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Just drove this LS500, am going to start a thread on it with my thoughts
I look forward to it. While I like the LS500 or at least really want to, I don’t see anyone getting rid of an S Class to get one (and certainly not you ).
I look forward to it. While I like the LS500 or at least really want to, I don’t see anyone getting rid of an S Class to get one (and certainly not you ).
You're not wrong. LS500 is such a nice luxury sedan and certainly has buyers but S buyers most likely won't trade theirs for one. But you never know. Steve may throw in a towel and be done with switching cars next 10 years so he will consider an LS.
I may be wrong, but I really feel like the LS500 is not a car that lures S Class or 7 Series drivers away, but rather is a step up for ES and GS drivers who want to move up and want to stay with Lexus. In the 4GS forum, we've had a number of members do exactly that. Me? I'll keep my GS forever...
I may be wrong, but I really feel like the LS500 is not a car that lures S Class or 7 Series drivers away, but rather is a step up for ES and GS drivers who want to move up and want to stay with Lexus. In the 4GS forum, we've had a number of members do exactly that. Me? I'll keep my GS forever...
the LS 600h was the last time the LS did have that lure, i mean hell it had a landaulet version lol... only the truly worthy products receive that sort of treatment
Theres no one easily right answer. The smart think would be to buy it and keep it a year or so, but I do want a new car.
there's an easy answer, it just takes money.
i struggled before getting the lc500 since it was a totally frivolous purchase/expense. this was during covid and eventually i had the feeling "f-it, we could all be dead soon, i might as well enjoy this" turns out, that's a good philosophy regardless.
Timing is just not great, inflation has made the new car much costlier and the cool down from the crazy market has made the market for my current car soft.
market's not likely to get any better any time soon. if your biz is good, go for it.
I had high hopes of doing a whole thread on this but I'll just post it in here lol
In short, they have made a lot of nice updates to the car. The paint and build quality are excellent, better than the S Class, interior materials are all first rate, very solid and comfortable. Still tight inside, but the seats are very comfortable and the seat massage is excellent, thats better than in the S Class too. Powertrain is one of the smoothest V6s I have ever tried, but its not a V8. When I got back in my car the powertrain and the way the car feels because of it just elevates it to another level. This V6 now though is very, very good. Compared to an I6 S500? This is smoother and more refined. Ride quality is excellent, MUCH improved from the 2018s, and I would say on run flat tires it rides 90% as well as the S Class, ditching the runflats would close that gap even more. Steering is very light and much more artificial feeling than in the Mercedes.
Driving it was very warm and nostaligc, felt very familiar and comfortable.
The big drawback though was ambient noise. Its very quiet at low speeds, but at 70MPH+ a lot of wind noise sets in that is very surprising, which they have not solved since 2018. I don't know if its the large mirrors that sit out from the body or what. I measured 64 dB at 75 MPH which is 1 dB more than my Pacifica. Now this was a very windy day with lots of crosswind, but I took the same course again in my S560 and I measured 61 dB, on a normal day it registers about 59, which is what my LS460L also measured. That to me is a fatal flaw for this car since its always been so incredibly quiet.
Would I trade the S Class for one? If I didn't have a history with the LS and a soft spot for it, absolutely not. Even with that history, I really don't think so. He's going to send me numbers (ive bought several Lexuses from this guy), curious to see what they are.
market's not likely to get any better any time soon. if your biz is good, go for it.
No but the situation with my current car will improve over the next 6 months to where I won't have all the costs associated with turning it in. They're offering me the buyout on trade now, so if I can get that less the sales tax credit in 6 months which should be doable I won't have the associated $5,500 in charges turning the car in would create.
05-16-24, 10:40 AM
Looking forward to it.
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