Well, seeing as the comparable BMW would have cost me about US$9K more, I'm very happy with my IS300. I have every confidence that it will be less expensive to maintain than a German car...and I do intend to drive it a good, long while. Mind you, I have NOTHING against German cars (my mother is from Germany and always tells me how great German things are), but I just couldn't afford a Mercedes or BMW. I thought the Audi A4 was more cramped and the Passat just didn't get my juices flowing. I guess the bottom line is that everyone has to make the purchase that makes the most economic sense and fosters the most personal pleasure for THEM.
This price was on a yellow, green and cooper colored IS. I am in the DC Metropolitan Area. The IS's are scarce here, you see more of the LX470, GS300/400 and ES300 where I am at in terms of Lexus vehicles.
Gee, by next summer you'll be able to tell us if the manual transmission on the IS300 for 2002 is any good! (I don't like manuals, but a lot of people do.) Anyway, I'm not a small person. I don't like my knees rubbing on the steering wheel and that is what happens in an A4 for me. (Same with the Infinity G20.) I have no idea if this is because the IS300 might have a smaller wheel or if there are really a couple of inches there. I haven't compared the specs. I liked the feel of the pedals better in the IS300. Also, I have the impression that when I have the seat adjusted for me as driver, there is still a bit more room for the odd passenger or two in the back of the IS300 than there is in the A4. Had I purchased the A4 it would have been the 2.8 with automatic transmission and..yes, the Quattro (just 'cause I have to have the best of everything and I prefer not to have the front wheel drive only)...and then the price gets up to more than the IS300 I bought.
I sold my 1999 BMW 540. Now i had a GS 400. It's a much better car. Safer, quietter and more comfortable. To guy who wrote that the Japeneses cars have not the same class of the Germans. I have to tel you tha i am german and in my country, Lexus Has lot of class as same as a Benz and BMW. Another thing is , after 3 BMW and 2 Benz today i am very happy with my Lexus GS400 and this is the best car the i never had. When a Lexus is better than a Mercedes or BMW, the prestige is not very important. Any way Lexus in germany has lot of prestige. Hans Hausermann.
I sold my 1999 BMW 540. Now i had a GS 400. It's a much better car. Safer, quietter and more comfortable. To guy who wrote that the Japeneses cars have not the same class of the Germans. I have to tel you tha i am german and in my country, Lexus Has lot of class as same as a Benz and BMW. Another thing is , after 3 BMW and 2 Benz today i am very happy with my Lexus GS400 and this is the best car the i never had. When a Lexus is better than a Mercedes or BMW, the prestige is not very important. Any way Lexus in germany has lot of prestige. Hans Hausermann.
Mine came with 17" Bridgestones. I have to check with the dealer when I bring it in. I think those tires should be good for twice that mileage under normal conditions. I wouldn't be heartbroken if not though...rather have something with more grip for inclement weather so I'll eventually replace them with another type.
Hmmm, I just got back from Germany last month and I can't even recall seeing any Lexus' at all there. I even asked my aunt about it because I wanted to describe the new IS300 I had purchased. She'd never heard of the name. (I did see the name on the side of the Toyota dealer's building in Munich though.) Is Lexus new in Germany or am I blind?
When you pay that much for a car, I think prestige is very important but it's just my own opinion. Even I'm a Chinese-Canadian but I still have some German friends because my family business have to deal with European. I can't recall anyone of them had mention Lexus, but they always tell me how good MB, BMW and Audi are. Maybe my scope is too small. But one thing I know is many rich people don't like Japanese cars because of safety concerns. They tend to think European build much safer cars than Japanese. Maybe it's not true but European cars seem always running ahead of Japanese cars in terms of safety features and innovation. I admit that Lexus cars are very good built but other than Lexus I don't think there's any Japanese manufacturers can match well with German cars.
I believe that the Korean cars are where the Japanese ones USED to be a long time ago. Japanese cars in general have come up in the world. Actually, Volvo used to be THE standard for safety. However since other manufacturers are now including many of Volvo's safety design ideas, Volvo is being driven to look at updating their designs in order to remain competitive. While I agree that the price of an Avalon is a bit ridiculous for a "Toyota", (a name lacking prestige), the Lexus is a whole other ball game. It is my impression that the Lexus name is not yet very well known in Europe. My mother is German and exhibits a lot of pride in her native land. I've heard all about MBs, BMWs and Audis. Germans have a reason to be proud of a long line of consistent quality in their automobiles. (But even the German's will admit that the Opels aren't that great...even the fancy ones.) The fact of the matter is that others are learning to build great machines too...and can beat the price due to currency fluctuations and labor costs. My Lexus has all the safety features one would expect...welded steel body construction, ABS, Traction control, Steel bars in the doors, front and side impact air bags, etc. A comparable BMW doesn't provide any better protection...you just get a higher price and a name with more recognition as a luxury vehicle...at this point. I'm sure they know Lexus is competing hard.
