only if you got the car for free. There’s a certain amount you’ve paid for the car. So this 1200$ here, $2500 there, and 1800$ there all add up to the total you’ve paid.
I often thought about the $35k I’ve paid for my 2017 with 32k miles in May. At 40k miles today, I’ve spent 1600$ for brake in the front(dealer lol) and about $400 for the rear(bought my own own parts and asked the corner shop to install it). And I’m going in the dealer on Monday for a $2600 brake
actuator.
If I put 10k down for a new lease on either a new LS or similar, I would still have enough money to pay the lease for another 2 to 3 years at least. And be driving a much newer car without having to think about what will break next.
At this rate, I have no idea what my LS460 will need in 3 years. I assume the air suspension and control arms are going to go soon because of the age of the car.

 

It’s still dramatically cheaper than a new one when you factor in that your depreciated one is not losing all that much value anymore.

$10k down on a lease is just prepaid rent, that’s why you don’t put money down on leases.

BUT, if you want a set cost and the ease of not having to worry about repairs then leasing new is an option. I do it, but it Definately costs more.

 

My customers pay what the book says the job takes, book says the LS usually costs more. That said I don't stack charges like dealers and most shops do, I think that's cheating people because if a job includes everything else why would I charge for each sub item individually?

 

It's an exceptionally smooth, refined car that at the time of initial release was extremely competitive with many leading edge technical accomplishments. It also is the first car Lexus made with truly advanced suspension and chassis with the full spectrum of expected options.

I like mine a lot

 

But the LS needs less and the parts are cheaper on the whole.

Having had both there is just no question overall the LS is cheaper to maintain and repair.

 

That's not entirely true, Lexus OE parts are much more costly and you can't easily determine who is the OEM like with the Germans to simply buy the factory label. Labor time for 2013 versions of the LS and S class give the edge to Mercedes by .8 hours for a thermostat and for the 2022 LS vs 2024 S class V8 the LS is tied and vs the 6 cyl S the LS takes 1 hour more. The 2024 S580 calls for 4.2 hours including coolant refill and purge, the LS lists that process separately.

Again this all assumes they aren't manipulating the prices higher because they know Mercedes owners typically have no idea what they should pay other than "it's expensive" and they expect it vs Lexus owners saying "it's a toyota it doesn't need anything"

 

That’s the problem with the LS. People think it’s a Toyota and expecting Toyota maintenance cost.
I know fully well going in when buying my ‘17 LS460 F sport. But at the same time, I do think how much longer will I keep it knowing how much things can cost.
Maybe I’ll feel better after the brake actuator replacement. And Lexus made it hard for me to part ways with them. I called them up and they agreed to pay for the parts and I pay for the labor. So the 2600$ work cost me about $1200. This is on an out of warranty car but since I complained about how it’s only 40k miles to need a repair like this on a flagship, they agreed to help me. It also helped that they saw how many Lexus I’ve owned on my record. This is better loyalty treatment than the modern day tech industry. Lexus has also helped me out in the past on my LC500 and GS either getting parts for free or covering it outside of warranty period.

 

It absolutely is true, but its not a huge difference. Most people just buy parts, they don't know what an OEM is etc. You can also just buy most parts for an LS from AutoZone, can't do that with a Mercedes or BMW. Again I have bought parts for both cars. I have added up the money I spent maintaining my LSs and my S Classes, and the S Class is way more.

Exactly.

 

I view the LS460L as a cheaper S-Class that will likely last longer, and with higher build quality. That's what you pay, and that's what you get.
For whatever reason he feels it's necessary to constantly Camry budget shoppers looking for high mileage cheap cars. He must see a lot of them.

The LS is an excellent car if you want something quiet/comfortable and built really well for less than a German flagship. Our car has zero squeaks, rattles, etc. and never has had one. It's a 2016 that's lived outside in a sun state, and the northeast.

We've been looking at upgrading this car for the entire 3 year ownership period and still haven't. Part is not driving much, but the other part is the upgrade options simply require more time and energy to deal with. Even one unplanned service visit is not something I want to deal with right now.

It's really a pity they threw in the towel on this car. A 2026 LS even mildly competitive with the S580 would be an easy choice.

 

I call it a "Lexus Mercedes".

I will say I definitely did chase squeaks and rattles in my LS460s. Less so than in my current S580 but about the same as my previous S560.

 

I watched the video, and I think he over exaggerated the entire project he has to make money, but he is also not familiar with the 460 series, and it shows. Some mechanics give a huge price just so you will say no. I watch his videos sometimes and his solutions are quite expensive in my opinion. Valve cover gaskets are not a hard job on this car.

 

Okay man, whatever you say. I know what people spend on these out of warranty and no you can't get stuff at autozone for an LS in many cases.

 

I can show you the invoices...I added it up at some point and I think through 50k miles the S Class was like 3X the cost of the LS. Brakes alone were 3 times the cost. Then factor in my S560 had a $9k valve cover replacement before 50k miles which never would happen to an LS460.

 

Having spent a ton of time on the MB W222 forum, while reliable, there is just so much more to that car.

I've driven four examples now, three for extended periods and they all had a few quirks. Obviously a great car that can last a long time, but when you start pricing things out it's another level of maintenance expenses.

I can go to Toyota for some of my LS work, and Toyota/Lexus indie mechanics. LS has cost us very little, even brakes were much cheaper than expected.

 

No just a timing cover job at 47k miles that costs the same amount lol! They are very close in real world costs, your LS lost a brake actuator in warranty as well and they very often lose air suspension items.

A max spec LS is a costly car and it's practically the same as an S class and in some cases it's way more because you don't have easy access to OEM info.