Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

High End Luxury Cars

1215216218220221463

Comments

  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    After all those years, the LX470 is at the end of its cycle and will be replaced by a totally new version VERY soon. Perhaps they'll fix many of the shortcomings like low HP and FUNKY flip-flop rear seats that hang against the windows (even the idiots have figured out how to fold them to hide them away flat). It says a lot about the buyers that are willing to buy anything, even if it's DISFUNCTIONAL, as long as they BELIEVE that it's well made or has good resale. There are definately the intellectual pointy-headed buyers who do everything Consumer Reports tells them to do, and there are the less reational impulse buyers who will buy basically anything if it appeals to the right emotion at the right time. Then there are the last remaining folks who buy what they want no matter what the resale or reliability charts say, because F-U-N, NEW STYLE, PERFORMANCE, and HP still matter!!
  • oacoac Member Posts: 1,594
    It says a lot about the buyers that are willing to buy anything, even if it's DISFUNCTIONAL, as long as they BELIEVE that it's well made or has good resale. There are definately the intellectual pointy-headed buyers who do everything Consumer Reports tells them to do, and there are the less reational impulse buyers who will buy basically anything if it appeals to the right emotion at the right time. Then there are the last remaining folks who buy what they want no matter what the resale or reliability charts say, because F-U-N, NEW STYLE, PERFORMANCE, and HP still matter!!

    That's why there are as many viewpoints as there are people (7 billion) on this planet. It is nice to have those choices, and the means to make them. Another adage: "one person's meat is another's poison" applies aptly here...
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    Amen.
  • blckislandguyblckislandguy Member Posts: 1,150
    ljflx, give me a one word answer: If the MB brand was a stock would you short it? I think that Jag's present plans to move up stream and diminish the volume is one that MB should take. Do fewer models, maybe just C, E, and S, emphasize the tradition, the large sedans, etc.

    OAC, yep, people do love those TLCs. Curiously enough these things aren't even assembled by Toyota but rather by a vendor!
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    The C230 coupe was definitely a big mistake, but I dont think M-B should cut its lineup nearly that drastically. If they did, BMW would roll right over them. The ML, SLK, CLK, CL, and SL classes have all been successful. Actually, the CL was one of the only coupes popular enough to survive the death of the "personal luxury coupe" segment in the late '90s. The R class probably should go; the thought of a Soccer Mom driving an R55 AMG is just laughable. I'm not sure that the new G class is really necessary either.
  • ljflxljflx Member Posts: 4,690
    No.

    The only thing I would short is something I knew was way overpriced. Even then you pick your moments - usually just before news is coming out. The old buy on the rumor, sell on the news is a "short" dream. I'm not a short player anyway. But I can imagine how many Google shorters have gotten killed. Nevertheless Google is overpriced. But don't go shorting it.

    MB's name - in my opinion - has really fallen far with the 45+ crowd but still resonates with the younger crowd. I'm not sure what I would do if I were them. They need quality to restore faith in the 45+ arena which is where the real expensive buyers are so that speaks a Jag strategy. But if they do that then they are walking from some of the folks that are currently supporting their name. Jag has a much easier decision in this arena than MB does. MB has to downsize models for a simple reason - anyone who has tried to be every answer to everything has failed. If you think about it a much better way of making the lower cost cars (and SUV's) that MB sells would have been to price them more competitive to Camry's, Accords (and say highend Highlanders) under a different brand name like Toyota's Scion. Keeping them a lot simpler rather than interweaving them with all the things/options that MB does in the higher arena would have been smarter - IMO. Of course at this juncture that's Monday morning quarterbacking.
  • sv7887sv7887 Member Posts: 351
    Hi all,
    I think Mercedes will always have the "prestige" label going for it. But, they still are leaders in design and safety. Even with their quality issues, I stil think a S500 is probably one of the safest cars out there. The only reason the media is all over them is because Mercedes was known for bullet proof quality.

    I think the amount of models MB offers is killing them. It sounds similar to GM's problem..It's hard to design so many cars to a world class Standard. I saw an A-Class Mercedes in London a few months ago and was horrified..Who came out with that idea? Why cheapen the Mercedes name like that? When I think Mercedes I think S/SL Class.

    I don't like the new S, but the E320 CDI is probably one of the most practical cars Mercedes builds. I saw one in a parking lot the other day. It isn't lumped with all these useless electronics, and gives 35 MPG to boot. At $55K it's reasonably priced..I'm wondering whether the last production runs of these cars will be more reliable than what the E is known for...

