Yeah what car you drive doesn't translate to how much money you have/make. Anybody can lease a car that would otherwise be out of their price range to buy or if your like me just buy it 3 years used and get it 55% off original MSRP. Also there are a lot of people with money that just drive normal non-luxury cars.

 

I always wanted a Acura Integra while I was in college but when I had the money with a job, I test drove RSX one and thought it was too tight inside for me. I purchased a 1996 Honda Accord EX instead. I know people still drive old cars like my brother for one. He still loves his 1995 Honda Accord LX, he spend quite a bit on it and keeps saying it's still cheaper than a new car.

 

My first car was 1998 Honda Accord. When the car was 12 I reupholstered the cloth seats with the original factory leather covers I got on eBay for $240. Looked and smelled like a new car again on the inside. When I sold the car at 232,505 miles transmission was slipping between the low gears, but the guy who bought it was just in love with the leather interior, said he was mechanically inclined and planned on swapping the transmission or having it rebuilt. Some people like my dad will buy a new car and drive it for 24 years

 

This is true, don't have to be rich to have a Lexus or any luxury vehicle. The key is finding a good CPO or used vehicle is the hard part. Some Lexus owners driven the vehicles very hard or didn't care of them. I seem even on this forum many people have found CPO isn't like it used to be.

Personally, I have purchased used Toyota and Honda in the past without any issues. When it came to Lexus CPO (1 GS and ES). Both has some issues here and there. Well, I traded that GS in for my new GS. The ES, we are still going thru some issues which the dealer has been helpful in fixing. It's not the same dealer we purchased it. The ES has a door cracking noise when opened still. So much time loss going back and forth for repairs, ugh.

 

My first car purchased was the 1996 Honda Accord EX. It was very memorable vehicle, I had cloth seats and I installed the Pioneer CD player and changed the hazard light switch (somehow was broken). No mechanical issues. I did do the major service on it at the dealer. I sold it at 160,000 miles or so after getting married for a few years and we needed a larger vehicle for our new kid. The Accord didn't have lots of power but it was fun to drive.

 

Yeah I didn't buy CPO and no issues. My car was a lease return and was maintained at the dealership. Clean Carfax, one test drive, inspection by myself, and I was sold. I was so confident in the brand and from what I saw online I flew to Atlanta, dealer picked me up from the airport, and I had a cashiers check in case everything checkout out. I did put down a refundable security deposit before I bought my plane ticket so they can hold the car for me. Price was negotiated over the phone prior to going to the dealer. I drove back to VA with a smile on my face.

 

My old work car. Everyone envied me.

 

I don’t own the 4GS (my sister does) because I’m still driving my 2002 2GS “bubble eye”, which is still in great condition, but once it’s time to upgrade, then I’ll splurge on the Benz S560. My wife owns a 2018 RX450 hybrid which pretty much solidified that I will venture away from the Lexus brand. I’ve outgrown the GS models and the LS500 is horrible (in my opinion is’t what the GS should’ve been). I’m in Houston where Lexus models are a dime a dozen, so people don’t really comment about Lexus’s unless it’s a LC or LFA from my experiences. Regarding my profession, I’m a manager in Oil and Gas, so I’m blessed with great benefits and salary.

 

I haven’t had a lot of people make comments. It’s already been said here... But I think a lot of people see a luxury car and think $$$. They don’t make the connection that a 3 year old luxury car may have cost the same as their brand new well-equipped Camry.

It’s probably true that a lot of people buy luxury brands for the image. I bought the GS not for the brand image, but because I think it’s a nice looking car that’s fun to drive, and it’s one of the relatively few sedans out there with AWD. Plus I enjoy nice things, and I wanted a reliable vehicle that was nice. I don’t really care what people think of me because of the car, I bought it for me, not to impress them or to change what they think about me.

 

Don't have anything new to add - many wise comments already. About me: Mid 30's now (purchased car in my early 30's), work in healthcare, and I only buy used, long lasting vehicles outright. I do research when buying anything of value, so you can bet that I did plenty prior to purchasing my vehicle.

See the link in my signature if you want to know more about my story, but I'll leave this picture here since it's appropriate for the discussion:



~ Im2bz2p345

 

Actually he upgraded to a 2014 XTS....

Sam Walton (Walmart founder) drove a 1979 Ford F150 until he died in 1992
Alice Walton drives a 2006 F150 King Ranch (before they became super fancy) She's the richest woman in the world - $64.5 Billion
Mark Zuckerberg drives a 2nd Gen Acura TSX - $98 Billion (although he supposedly also bought a Pagani Huayra)
Ingvar Kamprad (founder of Ikea) drives a 1993 Volvo Wagon (or he did until they persuaded him to stop driving at 93 recently - $42.5 Billion
Steve Ballmer drives a 2009 Ford Fusion Hybird (it has SYNC of course) - $70 Billion
Jeff Bezos likely drives an Accord - most recently known was a 2013 - $186.9 Billion
Bill Gates drives a 2008 Ford Focus (although he splurged and bought a 1979 911 Carerra after founding Microsoft but has since sold it) - $115 Billion
Larry Page drives a 2019 Prius
Sergey Brin drives a Prius as well
Bloomberg drives a Suburban

I suspect with some of these folks they drive what they drive so they can try to have a little bit of a normal life and be a bit incognito at times and because they have other passions.

I think there are three general types of folks: Those who see a car as mostly a utilitarian thing (to varying degrees) to get them around, those who use it as a statement of their wealth (as they see it or how they see themselves), and those who have a passion for either driving or for cars or both. The GS is the perfect car for the latter.

 

Regarding Ingvar Kamprad.
I've done some work in a steel plant close to Agunnaryd, where Ingvar was born and lived.
One of the electricians at the steel plant has been inside Ingvars house a couple of times and described it as any other house, I believe it was a 60's house never renovated ofcourse.
Only one difference, In his home office he had a big wooden (oak?) desk. That's the only thing he could point out that was "out of place". Rest was just like any old mans home.

 

Bill Gates used to be a Lexus person as well. One of his first "expensive" purchases was a 1990/91 maroon LS400 with the matching interior. Used to pop up for sale occasionally, but haven't seen it in a while.

 

I've taken some comments at work and in some social circles about my history with Lexus. There are certain events I will not drive my GS to because I don't want to hear the comments. C'est la vie.

 

Well off folks aka the Wealthy don't drive they get driven.