encore888

Just checked the C&D article, LS 600h L ONLY LS Hybrid in N America, LS 600h elsewhere...

rominl

iTrader: (4)

oh that's very interesting...... so here in the US, we have ls600hl. but everywhere else they just have ls600h? that's nice, we are exclusive

drink300

Me thinks that all of this talk of $100k+ (i.e. the NY times article quoting $125k) might just be a false leak from Lexus. I think they want to set everyone's expectations low and then totally blow them away with a price around $89k. Lexus has ALWAYS been about getting a great car at a reasonable price.

Just my recent ponderings...

drink300
2003 LS430 Parch/Ecru Custom Lux

GSsnarl

Well, about 2 months ago when i was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, i went to our lexus dealer, very friendly salesman and we had a little chat about various Lexus related topics.
Then i drop the name "the new LS"
he says: yes, LS460, it's coming!
i say: yes, i know it's coming, obviously (hell would freeze before the LS stops coming to saudi, they love it so much; an infiniti salesman once told me that a lexus is part of the costume of saudis)

Anyway, those are the prices, he said its not official but close; i always talk to him and hes usually right (I askt about the RX330 and 04 LS430 monthS before they came out, he gave me price estimates and they where right on! )
LS460 = 320'000 SR / $ 85'300
LS460L= 350'000 SR / $ 93'300 (with rear seat ottoman package)

for comparision with previous LS prices
2002 LS430 = 230'000 SR / $61'500
2004 LS430 facelift = 250'000 SR / $66'600
2006 LS430 (same specs same everything as 04) = 265'000 SR / $70'600
Note; we only get 1 spec model, we dont get to chose packages just like in the US market.

Anyway here's the full story for those interested . I ask him how much he thinks our 02 LS430 would be worth in about 1&1/2 years if we want to trade our LS for the new one. He said that prices of all LS430s wouldnt drop as much as i was expecting because of the complete redesign; plus, resale value of current LSs wont significantly drop because the new model will be a much more expensive, so its as if your buying a car from a different league. Then i do hand signals ( the "money" hand signal, then the "how much" hand signal), but he holds back at first, then when i say SR 280 000? ($77k) and he say no, more, probably 320'000 SR- $85k or more ( he said "maybe more" a couple of times through out the convo). So I was a bit shocked, thats alota money and (sure i was thinking to myself its alot of a car, so its worth it), but i wasnt expecting that. When we got our LS430 (1 spec only) it sold for around 230'000 SR = $61k. And the facelift currently has a listed pirce of 265'000SR = $70k. So i was expecting, okay another 30-40'000 SR TOPS in price increase; which means around 290-300'000 SR (less then $80k) for a fully loaded LS460 with auto parking system, and all those LCC/Pre-colision/driver monitor etc systems. After a couple of seconds of shock, i start asking him about the features but he doesnt know much about what will be offered, he said that "they get features that the general market wants, ofcourse keeping in mind that it has to be competitivly priced, but rest assured that even the SWB will still have everything ur car has and more, so either way its still going to be a better car ". Then he says calmly "But i do know one thing for sure, we will offer the long and regualr wheelbase" so im like "OH!! right, ohh okay great, now i get it, so the SR320'000/$85k ("probably more" he interupts) is for the loaded LS460L with rear seat ottoman package, ok then how much will the short wheel base be then??? (i was saying that in a state of relief)" then he answers calmly, no no! the regular wheelbase=320000/$85k and the long wheelbase, more, around 350 000/$93k , maybe even more, we dont know yet.
I hope a loaded 5 seat LS460L would be $80 000 (excluding 4 seat ottoman package, this is just too much luxury ), .

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

LS600h needs to be around high 80s and LS600hL high 90s and it would kill any euro flagship sedan in performance, value, and technology, which cost ~110k+

jwa

There's an axiom in advertising that suggest that when selling luxury items pricing a product too low will hurt sales. Premium products sell on prestige and price more than quality. Most buyers in the 100K plus catagory aren't looking for bargains and assume price is reflective of quality. Ergo, they would assume that if a Lexus cost 20K less than a BMW, it's probably inferior - they want the best, and the best should cost the most. It may seem counterintuitive, but to maxamize sales, I believe Lexus needs to price it head-to-head with the competition.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

thanks for the notes. i am curious, the ls430 you guys have over there now, do you know if it's the UL here in the US or if it's modern / custom luxury? i am trying to see the difference between the two areas

and also, about the 04 and 06, what makes the 4k difference??? the two model yrs are pretty much the same, 4k sounds like a lot

ktiger

Spot on my friend. I truely believe that Lexus has EARNED the right to price it's flagship (LS 460L) no less than a couple of thousands below Mercedes just like BMW. The LS460HL will take the luxury market where no S-class or 7-series has been before. They have the right to charge pretty close to what an S65 AMG would cost.

