tobe1424

im dating back to 2003..when the S500 was the ls430's superior.

Aside from power plant and exterior design, what other options and features made the s500 superior and significantly more costly than the ls430?

C8V6C

Ive never owned one, but heard that the suspension components are all interlaced with the power steering pump.

So if a strut blows out, and you don't fix it immediately, you can blow your power steering pump and misc.

Besides the poor reliability, the oem parts are much more expensive than BMW, let alone Lexus

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

In my opinion there wasn't anything superior about the S500 compared to the LS. I see the S600, S55, and S65 as superior due to how much horsepower they have compared to the LS430, but they all cost far more than any LS did at the time.

Coustic

As a owner of a 2002 Mercedes S430.. coming from an ALL lexus family (i went with what i could get) id say that the S500 is not comparable to the LS430 UL. S55 to LS430 UL maybe but not the S500. Id say the Lexus is a lot more reliable and cheaper to maintain in more aspects than the Benz. But both have upsides; here are somethings ive noticed/experienced
Lexus: Benz:
Cheap to maintain (oil changes, battery, etc) A bit more $
100k service Just spark plugs and wires
Hard to change headlights Medium to change headlights
Dealer parts cost $ Dealer parts cost $$
Comfortable seats & ride Not as good..
Great cushion on headrest Made for support
Gas mileage 17CTY 23HWY Gas mileage 16CTY 22HWY
Lots of higher quality plastic Certain parts of the interior feels cheap
Radio is easier to replace Difficult to replace radio
Factory radio is not bad. Factory Navi Sucks Factory COMMAND sucks
Capable of putting aftermarket alarm with remote start Cannot put any type of aftermarket alarm remote start is $$
Cheap brakes and rotors (eBay) Expensive brakes and rotors (eBay same same seller type)

These are compared with a 2001 Lexus LS430 (brother's) (non-nav) & 2004 Lexus LS430 (dad's) (Mark Levinston) vs 2002 Mercedes S430 (mine) all the cars were bought used.

A LOT OF THIS IS MY OPINION/EXPERIENCE PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THESE AS FACTS. PLEASE DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH IF YOU ARE LOOKING INTO BUYING EITHER. PLEASE VISIT EITHER FORUMS TO DO YOUR RESEARCH! (sorry for the caps i need to make sure you know these are opinions vs facts.
I drive all three cars very often
Oh and I though I should mention that I am 17 and I like power and aftermarket everything..

-Coustic aka Murtaza

AJT123

Nothing. The LS430 is actually the superior car, without a doubt. It is well known that the Diamler/Chrysler era W221 was, without sounding dramatic, almost a disgrace to the S Class line's legacy. The quality and fit and finish were not half as good as the preceding W140 (which probably takes the cake as the all time most overbuilt car)....there are many stories of people who traded their W140s for the new ones who demanded them back, and in some cases, sold the new cars just to buy a used 99 S Class to have again. It seems MB realized their mistake, because the W221 was a huge improvement. They overshot big time. I wouldn't want any other high end luxury car of today other than an S class, and this includes the LS460.

You're paying extra for high tech gizmos like the Airmatic suspension (which left many people stranded), the radar cruise, the "upgraded" leather trim (which I read somewhere is still lower quality than the LS'), and, of course, for the 3 pointed star on the hood. Don't get me wrong, the MB S-class is my favorite car of all time, but the W220 was a POS compared to all of the other ones.

Have you ever sat in one? Sure, it's a nice car, not without it's good traits, but without even touching/feeling around you can easily tell that the Lexus has a much nicer put together interior.

The S500 is more powerful but no faster. The only area where the S class has an edge is in its handling/sportiness (german DNA), and I prefer the looks (AMG models only). Everything else, and I mean EVERYTHING, the LS430 wipes the floor with it. Luxury, refinement, build quality, ride, fit and finish, and let's not forget reliability. There is no way in HELL I would even entertain the notion of having an 8 year old German flagship as my daily driver. Having an old LS430 as a DD didn't even raise an eyebrow. How many W220s do you see on the road vs LS430s?

Saying that, I will have a 99 S500 Grand Edition (only 600 made) in my garage before I die.

I guess my LS430 satisfies that fix, as they basically copied the W140, in the meantime. Like that car, it is so obvious the LS is incredibly overbuilt. The W220 wasn't. Cost cutting abound.

Coustic

Ahh its not letting me edit my previous post!!
but the previous post was supposed to be a 2 columned list.. and i forgot to say one thing:
the LS430 wins hands down, like some of the previous comments i would rather have a (another) LS430 in my drive way verses the S-class just because of the reliability.

Thanks!
-Coustic aka Murtaza

lextout

i miss my w140 93 600sel, still runs like a champ, nothing like a pristine w140 big body. This era was the last best sclass, after all mercedes poured a billion dollars, and this was 1989 money.

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

I agree, the W140 was the best S-class ever. Other than some electrical issues, I've heard the engines are pretty reliable.

The W220's sure look good though. It's a shame they aren't that reliable. I would've gotten an 03+ S600 if the maintenance costs weren't so high.