Why Lexus is not and likely will never be, a performance brand.
08-02-19, 03:50 PM
#17
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
08-02-19, 03:54 PM
#18
I think this will greatly depend on which dealership you go with (YMMV). The one that is closest to me is pretty incompetent and service sucks so I drive an extra 15 miles to the next closest dealership which has significantly better service/dependability and knows what F cars are. I think another suggestion is stick with the service representative that knows their cars and stick with him/her and I believe you can make appointments with specific service rep (at least the one I have here can)
FYI, I'm here in CA
FYI, I'm here in CA
08-02-19, 06:22 PM
#19
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
08-02-19, 09:28 PM
#20
I think this will greatly depend on which dealership you go with (YMMV). The one that is closest to me is pretty incompetent and service sucks so I drive an extra 15 miles to the next closest dealership which has significantly better service/dependability and knows what F cars are. I think another suggestion is stick with the service representative that knows their cars and stick with him/her and I believe you can make appointments with specific service rep (at least the one I have here can)
FYI, I'm here in CA
FYI, I'm here in CA
He persisted that I did not require an oil change at 5K so I asked for the service manager. The service manager agreed with him. I proceeded to the staging area to get my owner's manual. They wanted to use the recommended schedule as provided by the dealership, not Lexus. They insisted I had an F Sport and that's what the service called for. I said "No, it's an "F". and they said yes, "an F Sport". I explained to them that I had the car for 2 years now and I know what car I have.
To make a long story short, I just got an oil change for $63.00, because I had a coupon. I was very tempted to just pull my car and wait for my regular SA, but I had already taken the time out of my schedule to be there, so I capitulated. The SA indicated in their system and on my repair order that I refused the 15K service, although it did indicate I received an oil change.
Lesson learned....always use your regular SA. Ha Ha.
08-03-19, 12:49 AM
#21
My first car back in 1999 was a Benz CLK55 AMG
In 2003, I got a BMW M5
In 2008 I got another BMW M5
In 2013 I went for a Benz C63 AMG
With each and every one of those cars, The only time I smiled was when I punched it on the freeway. The rest of the time, I felt like a used piece of ***** suckered into buying a brand that would truly make me happy.
I don't even want to go into the subject of the dealers, they are not worth my mention.
It was only when I got into a Lexus, when I realised.... WTF is wrong with everyone else?????
I never looked back.
Reliability, reliability, reliability.
At my age, anything under 500 hp is good enough for me. And with the GSF I currently own, I think Lexus took it up a huge notch in driveability and handling. This brand can only get better... remember... they are a new company.
In 2003, I got a BMW M5
In 2008 I got another BMW M5
In 2013 I went for a Benz C63 AMG
With each and every one of those cars, The only time I smiled was when I punched it on the freeway. The rest of the time, I felt like a used piece of ***** suckered into buying a brand that would truly make me happy.
I don't even want to go into the subject of the dealers, they are not worth my mention.
It was only when I got into a Lexus, when I realised.... WTF is wrong with everyone else?????
I never looked back.
Reliability, reliability, reliability.
At my age, anything under 500 hp is good enough for me. And with the GSF I currently own, I think Lexus took it up a huge notch in driveability and handling. This brand can only get better... remember... they are a new company.
08-03-19, 09:05 AM
#22
Lexus makes its career on safe, luxury vehicles, sold to people with little interest in actual cars. Oh sure, customers, like the luxury and dependability, but try asking the average Lexus owner how many cylinders in their RX and marvel at their puzzled stare. It's an internet stereotype, but Lexus truly is simply a Toyota with better trim.
Are you angry yet? Ready to take a baseball bat to my beloved Atomic Silver GS F? Maybe pound out my sumptuous Mark Levinson speakers. You may even want to destroy the beautifully positioned and designed infotainment screen. Which is, hilariously, universally panned by retarded auto journalists.
But violence is almost never the answer. Before getting violent, try an experiment: Call your five closest Lexus dealerships and ask "Do you service F cars"? Repeat the experiment with BMW, "Do you service M cars". Ditto Mercedes, "Do you service AMG cars"? What are your results? Mine are telling: 100% (5/5) of Lexus respondents were clueless about what F cars are. 100% of BMW and Mercedes service reps knew M and AMG, respectively. About half the BMW/Mercedes folks were astounded I would even ask.
From top to bottom, Lexus dealerships are designed to pump out mass market RXs and (leased) ESs.