    SV
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    MB is smart to go with the flow, but IMHO, has gone too far with a few too many choices. Sure, a third row seat makes sense for many families, but either go with the new G class or the R class, but not both. If it were me, I'd kill the R soon, and put my marbles in the G. The marketplace may prove that anyway. Too many C models, for sure. The new '07 S-Class is gorgeous, but the Mercedes tactics of adding on expensive options and packages quickly escalates the prices beyond fair value. The E is about to get a TOTAL makeover, and it needs it. It's just too plain and boring for 50K++. Also, the models need to look different from each other, instead of just smaller or larger versions of the same thing. It's not good for the C-class to look like a wanna-be S-class. The '07 S-class will soon distinguish itself a little more, but again, it will be too expensive. The XJ and XK Jag's are classics (not the X-type!) Most gorgeous cars for the price. And not over-produced for the masses!
  • ljflxljflx Member Posts: 4,690
    Bad month overall but Toyota stayed strong and grew solidly (+10% cars, +1% SUV's). Somewhere else I read that Lexus had a huge gain over last November but huge wasn't defined. I assume Lexus probably has its best sales month in November given shipments to dealers in advance of the Dec. to Remember event (I'm sick of that jingle already and we have another 30 days to keep hearing it on local news broadcasts). But in this context a huge growth over prior year is completely relative as the Dec to Remember event occurs every year.

    http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/markets/natworden/10255338.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&c- m_ite=NA
  • oacoac Member Posts: 1,594
    Somewhere else I read that Lexus had a huge gain over last November but huge wasn't defined...

    According to Toyota's press release:

    "Lexus passenger cars posted best-ever November sales with 14,001 units, an increase of 31.6 percent. Sales momentum remained strong with best-ever November sales of the GS 300 and GS 430 models, which posted combined sales of 2,619 units. The GS 300 recorded best-ever November sales of 2,223 units and an increase of 424.3 percent, while the GS 430 posted sales of 396 units, an increase of 317.8 percent. The IS luxury sport sedans, which debuted in October, enjoyed a best-ever overall sales month of 4,447 units, an increase of 633.5 percent over the same period last year. The IS 250 reported sales of 2,899 units, while the IS 300 and IS 350 enjoyed combined sales of 1,548 units. "

    Source: link title

    Can we just say Toyota/Lexus is doing real well ? May be an understatement...
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    Can we just say Toyota/Lexus is doing real well ? May be an understatement...

    In fact it is a overstatement. Toyota sales are up a mere 5.2%. Honda did better with 6.4% sales growth.

    Total Lexus sales in terms of units posted a 12% increase! Lexus truck sales are doing real pathetic.
    The 32% increase in Lexus car sales is impressive but is solely due to the new generation of the IS and GS. The sales growth is likely to decline as the GS and IS become more dated.

    Total BMW sales sales in terms of units posted a 11% increase! BMW and MB are the top contenders in luxury car sales by a wide margin!
  • ljflxljflx Member Posts: 4,690
    Dewey - so in your world an 11% increase beats a 12% increase (funny how now SUV's count when they negate with you guys but don't count when they propel). Heck I guess MB's 3% decrease is better than a 12% increase too. Come on and get real. Even a savvy finance guy like me couldn't defend your statements if I was on your side. You have a huge Lexus sales increas in cars at 31% in the area where the Europeans were strong and its' retention values keep going up on presold cars. Get used to it. Lexus is a powerhouse and No.1 seller in the US (by an increasing amount every month) and this is the premier market in the world. Rest of the world - don't care, I live here - and they are going to gain market share in the rest of the world big time in the near future anyway.

    BTW - still plenty of leg left in the stock market rally. I hope you bought something.
  • sysweisyswei Member Posts: 1,804
    BMW and MB are the top contenders in luxury car sales by a wide margin!

    By cars I assume you mean sedans/station wagons/sports cars...excluding SUVs? OK, let's use that definition, SUVs don't count for anything.

    November Lexus car sales: 14,001
    November MB car sales: 13,967

    Looks like Lexus has overtaken MB in car unit sales.

    BMW (18,419 units) still has a respectable lead though....for now.
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    Let us forget MB. It's still laying on its back with an intravenous in its arm under the care of Dr. Zetsche . The prognosis with Dr. Zetsche appears to be a bit better than a few months ago.

    Lexus beat BMW by one percent! I can hear those Lexus trumpets and the cheerleaders are already getting a bit out of control with the euphoria!

    BTW - still plenty of leg left in the stock market rally. I hope you bought something

    Nope not lately! I just "buy and hold" and dont time the markets! (Some of my clients have the same investments they had a decade ago and those are among my happiest clients)
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    BMW (18,419 units) still has a respectable lead though....for now.

    True, very true!

    But in all honesty I dont really care!

    I am not a BMW fan at all! I am just a brand agnostic who loves their cars! The BMW logo in itself is of great indifference to me! I feel indifferent to all logos including the L logo!
  • oacoac Member Posts: 1,594
    One can understand, one can even sympathize when some people are jealous of success.

    Lexus' November car sales were bolstered by the new IS. But doesn't that say something ? This time last year, Lexus could barely sell 100 units of the IS, this past month they sold 4400+ units !!! Does that spell success for the new IS or what ?

