caliz_finest

I barely skimmed thru the post about sclass vs ls430 but being an S class owner I thought I would write a post.

Lets start with styling, IMO the S class is faaaaaar more beautiful than the LS430, and I think the LS430 has no presence on the road, I almost never notice one of these things til they roll up right next to me, while i can spot an s class from a mile away, and I have never been impressed with the looks of a LS, when I see an s class even when driving my own i still look at it and think its impressive. IMO its the nicest looking sedan out there, but looks are all opinion (and yes even if the S was equal or even lesser than the LS430 in most aspects, I would still put out the extra money for styling, everyone has their priorities)

As for performance, Ive seen some posters (cant remember if it was here or at another forum?) say the LS430 performs better than the S500, thats just bs, the S500 does 0-60 in 6.1 and the Lexus does 0-60 in 6.3 according to both company websites, and having driven both cars I say the S class handles better so the S is better as far as performance is concerned

The Lexus LS430 is extremely comfortable, ive been in a fully loaded one... but I wouldnt say more comfortable than the S, I think the S class seats are more comfortable, but thats just the way my *** feels when it sits it down. btw a designo s class is more comfortable than a LS430

In terms of reliablility the LS430 wins but for me reliablilty is not an issue since i only keep a car like 2 years, and my S is perfect so far

And as for value, I think MErcedes should lower prices but I still would rather buy a benz cause i like em better, to each their own

Now I gotta comment on a few things ive seen said

"There are better luxury cars than an S600; try Rolls-Royce or Bentley or even the upcoming Maybach."

I have owned a bentley and it is alot more expensive than a S600, and an S600 performs better, but nothing beats the quality of the interior and the looks you get in a bentley but what i was saying about price, a bentley can go for over $250,000 while a S600 can be bought for $115,000 or something like that... its a big *** difference

"How much is the v12 setup like $110,000 or more? Just to say you have a V12? I will brag about my v12 when i bring home a lambo, if ever"

The V12 blows your crap (and my crap) outta the water in terms of performance and its smoother than a V8, and the 2003 V12 will have 500hp, I would love to have a 500hp luxury sedan that does 0-60 in 4.5 sec, I would love to beat down a vette in a 4 door but about the lambo thing... that is my damn dream car

"see why s500 people will drive lexus"

why? i cant see any reason at all

"the LS430 is the ULTIMATE cruiser... S500 cant compare with the absolute comfort of the LS,"

the LS is extremely comfortable but i would not say more so than the s

"but the S is more engaging to drive and much more responsive... and I have to say the Benz looks alot nicer."

yup i agree

"My very close friend has an S600 with 20"s Brabus with stagger set up.............Honestly............LS430 can't compare with that. It just look sooooooooooooo nice. You get what you pay for."

yes sir

"It is good to have all the toy + a little power but who want to have a powerful for everyday car...just get a Ferrari or Porsche!!"

a porsche or ferrari will never compare to the comfort of a S class sedan


so i bought an S class and i love my car, if you have a LS430 i hope you love it your car too, both are extremely nice cars, btw what do you all think of the BMW 745? i think their ugly from most angles but im considering getting one cause the interior and performance are great, btw i think its coming down to 745 vs. LS430 as my next car so i wanna hear what u think (unless i just decide to go performance and get an M3 or something... so many options)

Edited: Foul language (nothing big, just some policies)

LS400

Yes...but the S500's and S600's are not comparable with the LS430. They cost way more and are not in the same class. A comparable Mercedes Benz would be the S430 (against the LS430). Both are which great cars.

I agree, I love the Benz styling. The S600 and S55 AMG's are two of my favorite cars (especially on 20" Brabus rims! :eek. But then again, they are over $100,000 while the LS430 is barely touching the $60,000 mark. LS430's can been had for mid $50,000's or so.

If you get a 745, wait till next year. By that time, they will figure out the bugs and the reliability will be much better. But the 745 looks beautiful. I saw one with HRE 22's..looked great.

caliz_finest, just a random question, can you ignore this LS430 on the road?

caliz_finest

no one can ignore that LS430 IMO i think its overdone, i like the exhaust but not the body kit, if i had a LS430 i would get some 19" or 20" rims and drop a little but no excessive body kit, as for the 745... thanks for the advice. i dunno if i want a LS430 or 745i, or maybe go in a totally different direction and get a sportier car like a M3 or C32 (or wait a couple years and save up for a lamborghini!!!!) .... blah im open to anything right now... but ur right about the S430 vs LS430 thing, they are more comparble, the LS430 is a better value while the S430 is better for getting attention, depends on what your looking for in a car

oh yeah i think there giving the 745 a facelift in 2004

SW03ES

Here's something interesting, I can spot an LS430 from a mile away, but I never seem to take notice of an S Class, or any Mercedes for that matter. They all blend in and hold very little interest for me. Why is this? because Lexus is what I prefer, so naturally they attract my attention more than a Mercedes, which seems to be true in your case, only reversed. Does it mean one car is neccisarily better looking than another? Not really. I personally think style is so subjective it can't be classified or debated, so I usually refuse to do so with people. You like what you like, and I like what I like. Hell, I'm getting ready to take delivery of a new ES, and I have read over and over people lamenting the styling. I like it.

