SW17LS

Reveals happen at real industry shows, DC isn't a real industry show. Think of those big shows like industry trade shows...they have a public component but the press access and the industry access is on another level than it is in DC.

superdenso

In addition to all those reasons, it's the capital of the "Free World". DC was a substantial opportunity for the marketing dept.

roadfrog

Indeed. I don't think I've read of one member who regretted getting the current generation LS, nor experienced significant issues. I did not get a warranty and wouldn't have recouped my money from it if I had.

CRowe14

Just an FYI: I will be attending the Chicago Auto show when it hits here in the coming days.
Opening day is the 11th of this month.
I will be taking quite a few photos and will be posting them in the event no one does it first.
Looking very forward to seeing some fantastic cars, including the LS500.
Oh, lastly, I own one of those horrible older model 460's. 07 to be exact and an L model too.
Granted, for how old it is, I don't have a ton of miles on it, however its been virtually problem free.
But one of the things I absolutely love about this car, is that most of the few things that I have had to address on this car, I've been able to do it in my garage, and I believe theres something to be said for that.

SW17LS

Had this discussion with my business partner yesterday about my car, and how more and more I'm thinking about keeping it after the lease since the LS500 is going to be more money, and to stay where I want to cost wise I'd have to downgrade the class of car I get or get a Genesis, etc. He said "owning a car like that long term out of warranty is a scary proposition" I just don't feel that way at all. I have enough experience with these cars at high mileage, mine is impeccably maintained and cared for, no air suspension, etc. I have no doubt I could get 200k trouble free miles out of it.

CRowe14

While not being a coveted Lexus LS aficionado such as yourself, but having the opportunity to own an older model as well as observe a good few owners here and take note of their ownership experience, and you having a model that could arguably be the modern day, rock-solid LS400 (as by 2015, the LS was 8+ years into the generation), I don't think you should have any worries at all.
I thinks its funny how in some ways, people like to differentiate the LS as not quite being in the same luxury tier as the S and 7, but in other regards, it is in fact grouped with them. To clarify, I think that people see an $80K+ car and think "there's no way it'll be problem free after said number of years", when factually, the LS has been doing it for years.
I think a huge part of the longevity variable, is really taking car of the car through out its life time, and when/if purchasing new, being aware of the items on the car.
Though I bought mine used, as a small example, I intentionally looked for a model w/o air suspension.
Just the little things...

Bob04

What do you consider the current generation?

SW17LS

I thought you didn't want to turn this into another LS430 vs LS460 thread. .

Junglequac

http://twocents.lifehacker.com/the-c...ver-1781639773
Offshoot of Jalopnik. Survey showing only Toyota and maybe Scion are cheaper over 10 years. Hold your surprise, but over 10 years BMW came out numero uno.

Indeed, I would not be worried in the slightest about keeping your car once the lease ends and would guess you could probably add some sort of Lexus warranty to boot.

roadfrog

Same generation as the forum you submitted this post on......4th generation, 2007 to present.

Bob04

And I'm not.

Bob04

I didn't know if you were referring to the 2013+ as the latest generation, even though it's technically not. Because I've posted on this board numerous times what a complete disaster my 2010 460L was during the 8 months I owned it. A CPO car with around 35K miles on it that stayed at the dealership, once for over a month with a 5 digit warranty repair bill. When I expressed my disappointment after a great experience with a 430, they made it very clear that the 460 is a much more complicated car that has more problems. And that sentiment was repeated by multiple techs at multiple dealerships.

My point is that the 460 isn't the bulletproof car that older models were, and that comes directly from the people that work on them every day. That, combined with my experience, although anecdotal, left me really disappointed with Lexus. I would never own a 460 without a warranty, and I'm not confident that Lexus will deliver an even more complicated car with an even more complicated drivetrain without damaging that bulletproof reputation even more.

I guess we will see.

Gbp

To be fair, I've read posts in this forum from LS460 owners that weren't happy with their cars. They tend to stop posting for a variety of reasons, ranging from natural attrition (which affects both satisfied and unsatisfied owners -- posting over a sustained period takes effort) to no longer owning a LS460.

i enjoy my car very much, but I'm really glad I have the CPO warranty. I don't know if I'll keep the car after the warranty expires.

greg3852

I also had one of the dreaded 2007 460's. In my few years of ownership, I had a slight rattle in the back, a few major oil changes, and I even had to do a complete tear down of the tires which included replacing them. One time I even had to completely replace my brakes. FRONT AND REAR. It was terrible. Cost me hundreds. Couldn't believe the dealership didn't do these things for me and made me do them myself. /sarcasm

Seriously while I did have a warranty, I didnt need it. I would have no issue owning this car out of warranty. It is the easiest car I've worked on recently. The only thing easier was an old 1978 Ford F150.

As far as having a bad car, it happens. I'm sure there was a 430 out there that was horrible and the owner swore to never buy another Lexus again. And I'm also sure the techs hated the 430 when it came out vs the 400 they knew. Cmon folks.

Junglequac

Amen. The one thing I will agree about the prior poster's unfortunate experience is that the 460 was/is a clean slate. A tabula rasa if you will. Coupled with vastly different requirements from everything from pedestrian safety, fuel economy, emissions, on and on, the 460 represented a break both aesthetically and mechanically.

That said, looking at everywhere from Consumer Reports to a myriad of other sites where long term ownership is judged, the 460 holds up. Look at Edmunds as there are 100s scattered over the production years and the score remains quite high.

It is not for nothing that a 2007 LS460 generally costs more than even the massively improved 2007+ Mercedes S Class (when comparing the same years) There are going to be lemons. No manufacturer is immune, but again just do a search of sub 100,000 mile 2007-2009 460's on Autotrader nationwide and the average price is over $20,000.
For a 10 year old car, that is excellent. Moreover, even with the forthcoming LS500, prices will stabilize as they do on all older Lexii.

While my ownership time with a 430 was relatively brief, mine was a 2005 that was as mechanically sound as any out there and was an Ultra Luxury to boot (I know some are scared off by the air suspension, but the PO had an extended service contract and all shocks were replaced) and it just was not for me. It had around 90,000 miles and was immaculate, and I regretted selling my LX470 within a week.

When I got into the 460, it just clicked for me personally. Greatly prefer the way it looks, greatly prefer the powertrain, and the stereo is of a whole other magnitude better. Do I wish the control arms was not an issue I will most likely confront in the future? Of course. That said, many owners of long term cars neglect replacing suspension components regardless instead focusing almost entirely on the drivetrain. Any car that has gone a good deal past 100,000 miles will greatly benefit from new shocks, control arms, et al.

While mine just hit 90,000 miles, so far the arms look fine and the car drives great. It might be that the PO living in Charlotte, NC and being a very conscientious owner helped. Especially the lack of any real snow or ice generally and the attendant corrosive chemicals and what it does to the roads themselves no doubt makes a difference.
While Knoxville is slightly colder, it is far indeed from the rust belt.