$500 over invoice is a very aggressive price for a LS430 with Nav & Lev. I think the model you're describing has a MSRP around $61K, right?
Give Cory Williams a call at Lexus of Riverside (800/899-5398); he did the best deal a few months ago for my Lexus. I had checked 6-7 other dealers at that time.
Flint350 -I'll check in my manual as well to see what the +/- ring on the wiper stalk does. It's hard to remember everything in the books the first time through. On the lights, it's not a big deal, I guess my preference point is 5-10 minutes earlier that theirs. If I wasn't so spoiled by everything else being "custom fitted" a question on this "off the rack" setting would never have entered my mind.
Wowser -My wife's Chevy Blazer has a loud chime that kicks in after the turn signal has been on for about a minute. I guess GM decided to put that feature in their cars.
Jflx - I haven't gotten a form from Lexus yet (other than the dealership delivery questionaire). You've had your car a few months longer, so I anticipate I'll get mine soon. I'll put in my suggestions and I'll second your as well. Since we're practically neighbors (from the perspective of a national board), when I see another Silver 430 I check it out to see if it could be you by looking for the park assist sensors(If memory serves you have a Silver/Ecru Ultra). If a Mystic Sea/Ecru honks at you it'll probably be me. To repeat from my earlier post the service department said the Lexus customer care 800# will also take your improvement suggestions.
Cruise control - I think we had a few posts a while back agreeing that it would be better to have a way to leave the cc on (not engaged, just on). This is one of the few cars that doesn't work that way. A downside of this is that the instrument panel "Cruise" indicator comes on when you turn the system on instead of when you're using it. One thing (of a very few)I saw in the S-class MB that I thought was an improvement over the Lexus was their cruise control display. They have a separate ring on the speedo that illuminates up to the cc set speed, so you can easily see that it's engaged and at what setting (in case you hit resume).
The cruise control on my car with laser cruise doesn't lose its set speed after braking or a complete stop. However I have to use the accelator to speed up past 27-28 mph and then the stalk reset will pick up. ljflx, you are right. The car is deceptively fast. You get up there in the big bucks ticket range pretty quick. A couple of features I found that none of the 3 dealerships salespeople showed me are the tilting outside mirrors when the shifter is placed in reverse, and the opening of the windows and the sunroof with the key fob. Amazing car!!
I'm more interested in CLOSING the windows with the key fob, than opening them. My previous MB could open or close all windows with keyfob. I love my LS430. I just thought I would post here in case Lexus product marketing is reading.
When my job requirements changed and I needed a car to go about 100 miles or so a day I negotiated a hefty auto allowance with my company and leased a second LS430 - a midnight pine but without the nav/ml. So look for me in that as well. I love the nav (a bit sorry I didn't take it in the second car but another LS was luxury enough for me) so I drive the silver whenever I can but officially in my family this is my wife's car. My midnight pine is referred to by my wife as the "inferior" car. Sooner or later I will make it over to that new Wegman's on rt. 9 so maybe we'll see each other there.
They usually send the evaluation letter/form after you've had the car several months and had a chance to accumulate 4-5k miles. I find Lexus a very responsive company to suggestions but perhaps in collecting such data they want to make sure they are really getting the data from the owners/drivers of the car and not just anyone who can access a website.
I do think they should add an all wheel drive version and a stretch version. They'll need both, particularly the latter for the ultra-rich chaffeurred driven crowd. The LS430 is a more luxurious car for the driver than any S/7/A-8 as far as I'm concerned. For the rear seat space I know I can comfortably sit in the back, with the front seat set back as far as possible, and I'm 6 feet tall. But those with Chaffeurs need stretch leg room or at least think they do. Lexus has taken a step in that direction with the sophisticated stuff in the rear seats on the Ultra, but that's probably not enough to steal away customers from the German competition for that buyer segment.
thanks for all the info, ill be more patient. boy what a car if awd. too bad i have to use premium. what can i expect for a base ls430, my mom is interested in another car, i suggested therx300 maybe easier to get into than a standaard car. do any of you have experience with the 70+ age group for ease of entry of the ls vs the rx. the base comes very well equiped better than a MB so what price should i look for (she lives in florida. what price ls and rx. do you think she should get the awd in the rx.
thanks for the input for the cruise. any insight as to reprogramm the trans for quicker downshifts.
ljflx -I'll keep an eye out for both. The midnight pine is rare also.
