The exact reason I did not get one

 

I'm not big on black interiors but there's a 100% guarantee that they "work" on every car and will never look outdated. Tan only works in select cars like Ferraris and Porsches otherwise it gives off a geriatric vibe and shows a lot of the cheaper interior plastics in clean sight.

Also, as an avid BMW fan, I recommend you never look at that E65 7er again...it will be a disaster to put up with.

Just hold tight for the right LS460.

 

I'm tellin' you, I love every A8L made. Brand new, generation prior, and 2 before that. For < $12k you get an AWD car that listed for almost $80k new. But I would never, ever, get it. I just admire them. Same with the 7--$15-$18k buys you an incredible looking car. My buddy said you can see America on a flatbed if you go higher than AAA Plus. The one that always got me was when you saw a 7 series or X5 with white smoke out the tailpipe. $10k repair.

My cousin actually had very good luck buying a 6 y.o. M5 7 yrs. ago. It only started leaking oil this year. Even though the body is that of an E39, you see the rims and know that car was no joke. 400 HP back then was a lot.

 

Yep I know you guys are right on the BMW/Mercedes. I know as nice as they look they end the same way, as though they engineered them to be fine machines for the first 100k miles. Then, all bets are off as to what happens after that. I drove an E60 545i 6-speed once, honestly I wasn't that impressed. I had a friend ride with me and he thought it was awesome, it was decent but for whatever reason it didn't click with me. Perhaps I have such utter innate distrust of those cars that I'm not even really impressed with them anymore. Years ago as I was younger I constantly looked at used BMWs and they were always having issues, sputtering, or something stupid. Some "ultimate driving experience"...I just had a big Mercedes SUV pull out in front of me in the Z06 earlier today, I'm driving along and they just totally ignored my brights and horn and just tried to take off my front fender. Even if I was polite in a BMW/Benz I still think you'll never escape that snob stigma with them. I remember a BMW tried to bully his way in when I was driving a relatives car, I didn't let him over (no room) so he had been being nice with a turn signal and then squealed tires and zoomed up and cut in front of a car in front of me...lol. A friend of my brother had one and said they never bother giving turn signals because people absolutely will not let you over or let you out in a BMW. Kinda a catch-22 now...

I agree thinking on it now, it's definitely about how the tan interior is done. The old Ferraris had a dark brown hue to the tan, it looked great and showed off the hand crafted nature of the car. I had never really put it together, but what you said makes sense. Making all the interior light makes it super easy to see. Sort of why I both like and dislike black cars, they look stunning but they do hide the lines of a car. Bodywork kind of just blends in when the whole car is black, like a C5 Vette. Bright colors show off the lines better. But black is executive, diplomats, presidents, etc. always use black cars and I kinda like that mindset about having a big luxury car and it seeming VIP.

 

Certainly don't let anybody scare you off a ls460. Just because they have a couple of issues doesn't mean they won't fit your driving tastes. You find a 4th gen LS with its control arm fix done and a good owner history, you're good to go. No timing belt and water pump because the 460 uses a timing chain. Forego the AWD and you may find a nice RWD without the air suspension. Just as satisfying.

And certainly not every S550 is a money pit either. It's just that MB's are very sensitive to what the previous owner/owners did before you get a hold of them. You should look at one of the W221 Benz sedans (2007-2013). Not as bad as the internet might tell you. A later model of the Benz that's had its kinks worked out might suit you too. Heck you might even get rid of your Maxima, F150 and Corvette all in one swoop

 

What control arm fix? See, these are the things I don't know anything about. Also, given I have my Z06 I don't think I want a pure RWD sedan for those times it gets snowy around here. If I lived up north and threw dedicated winter tires, sure no problem. I will never put anything more than all seasons, so I'll never get that truly confidence inspiring grip in snow in a RWD car. The AWD will give the peace of mind there. I saw a very late model Mustang that had wiped out in the heavy rain that day on the expressway and bounced off the center divider after having drove the AWD LS460, a fate that would've been much more difficult for it to manage. No idea if they were going way too fast or just unlucky and hydroplaned on a banking section of the expressway though.

I'm rather nervous of German cars, I just read about the Audi 4.2 and how ungodly expensive that thing can get to fix to resolve the issues with the chain guide rods. I look at my "unsophisticated" higher performance LS motor and just smile, I love when the simple stuff works even if it lacks the refinement. If I went Benz I wouldn't mind an E-class, but I would want the V8 version. And on the later years I know that means twin turbo...at this point I'm seeing $$$ all over those things. Or if we want to really go there, a C63/E63 AMG (Ooh, an E63 AMG Wagon!) I would greatly enjoy and allow to replace all my vehicles...though the point is to downscale, not make a lateral move to one real expensive car

Truth be told, what I would absolutely love to have is the Audi RS3. I'm not just all about that big car luxury factor, but the RS3 does all the things I would enjoy - good handling, luxury marquee, AWD for all year driveability, fast shifting dual clutch transmission, and I personally love 5 cylinder engines (I tried to reason out that buying a TT RS would make sense as an only car...ha, and used ones are about $45-50k). Though the RS3 is definitely expensive, and I'd pretty much have to buy a new one since they just came out in the US. I'd prefer the hatch version, but we're only allowed the sedan...