    When the GS came out in March, many Lexus haters heckled the new GS as not being sporty enough, not even eye pleasing enough, too little ponies to compete, etc... especially, many tried to bench mark it against the new sportier M twins from Infiniti. Well, its been 6+ mnths now, and all the new GS does is continue to trounce the more *sporty* and more powerful M twins. 'Nuff said.

    So fast forward to Fall 2006 when the new LS comes out... Any bets how that car will sell in its first month ??? More importantly, any bets which car would sell more: a 2007 S or a 2007 LS ? I think it is a safe bet that the LS will be the biggest winner in this class regardless of the bogey man argument of price. If the LS costs less than the S, it will not be bcos it is a lower status car, it will be more bcos MB cannot build the S at a lower price point despite all the cost cutting. Would like to see whether BMW continues to maintain its sedan sales lead this time next year..
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    One can understand, one can even sympathize when some people are jealous of success.

    Thanks for your sympathy! Now my face is not so green with envy!

    If Lexus can produce a car that I can love, I will ditch my BMW and relentlessly pursue perfection with a Lexus.
    Unfortunately that has not happened yet!! If you interpret this as jealousy, so be it.
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    Yeah it's funny when the market is rallying the heros say buy and hold and don't time the markets.
    Were you giving out the same advice after the market topped out in early 2000 and then plummeted all the way through 2002? Especially when your clients watched their multi-year profits wiped out and were dying to get out?
    I do believe some LS430's were being traded for Honda Accords-the LX 4's, not the EX 6's.
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    Were you giving out the same advice after the market topped out in early 2000 and then plummeted for several years?

    Absolutely!!!

    Some of my best bargains were found in the year 2000! Companies in resources and consumer products were selling for a song! I never recommended a technology stock until 2002!

    Bottom Line: Dont focus on the indexes! Focus on individual companies!

    Second Bottom Line: Bangle is a genius designer!!
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    If you did indeed keep your "buy and hold" advice, especially in the middle of 2002, when the S&P was down 40%, from its highs in early 2000, you are indeed a person of true conviction.
    Most folks I know couldn't stomach throwing new money at the market by that time, but as been proved time and time again, the best time to buy is when you are totally sick to your stomach with worry and fear and yes:
    Chris Bangle is a genius.
    The more I look at my E60, the more I like it.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    When the GS came out in March, many Lexus haters heckled the new GS as not being sporty enough, not even eye pleasing enough, too little ponies to compete, etc... especially, many tried to bench mark it against the new sportier M twins from Infiniti. Well, its been 6+ mnths now, and all the new GS does is continue to trounce the more *sporty* and more powerful M twins. 'Nuff said.

    What a fluff piece! The GS' intended competition was the 5-Series, which it ain't even close to trouncing in driving qualities, performance or sales. Lexus didn't say squat about the Infiniti M twins as their competition yet because they've managed to outsell the M, a car with virtually no previous following this is seen as some type of big time accomplishment. Talk about making something out of absolutely nothing. Lexus doublespeak at its best.

    I guess this is what you have to tell yourself if you're a Lexus fan to help deal with the reaility that Infiniti was the one that truly came up with a 5-Series alternative.

    Yes the new IS is a success so far, I mean how could it not be compared to the previous car, but it hasn't done what Lexus wanted it to do as far as unseating BMW as "the" sports sedan in the segment. Oh but wait it sells so that is all that matters right?

    M
  • oacoac Member Posts: 1,594
    "I guess this is what you have to tell yourself if you're a Lexus fan to help deal with the reaility that Infiniti was the one that truly came up with a 5-Series alternative."

    If the M is the 5-series challenger, it sure doesn't register on the richter scale of sales to truly *challenge* the 5-series. Of the two - GS and M - which has more sales to truly challenge the domination of the 5-series ? The answer is obvious enough. Soon the GS350, 460 and 450h arrives here, and lets see how much domination the 5 has over the GS. Fluff ahoy !

    Yes the new IS is a success so far, I mean how could it not be compared to the previous car, but it hasn't done what Lexus wanted it to do as far as unseating BMW as "the" sports sedan in the segment. Oh but wait it sells so that is all that matters right?"

    Maybe you missed the part where Lexus stated they are only producing 40K IS for MY2006, eh ? How can 40K of IS sales displace 100K+ of 3-series sales ??? And yes, its all about sales cos these companies are in the business of making money; that they please your driving senses is just part of the business model. Why not ask GM why they are in the mess they are today ? Their sales have declined and hence the business of *selling* cars and trucks is heading south. Of course, enthusiasts could not be bothered about sales, can they ?

    Which reminds me of a quote from Terry (Rroyce) on the resale price forum, paraphrased here: enthusiasts and MT lovers rave about how they love rowing their own gears until they have to sell their car. They soon find out the universe of MT lovers/enthusiasts who'd want that car is vaporware.... unlike auto trannied cars.... Reality sucks, eh ?

