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My question regarding Lexus dealer LS 430 "price fixing" was meant to be taken tongue-in-cheek.
Nobody likes to pay MSRP for a new vehicle. But the fact of the matter is there's a significant demand for the new LS 430. As long as people are willing to wait in line to buy a LS 430 there will be *NO* discounts. I suspect this will change early next year when the novelty wears off.
No dealer in his right mind is going to forgo profits if the supply/demand curve doesn't require it.
Accordingly, I was "forced" to pay full MSRP for my LS 430 Nav/Lev/Euro-tune. I don't like it...but it's a sad fact of life at the moment. Hey, it's only money.
Jim
Any recommendations regarding the dealer installed phone system? It appears really pricy to me (yeah, as if a $70k car isn't). Does the functionality, re-sale value, convenience warrant the extra cost? I've read all of the posts regarding service providers, so no new comments are needed thanks.
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/roadtests/2000/November/200011_roadtest_lexus_ls430.xml
The November article is quite a contrast to that which appeared in Car & Driver October edition as follows:
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/roadtests/2000/October/200010_roadtest_lexus_is430.xml
Kind of makes you wonder who's paying who to say what...
Jim
Would like to get ecru leather in the LS but since it is even lighter than the ivory, I might have to reconsider if I can't find a good leather cleaner.
I took delivery last evening, and was very impressed by the car's quietness. It was as if I had turned off my hearing aids (I'm 73, but as excited about this car as a teenager). In this car, my hair is no longer grey, it is now silver :-)
Among the many little special touches, I was impressed by the sun visors. In addition to the standard visor that pivots to the front or to the left, there is a narrow auxiliary sun shade just above the rear mirror. I have often wished for such a visor when traveling west late in the afternoon.
For those of you still waiting: Don't lose hope. It's worth the wait.
Incidently, the center visor has been on the LS ab initio. See what you've missed.
ENJOY
Fred
I got the crystal white with the ecru standard leather. i didn't like the grey wood on my original order so even though it was there for the taking, my wife and i just "passed" this car by.
I did have to fight to get nav/lev/ecru leather with lexus link--called customer service, and they returned the call after contacting my dealer and setting up the order. wow!!! MB better wake up.
do you guys have placemarks....mine don't work and customer service at edmunds said it doesn't work with this new software upgrade. ????????
ELITE may not necessarly be your best bet- it may be, but check out others. There are Dealers and there are dealers. Personal experience can be better than relying on title alone.
Fred
Please describe an "ELITE" dealer. Are they Lexus dealers in some sort of special category?
Thanks,
Jim
"Elite of Lexus" dealers are in a special category so to say. Every Lexus dealer in the US is graded every month in about 8 different areas. 1 is Sales satisfaction. 2 is Service satisfaction. 3 is sales figures as opposed to targets set forth by Lexus. 4 is Follow-up procedure and there are 4 more but I don't know them off the top of my head. I believe every Lexus dealer has the graphs for all of them located somewhere in the dealership.
To be a "elite of Lexus" dealer they have to score for the calender year above certain percentages every year. I believe the average % is around 92% out of all of the categories.
The "elite of Lexus" system is basically a way of recognizing Lexus dealers that go out of their way to offer exceptional customer service.
Fred
I think they designed it right. You can now use cruise control on the LA freeways without having to constantly override it. Of course you still do have to be alert to any sudden unexpected changes in front of you. As they point out, this is not a collision avoidance system. But it is a great improvement in cruise control convenience.
Renny
Thanks for your help
Probably a normal noise. HOw loud is it? unbearable? is it a squeal? Squeak?
TIA
how's the ownership experience so far.
Any unexpected things plus or minus with this car?
I should be hearing from my dealer when mine will arrive (white/ecru/lexus link/nav-lev)
can you guys still use placemarks? mine don't work.
It seems to me that turning the wheels to their max twist (frequently) may contribute to future leakage since the power steering is being stressed under these conditions. I rarely ever do that. You may want to consider restricting the full turn to help prevent future failure.
Good luck,
Fred
Need info re aftermarket wheels, preferably 16" that closely resemble the 17" upgrade, chromed that will actually fit over the calipers.
