Hi Club Lexus community! I just started selling at a Lexus dealership and just wanted to introduce myself, thank the forum administrators for creating this great resource, and ask a question to Lexus owners.

I recently moved from VW to Lexus because I wanted to be associated with a better customer service experience and because my wife and her family had such good ownership experiences with the Lexus' they purchased. I've been impressed by the things that I've seen so far at Lexus and I've read a lot of things from Lexus owners on these forums that have helped me to learn more about the product. One question I had to Lexus owners was what is it that you like most about your Lexus?

I've been impressed mostly by the perks associated with owning a Lexus - namely better customer care and the vehicles excellent overall reliability. I'd be interested to hear what some owners of Lexus' feel about their cars. Thanks!

 

What I like most about my Lexus? It's understated, smart luxury. I have little interest standing out in a crowd and calling attention to myself. What I have also found over the years is Lexus owners tend to be business savvy and always seem to have some sort of interesting background. These are the types of things I enjoy surrounding myself around.

As far as Lexus ownership and service compared to VW, I think the main difference is the reliability of Toyota's product. VW has long struggled with reliability, and that instantly equates to crabbier customers. Who's going to be happy when things are always breaking or costing a lot to fix? With Lexus, it's easy liking the cars when little goes wrong. I'm sure that's an automatic benefit dealership workers experience too.

 

Solid products that don't fall apart after 90k miles. That's how lexus built a name for itself.

 

I didn't buy new, but I purchased my 92 LS400 last year because my parents own a 91 and it was relatively comfortable(given its age), smooth, and quiet. Also, a Toyota sedan with a V8 was somewhat of a novelty to me.

 

welcome to CL!

 

The thing I like the most about my Lexus is knowing that I can get in my car and drive anywhere I want without worrying if something is gonna screw up. I drove my car off the lot with 4 miles on it in 99 and I have yet to come across a serious problem. The only trouble the car has gave me is a bad AC compressor clutch and my radio LCD bleeding. I'm telling you now, a Lexus will be the most reliable car you will ever have.

 

Welcome to the Club.

 

1. Reliability
2. Quality
3. Great customer service pre and post sale
4. Latest technologies (balanced with #1 & 2 above)
5. Luxury and sensible/ergonomic appointments

 

Reliability + luxury + some sportiness = winning formula

BMW and Mercedes have long known crappy reliability issues (not so bad now) basically gave Lexus a HUGE opening.

I've owned a Lexus IS250 and IS350 - I'm not at all interested in driving a large sedan at this point so the IS series was almost perfect -- 2 door non-vert IS would be perfect.

I never had the opportunity to try out the customer service because I never had any issues with either before I sold them after a couple of years.

....also - I believe customer service is more of a reflection of the actual dealership rather than the car car co. - I agree that some VW dealership customer service sucks....but some are actually pretty good as opposed to Lexus dealers ALL being excellent.

 

+1

I had a friend who owned a 2004 Passat 1.8T - he got it used but overall it was a nice car. He actually rented a car when he wanted to go on a road trip because he wasn't sure if he could trust it. I thought to myself - WOW.

I wouldn't hesitate to jump in my '99 LS w/ 165k miles on the clock and go anywhere when I owned it. Started every morning while sitting outside in the Chicago winters. A car I can't trust is a car I won't own.

 

Welcome to the forum. I love my IS300. I use to own a BMW 330i my regret is not owning a IS300 sooner.

Enjoy the wealth of information here.

 

I owned VW's for slightly under a decade bought a Tundra 2 years ago, and now I own a Lexus. Although all cars depreciate, Lexus vehicle seem to do so at a slower pace making them a better "investment" (if you can call a depreciating asset an investment). You have to love the fact that your car will probably be worth more than others in its class when it's time to sell/trade.

 

Cost is a big factor for me. The initial price is less than the other luxury makers and reliability and depreciation is better than the others as well. Since they it is basically a Toyota it is easy to work on for the mechanic I use and the parts are not as expensive as the European cars. My wife had a 1997 Jetta and it was the worst car we have owned in terms of reliability, warranty and dealership experience and some of the basic parts were expensive. All of the above makes the cost of owning these cars less than some of the other luxury cars when they are out of warranty.

 

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome and thoughtful responses! Some of the responses confirmed what I already suspected and others were entirely new!

 

Welcome to CL! What drew me to the Lexus brand was exclusivity. In my area where BMW and MB are all too prevalent, I wanted something that was as much a status statement as contemporary. While my neighbors were busy fixing their rides because of the constant maintenance they require, I'm more than happy just to push start and go. I take great pride in earning my car, working hard not only in school but also in the menial jobs leading up to purchasing my very first car. Sure there were other cars available for purchase, but the "F" marquee drew me. It was new, contemporary, and redefining the brand. I wanted in- simply put. An M or an AMG to me are common and rich in history. I wanted something fresh, brand new to the market, and the IS F surely suited my needs.