masuilung

Hi, guys, I'm new here from Hong Kong
I currently own a MB W211 E320 and I'm interested in changing it to Japanese version of LS460 (imported from 2nd hand market of Japan)

Any comments on this luxury sedan and its reliability?
Also, will the maintenance cost far higher than my current W211 E class?
Any items that I needed to pay attention for?

Thank you very much!

Nospinzone

Welcome to Club Lexus!

Lexus vehicles are consistently rated as much more reliable than MB vehicles. Of course you need to review the history of the specific vehicle you are purchasing.

I would guess that in your country maintenance costs would be similar, except that the Lexus may require less maintenance.

There's some good info in the DIY sticky at the top of this forum.

DiggerJim

I have an E350 4Matic (W211) and all of my other cars (LS600, SC430, Toyota Rav and wife's Volvo C70) together cost less in maintenance than the Benz. I don't use a dealer for service but parts are more expensive (vs Lexus where you can often get Toyota parts cheaper that are direct replacements) and stuff breaks more often. There's a reason people say not to own a German car that's out of warranty. It's also why the depreciation is so bad on the Benz. My college kid gets the Benz to drive around now when he's home & likely I'll just give it to him in the spring when he graduates.

roadfrog

Agree 100%. German cars are a nightmare and requires one to walk on eggshells while owning it. I still have a BMW X5 that requires constant attention - oil leaks, check engine lights that reveal nothing, electrical glitches, transmission leaks, etc etc. My 745i was even worse...FAR worse. We will be happy to unload the X5 and get into a Lexus SUV or Acura MDX at some point. I will NEVER again own a German marque. Every once in a while I drool over Audi A8's and then snap myself out of it and come to my senses.

roadfrog

Found this on Autoweek. It basically explores the myth of German "reliability".

This is just a paragraph from the article:

Gbp

The Lexus LS460 is generally at or near the top in JD Powers reliability rankings. In terms of JD Powers APEAL rankings, with the notable exceptions of the 2007 and 2013 model years, the LS460 is much further down the list.

IMO, the APEAL surveys are largely subjective in nature, but I'd also say that those results indicate Lexus doesn't change obvious designs and feature sets as often as other luxury makes do. Also, Lexus LS has only two engines, one gas and one hybrid. Most other luxury lines offer many more choices.

Although I'd like to see additional options in the LS line, none of this bothers me much, except that I think Lexus loses potential LS460 customers by resting on its laurels and by under-marketing the LS. That's bad for Lexus, but good for us as I think the LS460 is not just under-rated, but under-priced for what you get. it's too bad Lexus has priced its LS600h so high, though. It seems much less a bargain than the LS460. and the lag in the latest technology and comfort features becomes more of a liability for Lexus.

masuilung

Will the maintenance cost be much higher than that of my current E320 or similar?
I've heard of the control arms issue between the 2006 and 2009 production years...

roadfrog

I think it's fair to say that the Lexus will be MUCH lower to maintain than ANY German marque. I'd go so far as to say that the Lex will be lower cost to maintain than just about any luxury car, period.