pretty good...but it hought the L version would be a little cheaper

 

It isn't because more options come as standard on the L version.

 

I DID! I DID!!!

From this thread...

 

it's funny how most people just look at "base" prices and think everything is the same except the extra 5".

in any case, instead of talking about just the base prices, where you will hardly ever see those cars coming into the US, check out this thread about what cars are actually coming to the US (at least the west coast), and how the swb will be sold for 67k and the lwb for 85k. the ls460l at that price is almost fully loaded

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=242068

 

i called it right after the 25th!!! but i give u credit too!

 

For comparisons sake, base MSRP of the competitors:

Audi A8: $68,900


Audi A8 L: $72,900


BMW 750i: $71,800


BMW 750Li: $75, 800


Jaguar XJ8: $64,250


Jaguar XJ8 L: $67, 750


Jaguar XJR: $81,500


Jaguar Vanden Plas: $75, 500


Jaguar Super V8: $92, 000


Mercedes S550: $86, 175

I think that Lexus has done very, very well here. A fully loaded LS 460L is STILL under the base sticker of the S550.

 

But ever so close, and yet not too far (for some). I think Lexus does not get accused of 'cut-rate' pricing here. Close to match, but somewhat more value.

And at $85,000 for a tricked-out LS 460 L, one wonders what the LS 600h L will command?

 

Lexus definitely offers most bang for the buck. They typically have. The consumer wins here by having a car with the options of a $110k S-Class at a cost of $85k.

I did expect the price to be higher, but I think Lexus played it safe. If they priced it any higher, they could have lost sales. One thing I do wonder, does Lexus expect to sell more SWB than LWB? I wonder how that will play out. I know for the 7, you see more Li's on the road.

 

with the price of ls460 and ls460l, i think the 600hl will sit right at around the 100k point. this is my guess

 

If someone could price an SWB LS460 with the same options as a base LS460L we could see what the difference really is for the extra length.

 

but in the Eastern region an LS460 with Nav will cost about 67,200. With extras about 73,700 and the LS460L about 81,000. This is with the option list on the first production order but I would be surprised if it will change much. I haven't seen the Touring package cost yet either which will come later.

rock

 

lexus will have a sales triumph with such cut-rate prices but the brand will suffer in the long term. That is as assured as sun rising from the east.

This will also make it extremely difficult to crack the high-end segment, 75K and above and especially 100K and above.

Acura already found the disastrous consequences of fielding RSX and TSX when RL totally bombed despite being an excellent car.

I recently test drove the RL and I must admit that car, whether the interior quality, or the 290 hp engine, or the driving dynamics, simply made it a great car to own, but a poor brand to invest your money in.

It also shows that Lexus marketing people do not have a proper understanding of luxury and how luxury brands work.

Before everybody starts criticising me, I must differentiate between great luxury product and great luxury branding.

Lexus makes great cars and I am myself an engineer and took mechanical and electrical engineering electives many years ago, so I agree with many on this thread as well as real engineering guys like Alan Mullaly that Lexus LS is probably one of the finest cars ever built, but poor branding has made its stock undervalued.

An undrvalued stock is the worst thing you can do in a bullish market and luxury market IS bullish.

 

Rominl, although you have the power to control this discussion and shut me up at any moment, I would still like to take some risk and call your statement quite naive.

I have been writing on this forum for past 3-4 months and I have studied luxury branding in some detail and trust me, I can safely say I know more on branding than 99.9% of the general populace.

Your base price argument, excuse my words, is totally bunk. You think that base price cars will not come to US, or will not be even made, but you also must compare similarly loaded Lexus with bmw, benz and audi.

Simply taking a moderately or fully loaded lexus and claiming that base LS doesnt exist is fooling nobody.

its no use ignoring the facts. Lexus wants a grin on its face and lexus marketing people want to congratulate themselves through cut-rate pricing, which is very dangerous and spells a bad omen.

Lexus (through its parent toyota) is a world leader in engineering and craftsmanship, but a novice in branding.

branding is an art and you cannot explain this art by arguing loaded lexuses or base lexuses.

Branding must consider the competition as its yardstick, and luxury branding is an antithesis of value or "new values" strategy.

Its hard and very counterproductive to criticise such a successful (in sales) outcome as Lexus, but history shows that criticism after disaster is post-mortem, and during success is a blessing.

 

Thanks for the update on competition, and I agree Lexus has done very well for you in terms of offering you a great value, but I must confess,

Lexus brand is sure to suffer. Unless, Lexus moves up rapidly over the next 2-3 years with SWB Lexus and aims closer to Audi A8. The LWB pricing despite the addition of many options is an okay starting point at 71K, right below A8L.

 

i disagree with that. it wont suffer due to pricing. the fact that they price it at 61k, allows people who normally wont put in the extra money to get a base A8 over an a6, to go out and buy a nicely optioned LS instead of the A6. If they increase the price, they will lose a lot of those sales. so i dont think they will suffer unless they raise the price.