We stopped in at Wegmans yesterday. What a zoo! Give it a few weeks to calm down and to let the staff learn the ropes. We've gone to the one in Bridgewater several times when we were going to Flemington, and we really love it. They have great prepared foods, fresh breads and outrageous pastries. I always kidded my wife that I wanted to be buried in Balducci's (in the Village) - Wegmans could be a second choice.
nofeer - I don't know the particulars of the RX, but the seats in most SUVs are high off the ground and could be difficult to get into and out of. Take your mom to a Lexus dealer and have her see what is comfortable for her. Does she have a preference for a sedan or SUV? Does the car ever leave FL? That may determine the need for 4WD - snow or no snow.
I got my LS430 with Nav/Lev and chrome wheels for about $500.00 over invoice. Bought it at South Bay Lexus from Bob Wills, General Manager. 310.325.9999. You can email me for more details if you want at fabt@vkng.com. They seem to have more cars in inventory today than when I bought mine 45 days ago. Good Luck!
I have been trying to find a LS430 with the Custom Luxury Selection described in the Lexus 2001 LS brochure. The salesmen don't seem to know what I'm talking about. The brochure say "available spring 2001". Heard on-line that it is not available in Southern California. Anyone know what the real story is? The $500 over sounds to good to be true but I will call Bob Wills at South Bay Lexus and report back. Dave
I have been monitoring this board since I got my silver/black Ultra in December. Today I read fabt's posting that he had purchased the 61K car for $500.00 over invoice. Being ever the skeptic, I called the dealership in Torrance, CA. he claims to have made the purchase from. The fellow at the dealership said that he had gotten calls from throughout the country inquiring about the great deal fabt claims to have received. The reality is that THERE IS NO SUCH DEAL! He couldn't believe that fabt had asserted such a deal exists and assured me that no one could purchase a car, like the one described by fabt, for $500.00 over invoice. All I can say is that I recently returned from a business trip to Torrance and I recall seeing a very large Exxon refinery in the area that seemed to be spewing forth toxic fumes. Could that explain fabt's "deal?"
Maybe it was a demo with 5-6k miles on it. That's the only way I'd believe it as well and I'm not sure I'd believe that either. This is still a hot luxury car not a big selling car like a Camry that makes money on volume. Here in NJ you can negotiate about 5-7% off list - mainly if its a color the dealer wants to move or if there is a big sales contest going on either at the dealer level or the regional level. The law of supply and demand will always rule how much one can negotiate a price. I'm also sure the Lexus name (and hence the dealership with it) - particularly for its top of the line car - can only be dragged down by excess discounting and given all of Lexus' standards I doubt they would let that happen. They'd support the dealer before they'd let cars be sold at bargain basement prices. That's just common business sense for any prestige brand.
Stevestein - Did Catena ever send you that houseplant? By the way my wife's "superior" car only has the nav/ml/link package. The Ultra was impossible to get when I was looking and though I found it tempting it would have been a waste for me. I need a car seat in the back and we put it in the middle for safety, so that would have covered up all that nice stuff.
flint350 - That S-Class board is becoming funnier than an Abbott & Costello movie.
This is getting more interesting...nothing like a little price level controversy to get a board stirred up.
I confirmed today with my sales rep at Lexus of Riverside, an Elite dealer, that he will do a deal in the area we are talking about if the credit history is not a problem (on a financed sale agreement) and the LS430 has at least Nav & Lev options (or more).
If you're in the LA area and looking to purchase soon, give Cory Williams a shot at 800/899-5398 and report back. No guarantees, of course, but I'd be surprised if you're disappointed -- I wasn't.