I agree with you that Lexus is competing hard and getting lots of positive responses. The brand itself is really successful here in North America. They build very good cars and I think they will continue to do so. But one big thing they have to improve on is the characteristics of their cars. If you look at their lineup they are kind of weird. LS is pure luxury and the style of the car is wealthy boring old man, even the new LS430 look like the last-generation S-Class which is outdated. GS in my opinion the appearance of this car is sportier than 5-series. ES is a Camry-like sedan which is very boring. The new IS300 is like a Civic--racer-boy image, which is bad when you consider it is a Lexus. All of the above are good cars individually but they lack of consistent characteristic and image together like their competitors. BMWs are always sporty even the 7-series is very sporty. Benzs are always luxury-oriented even the C-class too. Audi has an image of high-tech/future-look. Volvos are always safety and solid built even they are now producing sportier cars. All these European brands have their own consistent characteristics and images throughout their lineups. Lexus really have to work hard on this issue before they want ALL (I mean ALL, not just Americans) people admit they are world class luxury manufacturers like MB/BMW.
Another problem of Lexus is they share the same cars with Toyota, which is a relatively inferior brand. The only car they don't share is LS400. Americans may not care because only Lexus are sold in US. However, other countries especially Asia sell them together. Those cars are exactly the same except the brand name. A worse case in Hong Kong is they share the GS together and the Toyota have a twin turbo V6 280hp engine and the Lexus GS300 only have V6 220hp engine. The only difference between these two cars other than the brands and engines is the Lexus gets wood trim and the Toyota gets aluminium. However, the Lexus costs more than the Toyota by 20% (and the GS300 has the same price of BMW325i). This is how ridiculous things going on. Lexus has damaged their brand name by these stuffs. I think Lexus has to stop produce same cars for both brands. I know it's marketing strategy for them, but if they continue to do this they just make Lexus cheaper in terms of brand image.
Actually the company that is responsible for the most safety innovations is MB. But instead of holding patents in all of their innovations, MB thought safety was too important just to keep on their own cars and they let other car manufacturers use their safety innovations. Volvo really marketed safety heavily and although they are know to be very safe cars (due to the marketing) are not the standard. MB is clearly the standard in almost all aspects of the automobile. BMW is the standard in practical sportiness. Lexus is the new standard in quietness.
Lexus's brand image is remarkable given their short history. Pretige comes with time and Lexus, because they are building such nice cars, with continue to enhance their image and will be inching closer and closer to the MSRP of the germans. Look at the MSRP of the LS400 when it first came out ($35000) and look at the MSRP of the 2001 LS430 (~$54000). Don't forget that MB's used to be prohibitively expensive but competition from BMW and Lexus forced MB to lower their prices.
The IS300 while it looks like a very nice performance sedan doesn't seem to have the pretige, unlike the LS400/430. I think that has to do with the design (both exterior and interior). It looks like a Toyota...not a luxury brand.
Why should an American who is considering the purchase of a Lexus care about Toyota's marketing practices in Hong Kong? If I told you that I would never buy a Mercedes because most taxi cabs in Western Europe are MBs, you would laugh at me, & rightly so. (Having vacationed in France this summer, I can tell you that the most popular taxi cab in France right now is the diesel-powered E-class station wagon.) But I have heard luxury car buyers say with a straight face that they wouldn't think of buying a Mercedes because it's nothing more than a well-made taxi cab. (These folks usually wind up with BMWs.) Silly, isn't it?
Keep in mind also that Audi A6 shares its platform with the VW Passat, which competes directly with the Camry. Does this make the A6 an inferior car?
Like it or not, platform sharing is the future of automobile manufacturing & marketing. Given the extremely high (& rising)cost of bringing new cars to market, platform sharing is the only way to develop new models that are both interesting & affordable. In 10 years, any car manufacturer who has not adopted this practice will be on the road to bankruptcy.
