325tq. Nissan makes some very strong engines, I have a 2005 Altima 3.5 SE and it is plenty quick and gets pretty decent milage unless I am flogging it all the time. I would also suspect the M45 to handle better with the abundant use of alluminum in the multi-link suspension. Not sure of Infiniti's reliability record, I know from experiencce with Nissan's going back to the early 80's that Nissans reliability has slipped a bit since Renault took them over, not sure if this has crept into the Infiniti end of the family. Best thing to do is test drive every car on your list and see what you think.
 
Blue Jays said:
If I was spending my own money and wanted a balance of speed, strength, payload, appearance, gravitas, and sportiness, I would simply choose betweeen the Mercedes-Benz E500 or CLS500
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I had my Benz at the dealer for Service A (oil change) the other day and saw that CLS500. That thing turned my head like no other. That thing is really beautiful in person. It's really a great design.
 
ANGRYMOB said:
Infiniti q45 has 50 more horses and is very similar in design....I wonder what it is about Nissan and Infiniti that some just seem to overlook even though they are leaps and bounds ahead in the perfomance department in almost every category. Titan....most powerful standard V8 pickup/altima 3.5 smokes camry in both style and substance/ q45 340 horses, lexus ls430, 290....I guess status is just more important than anything else to some people. I hear the fit and finish line alot, but I just must not be sophisticated enough to see the glaring difference....every time I see one of those god-awful homely Camry's when I'm driving my Altima, I feel bad for the person driving that grandma mobile. Back to the Lexus, the ls 430 and the Infiniti Q45 look extremely similar and other than performance, I have not compared the two, but I wasn't aware there was anything else that mattered. :D
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Nissan's have very good drive trains. If you want something that pulls away hard at the stoplight, then it has merit. If you value comfort and ergonomics, Toyota is the way to go. The only real advantage I can see in Nissan's over Toyota's is the drivetrain. Nissan just puts more ponies under the hood. That's it.

I did my best to wear out a Nissan. It never made me walk so, reliability is 100%. Ergonomics left something to be desired as did ride comfort. When I drove my Nissan 1,000 to 1,200 miles in a single day, I would crawl out very fatiqued and sore.

I drove a Toyota Camry from Atlanta, Ga to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and back in one weekend. The next weekend it was Atlanta, Ga to Dallas, Tx and back. The next weekend it was Atlanta, Ga to OKC, Ok and back. During the work week I was averaging about 500 miles. So, in 3 weeks of hard running I had about 9,000 miles of personal experience with the comforts of a Camry. I don't care if it is a Q45 or not, that "firm" sporty ride would wipe me out on drive like that. If all you do is grocery store runs and short drives to work, then anything works. As you get older and your body wears, sitting in a nice comfy seat that detaches you from pot hole lined roads with every manner of crack and groove in the road surface is nice.

My friend loves his Corevette. I find the ride harsh and he call's it sporty His longest trip in that car for several years has been to the dealership across town. I don't understand it. As a second "fun" car, I can sort of see someting like a Corevette or Ferrari or 4x4 SUV but, day in and day out I want something that doesn't beat me up on a long drive. YMMV
 
Save yourself about $15,000 and get the Toyota Avalon instead. It's the same car, without the Lexus name and substantial additional cost. A fully loaded Avalon will cost you a lot less and be more car than you can imagine. Go drive one, before you buy the Lexus version and I'll bet you'll be sold on the Avalon. I have a 2003 Avalon and love it. Somehow, for 2005 they added an additional 70 hp to the V6 engine and still managed to squeak an extra mile per gallon at the same time. :eek: :)
 
fracmeister said:
OK, the old beater car my kids are driving needs more repairs than it is worth and it is time to pass the cars down one level. My bride is thinking "Toyota Prius" and I am thinking "Ferrari 612 Scaglietti" but the LS430 is hard to argue with if you want reliability, comfort, speed and can afford the ticket. I compared it with a BMW 545, Audi A8, Q45, S350 and so far it sure seems rock solid. The S350 is very nice and the BMW has more snap.
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A seven year old Lexus has fewer defects then a brand new BMW. Mercedes recently has been getting trashed for serious car problems relating to what I'll term reliability (if it doesn't start or quits running for any reason other then user stupidity, the car losses in my book).