Gojirra99

A S65 AMG is close to $180K my friend that's way overpriced compared to a S600 IMO, which is about $130K .

ktiger

My bad. I meant to compare it with the S600, A8 w12, and 760LI.

GSsnarl

It has all the rear seat features (reclining seat, auto up/down headrests, massage function, heated seats, cool box, auto rear window sunshade, manual rear side sunshades, rear memory seats, audio controls, A/C controls with function display, and auto rear door closers )

Up front, ( headlight washers, parking sensors, front auto door closing, smart key system (yes! we had that on pre-facelift LS430) heated/cooled ventilated seats, driver seat cushion extender, adjustments for the rear seat headrest and seat position. the whole car has that thick carpet on the floor and eveything else like trunk net etc)

(US didnt have that)There is a thin/small/very simple front body kit (im sure it helps Drag coeficient) plus there are those, i believe they're called mud-guards, those extra pieces behind the wheel/wheel wel to help avoid mudd from sticking on the body. Standard 17inch.

Now what we dont have ( this is every single thing)
No rain sensing wipers (obviously, you're lucky if it rains), No Mark Levinson sound system, no screen with navi, no laser cruise control, no adjustable suspension and no leather on the dash board/center consol. No memory voice recorder, no homelink and the button that switch A/C air intake from outside to inside does not have the "auto" feature ( the word auto is written in between, u know what im talking about?). And thats it, we get EVERYTHING else... If there is something specific i didnt mention you can ask me back.

now for the facelifted LS430 (which has eveerything exept the underline above + Pre-colision and rear cooled seats), when i asked about why the hike in price, he said it was the Yen, ofcourse thats not true. I believe that its because they CAN do it (sell the same car at higher $ &make more money), and people are still going to buy them. You see more LSs then any other luxury sedan, and you see more facelift LS then pre-facelift, which sold like crazy. On Wed & Thursdays nights (thats the weekend btw) you can see OVER a dozen of LS430s in 1 minute, and IM NOT KIDDING, plus quite a few of them are teenagers/early 20s guys driving them... not their dads car, no, their car. And the women love it, i remember when we where buying our LS, a man walked in with 2 ladies, daughters i believe, and they just looked at the car from outside and slightly peeked at the interior 2 seconds, and the dad was like: you like it, they did, and he BOUGHT 2 RIGHT ON THE SCEEN, wow! i tell this story to all my friends. Note; women cant drive there, so they ride, usually the back seat. Anyway i could go on and on about the amazing experience we had with lexus as sales experience/costumer service/ and ofcourse the incredible car that never ceases to amaze, but ill stop here.

encore888

Wow that's an amazing purchasing story. Thx for the info about Lexus cars in Saudi Arabia. I think that the New LS should come with NAVI, thats the one thing missing that I feel should be there!!! Plus the A/C would be good and laser cruise control.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

thanks for the tips! if the ls430 over there are fully loaded already, then damn, it seems like the ls460 is pretty pricey

encore888

Someone on the Edmunds 2007 LS forum asked a Lexus 'product specialist' at the NYIAS show floor, and came up with these numbers:

LS 460 starting $65,000
LS 460 L range $68,000-$75,000
LS 600h L from $82,000-$102,000

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX?14@@.ef3fc23/1970

Supposedly the LF-A will come in around $110,000, and a Super Lexus Sedan will also be up there!

I'm a bit uncertain about the 'Super Sedan' if it will help or hurt the LS' image as the 'ultimate Lexus' but its all rumor...perhaps it will add to the LS' image by being called the 'Super LS' .

Gojirra99

Only $7K in options for the LS460L versus $20K of options available for the LS600hL ??
If that's true, I wonder what options will be missing for the 460L ? will the 460L even get a UL version with air suspension etc. ?
We already know the LS460L will get the 4 seat & RSES package as options so that can't be what is missing . . .


Thanks for the link enigma