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In LS430 Never noticed this. When you adjust the flow and turn it off, there is a Lexus-buttery detent feeling. They realllllly sweat the details. Also note the chrome on the side of the vents. This is an area Mercedes could have learned from back then, when I compare build quality/luxury for two flagship vehicles built around the same time.
In LS430 Never noticed this. When you adjust the flow and turn it off, there is a Lexus-buttery detent feeling. They realllllly sweat the details. Also note the chrome on the side of the vents. This is an area Mercedes could have learned from back then, when I compare build quality/luxury for two flagship vehicles built around the same time.
The vents on my 18 GS felt really nice. Noticeably better than our 15 GS. Lexus is really good at a lot of those little details.
What's wrong with the way Mercedes added chrome to the vent adjusters?
I’m just saying a top of the line Mercedes has nothing on a top of the line Lexus for small details and overall luxury—-back then at least.
Here is the same vent on the SL, one flab broken to where I’ll have to rig it and cheap looking. This was nearly a $100,000 car which is about $170k today:
The mesh speaker above is nice though. That versus this:
LS has great speaker mesh too, however. Newer Lexus cars don’t have these anymore. 460 didn’t have it and our LX doesn’t either.
Oh, yours doesn't have the chrome accent on the adjustment tab. My family's W140s from that era had the vents that looked like this:
Never saw those before and I’ve been in lots of 140s, interesting.
People dismissed the blue and red buttons in these high end old Mercedes as pointless but the blue one at least is brilliant. When it’s cold outside and you obviously need heat but want a blast of cool air, it’s perfect. I’m a hot natured person and turn it on all the time top up when it’s cold outside.
as a huge fan of how horrible the old G-wagen is to drive when you're not offroading i was worried the independent front setup on the new model had compromised the truck-ness, but holy crap this thing can take a punishing!
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Oh yeah, Gs are very very very tough. Apparently the stock exhaust annoys the people who off road them because it's easily damaged and out to the side (or it was?), but a G-Wagen is the real deal.
The trimmings on the older Lexus were really well done. My only gripe is that they didn't use more of it. The only way to get more trimming is by going with the LS or LX. Just put more trimming and charge a bit more!
It's pretty crazy though not suprising to me that (in early 2000s dollars) a $60,000 base Lexus LS handily beats a $95,000 Mercedes for overall interior fit and finish, detail sweats, and build quality. Lexus wins by a mile (or won), considering the price delta between the two which is definitely a factor. Don't get me wrong the Merc has plenty of refinement and luxury and is built like it will last until the year 3000, including just the feeling of solidity driving it. Feels like a proper MB that will last forever (bc it has been cared for so well). It's just Lexus was just.that.good in their heyday, it's crazy.
Now if we want to talk about what car gets your pulse up and makes you feel like a much better driver than you actually are like higher performance German cars tend to do, Lexus falls flat on its face while driving this Benz aggressively makes me smile and laugh.
Was grabbing some food the other day and saw a couple cool cars at a dealership next to the restaurant so I popped in
. They had a Rivian R1S (green) so I walked over to take a look. Really nice layout and interior has a cool feel to it - like a combo of luxury but rugged, have to say I'm impressed. 2022 model with 200 miles and they had it priced at $105k - owner said people are flipping them for profits.
They also had a nice new Escalade there - and based on my recent experience of loving a new Suburban during a rental I asked how much it was. $199k - it's the V series. I had no idea a V series even existed, but left scratching my head at who would pay $200k for an Escalade. I'm sure it'll sell though!
my respect for the new G-wagen went up considerably after seeing whistlindiesel completely at the limit with his
Don't forget that the original G-Wagon, unlike other Mercedes products, is a military-grade vehicle, developed in the late 1970s for the German and Austrian Armies. It had to be tough.
Don't forget that the original G-Wagon, unlike other Mercedes products, is a military-grade vehicle, developed in the late 1970s for the German and Austrian Armies. It had to be tough.
They are asking for big money on those when I looked at the auction sites, $100k.
Not sure if they actual fetch that or if people just dreaming but I was shocked. lol
lol