I have no problem with platform sharing, but Lexus shares the WHOLE lineup (Cars are identical)with Toyota excluding the LS400. The A6 shares its platform with VW, but they are totally different cars other than platform. Also, there's no problem for so many MB taxi in Europe because they are still MB, they are still high price, right? But Toyota offers the Lexus with lower prices and Toyota brand and this makes them cheap, clear? I know most Americans don't care about these issues but I just want to bring up some world's scope here, no offense to anyone. BTW, I think Volvo is THE manufacturer came up with most safety innovations, not MB. Seat belt, airbags, side airbags..etc are all innovated by Volvo. The newest Air cushion(head protection system) is also innovated by Volvo first and they put it in the S80, then MB put it in the new S-Class after that. Also, Volvo(all models) features the front seats that provide neck and back protection to the divers and passengers. MBs don't have this features, neither BMWs and Audis have it. Volvo is the manufacturer who doesn't want to buy patents because they think safety is too important so they are willing to share their innovations with others.
You know I've said it before and I'll say it again. I give the German car companies credit. They are the best con artists in the world. It's amazing to me that they can produce cars that costs an arm and a leg, significantly lose their value in 3+ years but still have people all over the world praising them. My first question is if Japanese cars are so cheap, why do they hold their value better than German cars? Why are they consistently in the top 3 in customer satisfaction year after year?
I'll tell you why? Bias. In this world people hate change and German cars are what they were brought up with so that's what they're use too. German cars remind me of Troy Aikman the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys when they use to say he was the best in the league. No matter how bad he sucks, no matter what he does, they still make excuses for him to keep him on top.
Prime example, when you think of luxury, any idiot should think of Lexus. Look at the S Class Benz. Where do you think they got their digital instrumentation idea from? Where do you think they got the amount and grade of wood placed throughout the vehicle? But why do I say bias? Look at Edmunds review. In a luxury sedan the only knock they could come up with is that the car is so serene that the driver could become bored. It's a luxury sedan for god's sake!!!! That's what you should be looking for. A quiet, smooth ride. The BMW nor the MB have as good of a ride and cost at least $37K more but still they rank the BMW and the MB ahead of the Lexus. The same type of perception bias is evident even in the clothing forum. Are Tommy Hilfiger jeans $25 better than Levi's? Hell no. Denim is Denim.
The question each person has to ask themselves is am I a fool who can be manipulated by the Media? Or can I think for myself?
Does anyone know if Lexus has a nose mask yet for the IS300? I have only had my car a week, and already have quite a few chips on the hood. It is not what I had planned for the car, but with the color black I don't think I have a choice....Thanks.
Besides being quiet and having a smooth ride, the Lexus line has reliability going for it. I wish the German and Swedish automakers could make improvements in this area so I will have more practical choices on my next car. I plan to keep my new Lexus for 8-10 years after having kept my previous Toyota for 10. I don't need the hassle of the problems in the first few months which seem to be quite frequent with some of the other brands being discussed.
Maybe Lexus holds better value and reliability. But it doesn't mean anything in terms of luxury. People who have the money to buy a S-Class or 7 series don't care about value and reliability. They just want the best car. They care much more on safety than those stuffs because they think their lives are more important than other things. Japanese manufacturers just ignore to do anything about safety, they just don't like to put money on R&D of safety. They rather spend more money on developing value and reliability, which more normal buyers care about. Normal buyers usually think about price first so they care more about value and reliability. Richer buyers usually think about safety first and they think reliability means safety. In their dictionary reliable cars should protect them away from accidents and injuries, not about repair costs and mechanical problems. I'm quite certain that European manufacturers build much safer cars than Japaneses. I don't think there's any debate on this issue. But again these are just my own perception and opinion.
All I can say is show me the safety gods from whom you're quoting. Secondly, how can you call a car better when it doesn't match up in these major categories. And I beg to differ on what a rich person looks at first. Most rich guys I know that earned their money and didn't hit the lottery or maybe didn't get the multi-million dollar contract are always concerned with the bottom line and what's cost effective. The people who would buy the BMW or the MB are usually the people that are caught up in image not necessarily safety. That's where my point came in about the German car companies being incredible con artists. If I'm going to pay $37K more just so people can get the perception I have a lot of money then I'm a loser no matter how much money I've made, just like the guys who buy those cars because they think it gets them more women. Look in the mirror and ask yourself who you are? Did you make the money or did the money make you?
