LordBowral

There is absolutely no comparison in regards reliability between a Lexus and a BMW .. I have had several BMW s their service is nothing short of a joke compared to Lexus caring attitude and competent work. BMW don't give a toss they day after you leave the showroom

SW17LS

I have a friend who is a HUGE BMW nut. Even she cedes that she would never own one past 50,000 miles.

roadfrog

At the Vancouver International Auto Show, the Regional BMW Rep said that BMW's were best suited for those that lease for a couple of years and then get into another car. This after I told her about all the issues I had with my 7 series......a car that was burning oil at 50k miles due to a well documented valve stem issue. My car would billow blue smoke after idling for a few minutes! That on top with carbon-coked cylinder heads which caused emission test failures etc.

If you want a reality check........visit Bimmerfest. 99% of the posts are about engine failures, transmission failures, emission test failures, check engine lights, electronics issues, Guibo joint replacements, etc. Compare that to the CL forums and report back! LOL. It's a showcase of misery. It's the reason why I got into my LS.

GSKaplan

Ha Ha love it.

Devh

I agree with the BMW sentiment however not with the extended warranty logic.
If you decide to get an extended warranty that's great but then reliability is no longer an issue and you can pretty much drive whatever you want.
There are many cars better then the LS460 in terms of ride and features, so why buy a Lexus at all.
I bought a Lexus primarily because I want a car that doesn't need a warranty and it's not going to be an object of financial ruin. Even good cars are a luck of the draw, and even if I had a repair in the amount of 5k for a one time issue of bad luck after the factory warranty runs out it's not too big of a deal considering the long track record of dependability is still in my favor.

williakz

Care to name names here?

Huh? An unwarranted LS will absolutely break you when IT breaks. The least little thing is hideously expensive to repair on this car. Surely you're aware of the $10k NAV horror stories along with the $4k control arms, $3k brake actuators, $2k air suspension, etc, etc, etc.

"Doesn't need a warranty"? Yeah, like people in the desert don't need water...

roadfrog

Meh. Not really. First of all, the Nav units are getting repaired by members here for under 400 dollars. Also, from the extended warranties I saw, they don't cover stereos or Nav.

Control arms......they are not expensive to repair. Again, members here have replaced the bushings for 100 dollars in parts. Once again, because bushings are a wear item, warranty companies I've researched don't cover them.

Just so we're clear.... I'm not in a position to speak to CPO...I'm not in the know. Regardless, I could not get a CPO warranty on my 08.

Its well documented by Consumer reports (and others), that something like 80% of warranty purchases never get the money returned in equivalent repair expenses. These warranty companies are banking on those stats and are doing very well because of it. It's like betting in Vegas.....the house almost always wins.

SW17LS

Such as? Features perhaps, but not ride.

I disagree. To me the biggest issue is time. I don't have time to be taking a car to the dealer all the time dealing with a bunch of warranty repairs. Whether they cost me money or not, I don't want to deal with them.

If you expect your LS460 to be 100% trouble free you're going to be disappointed. Its a reliable machine, but still a machine and things break. An extended warranty is simply an insurance policy against those costs.

PHOUND5

My 2011 is coming up to the end of it's factory warranty.

Which Lexus Dealers sell the Lexus Extended warranty over the internet?

Devh

I have to be honest. My old BMW drove better and so does my Bother-in-Laws Merc.
The Lexus is not a bad ride and it was adequate. The primary reason for the Lexus is the testament from family and friends that have not one thing wrong with them.
Unfortunately the people I know that have European cars have all sorts of problems.
Granted all things break but my track record with making sound decisions on past car purchases even with repairs has saved me thousands on extended warranties and the hassle of visiting the dealer except in the case of the BMW..
I may have gone for an extended warranty if I had air suspension or AWD but at that point in time a newer BMW would have fit that bill instead.
Regardless, the Lexus comes with a robust warranty especially on the powertrain which I have three more years to complete and I highly doubt based on the track record of this engine and transmission that I'm going to use it.

SW17LS

Drove better, but not rode better...unless the MB was an S Class. The LS is not much of a handling car, but it has a great ride.

Devh

The Lexus rides good enough as I said however the BMW's engine smoothness was unparalleled and the seats were better as well. After owning the Lexus for about 6 months I do miss the BMW ride but I don't want the BMW problems. I also do all of the general maintained and repairs myself and like the fact that the Lexus is low tech in this regard and much easier to fix. The BMW was a nightmare in comparison.
This was a by far a comfortable medium I can accept. If I had a warranty then it really doesn't matter what I buy.

roadfrog has it right and a lot of CPO warranties do not cover what is deemed to be wearable parts like serpentine belts and bushings let alone NAV units. You really need to read the fine print.

williakz

For those of us uninterested, for one reason or another, in performing repair chores on our cars, extended warranties provide an acceptable alternative.

Your CPO critique does not apply to Lexus vehicles, IN MY EXPERIENCE. I had NO problems whatsoever obtaining fast, courteous, and complete service on my CPO 2007 LS460 from the day I bought it at 18k miles until the day I traded it in at 67k miles.

Devh

In my experience my BMW CPO warranty was also fast, courteous and they washed my car as well. I didn't have any problem with the CPO warranty because I came out ahead. When it was up I had to deal with all the continuing heartache on my own. If I was not of the caliber of performing the work I would have bailed but I took a chance and lost.

The CPO on a car like mine that doesn't have the air suspension and AWD will be paying for those that do, so I would rather opt out of Lexus care and use that money for a rainy day and play the odds like the insurance company does.

williakz

I can tell you, once again through personal experience, that even Lexus LS460 vehicles WITHOUT air suspension and AWD are susceptible to racking up HUGE warranty repair bills all on their own. ML, brake actuator, control arms, brake rotors, trim piece discoloration, seat cushion problems, etc., etc., etc.