Yeah, I've been reading that stuff too. The big difference is, A&C were intentionally funny. Sadly for those guys, it sounds like the dealers and service people are the ones asking "who's on first?" It sounds like one of the most common problems (quality control/rattles) is likewise met with a common "answer" that the dealer "has no solution". Gee, let me think a while and see if I can come up with a solution!!! As for these price deals, maybe they exist, maybe they don't and maybe they're regionally driven. I don't know. Due to my long search and early placement on the original waiting list, I was "forced" to pay list price at the time. I did this grudgingly for my Ultra, but with the certain knowledge that, at that time, it was the only alternative unless I wanted to wait six months longer. Since I bought outright (no lease, paid cash) and plan to keep the car a good while, I figure a 5-6% discount costs me less than $50 a month and I got exactly the car I wanted. No waiting, no regrets, immediate gratification. The American Way! Now, how's that for rationalization? Maybe I belong on that S Class board more than I thought.
Forgot who asked, but I did re-check the manual and the rain sensor IS adjustable by the interval ring. Mine, however, was already on the least sensitive position and it still wipes just a tiny bit soon for my taste. It doesn't make a mess or try to wipe dirt (not yet, anyway), just reacts very quickly to mist, etc. And we've had a lot of mist the last couple of days here in Md. As for the cruise, I think one point missed is that the two systems (laser vs. normal) operate differently with different limits and cutoffs. We need to be clear on which system we are talking about. I still wish I had a mute/unmute for the radio volume, but that's pretty small to complain about.
I paid list (less a $500 loyalty coupon) for my silver so don't feel bad. The car was white hot in December and I heard many stories of price gouging with some people paying $2-3k over list. My dealer, Ray Catena won't do that but still list at that time was a good deal. The Pine car which I took in early February was $2500 off list (about 5%). I was actually going to cut a deal for an E-320 awd or 430(Ray Catena also deals Mercedes) but MB had no special lease deals even though I could have gotten the same 5% off. Lexus had a better money factor and the price of the LS was barely more than the E-430 and the differential in car is enormously favored for Lexus so I gave that about 1-2 seconds of thought (only because of the 4-matic in the midst of our snowy winter).
As for the prices - who knows and who cares. I just apply business logic and I've been with Lexus long enough to know they won't allow a dealer to get out of hand. They are a classy company. My sales guy at Ray Catena told me they only had one bad LS car back in the late 90's and Lexus immediately replaced it. I lease so discounts are less meaningful. Even if someone gets a $5k better price - what are we talking about in a lease -$2k plus interest - maybe $65-70 per month. Given I can tax deduct the lease it works out to 55-60% of that.
Flint - one thing I can't stand is rattles. I took my cd's and put them in the trunk because they would slide around in the glove bax. That's the only noise in the car. Neither of my previous LS 400's ever had a rattle nor would I expect the new car which has an even better body build to ever get one. The S with rattles, truck like bumps and the shake, rattles and rolls those guys are describing would drive me crazy. I hope they are enjoying their cornering around sharp curves. By the way I still haven't seen an S or a 7 take a curve any faster than I do. Now a Porsche - that's a different story.
Look, I'm not lying.... when I bought my car, as described in other posts, I bought it for $500.00 over invoice. Period. Maybe the deal isn't available anymore, maybe the color I took (Mystic Sea Opal) is not popular, etc. But I'm not making this up. I sent faxes to 13 dealers in So. Cal promising to buy that car asap from the dealer with the lowest quote, and I paid cash, no lease, no financing. South Bay and two other dealers were the lowest; I negotiated a little further with South Bay and got the deal I quoted. Period.
It has been one week since I picked up my LS430 Ultra, it is silver with black interior and bordeaux wood. Price $65,000. The car is one incredible machine, powerful, supple, luxurious with technological innovations that defy reality. The Laser Cruise control is miraculous. Turns taken at accelerated speeds the VSC kicks in without notice and all is well. The car is quiet as a clam. The Navigation system is right on target an easy to use, the Levinson sound system exceptional. [ There is a Mark Levenson, he has an Audio facility in New York City and used to be in Easthampton NY.. Audio is his life]. I can find no fault with this car. I do not have to defend it against other manufactures for the car speaks for itself.
Yes there is a custom model I have seen it and driven it. They are at this point rare and in some cases more expensive then the Ultra. If you want a Custom wait till 2002 model year.
My only further request is is that Lexus solves its Phone problem and incorporates a dual mode system and that it could be retrofitted. In essence what a car, and how lucky we all are to be able to own one.