I don't know why you continue to say people who buy German cars are losers or bias. Personally, my family own a MB E320, 8-year old BMW 740il, 2 Volvo 850GLT and a S70. We don't have any problem with these cars. Maybe their regular maintainence costs are relatively higher, but we don't have any problem for that. Again, no mechanical problem at all. One thing we know is these cars protect us away from injuries several times so we continue to buy from these 3 brands. We once owned a Volvo 240 and a 740, these two cars were incredibly reliable. We owned these 2 cars for 12 years and we never have ANY mechanical problem. I'm a Chinese-Canadian from Hong Kong so I know both NA and Asia cultures pretty well. In my opinion, I consider Lexus provides poor value for their cars simply because they sell the same cars with Toyota brands and charge much lower prices. Again, same cars not just platforms. Interior and exterior textures are the same. Engines are the same and even wheels are the same too. If Toyota sell these cars (Altezza(IS), Aristo(GS), Harriar(RX)) with lower prices, why buy Lexus????? Now who's the one to pay more money for getting the perception of richness from other people???? I know these information because I'm from Hong Kong and if I pay so much money for a Lexus here in Canada, I'll feel cheated by Toyota. Acura TL provides much higher value for money than LS400 and TL better than LS??? Hell no. You can't say Lexus build better cars than German brands simply because of value and quietness. People buy German cars because they think they are better cars than Lexus. German cars have superior handling ability than Lexus beside safety issue. People are willing to buy them for higher prices because they don't care that extra $37k. Peace
Back in the mid-1980s, Honda wanted to sell a larger, more powerful & more luxurious car - the Legend - in the U.S. market, but feared that Americans wouldn't buy a luxury car from a manufacturer best known for its economy offerings. So Honda created a separate division, with its own dealer network, & called that division Acura. Everyone who could read a car magazine knew that the car sold in North America as the Acura Legend was sold in Europe & Asia as the Honda Legend. And Honda certainly didn't try to keep this a secret. But no one cared, because the Legend was a high quality car that could hold its own against BMW & Mercedes while costing thousands less.
When Toyota & Nissan saw how successful Honda's "separate division" strategy was, they followed suit with their own separate luxury divisions: Lexus & Infiniti. Infiniti hasn't been the success that Nissan had hoped for, but Lexus has done exceedingly well - partly because of the high quality of Lexus automobiles but also because of German price-gouging. (While traveling in Germany in the 1980s, I noticed that a Mercedes-Benz that might sell for $30K in the U.S. sold for the equivalent of $17K at a Frankfurt dealership.) Acura, Lexus &, to a lesser extent, Infiniti succeeded because Americans were tired of overpaying for German cars.
Toyota created the Lexus division solely for the purpose of selling upmarket cars in North America. Most of the Lexus offerings are sold as Toyotas elsewhere in the world. Anyone remotely knowledgable about cars knows this. I've known this since Toyota set up the Lexus division. Most of the people who post to the Edmund board know this. This is not a secret. Why, then, are you acting as if it is? You seem to think that you've discovered something that none of us knew before you came along. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we've known this for a long, long time &, more to the point, we just don't care. We look for the best product at a given price point that satisfies our requirements & we buy it.
Finally, you can't say, as you did in your post #295 above, that "there's no debate" (your words) that European cars are safer & then say in the next sentence that this is your "perception & opinion" (your words again). You are contradicting yourself. If the purported superiority of European cars is based only on your opinion & not on hard fact, then it is most certainly open to debate. You can't have it both ways.
First of all, I never said that people who buy German made cars are losers. I said, If the only reason a person buys the car is because it will give others the perception that they have money then they're losers. Secondly, your point about Lexus being an upscale Toyota is moot!! If the German car companies came out with a car called the GFG which is upscale to BMW, does that mean now that BMW is cheap or now a bad car? Hell no! You're confused and it doesn't matter where you're from. The bottom line is when it comes to luxury the Japanese cars are much better and sell them for less. Now that translates in my mind what I've said all along. The German car companies are ripping you off. You talk about handling of the German cars, but I've heard many consumers say that Lexus, Infiniti and Acura handle better. Don't believe everything you read and don't be persuaded into believing things just because somebody else said so. Did you ever think that these people who are doing the car comparisons may be getting a kickback from BMW, MB etc. If month after month they're putting millions of dollars in advertisements in my magazine, don't you think I'd be bias towards them? So what, did the people who are ranking the cars go to school for auto-ology that makes them an expert? That's the way of the world.
You see in the year 2000 everything is perception. People will pay ridiculous amounts of money on everything from Gym shoes to jewelry just to say I have the higher priced item. Higher price doesn't mean better. Prime example, on a smaller scale, Michael Jordan shoes at $175.00 versus a pair of Reeboks at $89.99. People will buy the Jordan's because of the name and people know how much they cost so it gives you some instant status and the perception that if you can spend that kind of money on gym shoes you must have money. But are the Jordan's an $85.00 better shoe? Hell no! But people will buy them. If I told you the Jordan's were a $85.00 better pair of shoes would you believe me? NO!!! You'd ask what makes me an expert? So why in the hell would anybody believe what the German car company backers say? What makes them an expert on what rides, handles and feels good to me when I'm behind the wheel?
