TrueLexLov

I figured I'd get sound advice here to end my decision: I've been debating about these 2 vehicles for the past month; Heavily reading reviews and reports and I must say I am torn. I currently own a 98' ES300 and I absolutely love it however, I've seen the sleek and sexy look of the CLS's and I'm in love with that but I'm not too thrilled about the interior also I'm tall (6'2) so the headroom concerns me (and all my friends are tall as well). On the other hand the LS430 isn't a slouch either but It isn't as sleek and sexy as the CLS on the exterior but I do believe the interior is beautiful and far more superior to the CLS. One of my biggest concerns are repair/maintenance and I know hands down who wins that battle so with that said metaphorically it's like "The nice looking girl you know is good for you and will do what you need her to do but you are attracted to that sexy mysterious girl that may give you a headache and run for your money." All thoughts are welcome.

94LSon20

Lexus. Hands down. The CLS is sexy. But I can't believe you would think twice about this.

I had a CLS 63, what a F***ing beast but Lexus is the way to go

airtime

Those CLS' are pretty sexy and would be my choice if it was still under warranty. But if its out of warranty, the Lexus is the way to go.

JimsGX

How long do you plan to keep it? What's the resale value of each car?

sojah

iTrader: (1)

i am considering an 08/09 s600 for my next car, just gotta wait till the price comes down a little

TrueLexLov

I plan on keeping it for 4-5 yrs so I want to have something that's going to keep me attracted and excited. The resale of the LS is anywhere between $19,000-27,000 and CLS IS $23,000-$30,000 (depending on specs) from research on Yahoo Auto.

Jabberwock

Mercedes builds a beautiful car no doubt about that. But overall Mercedes reliability has been a joke for the last 5-7 years. They have been building overly complicated cars that break more than average and then cost a fortune to repair. If you go with Mercedes make sure you get an extended warranty and expect higher than average in the shop days waiting repair and parts.

2004TOYO

I too looked @ the CLS, but was swayed by all the reliability reports I got on the Lexus. The Mercedes is definately more sexy, but the LS is more stately. As JWock said if you do go w/the CLS get the extended warranty, personally I would (I did) go w/ the LS.

mewhee

Hi TrueLexLove -

If you haven't already, suggest you go in a Mercedes forum and ask the same question in order to get as objective an assortment of opinions as possible. Have to admit, most of the Lexus forum responders in here are pretty honest w/ their praise/complaints re: the LS430.

As to your female metaphor, personally I've always preferred the relatively lower maintenance 'girl next door' (read: Lexus) type when it comes to keepers. It's also the beauty on the inside which counts most in the long term.

votru

iTrader: (7)

Agree, couldn't say it better myself . It's alway best to go test drive both car with friend or family before any decision.

CarGuy89

I saw a black CLS500 pass me in the other direction today and I looked twice...it's that effect of the sexy girl forcing me to do a double take. One thing to consider though: the LS430 is built with the best platform available to Toyota/Lexus. The CLS (if I'm not mistaken) is built off a Merc E-class. I have nothing against that chassis. In fact, I'm sure it's quite fantastic. However, it will likely lack that bit of refinement built into the LS chassis (or S-class if you're thinking more Merc).

GLIDESUL

Headroom is limited in the cls especially in the back with the slope look. The cls is a beauty but the ls has more room for you.

CG lover

the last S500 I had loved the mechanic more than me,, great the car but not the constant repairs,, yet to have an issue with my 430 in five years and 57K miles,,

Benze makes some nice looking autos but when I look I keep thinking about the repairs of past and not interested,, as mentioned be sure there is a warranty included,,

Derry

TrueLexLov

I just recently posted the same thread at mbworld.com to get some feedback from the other side of the fence but man I saw another CLS today and it grabs you by the heart... hopefully not the wallet(nuts). But I do agree with a test drive of both vehicles before I purchase anyone. I do appreciate all thoughts thus far.

Ty419

The interior can vary a bit in the LS, even on the normal stuff, so make sure you get familiar with the different option packages.

The UL (in addition to air suspension) has leather covered dash, glove box, center rest, door thingys, etc, as well as rear seat movement and temp controls in the armrest, rear sunshades, rear fridge, alcantara headliner, etc that all make the interior feel much more elegant.

You might be interested in the fairly rare Sport model. It was a low cost option (I think it was just stiffer springs or something), but was just hardly ever purchased, leaving them few and far between now. I'm not familiar with the extent to which it helps handling, but they are out there.