irishbrahm

So back in January I was feeling the winter blues and made the stupid decision to trade in my '05 LS430 for what I thought were greener pastures. I narrowed my choice to a '10 LS460 or a '08 Mercedes Benz S550 CPO and opted for the latter. Yes, the S550 has a few more bells and whistles but I'll admit that within a week I'd regretted my decision. I found the car to be a dull, heavy big-engined barge with absolutely no soul. In sum, I never bonded with the car. Not to mention that the seats are uncomfortable, the transmission is jerky when cold, and the sound system is absolutely dreadful for a car that costs $90K when new. I'd see a LS430 drive by and I'd say to myself, "What have I done?" But I'd convinced myself that I was going to stick with the S550 to teach myself a lesson. So much for that! My misery has come to an end!

Earlier today I purchased a one-owner '06 LS430 ML in silver/ash (the same color combination that I had before) from a Lexus dealership (in fact, my salesperson was the same one who took me on the LS460 test drive). All services have been done at a Lexus dealership. The paint and interior are flawless and the ride is dreamy. Below I've posted some pics.

It's great to be back!

Justin2JZ

Nice pick up. Its so funny seeing all these people go from new 7 Series'. S550's like you and even LS460's right back to the LS430. Thats saying something.

Legender

Congrats. Nice find and welcome back.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Agreed welcome back. The LS430 is a tank. Curious what about the LS460 made you not choose it?

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

Welcome back. Another lovely 430...

irishbrahm

The LS460 is a nice car, but three things steered me away (nice pun!). First, the LS460 is not as nimble as the LS430. Second, the LS430 is quieter. As folks have mentioned on other threads, the DI makes the engine a bit noisy. Third, the LS430 is bulletproof. My Lexus SA tells me that the LS460 keeps the service department very busy! And while my S550 was under warranty, I know that it can be incredibly expensive to fix. I've been told that the Mercedes dealership close to me generates 80+% of their revenue from service.

Slvr surfr

iTrader: (1)

Exactly like my car. Love it! Welcome back to paradise!

mafpolo

I think that the S Class is a decent enough looking car. I don't care for the interior. The car is overpriced, over engineered, and doesn't even deliver that "German road feel ride." The LS you bought is way better looking.

I have had the itch myself, and I have been thinking about test driving a LS460. I've been in my 02 UL for a while. Occasionally I get the itch, but then it goes away.

Good choice on your part. That MB isn't the car that the LS is.

Bob04

I found the same things. The only thing I noticed that might be better is that the 460 has less body roll in sharp turns. Other than that and a few electronic gizmos, I didn't find anything I liked better about the 460. You made the right choice. And I too have the silver with light grey interior. Love it. Not one ounce of regret going back to a 430. I still hate the 460 as much as I did the day I got rid of it.

XJSFan

I owned a 2007 S550 a few years ago and it was a fantastic car and it road fantastic and was like a vault inside, smooth as silk. Totally different car then our LS430's. I would rate it a small step above the LS460 and not really compare it to the LS430... It firm like the LS460 but rides better and is quieter then the 460. BUT I do like my LS430 better because it does not have a heavy driving feel compared to the massive S550.

bmore430

This thread makes me feel better about buying my 430 over my other choices and keeping the savings in my pocket. I was really wanting an 08-09 s550 sport package in white with the dark brown leather but the mbworld forum scared me away lol

irishbrahm

Yes, there are plenty of horror stories on the '07-10 S550 forums, most notably with transmission problems and internal engine defects (which was a part of a class action lawsuit that failed). It seems that everyone there agrees that it's very risky to own one outside of a warranty.

I'll tell you that being back in the LS430 family feels like heaven!

Stereorob

I absolutely love hearing people say German cars have no soul. Lol. The OLD big body Benz SEL sedans from the 70s and 80s were way cool but yeah, since then I've been horribly disappointed with them. Glad you made it back into a LS! This seems like a really good time right now to get into a Ls430 anyway. There just old enough now to be able to find cheap still in nice shape with low miles.

AtlantaVIP

iTrader: (1)

Congrats and welcome back!! You purchased this vehicle at my dealership! lol I'm the internet sales manager at Nalley Lexus Galleria. Who was your sales associate?

irishbrahm

Cool!

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