I knew that stuffs are not secret and I knew most people know the strategies of those Japanese automakers. I brought up the information because I needed the facts to backup my arguments. I did not contradict myself because as I said, I perceive that there should be no debate but maybe I'm wrong so I added "this is just my own opinion". I apologize for my bad English. I don't want to make this rant out of topic so I just want to say different people have different perspectives. To me, I think German cars really worth the money compare to Lexus because they put so much effort and money on innovations rather than just copy from others like most Japanese automakers do. Lexus builds great cars but I think they still need some improvements (brand image, R&D on safety, consistent characteristics, etc) in order to be the leader in luxury segment rather than being a follower. That's why Lexus has to sell their products cheaper compare to MB,BMW and make people think that other cars are overpriced.
I did finally see an IS with the 16" wheels. NOT RECOMMENDED. I personally thought it made the car look really cheap. I've never seen a more ugly wheel design than that. It just doesn't look right on a Lexus. As for the 17" wheels, they advertise that tire life may be significantly less than 20,000 miles, DEPENDING ON DRIVING CONDITIONS. Just don't burn out and take curves fast if you want to save your tire life. I love my polished 17's and wouldn't trade them in for even an aftermarket rim.
You mentioned Lexus being the follower, but as I mentioned earlier it was MB who copied the LS 400's interior not the other way around. When you think of luxury you think of Lexus and that's why the IS has been having some trouble winning over German car buyers. People expect unparalleled luxury with a Lexus but that was not the intent of the IS. The IS is a true sports sedan. Not a sports sedan with a thousand options like the BMW 3 series and the C class MB that make the price of the car shoot up to outrageous heights for which it's not worth.
As far as safety is concerned, from what I saw, your safety argument was moot. The 3 series wasn't very good when it came to safety but still you're looking at $42K. The 5 series was not that much better than the GS except for 1 or 2 areas. Like I said before, don't believe everything you read. Obviously you heard somewhere about how much safer the German cars were and starting quoting that as fact. Don't do it!
site this is! I don't check in on weekends, so I feel quite left out. Syellownsx is correct about the tires. I checked with the dealer and the life expectancy is about 20,000 miles on the 17" ones...depending upon driving conditions. Considering that I won't be putting a lot of miles on the car and I don't drive like a maniac (at least infrequently) I'll be fine for quite a while. (Can you believe some young blond thing tried to bait me with a Toyota Tercel yesterday? I just laughed.) I agree, the 17" wheels are MUCH nicer looking than the 16" ones. Might be a bit more difficult to find snow tires if that is an issue for you (I was told that Pirelli, Michelin and one other company makes them), but 17" is still the way to go. As for the ongoing GERMAN debate: I like German cars. The ONLY problem I have with Mercedes and BMW is that, 1) I can't afford one and 2) I believe some of that high price is just to pay for the name. So, I bought an IS300. I feel it's a better value than a BMW in the same class...and I'm happy.
In reference to pioneering four wheel disk brakes...I have no idea who started it, but I know the 1968 Renault R10 I had as a teenager had them. Sure surprised a few people when they were following me too closely.
My thoughts are mutual regarding your lexus opinions. Although, Lexus does have some really expensive models available........ I had to say it.
Does anyone have any accurate confirmation as to when the 2002 model IS300 will be released? I have heard that it will have a more practical armrest. I am so accustomed to driving an automatic with a larger armrest that - I won't even bother buy a car without one, because I will not acclimate well to the loss of one.
I came very close to buying a loaded IS300 for $31.5k a couple of weeks ago, but I had to convince myself to abstain from the purchase and obtain as much info regarding the 2002 model so that I don't loose out on a feature that I deem important.
Again, if anyone has information regarding the 2002 IS300 could you post this data if not of to much inconvenience.
Forgive me here, I just wanted to comment on the lengthy "conversations" being stated about Lexus automobiles and BMW's
In terms of overall quality - Lexus has already more than established thier forte in developing automobiles with spectactular mechanical reliability that will far exceed other vehicles on the market of today, yesteryear and tomorrow.
To address the issue of which manufacture develops more performance oriented cars - I think its safe to say that BMW takes the cake on this one when compared to Lexus - considering that performance orientation has been BMW's main forte for years; but that's as far as BMW really goes; with the exception of the 7 series whom very few can afford to lease/buy new.
BMW's long term reliability performance is simply mediocore, when compared to Lexus or other mid to high end Japanese made cars for that matter.
In terms of which is more luxurious, ahh... that's very subjective therefore I will not address that issue.
Many of the arguments about Lexus & BMW are subjective with the exception of performance orientation and Long-Term Reliability Performance.