I am curious on the handling difference between Euro-tuned versus Air suspension in sport-mode (and stay with the 16" tires). Has anyone driven both options and would like to comment ?
on my first lengthy trip tomorrow. My wife had a death in the family (distant relative in Pittsburg) so this will be my first real "trip". It's about 275 miles each way and will put me very close to the 5000 mile mark where they have me scheduled for the next service. After reading the manual, I really believe my driving suits the 7500 mile service interval more. I recall earlier posts where some were talking about shifting to this schedule and possibly a "pay in advance" service plan. Any info on that? I'd like to shift to the 7500 mile schedule and think now would be the time to do it rather than go in at 5000 as planned and then change it - the mileage won't align with the book schedules after that. Any thoughts or info on this? The car runs so well now that you'd almost believe it will never need service, but for oil changes! And ljflx, I agree. The rattles and squeeks and popcorn and dealer non-solutions would all drive me nuts. I can understand your moving the CD's, and I'm beginning to wonder about those coins in the coin box shifting position. Of course, in the S Class, I wouldn't have that problem - those troublesome noisy coin shifts would be covered up by all the rattling and squeeking. I, too, hope they are enjoying that soulful driving experience. And I, too, have yet to be passed in the curves by an S or a 7. By the way, what did you think of the Soprano final episode?
Thanks, fabt and jeffmust2! You represent the best of the internet community and I really appreciate your specific help. I amd confident I'll get the $500 over deal I am seeking ...have before many times as recently as last year when I bought my 470. As to noangerdoc...You must be in a big hurt to have disruptively called the So Bay dealer and challenge them as to the deals they are willing to make now! How naive to think they will confirm, to some poor sucker who overpaid, that they were cutting better deals with more sophisticated buyers.
Let's continue to collaborate and level the playing field!!
Flint350, how would a mute button differ from the On/Off power button? You push it once, the sound stops. Push it again, the sound resumes. Except for the fact that you KNOW the power has been turned off, it has the same effect as a mute button. In fact, since it saves power, you'll get better mileage! :-)
According to the book & my experience the resume will not operate if you are more than 10mph below the preset speed. This is for regular cruise control.
The wheel audio controls have 3 buttons. The lowest one can be set to lower the volume to any preset volume that you wish including completely off. You then have to push the top button to restore the volume. Not a true mute but close to it.
The on/off suggestion is a good one. But, I was thinking of a wheel mounted button like the "set" button mentioned by greasykid. The volume controls on the wheel are what I use most, so as not to reach and adjust the knob. Since the mode button only shifts btwn radio, cd, etc. It won't work, I still have to reach the knob (admittedly, no big deal - I'm not really complaining about that). My point is, the "set" button (unless I misunderstand its use) is rather pointless and would better serve as a mute. True, it turns the volume to the preset level (say, muted, in my case). But to resume, you have to press and hold the volume up key for several seconds to achieve normal volume. Again, no biggie, but a real mute would be more useful, in my opinion. There are many times when a quick mute on/off would be beneficial and quicker/easier than the "set" button. OK, I know I'm reaching here as "complaints" go, but this is what I'm reduced to with such a wonderful car to drive. As for cruise control, I have the laser, and it does resume from a more reduced speed. It will even reduce the speed itself, quite handily, then re-accelerate. All without driver intervention. Of course, once the "old lady" law suits start against Lexus because someone thought it didn't react enough to prevent an accident while the driver was mindlessly reaching in the back seat while on "autopilot", Lexus will probably be forced to drop it in the future. But, it sure works great for me and I'm glad I have it. Damn, what a fine car!
How about a discussion in the Lexus LS Owners Club? No guarantees that a Lexus rep will show up, but there's a chance it will be noticed there. Let me know!
Don't even hesitate to go to 7500 miles if you prefer that. I've always gone 7500 miles since my initial LS400 lease in 95. This car is indestructible. A friend of mine who bought my 95 at my lease end is well into 6 figure miles and still follows a 7500 maintenance schedule. He's never had a problem with the car and by the way still has no rattles. I actually started to toy with using a 10,000 mile interval on my pine car because I put so many highway miles on it but I think that's going too far. I'm bringing that one in on Friday and will discuss it with the head of the service department nevertheless. I've got 6500 miles on that car already but will slow that pace down now that the summer is here and I'll be taking a lot of time off.