    Talking of reality, how about this technological marvel from MB ? link title Gotta love MB execs....
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    Only politicians tend to manipulate words and numbers more than corporations, and then not always. Two poor numbers can be shown to be rich when contrasted as a "percentage difference" or "percentage increase" vs. the actual quantitative measurements. It's often too much hype and baloney. It's all too easy to include or exclude a particular variable. New models always demonstrate a large sales increase because they basically start out from zero. Anything above that is obviously a huge increase from a percentage basis, but from a quantitative basis it may be pathetic. The bottom line: If you are in the accounting department, you might be motivated to indicate that the company made no profit, and thereby reduce the tax liability of your company. BUT, if you are in the marketing department for the same company, you might be motivated to indicate that the company is undergoing huge growth. Often, it's all a matter of a deliberate perspective. The Lexus fan will come up with facts and figures to support Lexus. The BMW fan comes up with the facts and figures to support BMW. The Jaguar fan has facts and figures to support Jaguar. And BTW, would a stock broker know any more about cars than a lobbyist? Or a mechanic? So much baloney. Here's one for you: What is the oldest Lexus? Now look at a BMW, Jaguar, and Mercedes from the same model year, and I don't have to tell you which one looks like doggie doo, and which three look like classic cars.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    If the M is the 5-series challenger, it sure doesn't register on the richter scale of sales to truly *challenge* the 5-series. Of the two - GS and M - which has more sales to truly challenge the domination of the 5-series ? The answer is obvious enough. Soon the GS350, 460 and 450h arrives here, and lets see how much domination the 5 has over the GS. Fluff ahoy !

    Amazing, more of the same irrelevant talk about sales. Does the car itself have anything to do with this discussion at all? Is the above some type of automatic reaction to Lexus not being able to meet their stated goals of building a true BMW alternative when it comes to the actual capabilities of the car itself?

    When it comes to the cars themselves, not all this irrelevant sales talk, the GS and IS have not met Lexus' goals of building a true 3 and 5-Series alternative. The driving qualities simply aren't there. Lexus stated that they were going to build a 5-Series beater in the form of the new GS and it hasn't even come close to beating the 5-Series in what the 5-Series does best, being a sports sedan.

    The same thing is arguably happening with the new IS. Sure it is selling, but what in the world does have to do with it being a proper sports sedan design to dethrone BMW's 3-Series as the segment leader. Who cares about how it sells? The press reviews and most BMW intenders still state the 3-Series is still the standard of the class, not the new IS. I honestly don't see what is so hard to understand here.

    Now because Lexus was too dumb to put a manual tranny in the IS model with the most power, having a manual tranny isn't important. Lets forget the fact that every other car (except the A4 3.2) in the segment has a manual tanny available.

    Yet we have to read about that the placement of something as lame as a CD changer in a Mercedes or Jaguar etc. makes them behind the class.

    Yet it is ok for Lexus to say they want to beat BMW, but not offer an manual in the IS350, the car that competes with the one brand that manages to actually sell a decent number of manual tranny cars (3-Series)

    Nothing could possibly be any more hypocritical than that.

    M
  • oacoac Member Posts: 1,594
    Amazing, more of the same irrelevant talk about sales. Does the car itself have anything to do with this discussion at all?

    Sure it is selling, but what in the world does have to do with it being a proper sports sedan design to dethrone BMW's 3-Series as the segment leader. Who cares about how it sells? The press reviews and most BMW intenders still state the 3-Series is still the standard of the class, not the new IS. I honestly don't see what is so hard to understand here.


    So if we go by car mags reviews and your viewpoint, the IS should be dog poop in sales compared to the 3-series, bcos "it is not a proper sporty sedan...". I mean, why should any enthusiast buy such a crappy sedan with sporting pretensions which are largely unrealized, eh ? Every one should worship at the altar of the almighty 3-er... All hail to the King of compact sport-lux sedans... The fallacy in such a position is that if the IS was that bad, and that far off the mark, it should tank in the market. But is it ???? Of course not... So Merc1, how do you account for its success so far??? That's why the GS example is important here. Everyone believes that the M35/45 are far sportier than the GS300/430, so why are there LESS people buying the M than buying the GS ??? Is it that more people prefer LESS sporty sedans, or is it just the imagery and fantasy that the ever dwindling # of enthusiasts created in their minds ?

    The IS350 sure beats the crap out of the 330i in linear acceleration and speed. It beats the 3-er in interior ergonomics and luxury appointments (lest u forget, these are luxury cars), and when it comes to sport, define it as you like, the IS is plenty *sporty* enough. Very aggressive gearing, very solid chassis, responsive suspension, tight steering, excellent road handling, excellent performance, and near flawless execution (poor back seat room). That is a car winning in dealer showrooms across the nation. And you are too blind to see that, choosing to solely focus on a one-track mindset: a Denny clements claim that Lexus targets the Bimmer... blah blah...

    Did you miss the part about the new 2007 S-class' engineering marvel ?