I like a wide variety of cars for different reasons. The Z06 is great, but it's a car that everyone knows is fast. That Mercedes I honked at that almost ran into me probably thought "Look at this hot rod Corvette, in such a big hurry!" and they love to get passive aggressive. Take forever to make a right on red and make sure you catch the traffic, not let you merge over, not get out of your way in the passing lane...I had some SUV tailgating me on the expressway because Corvette means I will just accelerate faster and faster...sure, you bet! It's fun but can at times be stressful, well until you drop the hammer. I'm no old man, so I give it the beans as necessary (and a few times for fun, of course ). I'll never forget the dumbfounded look on this woman's face when I had my old man Deville and I punched it since they refused to let me over and it just hauled away. Others can probably count the amount of times they've seen a big old Cadillac actually floor it on one hand

 

I bet a lot of CL members are car guys. But as far as researching the LS 460, start here and read on.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...iy-thread.html

Have you thought about the GS? I'm coming from a GS430. That was an amazing car even though it was an 02. I'll never forget that car. It might remind you of a Maxima but with real proper RWD and stability control. A 4th gen GS would be an interesting vehicle with the AWD. The ride isn't as harsh as you might think. I too am a German car fan, but I know that any of the Germans are bank balance drain holes. So the best of the series are always the last years of whatever generation was before the current one. The Benzes stand out for bank vault ride and stunning handling.

 

maybe if you got rid of 2 of your 3 current cars the 20k 4th gen GS would be perfect.

 

My advice is don't buy an older German car unless you want to turn your own wrenches and invest in a diagnostic tool. And even then, you really need to do your research which models to avoid, which ones have that one issue that costs $4000 and requires you to pull the motor to fix, etc. Pretty much any BMW with a V8 or V12 is garbage from what I've read.

 

Ha, well the Maxima isn't worth anything of significance but maybe some day someone will buy it. Not holding my breath on that though. The Z06 if replaced, would be replaced by some other reasonably fast car. The truck is the one I might let go, I mean it books at around $30k right now so I certainly could buy a 4th gen GS. I know being RWD is supposed to give it a better platform, but honestly for the kind of normal driving I do I really don't think that advantage over say a Maxima would be apparent to me. I know it's better build quality, but the performance is about the same (Well newer Maximas have awful CVTs). But being $10k +/-ish is where I was looking rather than $20k +/-ish. Honestly a GTI might work for me if I spent that much and that would be like a brand new one (I like the fast shifting dual clutch). But there's little prestige in driving a hatchback, FWIW.

On the German makes, I found a '10 328i with 109k miles for only $9k. It looks very clean and being the lesser trim it has the non-turbo inline 6. I'd like to think that means it wouldn't be too trouble prone, and BMW forums seem to like the N52. Sometimes I wonder how much of a car person I am since for years I drove cars that people would say handle like a boat and I never really had much complaints about them. Others may drive a car and cringe at how it "handles" but unless something is broken on a car or like in the case of an FX35 I looked at before (yeah I looked at an SUV), that thing rode way too stiff. I have no idea why someone would want to drive an SUV that beats you all over the road like my Z06 does, and that's roughly what the FX35 felt like...I like the more pillowy soft ride than that stiff stuff if it's not a dedicated sports car.

 

OK, my 2 cents as I owned a 2005 LS430 and put 275,000 miles on it before my son rear ended someone and it was totalled (everyone was fine - he was distracted).
I also now own, as a replacement, a 2008 LS460 with 135,000 miles.

I drive a lot. I will first say, my 2008 is a rear wheel drive so it's not quite your car. However, the interior of both is nearly identical. I wish my car was a year or so newer so the bluetooth audio connected to my phone for example (it has bluetooth phone connection of course). That's one difference.

My 2008 definitely gets slightly better gas mileage - I regularly see 26+ and I drive at 85 as much as I can (which is often he he). My 2005 got a mile or so less.

Now, the Lexus mechanics have told me the LS430's motor is the best Toyota ever made. It's bullet proof. As I went nearly 300,000 miles without anything other than oid changes, I agree. In fact, the 430 NEVER had any work done other than a bearing repair under warranty and then the usual wear items.

My 460 is a bit more temperamental. It had a control arm replaced and the PO had some issues with brakes and an alignment issue but I've had no problems in 30,000 miles.

I think the 460 is a bit faster. Someone once said it's a little smaller than the 430 but I am 6'7" and both are comfortable cars - even having back seat space behind me.

The 460 takes 8+ quarts of oil - which makes oil changes a bit more - I used Mobil1 so that adds up...