Watch yourself going through Pennsylvania - those cops are always hiding out at the bottom of the hills and given its Memorial day weekend I'm sure they'll be out there.
I couldn't understand the ending of the Soprano's. Best I could make of it was they were realizing what a bad life they had for themselves. For a while I thought the old man was going to have a heart attack when he was singing. I expected them to kill off Jackie Jr. - his part had run its course whereas Ralphie is still developing. But he died earlier in the episode than I thought.
flint350 - I have EZ Pass so I don't have a need to store many coins. But in NJ you can only go to specified EZ Pass lanes, not all lanes like in NY and I'm sure some other states. Every now and then the lines for EZ Pass are longer than the exact change ones so I keep about $1.50 or so in quarters and dimes in that small coin box to the left of the steering wheel - for use in such cases. Lexus always had that box but finally made it bigger this year. If you store your coins in there (and it holds a decent amount) you shouldn't hear them moving around. Can you imagine that these are the problems we are talking about?
Hosts - The S-class and M-class win a design award and the host on the S-class board (and I'm sure other MB boards)immediately posts it. Lexus wins the JD Power reliability award, by a very wide margin particularly over Mercedes, and a poster has to put it up. This is the bias I was alluding to last week. In my opinion it only hurts your independence. Either do it everywhere or don't do it at all. By the way anyone who gives the M-class a design award can't be taken seriously. The thing looks like it was sawed off in the back.
It may have a good chassis, and ride pretty nice, but the 320 is gutless, and all models STILL don't have climate control!!
Mercedes is struggling to find the balance between cost management and perceived quality, not only on the M class, but even on the S class, as we know.
Toyota manages costs too, but they're better at hiding where the trade-offs are. For example, some of the suspension parts are welded in place which is cheaper, but if you bend them you're hosed - you can never align the car properly.
But they focus on paint, fit, tactile quality, appearance, and even smell. These are things that people really notice, and Toyota nails it there.
They also cuts costs by putting CRAPPY tires on from the factory in most cases.
Wouldn't it be cool if we could press a button for the A/C vents to automatically go to a preset position (ok, two presets). For instance, I basically have mine in two positions: to cool the cabin without blowing on anyone, or to blow on me when I enter the car on a hot day. The vents are currently powered for left and right movement, and they would also have to be powered for up and down movement. It seems feasible to me. I don't use the powered swing vents very much, now that the novelty has worn off. Does anyone else?
I heard that 10 CD jewel cases can be stored in the door magazine rack in 2 stacks, side by side, of 5 each, snuggly with no rattles. Haven't tried it yet, though.
I haven't yet managed to get my Ultra in for service yet (I bought out of state, and closest dealer is 200 mile round trip). 2,400 miles on the car already. I've got my first long trip planned, about 2,000 miles round trip to Hilton Head. I'm looking forward to the time spent in the car with all those luxuries! If I get it serviced on the way back (from the dealer I purchased from) they can detail it and remove salt residue from the ocean. I hope I'm not making a mistake by dragging my feet on servicing.
By the way, I just finished filling in a new car survey with excellent marks. They sent me a dollar!
It has a bumpy ride and is pretty noisy and the a/c doesn't work well. The Landcruiser destroys that suv. The rx300 which I ride whenever I get a loaner is much nicer than the ml320. I've never ridden in the BMW suv but I like it's style. That one is much nicer than the ml320 in looks and probably in quality. But I wouldn't be surprised if it has a harsh ride.
Ouch! Looks like I go to Southern California to buy my car. I got a best-price, no-haggle quote of $54,075 for a base LS-430 in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
no tolls here in Austin, Tx area! When I have to visit the NJ/NY for business I hate it, crowded roads only to be slowed by having to pay to drive on them! How long does it take to pay for a road?
Wowser - I've confirmed LS430 pricing at $54-55K for the Nav/Lev model with a MSRP of $61.2K.
