tex2670

I don't know what the labor rates at Toyota dealers are in Texas, but around me, you are not saving all that much by going to a Toyota dealer instead of a Lexus dealer. Before I found a reputable independent mechanic, I could have my Lexus dealer drive out to my office with a loaner car, take my car, perform the service, and bring the car back before the end of the day--and if they somehow were running late, "Oh, don't worry--keep the loaner until tomorrow". It was worth the extra $10-$20/hr labor charge at Lexus to do that, instead of siting around the Toyota waiting room while the car is being serviced.

Toys4RJill

The Lexus dealer where my dad takes his new ES provides a loaner car, will pick up the car (depending on service) and they offer drinks and tasty snacks while you wait. The service is about $25 more for an oil change vs my Corolla and he gets a wash, tire rotation (every service), they know his name, face and personality and what more can he ask.

My dad also does have to sit next to a poor Corolla owner, oh wait, that's me

NickTee

Just because you spent the money to get Toyota's higher end models does not need you mean to spend the extra money on equivalent service. It's not like we are comparing Jiffy Lube to Lexus here, we are comparing two dealers that are the same company.
It's called strategic spending: spend where you need to(buying the Lexus) spend less where you don't need to(going to a Toyota dealership or, *gasp*, do it yourself).

Yes, that's the service part that I referenced. A Lexus dealership will treat you many times better than a Toyota dealership, which is why it's all part of weighing the advantages and disadvantages. It's awesome to get a loaner car, or even have one delivered to you, and not have to sit in a waiting area. But if you do have to service it, their waiting area is nice. When I had recall work done, I ended up having to wait two days for it to be completed. That was much nicer than being out of a car for a couple of days.

For that, though, it is more expensive to service. Moderator, this who discussion ties in together. Owning a Lexus gives you the option of bringing it to a Toyota dealership to do work or to a Lexus dealership, which allows you to choose to save some money or get better service.

SW17LS

They aren't more expensive to service than any other luxury car through any luxury car dealership. Bear in mind BMW scheduled service is included with the vehicle, but Mercedes, Audi, Cadillac, Infiniti, Jaguar...cost is all about the same. It depends on the dealer too.

The "Lexus service" experience is a premium service, you get a lot of nice benefits, a high level of customer service, treated well, nice dealerships, nice waiting rooms with movie facilities, food, mine has a putting green and golf simulator, some have restaurants, etc, loaner cars, car washes etc. Is that service more expensive than say, servicing a Toyota? Yes...yes it is and thats okay.

Just like buying a shirt at Nordstrom or Saks Fifth Avenue costs more, but is a higher quality experience...service at a Lexus dealer costs more...but is a higher quality experience. You can have a steak dinner at Longhorn or you can have one at Mortons. Mortons costs more, but its better.

The good news is you can choose whether you want to pay for that experience or not, just as with anything else in your life. You can stay at a Comfort Inn, or a Ritz Carlton. Just because the Comfort Inn has a bed, and Longhorn has a steak, and Kohls has a shirt, doesn't make the Ritz Carlton, Mortons, or Nordstrom "overpriced", its just a different value proposition.

Arguing about what someone should do is meaningless. Everybody assigns value to different areas in their life. What works for me doesn't work for you.

Personally, I wouldn't use a Toyota dealer. If you don't want to pay Lexus, I would find a good, Lexus knowledgable independent mechanic and let them do the maintenance on the car. Its cheaper than even Toyota, the service is better (I hate a nasty Toyota or Ford dealer, plastic chairs, vending machines, etc), and you can create a relationship that will serve you well as the car gets older.

Here's the issue. Yeah the service is $25 more for the little services, but as his car gets higher in mileage, the gap in cost gets significant. For instance, after I got the GS I kind of decided as much as I love my independent, it was just so easy to use the dealer during the freebies and I started having it done there. So I had the 15k done, my guy was I think $89, Lexus was $99. No brainer. Time for 20k, I think my guy was $140, Lexus was $199, again, $59 for the ease of dropping it off, getting a loaner vs having to have someone pick me up was worth it. 30k rolls around. My guy is $280....Lexus is $580. I called around to every Lexus dealer in town...everybody was about that. So I said no thanks and took it back to my guy.

$300 is a lot of money.

Toys4RJill

At 30K, $300 difference is nothing, to me at least its not. It might be a sticking point for you. But I have had Lexus cars that have had AVS, timing belts, hubs that need greasing, inverter coolant changes, valve clearance inspections, and other stuff. Last thing I want is a Toyota tech (or even worse an independent) to touch certain items. For me, my Toyota dealer and the sister Lexus dealer warrants all work done for unlimited mileage/1 year for larbor and parts. To me its peace of mind and money well spent where who knows what might happen at an independent.