    Here it is again... just so you don't gloss it over, it describes how MBs technology failure in the W221 was an embarrassment, and it was captured by the press...Not funny either..Go ahead, click the link below.

    link title
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    So if we go by car mags reviews and your viewpoint, the IS should be dog poop in sales compared to the 3-series, bcos "it is not a proper sporty sedan...". I mean, why should any enthusiast buy such a crappy sedan with sporting pretensions which are largely unrealized, eh ? Every one should worship at the altar of the almighty 3-er... All hail to the King of compact sport-lux sedans... The fallacy in such a position is that if the IS was that bad, and that far off the mark, it should tank in the market. But is it ???? Of course not... So Merc1, how do you account for its success so far??? That's why the GS example is important here. Everyone believes that the M35/45 are far sportier than the GS300/430, so why are there LESS people buying the M than buying the GS ??? Is it that more people prefer LESS sporty sedans, or is it just the imagery and fantasy that the ever dwindling # of enthusiasts created in their minds ?

    I feel sorry for you OAC. You just can't help but attach sales numbers to everything. Let me see if you can understand it put another way.

    At no time did I say the IS was a "crappy" sports sedan. What I said what that it isn't superior to the 3-Series, more or less what Lexus touted it would be. Whether or not it is a good sports sedan or not has nothing to do with sales. The point is that a BMW fan that likes BMWs for what they are, isn't going to find the IS and especially the GS to be a good alternative. That said, both cars are great in their own right. This level of discussion has nothing to with sales volumes.

    Everyone doesn't "believe" that the Infiniti M is sportier than the Lexus GS, eveyrone that has driven the two cars knows it.

    You're so hung up on sales to point where you can't follow any other viewpoint on these two cars. Both the GS and IS are sporting enough for the average Lexus buyer which is why they're selling, that doesn't mean they have unseated BMW as the defacto sports sedans in the two segments in the hearts and minds of enthusiasts.

    The IS350 sure beats the crap out of the 330i in linear acceleration and speed. It beats the 3-er in interior ergonomics and luxury appointments (lest u forget, these are luxury cars), and when it comes to sport, define it as you like, the IS is plenty *sporty* enough. Very aggressive gearing, very solid chassis, responsive suspension, tight steering, excellent road handling, excellent performance, and near flawless execution (poor back seat room). That is a car winning in dealer showrooms across the nation. And you are too blind to see that, choosing to solely focus on a one-track mindset: a Denny clements claim that Lexus targets the Bimmer... blah blah...

    This sounds like a Lexus Service Announcement - "That is a car winning in dealer showrooms across the nation." What is that? Winning what? Buyers sure, BMW converts? Hardly. The only reason this is an issue is because Lexus stated that the goal was BMW's 3 and 5-Series.

    My point about the GS and IS is that they're good cars in their own right (I liked driving them both), but they didn't unseat BMW in the sport area, which is what Lexus stated they'd do. Lexus was too dumb to even put a manual in the IS350 so it could really show off that power. That magic C&D test 0-60 time of 5.1 secs hasn't been duplicated by anyone else..hmmm.

    Just a few months back everything Danny Clemets said was treated as if it was from spoken from up above, and now because most of what he said was just plain old hype, it means nothing now. Yet let a Mercedes or BMW executive say something and it not happen and they're idiots or clueless. Again very typical and very hypocritical.

    Did you miss the part about the new 2007 S-class' engineering marvel ?

    Did you miss where the whole thing was a hoax? Of course.

    Article

    Before the test was conducted, Mercedes alerted Star TV that the Brake Assist Plus feature wouldn't function correctly in their testing hall, and recommended they not conduct the test at all.

    The system was not designed to work in the conditions present in their lab. Common sense, but here this is hyped up. The funny (actually sad) part is that you think this is something serious when journalist all over the world have turned in first-drive reports about this very same system and ALL of them saying it works as advertised in real world conditions, you know..the place it was designed for.

    Also, if you read further you'll realize that the system wasn't even activated due to the conditions in the lab.

    Before the test was conducted, Mercedes alerted Star TV that the Brake Assist Plus feature wouldn't function correctly in their testing hall, and recommended they not conduct the test at all.

    However, Michael Specht, a MotorBild journalist covering the story, decided to run the story anyways. Specht, along with the Mercedes engineers, devised a plan to "simulate" the Brake Assist Plus feature by manually applying braking pressure on the fog-induced track.

    Because of the low visibility, a board was placed over the track so that Specht would know the correct time to brake the vehicle. Unfortunately, the plan failed - due to the S-Class' plush suspension, Specht didn't feel when he passed over the board, and proceeded to then collide into the vehicle ahead of him.

    I'll give you one guess what happened to poor little Michael Specht. This morning it was announced that Michael was fired from his position at MotorBild.


    I guess you also believed 60 Minutes too about Audi and that Dateline didn't rig those GM pickups to explode.

