gsean400

Lol why is that retarded? I would rather not spend a fortune to keep up a car just cause it says amg on it. Most sc gs4s do 0-60 almost the same as the new amgs. Maybe in a world where money doesnt matter i might get one, cause i like the how they look and sound. But in reality the gs is a better investment. I prolly would trade my gs430 for a c63 also, so i could sell it and buy like 5 gs's. but if i had that money i would get a isf. Not to mention there renntech package is like over 10k I almost bought a used 04 e55 amg but after looking at the mercedes forums and seeing what people payed for a new or rebuilt engine after their pulley upgrade blew their engine. i realized i didnt like the car THAT much.

mk2tmr2

iTrader: (1)

I had a C32 AMG back in the day - when it was still new-ish. Fantastic car. Not even in the same league as the 2GS. The current gen 63's are several steps up from that. Comparing a current gen AMG car to a 2GS is just plain silly, IMHO.

The one bone I'll throw you is with regards to reliability. My AMG was in the shop for stupid stuff all the dang time. For example, the sunroof got stuck open once. Wouldn't shut. The seat heater stopped working. Just dumb stuff like that every other month. It sucked.

Then again - I've got a door lock actuator that's not working and 2 climate control servos need replacing on my 2GS. So I guess it's not that different. :-P

MattyG

Agreed on some points. In order for Lexus to compete even remotely, there would have needed to be a GS500/550 pushing 450+ hp and a lot of handling upgrades. The biggest one being a more pinned down road car.

But for reliability, the inconvenience factor is often ignored with these high end Germans. Imagine a sunroof that refuses to close just as it's starting to rain. You go through the drive-thru and your window won't go back up. Annoying to say the least.

I think the biggest thing is that it's not an apples to apples comparison. MB's were notorious for having these problems when new or nearly new. Lexus are not. I couldn't imagine going for a C63 or E63 when it's over a decade old.

blacksedan

iTrader: (4)

measly? $1k is a lot to me...

egs21

No offense meant. But if you think about it $1k in the grand scheme of a car purchase is not a lot of money. I certainly wouldn't pass on a car I wanted because it cost $1k more than I wanted to spend.

gsean400

LOL. I never said the gs was better. I said it is a better investment. If there was gs550 with 400+ hp it would still be a better investment. I love amgs but lexus is the way to go for luxury and performance. They spend 10k on performance packages and get minimal gains we spend 10k on a built 2jz swap and make twice the power. Like i said in a world where money isnt ever an issue i would get one. I think its just dum how expensive mods are for that car.

MattyG

Haha. No car is really an investment other than some collector car categories. Other than those, they're all depreciating assets with associated expenses. But anyways, I guess we've drifted off topic. OP if you get that SD, please post pics!

gsean400

Everyone needs a car and every car has its value. Lol but go ahead and say not everyone needs one since eveyone has an answer for everything, u might be different but im talkig for normal people. Im not going to go into detail. But all im saying is for luxery and performance lexus is the way to go, a gs or is300 with a 2jzswap with some mods will be just as fast as a new c63. Like i said... Already, if i had money to spend like that i would get one. As for right now i dont wanna buy a car and spend almost as much as the car in maintenence in a couple years.

MattyG

Value determined by the market not by what you throw at a big mod project. The more you modify, the more limited your potential buyers if you ever have to/want to sell. You can do all the mods you want to get all the horsepower you want. You'll never duplicate the cornering/steering feel of a German car.

Needs vs wants. If everybody needs a car then we'd all be driving Tercels and Sonatas wouldn't we? We want Lexus, we want acceleration and luxury touches.

I have no pretensions that a GS4 is ever going to impart the "connected-ness" that an M5, or even a 545, 540 will provide. And like it's already been said - C63, E63 are worlds away from a GS4.