I believe the REAL reason that Honda / Toyota / Nissan formed new high-end car companies was to avoid the stupid import car restrictions for each maker. By starting a new brand, they were able to bring in the high end cars they were already selling in Japan without cutting the quantities of the lower priced cars that were now selling well.
I don't think that our government ever imposed limits on the number of cars that Japanese manufacturers could sell here, although there was some talk of doing just this (encouraged, as you might guess, by the UAW) a few years earlier - in the late 1970s / early 1980s, as I recall. (Don't hesitate to correct me if my recollection is wrong.)
Honda was the 1st Japanese car company to split out luxury sales & marketing in North America, & it did so to avoid trying to sell Civics & Legends under the same roof. This isn't as radical as it sounds; GM separated Chevy & Cadillac sales back in the 1930s.
Congratulations to all of you for getting a new Lexus IS. I see for many it is a first new car. It should be a good one. Save for the horrible seats, my ES300 was the finest car I have ever owned, of more than 50 so far.
I have seen a lot of questions about paint and interior care, but no replies. If I may, I am a car fanatic for 40 years and can offer this advice:
PAINT AND TRIM - The Zaino products are the best there is. It is a polymer, and protects and lasts much better than wax, and it is much easier to use. A kit is expensive, but lasts a looooong time. Go to www.zainobros.com for the scoop, and see the VERY active Zaino forum here for advice and user information. For Black - it is AWESOME.
Also - you should definitely "clay" your car before polishing - go to www.erazer.com for the story. There are several good clays, and you will be glad you did.
IMPORTANT - If you really care about the finish, DO NOT let the dealer wash and detail your car before you get it. This is where most of the scratches and swirls in a car finish get started.
INTERIOR - Try to get some Scotchguard for the rugs and fabric while it is still available, it will prevent staining and marks. For the leather use Lexol twice a year, rub it in with your hands for best results. For vinyl, plastic, chrome, wood and the leather (between Lexol treatments) use Lemon Pledge (no joke) - it is great and will not build up.
WASHING - DO NOT USE SOAP OR DETERGENT at any time , except to take off wax before re-waxing. If you use Zaino, use the Zaino car wash. If not, use something like Turtle Wax Zip Wax, or Meguiar's. Be sure to use a really soft item to wash it with, and only 100% American Cottn towels to dry it- others will cause tiny scratches.
I am sure a competent detailer will know what to use. However, NO detailer will use Zaino products because then you will not need to return every 2-3 months for a re-wax. If you don't come back often, they don't make as much income! If you want the shine and protection of the Zaino polymer, you have to do it yourself, and it isn't that hard.
Thanks. I shall endeavour to locate a suitable place to accomplish the task...out of the liquid sunshine (rain) and away from the condo complex, where they frown upon such activities...
Most new cars get poor mileage at first, then get better as they are broken in. You did break it in, right?
Although it may be difficult, it is really important to properly break in a new car - under 4000 rpm and light acceleration for the first 1000-1500 miles - no matter WHAT the dealer tells you. I didn't do this a couple of cars ago, and got REALLY poor gas mileage for the 3 years I had it. You can bet the next ones were really carefully broken in, and gave great gas mileage.
You should make at least the EPA mileage for the car, if you drive normally. If not, check with your dealer - maybe there is some tuning needed.
I believe in the 80's to avoid US Government legislating import restrictions, the Japaneese automakers "voluntarily" restricted their exports to the US. Supply and demand was artificially imbalanced and for popular Japaneese models, if you could buy at msrp you were doing ok. The Big 3 claimed that they couldn't compete with the Japaneese, they needed a level playing field. So, they kinda got it and produced such stellar vehiclse such as X-cars, J-cars and K-cars. It is a rather sad reminder of the "quality" of domestic vehicle offerings in the 80's. The real losers in that game were the consumers, of course.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Comments
The IS's are scarce here, you see more of the LX470, GS300/400 and ES300 where I am at in terms of Lexus vehicles.
today i am very happy with my Lexus GS400 and this is the best car the i never had. When a Lexus is better than a Mercedes or BMW, the prestige is not very important. Any way Lexus in germany has lot of prestige. Hans Hausermann.
today i am very happy with my Lexus GS400 and this is the best car the i never had. When a Lexus is better than a Mercedes or BMW, the prestige is not very important. Any way Lexus in germany has lot of prestige. Hans Hausermann.
Also, has anyone seen one with the 16" wheels? Living in the snow belt, I'm concerned about traction. I wouldn't want to destroy a new car!
