redtoesblue

I am thinking of buying a new car next year. But I am debating over what to buy. A S500 or LS430. I already have a lexus so I was thinking to add a little bit of variety. What do you guys think? I have never owned a german car, only toyota and Lexus. So help me out.

Thanks

Captain_kewl

I will catch S--T for this, but the resale and ownership experience is better for the Mercedes. Quality is very similar, but the new Lexus looks dead-on like an Avalon. The S-Class however is very unique. If you are looking for status and quality, Mercedes is the one. Besides, if you have $90,000 to blow, you might as well buy something from Germany.

BTW,
I love my lexus and would not trade it for anything. I am however dissapointed with Toyota's design team. They should not ahve used the Avalon as the base for the LS.

The Captain

SecPole14

I thought I loved the new S-Class. But after looking at it for a while, that are is just plain ugly IMHO. And now they made the C-Class look exactly the same (well, from a distance anyways). Sorry, maybe you should discount my opinion. I'm am VERY biased towards Lexus. You should know, however, that the LS430 is the safest vehicle ever tested by the IIHS, and is also the highest-quality vehicle in production according to J.D. Powers. May the Force of Lexus be with you. Do the right thing: Buy that LS430.

Captain_kewl

These are some good points. I think when it is time for you to buy, $ and preference will be the final pieces you will have to put together. Lexus makes a great car, Mercedes makes a great car. Lexus has prestige, Mecedes has prestige. Lexus are less expensive than Mercedes, Mercedes hold their value better (on a percentage basis).

Know that each has their downsides. The question will be for you to answer.

If I had to buy a Luxury Car today, I would shy away from the LS430. But I would buy the GS430 or SC430 without a second thought.

willard west

With an S500 you get a windshield defrost/defog/demist system that actually works! And all the way down to sub-zero temperatures to boot!

With a Lexus you get the opportunity to become a statistic in the Obit column if you rely on their Defrost/defog/demist system, especially in sub-zero weather.

Unless you go up to Canada and buy your LS430. There you get an electrically heated windshield. And most likely therefore the very best luxury sedan your money can buy

healerhand

I agree with above comments, but the Lexus will have less mechanical and electrical problems few years down the road. I think the reliabiltiy is great in Lexus. I have a 11 years old LS 400. It runs as smooth and quite as a new Benz. I would buy the LS 430 instead of S500. Low maintaince......

Benz will give troubles after 3-5 years. I have a friend with S600. That piece of ****** break down all the time.

but again, you might get biase opinion here because most members are owner of Lexus.

LOTC

As much as I like the S-Class I would get the LS 430 with ultra luxury.Has all the goodies in it and it will still not be $90,000.

Hey David how does the lights look with the H3C bulbs?

healerhand

I am still waiting for it. It should be here this week. Edogg, how do you remove the yellow light. Did u break it? HOW????

retrodrive

I like the LS430 luxury better, but I would choose Benz just because the 430 looks like Avalon.

I would buy a Lex if I wanted to mod it into a solid VIP car. But Stock vs Stock, Benz wins in my book.

Stephen

I vastly disgree that the ownership experience will be better wiuth Mercedes.

I have a lot of buisness associates and clients that drive Lexus, BMW and Mercedes vehicles, the happiest owners are hands down the Lexus ones. I've heard many a horror story about Mercedes service, BMW reliability etc. Plus when I was shopping, I found the BMW and Benz salespeople to be absolute ******. One Benz salesman slammed the door in my face and cut me off going into the dealership, a BMW salesman made me so mad I caused a scene on the dealership floor, walked out and took some other customers with me.

In my experience and opinion, if you want the best ownership experience, go Lexus.

As far as resale, thats relative, if you work the %'s its about the same nationwide.

As for longevity, the Benz and the Lexus are both very well built cars, and will last well past 300,000 miles. The question is, what about little nitpicking problems? My LS400 has 100,000 very hard miles on it, and I have not had ONE problem except a bad vibration that was caused by a bad alignment. She rides like silk. I have never had a car last like this, not one rattle or squeak. I could drive this car forever really and never be unhappy with it. As for the S Classes, I've seen customer's cars that rattle and sqeak really bad with just 10k miles. Both cars will last forever, its a question of the little annoying problems in between.

To me, I much prefer the ride of the Lexus. The S500 feels overly firm to me, and the interior seems cold and lacking plush and some of the quality of the Lexus.

Then there's price. Everything on a 90,000 S500 on a $68,000 LS430, when the LS430 rides better, seems (in my experience) to stay like new for much longer, for me theres no question.

One customer who traded a 97 LS400 on a 2000 S500 said it to me best last summer when I was shopping to trade my LS "The thrill of owning a Mercedes lasts about 5,000 miles, then you take it to the shop the first time and you want your Lexus back" he now drives a 2001 GS430.

Its Lexus for me, I'd buy the LS430 over the S500 probably even if the prices were reversed.

redtoesblue

Well I want a car with prestige, I know lexus has it, but benz has it more so. Also Benz has a program where they will pay any and all services for the next 4 or 5 years. So that is a big advantage. Preformance wise, are they the same? By the way, did you know that Benz holds the patent on the automobile? I did not know that, they claim they created the first car.

Captain_kewl

Mercedes has a similar performace to the Lexus (for the 400, 500 is a bit more HP), but it is a heavier car. The suspension is better (I like a more firm ride and less lean in turns). I have always enjoyed the S-Class for the solid ride. The engine performace difference will be slight.

Oh, one more thing. The Lexus has typical door mechanisms for Japan. With the Mercedes, when you close the door, you will hear a much different sound, more of a solid grasp.

Kaban

Mercedes created the worlds first passenger car or, before they did that they were making trucks and tanks etc. I don't know if they still hold that patent since it's German so the patents might work differently over there.

What they still hold in patent is numerous inventions, automobile safety standards that ALL car makers copy today. Some of them are the Crumple Zone, ABS, ESP (Vehicle Skid Control). Althought Lexus calls them VSC it originates and licensed from MB. Mercedes opened the patent on a lot of their safety standards to other manufactures so they can copy it and use it to make cars safer. (Although I still think MB charges other company royalties to copy their designs.)

Without MB's innovations cars today would not be as safe as today. If I would put it roughly in hater terms..."all cars today are knockoffs of Benz", but I wouldn't say that. Maybe that's why I llike MB so much not just their price tag. So when Mercedes say they have a long history and heritage they do mean it.

Static911

Don't know if your married, but...

What does your wife say?

IMHO, I prefer S500...definately a get-look car if you are for the "prestige"

good luck!

static911

retrodrive

I would not buy a lex if I was to keep it stock. IMO MB looks much more prestegious then an LS430 if you compare them stock to stock. As far as mods go, I would not hesitate on buying an LS430. I like the german handling better also, but not the stiff suspention. However, you can't have one withought the other.