Still disagree? Ask yourself why my service rep literally laughed at me when I brought the F in for factory recommend 1,000 mile service. He was working off GS 350 data. Why do I still get email service reminders for a GS 350?
This low level incompetence can lead to major consequence: A flat recently put me in a very bad situation. a dealer falsely told me they had a tire in stock, because they were unfamiliar with F. Oh, I am sure it was my fault. I was reluctant to walk down the highway IN A THUNDERSTORM to get my VIN so they could fill in Lexus parts idiot boxes.
Lexus techs will, with impunity, scratch your lovely orange rotors. Why? The ES doesn't have painted rotors, be as rough as you want!
Admittedly, Toyota is forward thinking and maybe in 20 years, they can fix the top-to-bottom problems, But my next performance car will be an actual performance brand, not Lexus.
Are you angry yet? Ready to take a baseball bat to my beloved Atomic Silver GS F? Maybe pound out my sumptuous Mark Levinson speakers. You may even want to destroy the beautifully positioned and designed infotainment screen. Which is, hilariously, universally panned by retarded auto journalists.
But violence is almost never the answer. Before getting violent, try an experiment: Call your five closest Lexus dealerships and ask "Do you service F cars"? Repeat the experiment with BMW, "Do you service M cars". Ditto Mercedes, "Do you service AMG cars"? What are your results? Mine are telling: 100% (5/5) of Lexus respondents were clueless about what F cars are. 100% of BMW and Mercedes service reps knew M and AMG, respectively. About half the BMW/Mercedes folks were astounded I would even ask.
From top to bottom, Lexus dealerships are designed to pump out mass market RXs and (leased) ESs.
Still disagree? Ask yourself why my service rep literally laughed at me when I brought the F in for factory recommend 1,000 mile service. He was working off GS 350 data. Why do I still get email service reminders for a GS 350?
This low level incompetence can lead to major consequence: A flat recently put me in a very bad situation. a dealer falsely told me they had a tire in stock, because they were unfamiliar with F. Oh, I am sure it was my fault. I was reluctant to walk down the highway IN A THUNDERSTORM to get my VIN so they could fill in Lexus parts idiot boxes.
Lexus techs will, with impunity, scratch your lovely orange rotors. Why? The ES doesn't have painted rotors, be as rough as you want!
Admittedly, Toyota is forward thinking and maybe in 20 years, they can fix the top-to-bottom problems, But my next performance car will be an actual performance brand, not Lexus.
08-03-19, 09:44 AM
#23
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
08-03-19, 07:49 PM
#24
If dealership experience is the reason you are moving on to German cars, I think there's a very good chance you'll be disappointed. Yes, their employees may have gotten better training on the performance variants (Ms and AMGs), but that does not mean they will treat your car with more respect (in fact, maybe the opposite). Most people working at dealerships whether Lexus, BMW or MB are not enthusiasts like most of us here. Best bet is to avoid dealerships (which will be hard, trust me, if you own an AMG (never again) or an M). I would never take my M3 to a dealership. I take it to my trusted mechanic who used to be a BMW tech but now has his own shop (owns an M car as well). My next car will likely be a Lexus (GS F or IS F).
08-04-19, 07:48 AM
#26
Lexus is about balance and sensibility. The GSF is a prime example of having high enough horsepower to have fun but have unparalleled reliability in a car having 475hp. My IS350 wasn't the fastest car but it was nimble, had great handling, and after 60k miles, not a rattle to be heard. Most of the true performance badges are leased because nobody wants to keep an M car past warranty 
Last edited by Autobacs; 08-04-19 at 08:01 PM.
08-05-19, 09:38 AM
#28
I'm still not sure what the point of this thread is. Lexus dealerships don't know the F cars? Given how few are sold, what level of knowledge can you expect?
It's like any other friggin Lexus. Other than regular maintenance, what do you want them to know? This is why we buy Lexus, lack of dealership visits!
It's like any other friggin Lexus. Other than regular maintenance, what do you want them to know? This is why we buy Lexus, lack of dealership visits!
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Autobacs (08-05-19)
08-06-19, 01:20 PM
#29
I'm still not sure what the point of this thread is. Lexus dealerships don't know the F cars? Given how few are sold, what level of knowledge can you expect?
It's like any other friggin Lexus. Other than regular maintenance, what do you want them to know? This is why we buy Lexus, lack of dealership visits!
It's like any other friggin Lexus. Other than regular maintenance, what do you want them to know? This is why we buy Lexus, lack of dealership visits!