joedaddy1

iTrader: (1)

if u can afford a S550.. take it..

Helmar

Joedaddy1, many here CAN afford either one. Can you be more specific as to why you favor the S550 over the LS460 or LS600hL?

HBH

feather3

Listen to me please..I too am going through same debate..For me its the Audi A8L with its AWD and what i think is nicer looking...BUT BE DISCIPLINED if the following would affect you; my brother has a 04 LS430 Bullet proof would be a understatement..Very quiet refined etc...my friends both have S550s..both have been in shop for long periods due to electrical problems..apparently the fiber optics causing lots of issues...Can you "afford" and i mean not cost$$ to have you car in the dealer for a week at a time...I can not be worried about making arrangements to get to dealer etc...I barely can arrange oil changes..And my friends cars are new..not 70-80k used cars...my father had a E320 which he drove for 10 years..reliabilty has been better for this series but once it hit 100k he had to replace AC, sunroof motor, driver window motor and other things that were very costly He now drives a Avalon for time being...No doubt for me Germans have better look and feel(loved the A8L) and i have owned BMWs myself but i know they are tempermental cars and when you compare them to Lexus reliabilty you are on a different planet..we bought an RX330 for my girl to drive in 04(new model)...it now has 82k trouble free miles on it..we go everywhere in that car. my brother wanted an SUV i tried to talk him into RX but he bought a X5..well he had car in dealer several times because water was coming into car where where front map lights are..they still can not find out where its coming from..also his rear gate rattles etc...our Lexus dealer is great on service as well..not sure you get that in Mercedes..my dads dealer was okay but not Lexus service...I am resisting the urge and buying a new LS460L..Also for me the performance and mechanical is better..The RX gets about 6miles per gallon better than X5 and is quieter. Same on Ls vs S in terms of mileage and i think my friends interior switches are flimsy compare to the lexus..also as you say NAV inferior in look and function. So I will deal with blandness etc because its not to cool looking to be booking dealer appointments.....Hope this helps.......

Nospinzone

The trunk closer is a great feature in the MB because often I stop by my building and have them take stuff out.

And that's important when the coppers are on your tail!

Does the LS with SWb have self parking assist?

Yes!

exBMWowner

It sounds like you are going through the same analysis I went through in January to decide between the S550 and the LS460. The lease payment delta was about $200 for me as well.

Given all of the comments already made in this thread, I won't repeat all of the known arguments for one versus the other. What it really came down to for me is that I thought that the main draw to Mercedes is the "mystique" associated with the brand, given it's long history and clear association with "luxury" cars.

The Lexus just seemed to be the "smarter" choice in every aspect though, other than the driving dynamics compared to German cars. I only keep my cars 3-4 years, so whatever would have broken on the Mercedes would have ultimately been covered by warranty. However, I just don't enjoy owning a vehicle that is always in need of service and taking up my time making trips to the dealers while they try to tweak it and get it to work properly. I can't reconcile the incredibly poor reliability record with the notation of "luxury", and in the end, if I had bought the Mercedes, I felt it would have been purely for snob appeal, which is definitely the wrong reason to buy the car.

In addition, I wondered how many people would have seen me driving down the street and thought to themselves "Geez...doesn't that guy read the consumer research out there that talks about what poor reliability and build quality Mercedes has? I guess he's just another stupid rich guy that bought the car because of the name, instead of taking the time to get the facts..."

steverhode

For me -- and I've considered and rejected the S series -- it comes down to three things: interior, exterior and cost.

I think the Mercedes (all models) look better on the outside than the Lexus. But the interior (controls, ergonomics, etc.) is what I experience the most and is most important to me. I think Lexus is by far better on interior. Finally, I don't think the Mercedes are worth any extra premium dollars over the Lexus, much less the very large one they charge.

Maurice

They offer it now on SWB, comes with a rear package - MSRP around $72K +. I checked the VAIS site but see no option for the LS460 yet

joedaddy1

iTrader: (1)

well the S550 is about $20k more than the LS460. I think that's a HUGE different.. about ~ 25% more in cost. The upkeep of the S550 is more, yes. But there's a reason why European cars cost a little bit more than their counterparts. THIS IS ONLY MY OPINION. Because when they work, there's no car in its class that could beat it. The confidence of "safety" when you drive, the handling, the power. I think it's worth it. We just didn't have the $20k. The looks. I think the S-class takes the cake 100%.
If you are leasing the car, I dont see how it could matter, since you are going to turn your car in 3 years or so. Maintanence isn't that much more on the S than the LS.

ok ok.. the biggest gripe about the LS or the 400H we have is that to get to the climate control, u gotta prece climate on the screen. It's annoying and requires extra steps. Ever imagine what would happen if NAV screen goes out? bingo, u can use ur A/C~~

Also, people don't buy the LS just to get from point A to point B... people buy it because we want style and prestige.. if not, we would all have gone and bought the Avalon for $30k less.. i believe it has more room than the LS.

S class is like a step up from the LS. It looks better and has much more prestige.

GS Kid 300

Id take the S550 right now if I had the money. Something about that car.. it just has a big presence. The LS doesn't have that like the S, its more bland but it all depends on the driver.

IndyJeff

Hmm... the climate control on my LS is not part of the navigation system. Did Lexus make a special LS just for you?

Nas

I'll keep it short: Go with the better looking car. For me, it's the S class. The LS is one hell of a car, but the S class' presence and looks is stunning. I felt if the LS had a more aggressive front fascia, it'd be the better looking car.

Maurice

The 20K difference is really more like $15K - as you can get $6K off on the S550 - only $1K on the LS. Then in the MB lease program they offer a residual/factor combination that makes a 36 month lease about $175 more a month (yesterday's quotes) - About $6,300 over the 36 months.

steverhode

I agree about going with the better looking car, BUT, since I spent of the time with my car while looking at the inside, not the outside, it is the looks of the inside that is the most important to me. In my book, Lexus wins hands-down on the interior even if they lose the exterior competition.

encore888

Lexus quality is still top-notch. Lexus itself has not won any recall award, and Lexus products are built on separate assembly lines. Plus the oil issue was for V6s such as in the ES, not the LS.

Overall, the LS has set the benchmark for cars in Consumer Reports and JD Power. The latest CR report said that a 5-year old LS is more problem-free than a brand-new Mercedes. Now they did not specify the S-class, and I hope that the new S-class has improved significantly. It's too early to tell...but the record states that the previous S-class had atrocious reliability. That's a fact.

Rocman

In the end, there is no right answer. Go with what you like. To me, they are totally different, so it should be a pretty easy answer. I personally do not like the S class exterior at all. The LS looks nicer to me, but that is just me. Looks are subjective. Now, a lowered S65 with 22's looks freakin crazy nice!
Hell, I still have 2 AMG's in my garage, so I am definately not biased.