A Toyota Prius is a nice car but, my attitude has changed after being rear ended by a cop after I stopped for a school bus. Big and massive cuts the violence of the impact (assuming your not in some jacked up 4x4 with a high center of gravity). Of course, you still need good engineering in the car as well. Whiplash, even at low velocities is a very mean thing. Once your back is damaged, it is that way the rest of your life.

The only small car I would consider today is a Volvo S40. If I had the money, A Lexus LS430 would be my ride of choice.

For the price of a Ferrari, I think I would opt for Lexus daily driver, a $50K sports car for brief runs around a race track, and a Jeep Rubicon for 4x4 action. But, that's just me :)
 
Danbo said:
Save yourself about $15,000 and get the Toyota Avalon instead. It's the same car, without the Lexus name and substantial additional cost. A fully loaded Avalon will cost you a lot less and be more car than you can imagine. Go drive one, before you buy the Lexus version and I'll bet you'll be sold on the Avalon. ....
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I have an Avalon now. Fine car. But it was sort of the "same" car as the long gone ES250. Trust me, it ain't the same as the 430.
 
maximus otter said:
Sniff! That's the Asian branch of the family! We don't talk about them...

;)

maximus "Lutra lutra" otter
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Apologies extended. After all, these are mainly Asian cars....
 
Just the money aspect, some expensive cars! Depreciation isnt as bad as some, but you still bend over and take it if your keeping it after it loses its new car smell.

I dont think I could ever rationalize buying a 55k car and watching it drop to less than 20k in 3 years.

However, if you've got the bucks... go for it if its what you want. :D
 
'Soul" in a car is what you call it when it breaks down and you don't want to call it a piece of junk.'

Best quote ever! Get the Lexus, just don't get a brand new one. You will save a lot of moneyand have just as nice of a car.
 
You may be bored driving the LS430, but it will not give a minute's problem. I would drive one as a company car, but drive too much to justify (and expense it). The LS430 is no Avalon, trust me. It is a huge improvment over the early 400.

No (real) Jaguars or Italians for me, need a mechanic riding in the passenger seat.
 
JB in SC said:
No (real) Jaguars or Italians for me, need a mechanic riding in the passenger seat.
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I talked once to a friend of a friend who had a Ferrari. He said that the biggest problem with the Ferrari is that you can't drive it more than fifty miles. "What? Is the gas tank that small," I asked.

"No," he answered, "Fifty miles is how far AAA will tow you for free."
 
Gollnick said:
I talked once to a friend of a friend who had a Ferrari. He said that the biggest problem with the Ferrari is that you can't drive it more than fifty miles. "What? Is the gas tank that small," I asked.

"No," he answered, "Fifty miles is how far AAA will tow you for free."
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:p :D



If it isn't reliable, who really cares how it looks? After all, it isn't sitting in a museum is it?
 
Hi All-

An automobile can simultaneously be reliable and have soul. If it needs to be explained, you wouldn't understand. Jaeger-LeCoultre wristwatches have soul, who wants to call them unreliable?

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Gollnick said:
I talked once to a friend of a friend who had a Ferrari. He said that the biggest problem with the Ferrari is that you can't drive it more than fifty miles. "What? Is the gas tank that small," I asked.

"No," he answered, "Fifty miles is how far AAA will tow you for free."
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I've owned only two - a 328GTS and a Testarossa. Both gave me zero mechanical problems and I drove them everywhere. (Although, as most owners will tell you, if it doesn't leak a bit of oil occasionally - there's something wrong with it! ;) )

Now my EDD is a Honda Pilot and I'm happy. :)
 
Buy the LS 430 for comfort and nice ride. Buy the GS for hi perf and the SC430 is just plain sweet with the Mark Levison equip.
Have you seen the movie Analyze that with Dinero? What a crack up when he is working as a car sales man. If nobody has seen this it is too funny. I love the part when he grabs himself and tell the yuppies "My boss says buy a Toyota!
BMW = expensive repairs, Mercedes has a stiff ride, Lexus just right. My friend went out to Jaguar and tried the smaller car and was quite impressed. He owns all the above except the Jag and he really like it. Just get whatever makes you happy!
 
cpk said:
.....Just get whatever makes you happy!
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Bingo!

(Better rephrase that to "...whatever makes your wife and you happy!" I'm speaking from experience here - if the wife doesn't like it, etc., etc. ;) )
 
cpk said:
Just get whatever makes you happy!
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Double BINGO!

I don't like walking when my car decides I need to so, that definitely makes me unhappy - hence my comment about reliability. ;) YMMV
 
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