Lexus's brand image is remarkable given their short history. Pretige comes with time and Lexus, because they are building such nice cars, with continue to enhance their image and will be inching closer and closer to the MSRP of the germans. Look at the MSRP of the LS400 when it first came out ($35000) and look at the MSRP of the 2001 LS430 (~$54000). Don't forget that MB's used to be prohibitively expensive but competition from BMW and Lexus forced MB to lower their prices.
The IS300 while it looks like a very nice performance sedan doesn't seem to have the pretige, unlike the LS400/430. I think that has to do with the design (both exterior and interior). It looks like a Toyota...not a luxury brand.
Keep in mind also that Audi A6 shares its platform with the VW Passat, which competes directly with the Camry. Does this make the A6 an inferior car?
Like it or not, platform sharing is the future of automobile manufacturing & marketing. Given the extremely high (& rising)cost of bringing new cars to market, platform sharing is the only way to develop new models that are both interesting & affordable. In 10 years, any car manufacturer who has not adopted this practice will be on the road to bankruptcy.
I'll tell you why? Bias. In this world people hate change and German cars are what they were brought up with so that's what they're use too. German cars remind me of Troy Aikman the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys when they use to say he was the best in the league. No matter how bad he sucks, no matter what he does, they still make excuses for him to keep him on top.
Prime example, when you think of luxury, any idiot should think of Lexus. Look at the S Class Benz. Where do you think they got their digital instrumentation idea from? Where do you think they got the amount and grade of wood placed throughout the vehicle? But why do I say bias? Look at Edmunds review. In a luxury sedan the only knock they could come up with is that the car is so serene that the driver could become bored. It's a luxury sedan for god's sake!!!! That's what you should be looking for. A quiet, smooth ride. The BMW nor the MB have as good of a ride and cost at least $37K more but still they rank the BMW and the MB ahead of the Lexus. The same type of perception bias is evident even in the clothing forum. Are Tommy Hilfiger jeans $25 better than Levi's? Hell no. Denim is Denim.
The question each person has to ask themselves is am I a fool who can be manipulated by the Media? Or can I think for myself?
US site:
http://www.highwaysafety.org/
Some selected categories:
http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/luxury/crash_lux.htm
http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/mid_lux/summary.htm
http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/mid_mod/summary.htm
http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/mid_suvs/mid_suv.htm
UK site (you can find specific categories and European cars + a few Japanese cars):
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/khyron/crashtest_new/camry.html
When Toyota & Nissan saw how successful Honda's "separate division" strategy was, they followed suit with their own separate luxury divisions: Lexus & Infiniti. Infiniti hasn't been the success that Nissan had hoped for, but Lexus has done exceedingly well - partly because of the high quality of Lexus automobiles but also because of German price-gouging. (While traveling in Germany in the 1980s, I noticed that a Mercedes-Benz that might sell for $30K in the U.S. sold for the equivalent of $17K at a Frankfurt dealership.) Acura, Lexus &, to a lesser extent, Infiniti succeeded because Americans were tired of overpaying for German cars.
Toyota created the Lexus division solely for the purpose of selling upmarket cars in North America. Most of the Lexus offerings are sold as Toyotas elsewhere in the world. Anyone remotely knowledgable about cars knows this. I've known this since Toyota set up the Lexus division. Most of the people who post to the Edmund board know this. This is not a secret. Why, then, are you acting as if it is? You seem to think that you've discovered something that none of us knew before you came along. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we've known this for a long, long time &, more to the point, we just don't care. We look for the best product at a given price point that satisfies our requirements & we buy it.
Finally, you can't say, as you did in your post #295 above, that "there's no debate" (your words) that European cars are safer & then say in the next sentence that this is your "perception & opinion" (your words again). You are contradicting yourself. If the purported superiority of European cars is based only on your opinion & not on hard fact, then it is most certainly open to debate. You can't have it both ways.
You see in the year 2000 everything is perception. People will pay ridiculous amounts of money on everything from Gym shoes to jewelry just to say I have the higher priced item. Higher price doesn't mean better. Prime example, on a smaller scale, Michael Jordan shoes at $175.00 versus a pair of Reeboks at $89.99. People will buy the Jordan's because of the name and people know how much they cost so it gives you some instant status and the perception that if you can spend that kind of money on gym shoes you must have money. But are the Jordan's an $85.00 better shoe? Hell no! But people will buy them. If I told you the Jordan's were a $85.00 better pair of shoes would you believe me? NO!!! You'd ask what makes me an expert? So why in the hell would anybody believe what the German car company backers say? What makes them an expert on what rides, handles and feels good to me when I'm behind the wheel?
As far as safety is concerned, from what I saw, your safety argument was moot. The 3 series wasn't very good when it came to safety but still you're looking at $42K. The 5 series was not that much better than the GS except for 1 or 2 areas.