Out the door for a California buyer, you have to add sales tax, luxury tax, Dept Motor Vehicle first year registration, and about $50 in misc fees to the $54-55K base. About $60-61K when all is said and done.
I don't know the routine to fly in and drive one back to Texas, but I know the dealer can also arrange to ship the car to your address.
Email me at jeffmust@aol.com if you want more details.
Good luck - a friend of mine picked up his LS430 last night at this dealer and price and his wife (her vehicle) made me a cherry pie to celebrate - they saved $3000 compared to purchasing at their local dealer. That's a pretty expensive pie!
Well, I made it safely back from my trip through the Penn. Turnpike. Most damage suffered was a nice chip from a rock on that piece of crap road and all the trucks. Saw quite a few radar traps and decided it was time for a Valentine One Radar detector. Now that I have ordered up, anyone have any experience with mounting this unit and its wiring in an unseen way? I'm not sure I want the local electronics shops pulling my interior apart for the wiring. And I don't know if my Lexus dealer will do it while the car is in service. Naturally, I don't want a dangling wire and I would like as least offensive a mounting site as possible. ljflx, I found the Sopranos finale a little disappointing. I also predicted the kid's demise, but thought it was early. I expected more at the end, just didn't get it. For a really impressive finale, you have to be a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan.
My wife and I are avid X-Files fans. The Sopranos has forced us to tape it and watch it during the week. Got to see it last night and that was even more disappointing. Great show for 45 mins. Dud for the last 15. I think this year is the year of collusion on these series - no cliffhangers. Bring back JR Ewing.
Brought the pine car in for service today. They told me 7500 mile maintenance interval is fine particularly if you have lot of highway miles. If you do a lot of stop & go stick closer to 5k intervals. I ended up with 7100 miles at this service interval. By the way they store their cars for sale at the maintenance center which is in a separate place from the dealership for the first time this year. Reason - rapidly increasing Lexus sales. There were only 4 LS430's on the lot and the guy told me the car is still hot. Oh yeah - they also service Jags in this center at a ratio of about 1 to every 5 Lexus cars. However the Lexus cars outsell the Jags by about 10 to 1. So I guess the Jag is not so reliable. I know my former neighbor had the Van den Plas (if that's how you spell it) and couldn't wait to get out of his lease because he had so many problems with it. He went to the S-500 just before he moved. Poor guy.
Stevestein - went to Wegmans this evening. That store is incredible. It's bigger than some western towns. When you bring your car in for service let me know if you get an RX300 and if so what you think of it. I need a new SUV but that one is too small for me. Still its tempting because it rides and handles like a car and gets great gas mileage. I'm more likely to move up to the LX470 though because I really need something with 3 rows of seats. That truck rides very smooth - almost like the old LS400 except for those times when you hit a big bump.
I'll let you know on the loaner. It will probably be another 3-4 months before I hit 5000. I'd like my wife to drive one so she'll consider an RX vs. an M-class when she wants a new SUV.
Look into the Toyota Highlander (real nice) and maybe the X-5 as well. My problem is I need 3 rows of seats for those times when my mom or my in-laws are travelling with me. My wife won't drive something as big as the Sequoia, Expedition or the Navigator etc. So that leaves me in Landcruiser territory which is what I have right now (great SUV but on a lease a few dollars more gets you an even better - softer riding, quieter and more luxurious LX470). Perhaps I'll look at the Acura - I've heard good things about that. Late June is my timetable and Catena is giving me a good deal on an LX470 if I go that route. That M-class is terrible - be careful there.
Glad you chose the LS430 over the S-430? Sure glad I went with it over the S-500. I still can't get over that Wegman's. What a terrible weekend - I passed on a trip to Long Beach Island because of all the cold drizzle.
I test drove the car yesterday. Needless to say "Very Impressive". I currently have E 320 and looking to buy next car. Can you folks please guide me as to the best prices you got in New Jerseyandwhich dealer. I am looking at the least optioned car, Base + Levinson Package at most. I am a bit price sensitive right now and don't want to go beyond 50K at all.