The 460 has some other minor improvements like an auto closing trunk (you press the button on the hatch). It feels a little smaller than the 430 when driving so my sense it that it's a bit sportier (yeah, I know it's not sporty!).

I could have bought a low mileage 430 but have to say I like the looks of the 460 more and feel satisfied I bought a 460. Insurance on both if pretty reasonable. I figure if I total the car, I'm out $16,000 for the 460 and would have been out (based on what I could have bought them for), about $13,000 had I got the 430 - not a lot of money for a car in great condition that now costs about $75,000 and soon to be more for the 2018 models.

BTW, the one thing I don't like about black interiors is every one looks used and kind of worn for some reason. My car with 135,000 has the light grey interior (my 430 had beige) and both interiors definitely held up better than black. In my case and I don't speak for anyone else. My Audi Q7 had black interior and it looked old by 50,000 miles!!!

Good luck.

 

I've looked at a lot of pictures of interiors and I see the cracks and splits and other marks way more on light colored interiors. I have noticed Lexus interiors depending on their care can show cracking in all colors. I was just looking for kicks at a few BMW F01/F02s ('09-'16 7-series) and even on the high mileage ones the leather holds up much better than the LS460s from what I've seen. Of course the BMW would require an extended warranty thanks to Carmax, but looks striking. Though it's begged the question to myself, as a 20-something do I really want to drive a car that will either make me look like a CEO or drug dealer? In my little suburban neighborhood, it will stick out greatly. The LS460 would as well, but it's more understated so not as much.

I can afford them, much like I could buy say an '08 Carrera S - but the constant worries I'd have about people wanting to mess with my car (or me) kind of made me think it's too expensive to own even if I can technically afford it. Honestly the kind of car that would do the same kind of cushy executive ride with a nice V8 that would be more sensible to own (at least to not stand out so bad) would be a DTS or Town Car. But DTS have the dreaded Northstar, I don't know that they're that bad if properly maintained but worse is the really cheap interior which is very typical GM...and Town Cars, blah. They're the most bland pillowy kind of car to drive, and unlike the DTS they don't even have much horsepower but they're RWD (not that I personally think that matters much for a luxury cruiser car). Both cars are very geriatric even in black/black combos. Newer Cadillacs have better interior, but now they're all V6s and it just doesn't suit the character (well and some have 4 cylinder turbos, ugh - no place in a luxury car like that).

I don't really know what I want from a car anymore. Get anything too sporty and people want to race you and then what's the point anyway? Public roads are not race tracks and shouldn't be treated as such. Get something too nice (and not fitting for who you are) and it'll just look like you're driving someone else's car. I mean how odd would it be if my co-workers who drive reasonable things like a several year old Tacoma, or an older Jeep Wrangler, or a few year old Highlander (and these guys are more senior than me, they must be making better pay and I make a decent salary) saw me getting out of a car our company's CEO could be driving? It'll just make me look like a kid who's trying to impress everyone. A 3-series or a Lexus IS, all cars that are nice but less ostentatious. In my part of town, no one drives big luxury cars save for old Town Cars and Cadillacs so using an $80k luxury sedan for the kinds of silly errands I do would look really bizarre.

 

I see you are in Kentucky, if you are trying to blend in and want to get out of your expensive pickup, just buy a cheap pickup. A 2001 Silverado with rusted out rockers and a dented up bumper, you'll blend right in.

 

God if that's not the truth...I am not a truck person. The fact my truck drives nothing like a truck is why I like it. But safety is a big factor, crash tests of old trucks show they're pretty awful. I go by results and not the "bigger is better" that I think most people around me go by. Otherwise I would've bought a Tundra, but F150 did the best on crash tests.

The more I look at it, the LS430 isn't so much that I wouldn't look reasonable driving it. It doesn't have air ride either, confirmed in the pics again. Maybe I'll go check it out and see how the maintenance history is on it. The domestic alternatives are just too blah, and they really aren't any cheaper (unless I buy an older one with higher miles, which I definitely don't want to do).

The LS430 is a ML package too, so thankfully not a UL which would have the air ride. I looked across the entire country and for 2006 LS430s there are only 3 that are black/black and I don't think any were one owner and all had slightly more miles. Jeez though, while a DTS might be similar money around $10k the one I saw was black/black and it was a 2008...I mean I know reliability-wise the Lexus wins but it's definitely a lot physically older.

 

I wouldn't worry about age so much as more about how it was driven/maintained/number of miles. And no rust, if its from up north forget about it.

Also Cadillacs have a lot of annoying problems(some very expensive) besides the Northstar V8 blowing headgaskets. IMO the only good Cadillacs are ones from way back with the big block Cadillac V8, the 4.9 liter Cadillac V8(1990-95 Deville) or those with Chevrolet V8's(Escalade, CTS-V, 90-96 Fleetwood and Brougham). Northstar V8, corporate GM V6 in the CTS, those are all troublesome motors. And don't get me ranting about the 4 cylinders in some newer Cadillacs.