Any links?
enigma???
Thank you!
Bill Mullen
billm@jmlexus.com
Renny
PS. Re. user experience: The car is a dream -- however, just to be totally candid, it isn't as quiet as the publicity hype had led me to believe. Still, it IS the quietest car I've ever been in. Just don't expect total "tomb quiet" -- I don't think we'll experience that until we're in the real thing :-)
WHy would you want 16" wheels that closely resemble those ugly 17 inchers on the LS430?
Also, the old LS400 16" wheels will fit on the LS430. And wheels available for the GS400/430 will also fit on the LS430.
Anyway, I looked on Tire Rack's website and Discount Tire Directs and I couldn't find any wheels that closely resemble the 17" LS430 wheels in 16" size.
My Customers want...as usual the impossible... so I have to go find. I like the 17" better than the 16", the 16" look a little too plain to me.
Those Borbet look very nice...wonder if they'll go on the LS... spoke to one rep who told me to search his wheels under the front wheel drive section, those wheels may have a chance of fitting, but he had no specific info on which really would work.
Service tells me that because of the redesign of the brake calipers, larger, stronger, safer, blah blah blah, the old LS wheels and silimilar aftermarket will not work, the 'clearance distance' around the calipers is like nill. Wheels that worked very well on my Dad's GS430 would scrape on high speed corners on the LS430.
Anyway...I'll keep you folks posted if I stumble across any aftermarket wheels that WILL work!
Thanks again enigmaone!
Thank you,
Bill Mullen
I'm interested in hearing from long time Lexus 4 series owners to learn about maintenance costs. Are parts expensive versus a GM car like the DTS?
It seems Lexus owners value the car's ability to retain its value versus other cars such as the Cadillac. The cars are pretty similar - except for rear v front wheel drive, about $6,000, and CD changer.
AS far as the RWD vs. FWD, stick with Rear. The Lexus has enought computers to deal with any traction problems it encounters
the DTS will be better in the snow because of FWD and its inherent advantages in the slippery stuff.
In rain you shouldn't have a problem with either.
And the LS430 does come with Traction control, VSC, and a snow mode for the transmission which does make RWD cars alot better than RWD cars were in snow before these innovations came to market.
Ultimately, it depends on where you live, how much snow fall you get, and ultimately if a RWD LS430 will suit your needs based on your circumstances.
Personally, the cars are very different from each other. The DTS is definately bigger but the LS430 has the DTS beat by a long shot in terms of quality & reliability.
Fred--how much did you get for your '90 LS. Just curious,as I have a '91 that I have been contemplating selling. Although, it's tough bec. this car still looks and runs like new and people compliment me on it all the time. I was at a parking lot overlooking the SF Bay the other night and a woman I was speaking to looked at my car and said "Wow! What a beautiful car. It looks like a commercial."
I expect Lexus VSC to work as well or better.
One thing for sure. NEVER buy a new or used RWD car that doesn't have skid control if you plan on driving in snow. Also, don't confuse traction control with skid control. Traction control is a component of skid control, but it doesn't make corrections needed to correct a skidding or fish tailing car. It just helps you get moving or move ahead on a slippery surface.
Unfortunately, the Placemark feature is no longer being supported by this version of the Well Engaged discussion software, and will soon be unavailable.
Our apologies for the frustration and confusion.
let them know that it needs to come back.
I'm on Internet Explorer 5.x and Win 98 if that matters.
to be continued.
my ls430 comes dec but will take delivery first week of jan. excited. how many of you have ordered the lexus link (ultra lux its standard). i feel it should be standard just like in the s430
recent car mag, automobile etc. had a comparo of the lux sedans. they used the s500 to compare to the ls430 as i suggested, if you consider the power/torque and features the $$$$ value of the s500 vs the ls430 grows. the s500 not the s430 is the ls430 direct competition. so we are getting much more for our $$$$$.
Sold my 90 LS for $9,500. Kelley Blue Book listed it (@my zip code) at $12,200 retail and $6,800 wholesale.