    At least get the whole story before posting.

    M
  • sysweisyswei Member Posts: 1,804
    Lexus was too dumb to put a manual tranny in the IS model with the most power

    Does that mean MB was dumb to not put a manual in (so far as I know) any of the AMG models?

    Maybe neither company is dumb. Maybe so few buyers of luxury sport sedans actually want an MT that it would be a money losing proposition for Lexus or MB to offer the option more broadly.
  • sysweisyswei Member Posts: 1,804
    due to the S-Class' plush suspension, Specht didn't feel when he passed over the board, and proceeded to then collide into the vehicle ahead of him.

    As I said after reading the C&D review, the new S sounds more like an LS every day.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Does that mean MB was dumb to not put a manual in (so far as I know) any of the AMG models?

    Well yes and no. When it comes to the SLK55 and C55 they could use a manual. Dumb move there for sure, but on their other cars heck no.

    The difference is that in the segments most AMG cars compete in some of their compeitor offer manuals and some don't. Audi only offers a manual on the S4 which is why I said the C55 could use one, but the previous RS6 and upcoming S8 don't. Jaguar doesn't offer any manuals on any of their R cars.

    This is just the opposite in the much more crowded class in which the IS350 competes, in which nearly every competitor (except Audi) offers a manual option with their best engine. Mercedes, BMW, Acura, Infiniti all do.

    Lexus missed a big chance to really make a statement with the IS350 to folks who do like manuals and a good number of BMW 3-Series drivers do.

    M
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    As I said after reading the C&D review, the new S sounds more like an LS every day.

    You should probably read the full review in which they stated that with ABC the car handled much better. Car and Driver makes no mention of Airmatic and its Sport II mode which is what the car should be in for such mountain driving.

    Actually read any other review of the S and you'll find that a simple push a button cures excessive bodyroll. Autoweek said the same thing in their review of the new S-Class, until they put the Airmatic suspension in Sport II mode. If you'll notice that all the first drives were conducted in the same place, mountain roads. The current LS430 wouldn't have a chance in hell on keeping up with a S550 on such roads.

    The new S-Class is nothing like the flat-seated, wallowing LS430. The ride and handling compromise on the new S has been praised by nearly everyone so far.

    M
  • sysweisyswei Member Posts: 1,804
    the GS and IS have not met Lexus' goals of building a true 3 and 5-Series alternative

    I think it is correct to say that Lexus targeted the 3 and the 5. I don't think it is correct to assume (as you like to because you feel an emotional need to show that Lexus has failed) that Lexus ever sought to out-sport BMW in every possible aspect of sportiness. For instance one of the online autorags, I think C&D or R&T, did a Q&A with the chief engineer on the IS project, who stated that Lexus felt its IS buyers wanted a more luxurious ride than the 3. So we end up with an IS that accelerates better than the 3 but doesn't ride as sportily/harshly. Is that such a surprise and is it a "failure"? Maybe it is a failure to meet the desires of a particular segment of the market that wants a certain type of ride, but it isn't a failure imho of what Lexus was trying to achieve....which imho was to appeal to the overall lux sport sedan market, not by beating BMW on every possible metric, but by bettering them on certain aspects and knowing that there are some tradeoffs between lux and sport.
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    The issue I have with the GS really doesnt have much to do with the car itself, other than their dumb decision to use the 3.0L V6. It's about the way Clements hyped the car. When you say that you're gunning for BMW, people tend to take you literally. I dont think Lexus necessarily failed with either the GS or IS.. other than to live up to the hype set by Clements. There's a well documented example of a Lexus that went to far in the sport direction, the IS300. Dealers didnt know what to do with it or how to sell it, and the vast majority of Lexus customers were not interested in a car like that.

    I think the huge failure of that car made them err a bit too far on the side of caution this time, especially with the IS350. There should be an off switch for the stability computer, and there should be a manual. I'm willing to bet that a manual will show in another year or two... and maybe that version will have a VDIM off button, but I wouldnt count on it. The important difference this time though is that the IS actually appeals to Lexus buyers.

    You'll notice that Infiniti never did any chest beating, no "we're gonna get you BMW". They just let the car speak for itself, which it has done very loudly. I think if Infiniti did try to hype the M against the BMW, the areas where the M doesnt quite match up would be criticized much more than they have been. Clements' hype has not helped the GS at all.

    For all the talk about how much the GS is beating the M35\45 in sales, keep this in mind. No GS going back to '93 has been able to keep up any kind of sales momentum after 2 years or so on the market. The G35 has already proven that Infiniti knows how to not only make a car that is a sales success for six months, but keep it successful. We'll know two years from now as to whether the GS still has the lead on M, or if it drops off of the map like the '92 SC, the '93 and '98 GS, and IS300 have before it.
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    One of the higher-ups at Lexus was widely quoted as saying the 2006 GS would be a "5 killer."
    To me that says the GS was supposed to out sport the E60.
    Therefore Lexus distinctly failed in its original intent with the GS.
    The guy should have kept his mouth shut!
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    I don't know about that. The M advertising slogan "designed to outperform" IMHO does take an inferring swipe at BMW.
  • oacoac Member Posts: 1,594
    Excellent post, LG.