If you don't want to post then please email me at sanjayvinaik@msn.com
Out there the only suv's (unless you want a minivan) that's not toooo big explorer TC lx470 MDX (check the board, long waits, dealer problems and quality issues-wind noise, clunks and mirror) ML320
other option is a wagon, audi, volvo, even taurus has 3rd seats.
maybe next year the HL will have 3rd seat, maybe if rx300 is redisigned it will have 3rd seat and bigger.
I test drove the car yesterday. Needless to say "Very Impressive". I currently have E 320 and looking to buy next car. Can you folks please guide me as to the best prices you got in New Jerseyandwhich dealer. I am looking at the least optioned car, Base + Levinson Package at most. I am a bit price sensitive right now and don't want to go beyond 50K at all.
If you don't want to post then please email me at sanjayvinaik@msn.com
That's why I'm in TLC and LX470 territory. Explorer I wouldn't even consider. BMW = I would look at - saw a few on the road and like the style but I guess it doesn't have 3rd row. Surprised that the Acura MDX has a reliability issue but it may be a bit too cramped anyway.
svinaik - Can't help you - doubt you can get the base car (almost all have the Lexus link) under $53-54k. The ml is always linked to the nav and will tack on at least $3500-4500. By the way if you go with the base car the stereo system is pretty good but far short of the ml. Try Ray Catena in Ocean (the town - not the county) but I know they are still moving the cars quickly. I would always buy/lease this car in area you live though all Lexus dealers must service the car as if they sold it.
Just went to local dealer and he was not sure what the difference was between the two packages were. (He has yet to deliver a custom package.) He thought the custom just did not have the rear seat "extras". However, I think the custom also does not have the 17" wheels. Does it have the automatic trunk/door closers? Anything else it does NOT have that the ultra has? Thanks!
According to Lexus WEB, the custom apparently does have the door/trunk closures. the 17" wheels appear to be a $100 extra. Lexus link and the rear seat goodies are absent.
I live at Jersey shore and just returned from Florida and interested in a LS430.Can you help with advice on following :Dealer and salesman?I like black cherry and a dark interior,is that possible?Should i get Ultra or Custom,don't need rear stuff but usually regret not getting loaded car.I would like softest ride,what do i ask for to get that?Only need summer tires,spend 6 months in Florida.Am paying cash,how much should I be paying?Should I wait for 2002 model?When do they start coming in?Lot's of questions but I see how helpful you are and I am nearby at the Shore.Thanks
I'm very happy with the LS. Nothing has made me regret the choice, or be less that thrilled with the LS -(OK, I still like the MB cruise control better but that's it).
My wife only has only had her car for a year, so I don't have to think too much about a replacement now. We bought that one and will probably keep it for a while.
We love Wegman's. We like to grab lunch when we go there (a little Sushi and salad). It truly is an experience!! Weather could have been better, but we got some nice sun time the last two days. It gave me the chance to get a bit of yard work done. I'm leaving for Paris this Friday eve (10th anniversary trip), returning on Saturday and then will be off on a week-long business trip Sun. I'll be around the board for the next few days but then will be mostly out of the loop.
Comments
$500 over invoice is a very aggressive price for a LS430 with Nav & Lev. I think the model you're describing has a MSRP around $61K, right?
Give Cory Williams a call at Lexus of Riverside (800/899-5398); he did the best deal a few months ago for my Lexus. I had checked 6-7 other dealers at that time.
Jeff
Wowser -My wife's Chevy Blazer has a loud chime that kicks in after the turn signal has been on for about a minute. I guess GM decided to put that feature in their cars.
Jflx - I haven't gotten a form from Lexus yet (other than the dealership delivery questionaire). You've had your car a few months longer, so I anticipate I'll get mine soon. I'll put in my suggestions and I'll second your as well. Since we're practically neighbors (from the perspective of a national board), when I see another Silver 430 I check it out to see if it could be you by looking for the park assist sensors(If memory serves you have a Silver/Ecru Ultra). If a Mystic Sea/Ecru honks at you it'll probably be me. To repeat from my earlier post the service department said the Lexus customer care 800# will also take your improvement suggestions.
