General Car Conversation
#8896
A 20 year old LX is also waiting on a $5,000 repair. Nothing lasts forever. I have a 2003 ES300 with 215,000 miles. My mom drives it maybe 1,000 miles a year. If I all of a sudden started driving it 1,500 miles a month it would explode lol. I would be on the side of the road in 3 months.
I'm not saying go try it but are you sure? I bet with a good tune up there's a good chance it has life left, it's just a Camry.
That said if I had a huge fire, I'd watch my house, and both other cars burn to the ground from the street in the SL because I'd save the Mercedes. Trust me I get it.
#8897
one clear difference in philosophy between my cars is the benz will do a clear 'cold start' where it's a whole big dramatic thing for like 20 seconds then it settles right down, whereas the LS and other toyota products i've seen will have an initial high idle that gradually subsides over the next few minutes
my dad's car does a GREAT cold start lol, and that's 100% factory stock!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIrtUdY-LLA
my dad's car does a GREAT cold start lol, and that's 100% factory stock!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIrtUdY-LLA
The Denali has a great cold start, I'll grab a video soon. I think the engine is too quiet and you can't hear the exhaust inside but it has a seriously legit exhaust from the outside, it sounds dirrrrty. I always use the remote start so I can hear the exhaust rumble walking up to it.
#8898
Well yeah, that's 10xs the mileage lol. What I mean is if I drove my SL say, 12k miles a year... double what I do now.. I don't think there'd be any issues. 12k miles a year is perfectly within the realm of average around here.
Would you drive an R129 15-20k a year? I thought you said you'd want to just look at it in the garage mostly.
It has a soul, I really think it does. It is just so luxurious, so flawless, so effortless, so buttery. So freaking reliable. It's not really fun to drive but it drives so well in general it's almost crazy. Back when Lexus knew what they were doing with the LS.
I would never go back and buy an old Lexus (Save the 98-00 LS400, but thats more nostalgia than it is the car itself), but there are multiple old Mercedes I would like to have...
#8899
IMO there isn't a blander design, interior or exterior, than a 2000's Toyota/Lexus product. It was an era where most automotive design was rather bland but Toyota took that to another level for the most part.
But even in the more recent years, the GS was a sad competitor to the 5 series or E Class. It had nothing to offer really.
But even in the more recent years, the GS was a sad competitor to the 5 series or E Class. It had nothing to offer really.
#8900
I get it, I do about the Mercedes. Lol there’s a reason it’s that and not an SC430 in the garage.
But oh lord if something happened to my LS430 I would be devastated.
We love LX too of course but that’s easily replaceable.
LS430 I’ve had since age 29, it’s been driven across country and back, driven in LA gridlock for 2 years. It would be horrendous if the 430 got totaled or something. It may not have the soul you think it lacks but it’s ABSOLUTELY a special car.
But oh lord if something happened to my LS430 I would be devastated.
We love LX too of course but that’s easily replaceable.
LS430 I’ve had since age 29, it’s been driven across country and back, driven in LA gridlock for 2 years. It would be horrendous if the 430 got totaled or something. It may not have the soul you think it lacks but it’s ABSOLUTELY a special car.
#8901
Those things don't give it a soul, its hard to describe. Being extremely competent isn't a soul. When something else is given to you that does all those things better, what are you left with? The Mercedes has a personality that the Lexus just doesn't have. For instance once I realized that I could swing the S560, I had no emotion just dumping the LS460L. I feel very differently about the S560 now at the same part of its life.
I would never go back and buy an old Lexus (Save the 98-00 LS400, but thats more nostalgia than it is the car itself), but there are multiple old Mercedes I would like to have...
I would never go back and buy an old Lexus (Save the 98-00 LS400, but thats more nostalgia than it is the car itself), but there are multiple old Mercedes I would like to have...
i think the "soul" of the LS 400 comes from the clear results of years and years of arduous and toilsome work by teams of brilliant, dedicated takumi who seemed personally invested in the success of the project, and from mr. toyoda himself who wanted to show the world what his company could truly accomplish
also just take one look at the LS 400 brochure, you're basically flat out being instructed to hit the gas when the light turns green and immediately feel smug from how quickly all the other peasants are being left in your executive dust lol
#8902
I hesitate using soul with any seriousness when discussing cars, but Lexus products generally had/have a distinct lack of passion from my view. I found the LS430 to be the automotive equivalent of oatmeal. It was of no surprise to me that once Mercedes got their act together, the S-class regained its sales crown. Many Lexus buyers in the upper end were Mercedes defectors that ended up going back to Benz in the late 2000s.
#8903
Those things don't give it a soul, its hard to describe. Being extremely competent isn't a soul. When something else is given to you that does all those things better, what are you left with? The Mercedes has a personality that the Lexus just doesn't have. For instance once I realized that I could swing the S560, I had no emotion just dumping the LS460L. I feel very differently about the S560 now at the same part of its life.
I would never go back and buy an old Lexus (Save the 98-00 LS400, but thats more nostalgia than it is the car itself), but there are multiple old Mercedes I would like to have...
BTW I love watching things like these:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkmtraSZmGk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkmtraSZmGk
I would never go back and buy an old Lexus (Save the 98-00 LS400, but thats more nostalgia than it is the car itself), but there are multiple old Mercedes I would like to have..
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 12-19-23 at 12:19 PM.
#8904
#8906
I hesitate using soul with any seriousness when discussing cars, but Lexus products generally had/have a distinct lack of passion from my view. I found the LS430 to be the automotive equivalent of oatmeal. It was of no surprise to me that once Mercedes got their act together, the S-class regained its sales crown. Many Lexus buyers in the upper end were Mercedes defectors that ended up going back to Benz in the late 2000s.
i also think the LS in general is something that grows on you over time, i'll be the first to point out that my E-class definitely makes a cooler initial impression in terms of this is why the car is awesome, whereas the LS needs to be lived with (and more crucially, pushed a bit on the highway) at which point it starts aging like fine wine
but i agree with you generally speaking there is a lack of passion from toyota/lexus models, it's like every decade they'll try really hard at something and spend the next several years seemingly content to not improve yet
#8907
If you drive your more as a daily driver and double your miles, the repairs and maintenance will increase. There is no doubt about it. at 22 years of age, your SL is a ticking time bomb towards a big repair. Your regular maintenance increases based on age... buying one of these SL's is a terrible investment from the cost of ownership POV
And I really don’t think there’s any ticking time bomb… they run well into 200k if cared for correctly. There are no fatal flaws in these, just the tops need to be taken care of and hydraulics replaed.
Land Cruisers/LXs have soul for sure. So does an LS400/430 though.
Stoorock had it dead on.
#8908
And I really don’t think there’s any ticking time bomb… they run well into 200k if cared for correctly. There are no fatal flaws in these, just the tops need to be taken care of and hydraulics replaed.