    For all the talk about how much the GS is beating the M35\45 in sales, keep this in mind. No GS going back to '93 has been able to keep up any kind of sales momentum after 2 years or so on the market. The G35 has already proven that Infiniti knows how to not only make a car that is a sales success for six months, but keep it successful. We'll know two years from now as to whether the GS still has the lead on M, or if it drops off of the map like the '92 SC, the '93 and '98 GS, and IS300 have before it.

    The thing about a BMW-like strategy includes an engine re-fresh every couple of years. That way Lexus keeps the model/trims fresh. That's why 2006 brings in the GS450h, a year after the new GS. Another year, by 2007, the new engines (GS350/460) arrives here in the US. These should keep interest fresh, and represents a departure from previous late upgrades that is typical Lexus.
  • oacoac Member Posts: 1,594
    Merc1, I'm simply going to focus on the S-class post here.

    Did you miss where the whole thing was a hoax? Of course.

    Of course... According to you, the *full* story is that it was rigged, eh ? Poor old Michael Specht. He was determined to embarrass MB, so much that MB engineers worked with him to further embarrass their company, so as to get Michael fired.. Just a wonderful piece of news... All made up by some overly ambitious TV reporter/car mag journalist. Just like CBS and NBC makes things up too...
  • deweydewey Member Posts: 5,251
    Porsche is seeking shareholder approval to amend its statutes in order to allow a foreign purchase!

    What company is Porshe thinking of?

    The following is my speculation and fantasy:

    Saab? I think a Porsche-Saab cobination would be quite interesting!

    Jaguar? Can you imagine the excitement of buying a Jaguar with Porsche engineering! It certainly sounds more exciting than the Ford influence.

    Combining Porsche's eagerness for a foreign acquisition and the prospect of GM or Ford selling Saab or Jaguar and you may end up with a very interesting result!
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    SOMETHING has to be said about the lack of a "classic" car appearance SUFFERED by Lexus. The older MB's and BMW's and Jag's have classic lines no matter how far back you go. Many of them can be collector's cars. Sure, you can spend $75K on a Lexus, and you'll get a decent car allright, but it will still have the APPEARANCE of, say, a nicely trimmed-up Avalon or other large Japanese car. It doesn't "look" like $75K. I'm not saying that they are not well engineered in some areas. I am saying that the Lexus SERIOUSLY lacks classic design lines.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    I think it is correct to say that Lexus targeted the 3 and the 5. I don't think it is correct to assume (as you like to because you feel an emotional need to show that Lexus has failed) that Lexus ever sought to out-sport BMW in every possible aspect of sportiness.

    Likewise you seem to have that very same need to paint Mercedes in the worst possible light, well maybe not as bad as others...you seem to level off as the "discussion" goes on, but still.

    Maybe it is a failure to meet the desires of a particular segment of the market that wants a certain type of ride, but it isn't a failure imho of what Lexus was trying to achieve....which imho was to appeal to the overall lux sport sedan market, not by beating BMW on every possible metric, but by bettering them on certain aspects and knowing that there are some tradeoffs between lux and sport.

    This is basically what I said about the GS and IS in a previous post and that this was basically why the cars are selling. They're good cars in their own right, however when all this sales rhetoric is posted like it is the only thing that matters, it is time to remind some of the Lexus fans about what Lexus stated. Secondly, the many many posts about where Danny said this and Danny said that and the whole "you better believe it will happen" sermon that was given, only to have it not come true and some Lexus fans turn around and now say it didn't mean anything. Its ridiculous.

    No the GS and IS aren't failures, never said they were, but they have failed to provide a true alternative to a BMW 3 or 5-Series for buyers who really like those cars. Now Infiniti on the other hand they've done just that, make a true BMW alternative.

    M
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Of course... According to you, the *full* story is that it was rigged, eh ? Poor old Michael Specht. He was determined to embarrass MB, so much that MB engineers worked with him to further embarrass their company, so as to get Michael fired.. Just a wonderful piece of news... All made up by some overly ambitious TV reporter/car mag journalist. Just like CBS and NBC makes things up too...

    I'll take this as you didn't know what you were talking about when you first posted. If this story would have been something real it would have been all over the place, yet you're the only one that felt the need to bring it up - minus the whole story. Gotta do more research if you're going to bash.

    The MB engineers working with him would be under "he's gonna run the test anyway so let us see if we can make it work so we don't get embarrased". Only to have it fail because he was too much of an idiot in the first place.

    The whole thing has to be the stupidest thing I've read in years, yet you thought it was real.

