sydtoosic

congratz on that 550... i contemplated and was up in the air considering the 460 and the 550... for about 5 minutes. IMO there is just too much tech in that 550, i guess after you drive her for a while it will become second nature and you won't be as distracted with the tech laden cabin. it's a sexy car, i like it but... i guess time will tell. can't say i'll never buy one... but for now the LS gives me everything i need, and then some.

roadfrog

Another concern I'd have is that this is a first year model. History shows this to be a very bad thing with European vehicles especially. But again, with a warranty, I wouldn't be quite as concerned.

SW17LS

This car has been so long in the making for MB, and its so important to the brand I wouldn't be worried...

I8ABMR

congrats buddy. The S550 is the automotive valedictorian. Its is the best for tech . Not even a RR can touch the tech in an S class

PatsSoxfan

Ok, here is my situation: First of all, I absolutely have to have AWD. Yes, you are correct when you said the cost of the LS460L with all the options except for the executive is $102,031. The S550 I ordered came out to $108,745. It has Premium 1, 4Matic, Driver Assistant package, Surround View, Air Balance, Night Vision Plus, heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. After the dealer gave me a $4,500 discount, my cost came down $104,245. To me, that's almost as much as it would have cost me to get the LS460L with all the options I want. Now, when I consider, that the LS does not have all the goodies/incredible technology of the S550, made it a "no brainer" for me.

PatsSoxfan

Thank you! I also agree that it even beats the RR and the Bentley when it comes to technology.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

while it's true that ls460 has swb which is substantially cheaper than the s550, but it's simply not apple to apple so it shouldn't even be looked at. otherwise someone will argue that whatever the sales numbers of the LS is every month, one should take a deep discount on that number against the s class because majority is swb

and back to the new s550, while no doubt it's more expensive than the ls460l, it's price is actually not much of a change from the w221 at all, which i think is quite fantastic. and that's with a lot of cool new standard features and gadgets. dual screens, color changing ambient lighting, etc... i do think the s550 is more of a car than the 2014 ls460l, but i do have my concern on first year model

PatsSoxfan

Romin, I read somewhere that the base price of the W222 is actually a $couple thousand less than the W221.

roadfrog

Uhhh....and the 7series flagship was (and is) to BMW. But go look at the 2002 redesign of that model year and see what horrific experiences people (like me with my 03), had with THAT first model year. I'm not saying that this MB will suffer the same fate, but it's something to consider. And it's not unique to BMW....look at redesigns of Cadillac's, Jags, etc. Heck, look at this forum and what some members consider of the 07 LS.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

the w220 s class, when debut in 2001, was as disastrous as one could be too. problems left and right and owners were so disappointed some of them went back to w140. a lot of lessons learned for sure

SW17LS

You just have to understand that:

1. The MB at $108,745 is lacking some options that you are optioning in the LS. Not to say the MB doesn't have more features, it does...but if you go through and reduce the LS feature for feature, it keeps about a $14k gap.

2. Yes MB gave you $4,500 off the S550, but Lexus would have probably given you $10k off that LS460L.

So...the difference is still $15-$20k...and thats the LS460L. If you stick with the LS460, which is probably 95% of LS's sold...the gap is huge...the S550 is just a much more expensive car. You make it sound like a paltry difference, and its not.

I'm not saying the S550 isn't worth that, but I have a hard time assigning the term "good value" to a $110,000 car, and I have a hard tome considering $15-20k a trivial difference.

2002 was 14 years ago...look at the latest BMW 7 Series redesign...no glaring issues. No gaping issues when the S550 was introduced in 07....

I would say the S Class is much more important to MB than the 7 is to BMW. The S Class is the embodiment of what MB is...the 7 series isn't that to BMW.

Nospinzone

I have to agree with SW13GS. You can't compare the discounted price of one vehicle with the MSRP of another vehicle. With the exception of a few certain cars, nobody pays MSRP for a car. While some paid a premium for the LS460 when the 2007 models first debuted, only an idiot would pay MSRP for a LS460 today. Certainly it depends on the market you live in, but here in the Boston area with all the dealers, you could get considerably more than $4500 off MSRP today (certainly double if you are a good negotiator).

SW13GS is also correct that you are getting more in the LS fully loaded than the S550 as yours is configured, although I will concede it is hard to do an apples to apples comparison. The S550 certainly offers some advantages both tangible (Night Vision) and intangible (handling) than the LS. However, I can't believe the sound system equals the ML system (tangible) or that reliability and maintenance (intangible) measure up to the LS.

All that being said, I for one am jealous. I would love to drive that car. I don't even want to go to a MB dealer and be unduly tempted!

SW17LS

Its a fabulous car, no doubt. What color combo did you get Pats?

PatsSoxfan

1. Not to be augmentative but, other than some rear seat refinement, what other options am I lacking on the S550 than what I assigned to the LS? In fact, I can name you some neat options on my S550 configuration that are not available on the LS. Does the LS come with Air Balance package, Surround View System, automatic drying and torque vectoring breaks (standard feature), Cross wind minimizer (standard), driving itself option in the city traffic, advanced keep lane assist on the highway, Advanced blind spot monitor, ADAPTIVE (not sure if the LS is adaptive) high beam assist, Advanced Night Vision assist, magic vision windshield wipers (standard), 7 colors to chose for interior lighting, hot stone massaging front seats? There are probably other standard or optional features on my configuration that I can't even remember, but I think you get the point.

2. Yes, you are probably correct. I'm sure I would have gotten a discount on the new LS, but how much of a discount is the question.

In any case, I'm not trying to say that the LS is not a good car. It is very reliable and a very good car. But in trying to compare apples with apples, I think I am getting a better car in the S550 for the money I am paying.

PatsSoxfan

Mine has an iridium silver metallic exterior with a black interior and burl walnut trim.