It has velour seats and the public seems to feel that leather seats are more luxurious and therefore more desirable. In my opinion, Lexus velour is much more comfortable than the leather. My wife has a 98 LS 400 and I have a Suburban with leather. I'll take the velour over the leather any time. Unfortunately, Lexus stopped making the velour after the 90-91 models. I would have been willing to pay extra for it on the 430, but what can you do when public perception nixes its availability. Oh well, another subject.
I know how you feel about your Lexus, like an old friend. Good luck if you decide to sell.
Fred
I have backed off in my purchase of the 430 until spring due to the uncertainty of the economy. A beautfil car though.
So the other night when I was in an unfamiliar area I decided to try it. A polite lady answered (calling me by name -- I was impressed with that), and asked what I wanted. When I told her to find me a restaurant, she informed me that I didn't have the luxury service, only the basic service which only entitles me to have her contact the police or fire department for me, in case of an emergency. She offered to sign me up for the luxury service right then and there, but I declined.
So if any of you took the "Luxury" service, I'd be interested to know how much it cost and whether you think it's worth it.
Renny
Thanks for sharing your selling price. I agree with you on the velour. I would have preferred the velour on my LS but bec. of low supplies and Lexus marketing I got the leather instead. In retrospect, I think the velour is a better choice bec. #1 it seems to wear better than the leather (I've got cracks and tears in my leather driver's seat)and #2 the cloth is more plush than the rather hard leather Lexus had in its early LS's. I saw a 91 LS at the dealership w/ cloth and it had recently been detailed w/ an interior shampoo and it looked incredible. Most people shopping for a luxury car do seem to prefer leather seats which is too bad for the few who like the feel of cloth. That said, I sat in an LS430 w/ leather and I must say, VERY NICE! Enjoy your new LS. It's a beautiful car.
Volvos, MB, BMW, Buick Regal, Dodge B2500 Ram, Infiniti Q45, Jaguars, Acura RL, Audi A6, Suburan C1500,K1500, Yukon SL C1500, etc to list a few. What happened to the Lexus cars?
The BMW 5 Series and the Lexus LS 400 came out on top in the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety’s latest crash tests of six large-size luxury cars.
The vehicles -- which also included the Mercedes E Class, Lincoln Continental,
Infiniti Q45 and Cadillac Seville -- were put through the institute’s 40 mph
frontal offset crash test. Officials then evaluated how well each vehicle and its
two crash-test-dummy occupants survived the test, which simulates a collision
between two similarly sized vehicles.
Besides measuring the likelihood of injury to the occupants, officials tested the
design of the head restraints and performance of the bumpers in low-speed
crashes.
You might expect such expensive cars to fare well in crash tests, but high
price doesn’t always add up to high safety.
One of the most important factors to surviving any crash is the ability of the
vehicle to absorb the impact without affecting the passenger compartment.
Serious or even fatal injuries can result if the engine is pushed into the
passenger compartment in a head-on crash.
The Lexus, BMW and Mercedes models tested maintained the integrity of the
passenger compartment, but the driver’s door of the Mercedes popped open
during the crash test. Although the dummies in the car were not affected by
the opening door, officials said occupants could be thrown from the vehicle if
the door opens.
The dummies didn’t fare as well in the Lincoln, Infiniti and Cadillac models. In
the Lincoln Continental, forces measured on the dummies’ legs were high
enough to break the driver’s leg. Dummies in the Infiniti Q45 indicated the
likelihood of head and leg injuries.
The Cadillac Seville came out on the bottom of the list. The vehicle suffered
"major intrusion" of the passenger compartment during the offset crash test,
and the tests indicated a high likelihood of right-leg injuries.
IIHS President Brian O’Neill blamed the old design of the Seville for its poor
performance. "The rest have been recently redesigned, and this could be a
reason the Cadillac didn’t perform up to the other models," he said. General
Motors has redesigned the Seville for the 1998 model year, which could help
improve its scores, O’Neill said.
The institute gave the BMW and Lexus models high marks despite their poor
bumper designs. The Lincoln Continental was the only one of the six cars
tested to earn a "good" mark on the bumper test.
Crashworthiness Evaluations
see the site
Go Lexus, I did and I'll never go back. Its just a better car in every way.