nyeagle

Time to change from Mercedes. Test drove SWB car today and very impressed. Suspension seemed fine, no wind noise and handled great. MSRP about $68,300. Dealer mentioned he also has a new 2007 similarly equiped for $66,300. At the end of the day the 08 was about $6000 under MSRP and the 07 could be purchased for for $3000 less than the 08 ($59,100). They claim they are making $2100 on the 08. The price for the 08 is probably not too bad, but with LS sales off over 30% YTD and the economy in trouble I think there is more room for discussion. I don't understand the small gap of $3000 between 08 and 07. Any thoughts on the 08 or 07 pricing appreciated.

clemgrad85

I'd check out the package with the Mark Levinson System. That package will also include the Parking Guidance System and the Lexus Link (I didn't want either), but for me, I wanted the MLS. Just my 2 cents, but it will take the MSRP up to about $72K and some change. Read up on the MLS and maybe you won't find it all that worth it. I personally didn't want the Parking Guidance System (this is that parrallel parking gadget) or the Lexus Link, but went with it anyway since I got them to come down a good bit. The package I just described started being shipped about a month ago, so you might find other packages on '08s shipped earlier.

nyeagle

Thanks for your response. Listened to MLS and I think it is definitely better, but I am trying to keep the price down and can live with standard system. Car also had rear heated seats which I don't care about.

Dave Mac

At $3,000 don't even consider the 2007 model. Maybe around $6,000 and it would merit some interest but not at $3,000. And this pricing is probably why they still have the 2007 model for sale.

Enjoy your new car.

Dave Mac

nyeagle

I agree. I'm a little leary of an 07 but could figure a way to get comfortable at the right number.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

if you can get 07 for a lower price, maybe. with the current price, 07 doesn't look too attractive imho

dmvp29

I also came from Mercedes. I was disappointed with the terrible reliablity that my Mercedes gave me. I owned $40,000 E class Mercedes for 12 years and ended up spending $25,000 total in net repairs/maintenance on it over the years.

What drew me to Lexus was the fact that the LS brand was comparably prestigious to the Mercedes/BMW brands plus the fact that I was upgrading my engine from a V6 to a V8 - a V8 Sedan backed by the high Lexus reliability reputation.

Moving from Mercedes to Lexus - perhaps this should come as no surprise but my E class definitely had better handling on the road, but the inherent size differences accounts for this observation at least to some extent.

For a sedan though I am very pleased with the way the LS handles. On normal roads/highways/freeways with the usual curves, there's virtually no difference. The superior handling of the Mercedes only comes into play on the extremely curvy roads.

But what really drew me to the LS was the phenomenal value it has. A luxury 380 HP V8 sedan in the $60,000-$70,000 range? Sounded great to me, and I am still to this day pleased with the purchase (I purchased the car in May 2007).

Before you purchase your car - be sure to give the test drive car a harsh time - accelerate hard from a stop to see how the car responds. Accelerate hard from a moderate speed to see how the car responds.

Try these "tests" on "normal" mode and "power" mode.

I feel my Mercedes was more responsive than the LS but it is nothing that bugs me. Also, I believe they have technical service bulletins that fix the "hesitation" the LS has when you want to accelerate hard from a moderate speed.

Be sure to look into these things on your test drive before your purchase (if you do decide to purchase). Good luck.

Luxofreak

^ ^I agree. Also, if you decide to buy the 460 ask them to make the upgrade of the nav system to 7.1 - I just did it on mine (10k miles service) and it is so nice not to have to press the stupid "I agree" button every single time I start the car.

Also get any upgrades for the transmission software - it makes the car drive much better, improved shifting points and no hesitation on take off from a dead stop.

My father in law has a S-550 and he drove my LS-460 and now he wants to throw his merc in the ditch for all the electrical problems he had with it.

IMHO the LS is bullet proof, you won't be disappointed.

nyeagle

I am used to my S class and did notice the hesitation in the LS. I could live with it, but called the dealer and asked about upgrades for the transmission and to the navigation upgrade to 7.1. He wasn't aware of these upgrades. I don't know if he didn't want to be bothered or was truthful. What does the 7.1 upgrade do for the navigation? Can you program a new address while driving?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

the tranny upgrade should help with the hesitation. got it done, better results

7.1, no more i agree screen, and some more POI.

no you can't use it when driving. if you want the override, you can get the override from our vendor. email chung@prestigioussociety.com

jlawr

Does the 2008 LS 460 have tranny hesitations issues or only the 2007?

Nospinzone

If the cars are identically equiped, the 07 should be at least $7000 less than the 08.

As for waiting for a better deal, you may need to wait until late summer/early fall. This is the slowest time of the year for car sales. Things will pick up as we head into spring. Of course counter balancing that is the deteriorating economy. I see you are in NY. There are some 14,000 Bear Stearns employees who probably won't be buying an LS this year.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

the sales are super slow as of now already, give it another couple more months, i can't imagine. also keep in mind if you finance/lease your car, during summer time rates are lower

daryll40

I agree that the '07 outta be about 7 grand less than the '08. I bot my '07 in October for about the same price you were quoted...but the '08s were still bringing in near sticker. All that's changed with the economic debacle and the fact that it's February and not October.

I also had many Mercedes. Trust me you will be MUCH happier in the Lexus. No more constant minor and major repair hassles.

USCRugby

I had a MB CLK 500 and loved how the car handled and such but I had too many problems with it and dumped it a full year before the warranty period ended. I was tired of going to the shop for stupid stuff to be fixed like seats belts and window brackets.

Make sure you deal with dealer invoice and not MSRP.