Doesn't mean I don't appreciate my car for what it is.

gsean400

I understand where your coming from. But i disagree completely. And for worlds away from a gs4? U must have never been in a c63. Dont let the marketing commercials fool you. The suspension setup really defeats the purpose of a 4 door car. Get on the mercedes forums and people will tell u how horrible the suspension setup is for daily driving. When u say worlds away you would actually be better comparing the c63 with the e63, people on the forums say the e63 is more for comfort and straight line, While the c63 is more track & cornering. I obviously dont care for cornering, if i did i wouldnt have bought the big mid-size boat that i have & instead i would have bought a e46 m3 lol. And as far as value goes. A modded car does not decrease a cars value, maybe for a trade in value... But a tastefully, properly and well-maintained modified car will always be worth more then a non modded vehicle. If your talking about the guys that slam there car and pull there fenders, i can see how that would limit some potential buyers since alot of people who dd their cars would rather not scrape coming out of their driveway.but Even then there is a market those cars. Almost everything decreases in value. But if done right u can keep value from depreciating as much as it could. A properly built 2jz swapped 2gs with recipts could sell for not much less then what u built it for. And for people who are in the market for a performance sedan, im sure some would find buying a swapped 2gs for 20k w/papers a better alternative then buying a 50k+ c63 amg. even if the c63 makes just as much power and handles a little better. Mods do not always limit buyers, dont agree? Look up luxur autos inventory and tell me how there still in business. There blacked out lambos and range rovers on 26's seem to be going fast. Not to mention 10 years ago they didnt have exotics.

egs21

I completely disagree with the notion that a modded car is going to be worth more from a re-sale perspective. In fact I believe the opposite is true in most cases depending on the modifications. Someone who heavily mods their car screams the whole "racer guy" thing which in most cases will turn off the average buyer who will typically get the impression the car has been abused during its regular driving.

I have nothing against people who want to modify their cars. However in most cases you will be better off keeping it stock if your intention is to re-sell the car someday. But if you plan to keep the car for most of its useful life, then mod way! :-)

gsean400

Yeah well like i said it depends on how the car was modded. If a srt8 challenger had some asanti 22's a exhaust and intake. Paint looks show room has maintenence records And looks like a show car. That shouldnt scare any potential buyers away. If you have a newer honda put a body kit a fart can everything is carbon fiber and some hids i can see how it would scare a potential buyer. When you go beyond a daily driving aspect ( like a loud exhaust thats def not street legal) or when the car looks like its been abused is when value plays a part. There is a bigger market for cars that are stock but i know from experience that a properly modded car can sell with its pieces. My blacked out gs400 sold for 4000$ and took almost 5 months to sell. Noone wanted it. On another note my chrylser 300 almost sold for 4000 more then i bought it for when i put it up with the color matched forgiatos. But i kept it.

MattyG

I don't think you're too far out there guy but there will always be a difference. Myself: three VW Rabbits, including a diesel. A 1984 Scirroco too.

Driven a 1988 MB 190D, 1998 BMW 328 convertible. Old muscle cars including a 1972 Pontiac Gran Prix 400 big block.

I'm a corning man as well as a straight line guy. You said it GS Sean. You're not worried about corning. I am.

People critique those German cars because they're comparing them to the ultimate standards like F1. Of course you're gonna hear them saying they don't like it. The standards are very high.

I've read all those MB forums as well as the Bimmer discussions.

gsean400

you guys are comparing a smaller performance sedan to our bigger sized 2nd gen gs's. my point is i bought my 4 door boat for the luxery & comfort of my passengers. lets stay on topic here, what im trying to get across is a gs can be modified to handle and perform like the c63, yes it will never handle as well as the c63 but thats a no brainer since we all know the gs is bigger and weighs alot more then the Amg, The miscommunication here is when i said fast, i was talking more straight line. I buy cars and use them what they are made for. Even tho everyone thinks our cars are not performance sedans and i got flamed for saying that. Wikipedia says otherwise. Obviously handling wasnt the gs first priority since it didnt come with some crazy suspention setup. And i wouldnt put one on since i dont want to ruin the great ride quality the car came with. The gs is a great drift car and too me is an amazing car in everyway. But u guys would be better comparing isf with the c63. And like i said i would take the isf over the c63. When i compared the c63 with the gs. I was basically saying the gs was the best bang for ur buck

MattyG

Direct competition is what Lexus had in mind.

LS to MB S class and A8, BMW 740/750

GS specifically to MB E class and 5 series as well as A6

Later... the IS to 3 series and A4.

There is no way the Lexus guys wanted a boat to compete with the 540 or the E class.