Like I said before, don't believe everything you read. Obviously you heard somewhere about how much safer the German cars were and starting quoting that as fact. Don't do it!
As for the ongoing GERMAN debate: I like German cars. The ONLY problem I have with Mercedes and BMW is that, 1) I can't afford one and 2) I believe some of that high price is just to pay for the name. So, I bought an IS300. I feel it's a better value than a BMW in the same class...and I'm happy.
Does anyone have any accurate confirmation as to when the 2002 model IS300 will be released? I have heard that it will have a more practical armrest. I am so accustomed to driving an automatic with a larger armrest that - I won't even bother buy a car without one, because I will not acclimate well to the loss of one.
I came very close to buying a loaded IS300 for $31.5k a couple of weeks ago, but I had to convince myself to abstain from the purchase and obtain as much info regarding the 2002 model so that I don't loose out on a feature that I deem important.
Again, if anyone has information regarding the 2002 IS300 could you post this data if not of to much inconvenience.
Regards,
In terms of overall quality - Lexus has already more than established thier forte in developing automobiles with spectactular mechanical reliability that will far exceed other vehicles on the market of today, yesteryear and tomorrow.
To address the issue of which manufacture develops more performance oriented cars - I think its safe to say that BMW takes the cake on this one when compared to Lexus - considering that performance orientation has been BMW's main forte for years; but that's as far as BMW really goes; with the exception of the 7 series whom very few can afford to lease/buy new.
BMW's long term reliability performance is simply mediocore, when compared to Lexus or other mid to high end Japanese made cars for that matter.
In terms of which is more luxurious, ahh... that's very subjective therefore I will not address that issue.
Many of the arguments about Lexus & BMW are subjective with the exception of performance orientation and Long-Term Reliability Performance.
Regards,
I believe the REAL reason that Honda / Toyota / Nissan formed new high-end car companies was to avoid the stupid import car restrictions for each maker. By starting a new brand, they were able to bring in the high end cars they were already selling in Japan without cutting the quantities of the lower priced cars that were now selling well.
Honda was the 1st Japanese car company to split out luxury sales & marketing in North America, & it did so to avoid trying to sell Civics & Legends under the same roof. This isn't as radical as it sounds; GM separated Chevy & Cadillac sales back in the 1930s.
I have seen a lot of questions about paint and interior care, but no replies. If I may, I am a car fanatic for 40 years and can offer this advice:
PAINT AND TRIM - The Zaino products are the best there is. It is a polymer, and protects and lasts much better than wax, and it is much easier to use. A kit is expensive, but lasts a looooong time. Go to www.zainobros.com for the scoop, and see the VERY active Zaino forum here for advice and user information. For Black - it is AWESOME.
Also - you should definitely "clay" your car before polishing - go to www.erazer.com for the story. There are several good clays, and you will be glad you did.
IMPORTANT - If you really care about the finish, DO NOT let the dealer wash and detail your car before you get it. This is where most of the scratches and swirls in a car finish get started.
INTERIOR - Try to get some Scotchguard for the rugs and fabric while it is still available, it will prevent staining and marks. For the leather use Lexol twice a year, rub it in with your hands for best results. For vinyl, plastic, chrome, wood and the leather (between Lexol treatments) use Lemon Pledge (no joke) - it is great and will not build up.
WASHING - DO NOT USE SOAP OR DETERGENT at any time , except to take off wax before re-waxing. If you use Zaino, use the Zaino car wash. If not, use something like Turtle Wax Zip Wax, or Meguiar's. Be sure to use a really soft item to wash it with, and only 100% American Cottn towels to dry it- others will cause tiny scratches.
Have fun and enjoy your new Lexus!
Although it may be difficult, it is really important to properly break in a new car - under 4000 rpm and light acceleration for the first 1000-1500 miles - no matter WHAT the dealer tells you. I didn't do this a couple of cars ago, and got REALLY poor gas mileage for the 3 years I had it. You can bet the next ones were really carefully broken in, and gave great gas mileage.
You should make at least the EPA mileage for the car, if you drive normally. If not, check with your dealer - maybe there is some tuning needed.
Manual: 18 mpg city / 25 mpg highway
However, the IS 300 Burns
Automatic: 18 mpg city / 23 mpg highway
Why is that?
The Big 3 claimed that they couldn't compete with the Japaneese, they needed a level playing field. So, they kinda got it and produced such stellar vehiclse such as X-cars, J-cars and K-cars.
It is a rather sad reminder of the "quality" of domestic vehicle offerings in the 80's.
The real losers in that game were the consumers, of course.
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)