Goofaroo

The best car I ever owned was a 1982 Peugeot 505S turbo diesel. It handled great but rode incredibly smooth. The seats were by far the most comfortable I will ever own, and it got twice the fuel mileage of my Lexus. It was absolutely reliable for the 10 years I drove it. The suspension was still crisp at 150K when I sold it and all I ever replaced was the sway bar bushings. I have no doubt that I will never own a car again as fine as my Peugeot.

Second place goes to my 99 Mercedes E320 wagon. At 130K I just replaced the sway bar end links and bushings and the front lower control arm bushings and it drives practically like new. It is also very easy to work on compared to my Lexus. I would like to steal it from my wife but she's pretty much in love with it.

I like my Lexus but at 137K I have replaced the strut rods, lower ball joints, and sway bushings and it still needs a lot of work to get it to drive right and it is a real pain to work on compared to all the euro cars I've owned in the past. Not to mention that suspension parts for this car are at least twice the price of Mercedes parts. I am on the fence about whether or not to put any more money in it. Now the valve cover on the driver side started leaking and my EGR pipe needs to be replaced. I keep trying to bond with this car but so far I just can't say I really enjoy driving it. I picked up a 94 Mercedes E320 wagon that needs a bit of work to make it my daily driver and right now I'm trying to decide if I should put the time and money in the wagon or the Lexus.

moat

Sightly off topic. I test drove a 2011 Hyundai Genesis a few months ago. That car drove amazingly well. The workmanship was also excellent. Hyundai reminds me of how Toyota was 20 years ago. I don't care for today's Toyota & Lexus. The 6 cylinder Genesis goes for $32k and the bigger 4.6 v8 goes for around $45k. I liked the smaller 3.8 6 cylinder better.

I thought the workmanship was incredible from the moment you open its doors.

Hyundai just don't have the name, but I think the car is simply excellent for the price. That's how the LS was when I first bought one back in 1993.

(I own two 93 LS now. My original plus a second one I recently bought on ebay w/ 80k miles in mint condition in/out)

I don't know why, but I like the first generation LS the best (93 and 94).

My current thinking is to buy an used Genesis a few years from now after I give my LS to my kids.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

Hyundai has come a long way, but the genesis sedan is not quite there in either workmanship or overall ride comfort/controllability. Long term reliability is a huge ? at this time as well, as the engines (both) are still relatively young.

And Goofaroo, i have no words. while the W210 is mostly mechanically reliable, it still suffers from rusting spring perches and wire harness issues. You may have gotten lucky with an exceptionally solid example but I wouldn't compare it to an LS in terms of reliability. Also, why are you comparing a mid-sized sedan to a full sized LS ? The S-Class of similar vintage is a more apt comparison.

moat

My view is slightly different. The Genesis has been well tested in very cold Korea winters for many many years now. Probably 30%+ of the taxis in Korea has been Genesis for 10 years now. I think the Koreans are really really strong now, and not just in cars of course (steel forever, and Samsung of course). IMO her workforce is 2nd to none ... better than Japan today.

shirkes330

As far as cars go my es330 was the most amazing car I've ever owned before I totaled it

Raddison

If you want to talk about Hyundai...

My grandfather recently purchased a 2012 Hyundai Equus.

Holy hell, while the Genesis will make you go, "Hmm, I suppose Hyundai is doing better."

The Equus makes you go, "Everything I know is a lie! This can't be a Hyundai!!!!"

Really though.. prior to the Equus, he had an LS460, and having driven both of them.. They go pound for pound. And the Equus can be had for nearly 10k less, fully loaded.

Goofaroo

We don't have rust problems here in Oklahoma and the wire harness issues are on the older M104 engines. My 99 has the M112 V6. I don't know a thing about the S class and really don't have any interest in them. I guess I didn't understand that I was supposed to compare a full size vehicle to the LS400. In that case my 3/4 ton Suburban was probably all I have to compare it to. I like the LS400 better than my old Suburban.

Probably the biggest problem that I have always had with Japanese or domestic cars is that they have always seemed like nothing more than an appliance to get me from A to B. I wanted real bad to like my 2005 Subaru Outback that I purchased new but I just never bonded with it. European rear wheel drive cars and German cars in particular just have something about the way they drive that I connect with. I also like the fact that they are very simple to maintain and parts are readily available and inexpensive. I have been a bit shocked at how expensive parts are for the Lexus.

I have always been curious about the LS and do like the car but I only have a three car garage and currently own four cars. The 99 E320 wagon and the 2000 BMW Z3 are here to stay for a while. I am still undecided if the 94 E320 wagon or the LS will be going away. If they only made an LS in a wagon...........

moat

I am not surprised of your experience. I have not seen the Equus in person. I look forward to seeing it. Too bad I don't have the $ to even consider it.

emarknot

1974 ISO rivolta fidia.

I recently worked on one. And I loved every moment I saw it l, and every second I drove it.

It was such a magnificent car. 25k on the clock, and near perfect.

Only 20 produced for the year, 190-ish made for the whole production run.
Would trade without a moments notice....i like it more than the Bentley gt/ azure's I get. and more than the 68 Camaro ss with the built 427 I'm on now.

Rdrcr

2010-present Cadillac CTS-V... wagon!
Absolutely love the CTS-V... very nice!

Or, the LS430. I know it is another Lexus but, hey, it is the only other car I'd consider.

The Bimmer's and Merc's are far too expensive to maintain and repair.

Mike

denverdog

in 1969 i bought my first car, a silver 1960 buick electra 225 four-door hardtop. wish i still had it. the seats had the factory plastic on them and the fabric was perfect underneath. wildcat 445 engine. 445 was the torque. 13 miles per gallon in town. not as good as the ls, but i only paid $100 from a dealer. dollar-for-dollar, it was better than the ls.

and i didn't have $100. the guy (who i did not know) gave me the keys and told me to bring in $10 per month. after i paid it off i got the title. ah, small town america.

Rdrcr

^^^^^
My dad special ordered and purchased new, a 1970 Buick Skylark GS 455 Stage 1 Convertible. He drove the car sparingly and had that car in the garage throughout my childhood. I had the opportunity to drive it on a few occasions in my high school years, plus I drove it for a month while my '66 289 Mustang was getting some repairs done. Awesome machine!
Unfortunately, the car was rear-ended and totalled in an accident with 70K original miles on the clock after he was leaving the restoration shop in the mid-90's. He was quite pissed!

I would like to own a GS 455 Stage 1 coupe (the GSX are going for a fortune) one of these days but, they currently too expensive for my budget.

Mike