People buy them, so clearly to a certain degree the buying public is okay with it

 

totally.

mercedes has that totally nuts 2l i4 amg 45 version of the cla-class that produces 382hp from the factory, so it's not like one is purchasing a 2l turbo that makes 200hp.

even the engine in my m35i makes 301hp stock out of a 2l i4, and mine is tuned with a jb4 unit, so it's making closer to 365hp. a 2l i4 today isn't the 2l i4 of yesterday with increasingly stringent emissions standards and engine displacement caps, it's in both the consumers' and the manufacturers' best interest to build high-performance variants, and even the more pedestrian variants aren't terrible by any means. i think the x2/x1 comes with a 228hp 2l i4 turbo base engine.

 

The incongruent dated interior in the GLC is the only thing that irks me about that vehicle. Thankfully, MB updated the tail light assembly with much needed LEDs.

The GLE coupe (pictured below) isn’t necessarily as practical (thanks in part to it’s sloping roof) but it’s gorgeous interior and sexy design makes it the only Mercedes SUV I’d ever consider owning.

 

I think you just get to a point in a lineup where you no longer want 4cyl power. In the CLA or your X2 for example, or even this GLC I think its more acceptable, but when you get to the E Class or the GLE or things like that, the 4cyl seems really out of place, and in those cars we are talking about a 244hp 4 cyl.

 

Its just an older design. I do agree the interior in the GLE and GLS is a better more modern design. I don't get the whole SUV coupe thing. If Im going to buy an SUV, I'm just going to buy a regular layout one with all the utility intact.

 

That may be true of 1 vehicle or perhaps a few throughout Lexus' history. In that same span, Lexus vehicles more often than not retain their value better than most brands. The LS500 is not a desirable vehicle to begin with.

 

I'm just saying that in general. Sure you dont care, but there are many that does.

 

oh, well, yeah, in a midsize anything 244 hp isn't acceptable but death is upon the internal combustion engine and more and more car manufacturers are going to have to hybridize or electrify a significant portion of their lineups to gain the power that v8s of yesterday were/are producing in high-performance and luxury vehicles. high-output four cylinders aren't going anywhere that's for sure, they'll just be paired with electric motors until they aren't allowed in the developed world any longer at all.

 

60+% of these cars are leased, Lexus included. More people don't care than do care. Thats one of the main reasons why I left Lexus, since I lease and clearly despite my thoughts each time that I may keep a car after the lease, I never do. So, I'm missing out on the tech, performance, style, improved quality of German cars by staying with Lexus and not benefiting from the main reason to have a Lexus, long term reliability. I don't even get a residual benefit in the lease because the Germans subsidize their leases, so literally if I was going to lease another LS I could lease a BMW 750 for the same payment. $250 more for an S Class. I just don't see a compelling reason not to go with the Germans.

Thats why Lexus needs to step up their game everywhere else and not just rely on their record for reliability to carry them. To 60% of the customers in the luxury space, including their own customers, long term resale and reliability doesn't mean much.

If you told me I had to keep the next car I got for 10 years, even 5 years no way I would have gotten what I got. I would have kept my Lexus.

 

I like the glc & would take that over a same yr rx.....We've always had cars & trucks, so what do IK 'bout cuv/suv's?

 

I know you just got your Mercedes and just moved to the brand....you are obviously excited but have been back to the dealer 3X.....but let’s see what happens when your 3 years are up and what you get then..... I noticed the guy who has a Genesis on here came back to Lexus...so did another member who bought a KIA Stinger.....my brother ditched his Hyundai for a BMW (let’s see how that goes) and my sister went from Lexus to BMW but back to Toyota....my other brother bought the Palisade.

 

The issues I've had are all issues I have also had with Lexus vehicles in the past, but I totally agree, we'll see how it pans out. I fully expect I will have some issues over the lease term...but then I did with my Lexus cars also.

I'd love to come back to Lexus, I like a lot of things about Lexus and I think they do some things better than Mercedes but for me its all about the product itself. Bit coming back to Lexus was not about Lexus specifically as a brand, it was about the LC as a vehicle being a special car, and thats something I totally agree with. The LC is far far and away the best product they have, its just not something that works for me. Had he gotten an LS500 to replace his G90 that would be a different story.

I'm not married to Mercedes at all, I just think at current they make much more compelling products at a variety of price points.

 

A different perspective here. After back to back Lexus I bought a Q5 (my first Audi) based on that positive) experience I got an A6. Both Audis were solid satisfying cars and I'd get another. Recently have tried the BMW brand for our other car where I've also had good experiences. I went into both brands with fingers crossed and it's worked out good.

 

Lexus isn’t immune from little problems like SW is dealing with. When it comes to reliability in terms of the powertrain I think that is where Lexus’ strength is.

My old LS had similar issues to what SW is dealing with, wind noise which they really couldn’t fix, seat cushion where they had to add extra padding, glove box sag which I rigged a fix myself, valve springs replaced and brake actuator replaced. My 1st gen GX had the infamous dash rattle that I never got fixed because I didn’t want Lexus to take apart my entire dash to fix it on a brand new car. My 2nd gen GX had to have the lower part of the seat fixed for the padding folding underneath which was a common problem. These are all little things that even Lexus has issues with and were common, not one off.

 

if u mean me, a) i still have the genesis for 3 more months. drove it today, wonderful! and b) my new lexus (LC) hardly replaces my (giant G90) genesis. i got the lc because it's one of a kind and likely the end of an era.

i could keep the genesis after march if i sold the beater camry...