tucker21

so i know this is a lexus forum, however i have been lurking here for so long, and have had really positive experiences with everyone i've interacted with here, and really respect the opinions of the posters here so i wanted to post this question here.

so as you may know i have been in the market for a 08 LS460L for awhile now, however a buddy just told me he would sell me his 2005 CLS brabus 55 K8 for 40K cash.

his car has 30K miles on it and seems to be in very good condition.
i know in terms of performance the car is a beast, but i'm wondering about all the other factors, such as cost of ownership, ride quality etc.....and i was just curious to hear from some of you on your thoughts on both cars and the comparison.

it would be especially awesome if any of you have driven both cars and could give some thoughts.

i am leaning towards the lexus as i've driven souped up "race" cars my whole life (lol 30yrs) and i still have my ducati 1098s when i want to really rip it up, and i'm kindv thinking it would be nice to have a real super luxury ride that i didn't feel like mashing the accelerator constantly, but at the same time it seems hard to pass up such a sweet deal.

what would you do?

fwiw its black on black with sick black wheels.
only reason he's selling is he also has the same model coupe and doesn't really ever drive the sedan.

LXurious

08 to 05? Personally it depends on you the ducati should satisfy your speed needs and the LS will completely distant you from the road, outside world, and anyone else with a less than 6 digit income . But if you want the speed from your vehicle then the CLS would do. But if it was me I'd choose the ls for comfort, technology over the cls and space(4 seat to 5 seater) especially if you get a 460L. Plus at 380+ HP its no pushover.

tucker21

ya i'm def leaning towards the lexus, just seems sick to maybe get a 170K car for 40K....there has to be more to it then just speed right?
i'm wondering how it ranks on the comfort/quiet/luxury scale...

cheez80

iTrader: (1)

i would get the brabus > lexus any day. unhappy with my experiences so far.

but really, it depends on if you can afford the benz or not -- repairs are not cheap, and those cars are out of warranty now...

Nospinzone

If you really want the CLS55 (and the deal is right) then get it. You will have much more fun with that car. You may as well do it now while you're young. When you get older you won't feel like dealing with all the minuses that go with a car like that.

Lextrician

there is a reason he is selling it for that price, if it is not going to be your daily driver I would hop on it but be prepared to pay for up keep on it, even amg's I was looking at benz before I got the 460, but being a previous lexus driver I knew the maintenance on the benz would hurt. plus it's an 05 even an 08 is almost 4 years old.... decisions, if you get a warranty which i doubt, get it!

bad co

Brabus has the same exclusivity level as a Ferrari if not more. You want to compare rides? Well test drive it. Repairs are going to be expensive as it is a very limited production vehicle. I buy cars for there styling there fun to drive factor and there wow factor. The LS has none of those. I like peace and quiet too, I have a house for that. If this was my pocket book I would buy the Brabus without thinking twice.

bad co

CLS55 AMG and CLS55 K8 are very very different.

pvmike1

The Brabus CLS has the boost turned up, but it doesn't perform a lot better than an ordinary CLS55. If the Brabus is on the table, then I'd consider getting an E60 M5 instead. It'll be faster and around the same price for a nice one.

But let's face it, these are two polar opposite vehicles you're comparing. If you initially wanted the LS, then stick with it. You can get your kicks elsewhere.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

with the 40k, better have another 20k for 2 years maintenance.

edgeucated

iTrader: (4)

I love AMGs, but don't be fooled by the price. AMGs depreciate heavily in a very short amount of time. I have spent quite some time browsing mercedes forum and their maintenance cost is pretty high.

How long were you planning on keeping the car for? if its only a few years then I would consider the mercedes, but know resell isn't very good. If your planning on keeping it for a while, lexus all the way

tucker21

ya i'm planning keeping it for at least 5 years which is why i was leaning towards the lexus.
thing is its not just an AMG, its a full on barabus package....thing is insanely fast.

i have a motorcycle i've been trying to sell (2009 concours 14) since i got my ducati, and he's interested in doing a trade+cash so if he decides he'll do that i prolly couldn't pass it up, but if not i def think i'm getting the LS460.

T0ked

iTrader: (2)

Don't even think about buying a used Benz without an extended warranty unless you hate money and piece if mind. The $4-5k you'll shell out for the extended warranty will more than pay for itself.