I just bought a 2015 Gx460. The entire process, from test drive to delivery, was the most pleasant new car buying experience I have ever had. I visited the dealer on several occasions over many months and test drove several cars, including an extended, several hours, test drive and was always treated very well. I was able to negotiate the price very simply and without hassle or BS. The delivery process was handled very well also and included a 2.5 hours orientation with their dedicated delivery and tech specialist who thoroughly went through the car with me including enrolling me in Enform, putting the app on my phone, doing all the set up for the car to my liking and to top it all off, he was here yesterday programming the garage door opener for my Lexus AND for my two other non-Lexus cars as well. Lexus earns their stellar reputation and I will be a customer for life.

 

Nice to hear. Generally speaking, Lexus is pretty good if not the best for customer service.

 

Congratulations on the new GS.

In my own experience (and of those I shop with), while the dealers of some auto brands, on the average, do treat customers better than those of other brands (for instance, I have found a number of BMW, Porsche, and some Mercedes dealerships, though it all, to be particularly snobby), it is also true that dealerships of the same manufacturer can also vary widely in customer-satisfaction from one franchise to another. Lexus dealerships, in particular, can vary enormously from one to the other in the way they treat customers. We've had reports here in CAR CHAT, at Lexus dealers, of everything from being treated like a king to that which would be unacceptable at Smiling Sam's Used-Car Clunker-shop down the street.

 

Perhaps the salesperson sized you up and figured you weren't going to really buy a fancy Porsche or that shiny Mercedes Benz.

The OP bought a GX460 and not a GS BTW.

 

I have gone to those dealerships with people shopping for (or interested in) those makes a number of times....usually at their request.

Some of them, though, ended up quite nice....such as the time I went to a BMW shop with someone interested in a used 6-series (a new one at 90K would have been too expensive). The first guy to meet us at the door (now selling BMWs) was not only a sales-guy I had previously known from a Toyota shop (where I had bought a new 1995 Celica)....but a guy I had gone to high-school with almost 40 stars before.

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So what is your impression of the GX460 so far? Is this your first Lexus V8?

 

Congrats! Yes, would love to hear a mini-review of your GX460

 

What color/options did you get....any pictures/images?

That's nice that they did the orientation one-on-one with you, personally, at delivery time. Many dealerships do an orientation, but it is usually with a group of recent buyers, done after work in the early evening, and you all sit together in a class-like atmosphere and tour of the facilities.

One thing I'd still advise checking on, though. I see a number of new vehicles prepared and delivered with over-inflated tires (including my brother's recent new Kia Sportage, I'd add) because the PDI (Pre-Delivery Inspection) guys don't bleed the tires down to the proper PSI, like they are supposed to do, when the vehicle comes off the truck/transporter and arrives at the dealership. With most Lexus products, checking it is simple is simple.....just push a switch/button on the dash or steering wheel (I don't remember exactly where the button is in the new GS), and the tire-sensors will give you a numerical reading in each individual tire. With cold tires (sitting for 3 hors or more), it should be at or close to the recommended figure shown on the drivers' lower-door jamb or in the Owners' Manual. Usually, the recommended pressure runs between 30-35 PSI, but occasionally be more.

Since your dealership appears to be quite thorough, the chances are that your vehicle was delivered with proper PSI, but I'd still check.

 

I did check the tires and they were at spec.!

 

So far I’m thrilled with the GX460. Its just what I wanted, a stout, solid and luxurious vehicle that will be durable and robust in our harsh winters and over our broken roads. I wanted a vehicle that will laugh at potholes and snow and be reliable and safe. The GX460 tics all those boxes.

The technology is solid and I find the interface for using the Nav, Audio, Climate, and all the other features and apps very intuitive. It’s a dream to drive and drives smaller than its size, although it is quite a big vehicle and parking requires some planning and attention.

I have owned a number of BMW’s, Audis and Porsches and while I liked those cars very much, the dealership and sales experience can’t compete with what I received at Lexus. It’s quite striking how they seem to have set a standard that others cannot, or perhaps simply will not, meet.

 

My car is Silver with Black interior and lovely Mahogany trim. It’s the Premium trim with some options including Nav, wood steering wheel, locking hubs, all season mats, chrome tail pipe trim, a a few other little items.

 

The wood steering wheel sounds nice. Some luxury cars today are doing away with that option....I think it adds a nice touch....literally.

 

As someone who has owned quite a few Lexuses (most recently a '13 GS F Sport) I will agree that the overall service experience is better at Lexus dealerships. When I would take my GS in for anything I was always greeted immediately and walked to a Lexus service advisor. (I remember when my aluminum trim was dented they replaced it at no charge.) I was then taken to the loaner car desk where I was processed quickly and taken by someone who was very pleasant to my Lexus loaner car. There would be 1/2 tank of gas in the car and I was told just to use what I needed.

When I took my Audi in this past week for 5k service, I was also greeted immediately and walked to the service area. My advisor greeted me, took the car and asked me to sit in the waiting room until a loaner car rep called me. I waited for a while and was taken to my car by someone with no personality and told that the loaner car tank was full and I needed to bring it back that way or incur charges, and if I got into an accident my insurance would have to cover it. The loaner experience was markedly different from Lexus. At Lexus, it felt like part of the ownership experience. At Audi, it felt like they were doing me a favor.

There is one thing with Audi that I found superior. I needed to have a couple of wheels refinished due to curb rash. When I had the same thing done at Lexus it always required leaving the car overnight. That was on 3 occasions. Also, I didn't find the refinishing was done very well. Maybe because the F Sport wheels are dark, but one refinished wheel came back much less shiny than the originals.

With Audi, I had my car in at 9:30am and they called me at 3:30pm to say it was ready. The 5k service was done and both refinished wheels looked just like the originals. I've also owned other Audis and this has been my typical experience.

I think the people that Lexus hires are just put through better customer service training than those at the competition. I will say that Audi has made huge strides since 2002 when I owned an A6 4.2. Their service was a nightmare then. They lost my keys, couldn't find a replacement tire that was scheduled to be installed, and the list goes on. I'm sure companies like Lexus made them step up.

 

With Audi, the experience has been that if you do not have an appointment specifically requesting a loaner/rental, they will not provide. Forget it if you were a walk in. Not so with Lexus. As long as you get your vehicle in the door, I have been given a loaner, appointment or not.

 

This is not for all Lexus dealers? The one bear me where my sister goes does not always give her a loaner unless the service is pre planned.