For me it comes down to this.

The 2003 LS430 Ultra Luxury Edition costs $69,700

The 2003 S500 (and whatever you say, the S500 DOES very much compare to the LS430, you have to go to an S500 to get the preformance and the feature content to compare to the S Class) Around $88k.

I'll drive the LS430 and laugh all the way to the bank with my $20 grand, or I'll buy the LS430 and stuff two plasma televisions in the trunk for the way home, you know, one for the wall in the bedroom, and one on the ceiling so we dont have to stress our necks. To me, you couldn't sell me on the S500 being $20,000 better a car than the LS430, everything in this class is such a great car, the MB is flat out ludaris in price. But, if its worth that to you to get the style you're looking for, all the power to you. You worked for the money, why should you buy something you aren't happy with?

IMHO the LS430 rides smoother and quieter than the S500, if I was looking for handling I'd compare the GS430 and E500 and save even more $$. I prefer the LS's interior to the S Class, and I guess subjectively the S Class has a better looking exterior, but personally I think its starting to age. Again, thats my opinion and is purely subjective.

As for the new 7 I dont like it much, the interior is kinda neat, but for everyday I think it'd give me migraines. I think the LS and the S are better looking inside and out.

GS4Will

consumers acquire different vehicle for different reasons...both benz and lexus are attractive cars...that is why they both sell..BUT, my personal observation from the past ten yrs tell me that lexus/toyota is doing something "right" to sell tons of LS.i used to work for a auto group that sells both lexus and benz..i constantly see s-class onwers visit and trade in their S-class..before the LS, high end buyers do not have wide selection...then competition forced german makers to change..."styling" is subjective..might worth $20k to one buyer to get the s500, might not to many others....

even several of the critical european press give the LS430 thumbs up...if the LS cannot be compared to the S..that is just fine with me....both S and LS get my attention..if $$$ is a non-issue to me, i MIGHT get an S....but only S55.....to me either AMG or M from bmw is worth that kind of money.....but my garage would still have an LS...why? so i can have better AC unit, friendlier NAV...and little things that tend to break early in german cars....btw, when my friends test drove an S500, the check engine light came on...and other day, i saw an S600, no plate yet, with malfunction break light...

sure there are consumers who are willing to put up this type of poor quality parts control...and pay $20k more for the S...there are also plenty on car dudes who refuse to do so..this is 2002..not 1992...when a certain german auto maker claim that their products are not oevr priced..but over engineered...

to me, that was quite an amuzing statement...

caliz_finest

this response is to SW03ES

Well styling is opinion, but i think the LS430 looks bland, especially for a car in its price range, but anyways... on to your other points

"The 2003 S500 (and whatever you say, the S500 DOES very much compare to the LS430, you have to go to an S500 to get the preformance and the feature content to compare to the S Class) Around $88k."

You can get all the features from an S500 in a S430, but Lexus will still win in performance against the S430, price was not an issue for me when buying the car either, i thought if im gonna buy a car this expensive i will get the one i truly love, every time i see my car sitting in the garage it still excites me... if i had bought an LS430 i would have looked at it every time and said "I wish i got the S500"

"I'll drive the LS430 and laugh all the way to the bank with my $20 grand, or I'll buy the LS430 and stuff two plasma televisions in the trunk for the way home, you know, one for the wall in the bedroom, and one on the ceiling so we dont have to stress our necks. To me, you couldn't sell me on the S500 being $20,000 better a car than the LS430, everything in this class is such a great car, the MB is flat out ludaris in price. But, if its worth that to you to get the style you're looking for, all the power to you. You worked for the money, why should you buy something you aren't happy with?"

Yeah, the styling was a big issue for me

"IMHO the LS430 rides smoother and quieter than the S500, if I was looking for handling I'd compare the GS430 and E500 and save even more $$. I prefer the LS's interior to the S Class, and I guess subjectively the S Class has a better looking exterior, but personally I think its starting to age. Again, thats my opinion and is purely subjective. "

I did not want an E500 or a GS430 because I was looking for the biggest car cause i wanted something extremley roomy. But performance is still an issue for me even though I decided to go with the biggest car that had the most prestiege and I like the interior on the S class better but i guess we cant argue on matters of opinion and while the S classes looks still impress me the s class is getting a face lift in 2003

"As for the new 7 I dont like it much, the interior is kinda neat, but for everyday I think it'd give me migraines. I think the LS and the S are better looking inside and out."

I love the interior on the 7 (even though the cabin is just too small for a car in its class) but the exterior really annoys me from alot of angles, the cars strong point is performance, especially the handling

ill say this again, its all a matter of taste and what you are looking for in your car, I like the looks of the s class and the interior better than the ls, you like the ls better, i guess price was an issue for you, i have nothing else to save for right now although i do think mercedes should drop prices, etc... it all comes down to what you want

SW03ES

I'll respond in the same way that you have been, to make it easy to follow.