SW17LS

$300 difference is huge when we're talking about a $280 service. Thats over 200% more! Bear in mind...my independent was a Lexus master tech for 16 years, uses all OEM parts, fluids and procedures. He's a multiple Lexus owner and enthusiast himself. Hubs, AVS and timing belts don't need "greasing", they don't do any sort of valve clearance inspections...its a 30k service. Its an oil change, tire rotation, cabin air filter replacement and a brake fluid bleed and fill. Thats all. These cars don't even have timing belts. $580 for that service is thievery.

Note I didn't say anything about quality of work being one of the benefits from the dealer. I've had cars damaged LOTS of times at the dealer, including most recently my brand new $80,000 LS, had two interior panels damaged and needed to be replaced, the console wood top and the padded portion of the lower B pillar on the drivers side. I've had cars scratched and swirled multiple times, a car backed into something once. My new LS had a scuffed front bumper when I bought it. Plus, none of this work is done by a master tech, or even an ASE certified mechanic at all, its done by oil techs who have about the same training as at Jiffy Lube.

The number of times my independent mechanic has ever damaged a car of mine? Zero. They treat my cars with great respect because: 1. They like them...they don't get a lot of newer cars, mostly older Lexus models. 2. They actually know me as a person and know how meticulous I am. 3. We have a personal relationship, its not just "another car on the lot". And its being worked on and overseen by a Lexus master tech, same as at the dealer. He warranties his work...same as the dealer. In fact, everything from changing oil to replacing a filter is done by a Lexus master tech or an ASE certified mechanic...and thats not the case at Lexus. The only thing you don't get is the experience and the convenience of the dealer...for $10...or $60...its worthwhile, but for $300? I'll go out to Mortons with my wife for two steak dinners instead.

You don't just want to use any independent, take the time to find a really great one. Way higher quality work than you will get at Toyota...and even at Lexus.

Toys4RJill

SW15LS, I can't say I agree you.

natman

My 2002 GS300 has cost less than $200 to maintain over the last year an a half. The biggest expense was an O2 sensor. The dealer wanted $256 for the part; I got the exact same part at partsgeek for $62.

The point is that most expendable / maintenance parts are readily available at reasonable prices, well, at least no worse than any other brand. If you insist on getting everything done at the dealer it will be expensive, just like with most other brands.

mmarshall

Did the SCRATCH-OUT help....or was the scuff too deep for that?


Jiffy Lube is sometimes even worse than that. Not in our area, fortunately (that we know of), but two of them in California got shut down because they charged undercover reporters for work that was never done....also for service procedures that don't even exist on modern cars, like breaker-point tune-ups. It also begs the question of how many of them do that nonsense and just don't get caught. Sometimes one can easily spot if the part in question (like an oil filter) was not replaced, but only if it is easily visible under the hood.....which it isn't in many modern cars.

Sometimes on cars, if possible, it's best (and least risky) just to do the work yourself for simple things like oil changes, air filters, wiper blades, etc...... That is one of the reasons why, in my car reviews, I note the general underhood layout and how easy or difficult it is to reach (or not reach) things. In general, entry-level cars are usually easier to reach things underhood and work on them than upmarket vehicles.

SW17LS

That's fine, plenty of people pay the dealer...which is why they are in business. It's just a premium service and a premium price, and there's not a lot of tangible benefit. It's more a "feel good" thing.

[quote=mmarshall]Did the SCRATCH-OUT help....or was the scuff too deep for that?Jiffy Lube is sometimes even worse than that. /quote]

No unfortunately. They had to paint the bumper. Did a great job though.

mmarshall

On my former Lexus IS300, most of the stuff I didn't (or couldn't) do myself, I had done at a local Toyota shop, for about half of what many Lexus shops wanted, where I knew the Toyota Service Manager and was actually friends with him. He said that they could so just about anything for the average Lexus product that Lexus shop, except for warranty-related repairs........that has to go specifically through Lexus. But a Toyota shop usually uses the same filters, fluids, and some parts that Lexus shops do....at a lower price.

mmarshall

Depends on the shop. When I had my IS300, I saved almost half on some things at a Toyota shop instead.

SW17LS

I used Toyota dealer a couple times. I didn't find it all that much cheaper.

Another thing to consider when using the dealer for an older car. Lexus dealers (and dealers in general) have a replace first mentality that's fine when Lexus is paying, but when you're paying...it will break you lol

mmarshall

With the Toyota shop I used, I was personal friends with the service manager...that was good for some regular discounts, too. But, of course, I can see where that would not apply to everyone.....and a lot of Toyota shops have raised their prices since the days I had my IS.

Another factor involved in that line of thinking is that today's cars are so complex electronically that it is sometimes easier and simpler to just replace parts rather then try and repair them. Even a lot of highly-mechanical parts, today, are electronically-controlled or electrically-activated.

chikoo

I'd recommend that y'all read the service manual. There is nothing like 5k,10k service. It is all made up by the dealer for your convenience and their profit. The service manual lists exactly what to inspect, or replace at what intervals. If you follow that no car is expensive to service. In fact my MB and Lexus have cost the same. Which is "not much" more than a Camry or Accord.