    M
  • ljflxljflx Member Posts: 4,690
    Plenty of people love the 90 LS. Not sure where you want to go with this but classic looks and beautiful design is always in the eye of the beholder. The older cars you love look - in 95% of the times like a square box to me. I always love the excess adjectives used in situations like this. Many means majority or a decent percentage. You are talking at best a tiny handful, not many. Classic is a definition of rarity - not plurality. If Classic represented "many" then the word Classic is in need of a different definition.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    It seems some of your fellow Lexus people will accept the truth from you. Interesting.

    Of course I agree with your post, except for one thing. The first generation IS300 didn't fail because it was too sporty, IMO. It failed because it lacked the proper Lexus interior treatment and more importantly Lexus features. They only added certain things down the road to make it more of a "Lexus". Well that and a ridiculously small back seat. The whole look of the car screamed tuner-Toyota, not Lexus. It had no direct ties or any family traits of the other Lexuses on the floor at the time.

    The new IS however is all Lexus, it looks just like a baby GS inside and out (well better looking on the outside to me), and that is how it should be.

    Plus 306hp compare to what 220hp before? That will get anyone's attention.

    M
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Plenty of people love the 90 LS. Not sure where you want to go with this but classic looks and beautiful design is always in the eye of the beholder.

    Exactly, former and current Lexus owners only. People that don't even care for Mercedes because of other reasons, still like they looked back then.

    Now about being a classic you're right, very few cars make the grade to be called that, but there surely haven't been any Lexuses so far that will ever come close to being called that. Lexus and "classic" shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence.

    I liked the original SC coupe, but a "classic" it ain't.

    M
  • blckislandguyblckislandguy Member Posts: 1,150
    Ljifx, let me start by saying that I don't pretend to have the data, but I disagree with you on one point. I think that the MB name has fallen most with the under 45 year old crowd who have turned to Bimmer, Audi, some Porsches, 50K SUVs, etc. for alternatives to what is seen as a stodgy, dodgy MB line. The well fed over 45 types are less performance oriented, less fickle, and more into traditional status symbols such as blue blazers, rep ties and MB cars. If I were running MB it is precisely these people I would try to keep. In military terms (its a German car afterall) I'd keep it a line for the field grades and general officers.

    Does anyone report mean age of car buyers by make and model? (At one time GM had mean income figures for their makes and models and the Chev Suburban buyer had a higher income than even the Caddy buyer. The explanation was that he had lots of toys to tow and dogs, people to transport).
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I don't know if the C-230 was such a mistake - MB has sold a billion of 'em, mostly to younger women who think they're "cute", and they kind of are, like a Baby Benz. Problem is, they're pretty junky. Stuff falls off inside like a Chevy Cavalier, in my experience. Not a good reputation for a "luxury marque", regardless of the price.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    I'm glad you mentioned that. Just a few months back we got a chart on average ages for every luxury car brand, it showed the average Mercedes owner was 58. Now a few months later we get a claim that all of sudden its the under 45 crowd that is doing the buying.

    Mercedes has only lost favor with people who had one that gave them trouble - doesn't matter what age they are. This over 45 theory is nonsense, they're the group with the most money aren't they? If that is the case then Mercedes is stil choice car because the higher you go in price Mercedes sells more cars than any of the other mainstream luxury brands, say in the 60K and up bracket.

    M
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Well if you're talking about the C230 Coupe, which was really a hatchback, then I'd too say it was a mistake.

    Nothing falls off anymore post 2004 facelift.

    M
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    I think it applies to the LPS segment as a whole. The slogan is definitely intended to stir things up, but they did not say "designed to outperform the 530\545\550."
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    "It seems some of your fellow Lexus people will accept the truth from you. Interesting."

    Heh. Maybe its if it comes from one of our own, and not one of the Germans, it sounds more like the honest truth and less like a slam against Lexus.

    When I said the IS300 was too sporty, I meant the whole package, not just stiff handling or a bumpy ride normally associated as being the "downside" of a sporty sports car. Cars like the 3 series and A4 are sporty and luxurious. Neither has a big backseat, so the IS cant be singled out just for that. They also look like cars that an adult could be seen in. The IS300 was like a four door Celica. It probably appealed more to the 25-30 crowd than the 3 or A4, indeed it had the youngest average buyer age of any car in the segment. The problem is 25-30 somethings cant afford a 3 series, A4, or IS300.

    The old car made just 215hp, down from the SC300 and GS300 thanks to a more restrictive exhaust. Combine that with poorly chosen gear ratios, and it was slow. That is one thing they definitely got right this time around.
  • denaliinpadenaliinpa Member Posts: 169
    my 2 cents....new GS...nice but too bland. sales will be
    close to non existent in 14 months. new IS...nice car. better proportions than the GS. missed the mark a bit without a stick. the new LS. will exceed the current versions sales figures and possibly out sell the new S. not because it is a better vehicle but because of price. all the hype about the future hybrid models....who cares. gas is cheap and plentiful.
Sign In or Register to comment.