"You can get all the features from an S500 in a S430, but Lexus will still win in performance against the S430, price was not an issue for me when buying the car either, i thought if im gonna buy a car this expensive i will get the one i truly love, every time i see my car sitting in the garage it still excites me... if i had bought an LS430 i would have looked at it every time and said "I wish i got the S500""

Only problem with this is, a loaded up S430 will still be $10k more than the loaded LS430, and it'll be slower. It was really the performance I was equating, the S430 is nowhere near as fast as the LS430 or the S500. Which is why Mercedes is going to drop it if I remember correctly. Thats exactly what I was saying, if you're going to buy a $70-$80k car, you should definately buy exactly what you want, buying anything else would be a waste of money. I (and others here) prefer the LS430 in the same way you prefer the S500. I do have one question for you though, if you dislike the LS so much, why are you even considering it for your next car?

"I did not want an E500 or a GS430 because I was looking for the biggest car cause i wanted something extremley roomy. But performance is still an issue for me even though I decided to go with the biggest car that had the most prestiege and I like the interior on the S class better but i guess we cant argue on matters of opinion and while the S classes looks still impress me the s class is getting a face lift in 2003"

Personally I think you should look at the S55. I have seen the facelift, and the new headlights (thats about it) do look much better. I think its really the old style opaque reflectors on the car that make it look aged.

The more I think about it, I think the S55 is really the car for you.

caliz_finest

I don't dislike the LS430, I just think people dont notice it. I would have rather gotten an S55 (or a 600 for that matter) but its even more expensive, im gonna wait a year or two then take my car down to brabus (5.8 liter conversion) and I dunno about the s class looking aged thing, i still think its the best looking sedan out there along with the bentley arnage which is my other favorite sedan

E55AMG

You've both nailed my point on its head, yet at the same time, and I may be wrong but, missed my point. That statement was for those who began to compare an S600 to an LS430. An LS430, base price, is around $55k. An S600 stickers at, what, around $110k? That is *twice* the price. I'm sure that the LS430 doesn't compare to the interior of an S600, nor does it compare with regard to the looks one can receive, but remember, it's TWICE the price! Same with Bentley vis a vis S600 -- a little over DOUBLE. You just can't compare two cars like that; and if you can actually colorably claim that they can be compared, well, the car that's double the price seriously lacks in value.

In any case, on an unrelated note, I'm personally pleased to see how this thread is going -- it's very pleasant to see people debating this topic almost rationally!

JohnsRX

A Taiwanese friend once told me why benz is better than Lexus and Lexus is better than infiniti respectiviely. Look at the specs, the Q45 wins hands down on all the number catagory compared to the LS. And the LS is better in some ways than the S500. But why do we all prefer lex over infiniti and benz over lex when they cost more?? Because the COST is exactly the point!!!! Some of us, especially those from Taiwanese decent buy a car because they cost more!!!! n'uff said. Nothing else. We all can sit here and argue whos got what and whos better, but i love to be one of those that can just said, because its expensive thats why i buy it!!!!!!!!!! No joke.
They are all good cars. period.

SW03ES

Well, I live by the saying, you don't become wealthy wasting money needlessly.

caliz_finest

if you have the extra money why not spend it, obviously neither of us went broke after buying our cars, i could afford the car pretty easy, if youre not comfortable paying for something in that price range then why not buy something even cheaper than the LS430

SW03ES

Notice I didn't buy the LS430.

If you have the extra money why not spend it? I have no problem with that, when I can easily put my finger on what I'm spending the extra money for. Right now I'm wearing a $60 polo shirt, why did I buy it over something cheaper? I like the way its made, I like the way it fits me, I like the way it feels. I can put my finger on why it costs more, I don't feel the same quality or craftsmanship in something lesser. Same goes for something like a coach wallet. I can't out my finger on ANYTHING in the S500 that is worth $20,000. $88,000 is an LS430 and two plasma TVs, or a totally unbelievable european vacation. I can put my finger on what bests the LS430 over say the ES300 or the GS series Lexus, 5 series BMW etc, but I cannot put my finger on what the S500 has that puts it $20,000 higher on the totum pole than the LS430. You like the style more, but to me, I'd rather have less people stare at me going down the road (actually makes me uncomfortable) and to boot be a little less concerned parking the car etc and pocket that $20,000 cash for a rainey day, or to make 20 or so payments on my LS430. Not to mention saving giving the government more money in the form of luxury taxes, sales taxes, and the gas guzzler taxes the S500 has but the LS430 does not (with the same performance, I've never understood that)

Its worth the cash to you, but it aint to me. Mercedes schmercedes

Lexozz

Now that's what I call common sense!

khang

caliz_finest,
Ya rite, from 10 yards away, I can't decide whether it's an S class or the C class...