Cruise control - I think we had a few posts a while back agreeing that it would be better to have a way to leave the cc on (not engaged, just on). This is one of the few cars that doesn't work that way. A downside of this is that the instrument panel "Cruise" indicator comes on when you turn the system on instead of when you're using it. One thing (of a very few)I saw in the S-class MB that I thought was an improvement over the Lexus was their cruise control display. They have a separate ring on the speedo that illuminates up to the cc set speed, so you can easily see that it's engaged and at what setting (in case you hit resume).
ljflx, you are right. The car is deceptively fast. You get up there in the big bucks ticket range pretty quick.
A couple of features I found that none of the 3 dealerships salespeople showed me are the tilting outside mirrors when the shifter is placed in reverse, and the opening of the windows and the sunroof with the key fob. Amazing car!!
They usually send the evaluation letter/form after you've had the car several months and had a chance to accumulate 4-5k miles. I find Lexus a very responsive company to suggestions but perhaps in collecting such data they want to make sure they are really getting the data from the owners/drivers of the car and not just anyone who can access a website.
I do think they should add an all wheel drive version and a stretch version. They'll need both, particularly the latter for the ultra-rich chaffeurred driven crowd. The LS430 is a more luxurious car for the driver than any S/7/A-8 as far as I'm concerned. For the rear seat space I know I can comfortably sit in the back, with the front seat set back as far as possible, and I'm 6 feet tall. But those with Chaffeurs need stretch leg room or at least think they do. Lexus has taken a step in that direction with the sophisticated stuff in the rear seats on the Ultra, but that's probably not enough to steal away customers from the German competition for that buyer segment.
thanks for the input for the cruise. any insight as to reprogramm the trans for quicker downshifts.
We stopped in at Wegmans yesterday. What a zoo! Give it a few weeks to calm down and to let the staff learn the ropes. We've gone to the one in Bridgewater several times when we were going to Flemington, and we really love it. They have great prepared foods, fresh breads and outrageous pastries. I always kidded my wife that I wanted to be buried in Balducci's (in the Village) - Wegmans could be a second choice.
nofeer - I don't know the particulars of the RX, but the seats in most SUVs are high off the ground and could be difficult to get into and out of. Take your mom to a Lexus dealer and have her see what is comfortable for her. Does she have a preference for a sedan or SUV? Does the car ever leave FL? That may determine the need for 4WD - snow or no snow.
Dave
Stevestein - Did Catena ever send you that houseplant? By the way my wife's "superior" car only has the nav/ml/link package. The Ultra was impossible to get when I was looking and though I found it tempting it would have been a waste for me. I need a car seat in the back and we put it in the middle for safety, so that would have covered up all that nice stuff.
flint350 - That S-Class board is becoming funnier than an Abbott & Costello movie.
I confirmed today with my sales rep at Lexus of Riverside, an Elite dealer, that he will do a deal in the area we are talking about if the credit history is not a problem (on a financed sale agreement) and the LS430 has at least Nav & Lev options (or more).
If you're in the LA area and looking to purchase soon, give Cory Williams a shot at 800/899-5398 and report back. No guarantees, of course, but I'd be surprised if you're disappointed -- I wasn't.
As for these price deals, maybe they exist, maybe they don't and maybe they're regionally driven. I don't know. Due to my long search and early placement on the original waiting list, I was "forced" to pay list price at the time. I did this grudgingly for my Ultra, but with the certain knowledge that, at that time, it was the only alternative unless I wanted to wait six months longer. Since I bought outright (no lease, paid cash) and plan to keep the car a good while, I figure a 5-6% discount costs me less than $50 a month and I got exactly the car I wanted. No waiting, no regrets, immediate gratification. The American Way! Now, how's that for rationalization? Maybe I belong on that S Class board more than I thought.
As for the cruise, I think one point missed is that the two systems (laser vs. normal) operate differently with different limits and cutoffs. We need to be clear on which system we are talking about.
I still wish I had a mute/unmute for the radio volume, but that's pretty small to complain about.
As for the prices - who knows and who cares. I just apply business logic and I've been with Lexus long enough to know they won't allow a dealer to get out of hand. They are a classy company. My sales guy at Ray Catena told me they only had one bad LS car back in the late 90's and Lexus immediately replaced it. I lease so discounts are less meaningful. Even if someone gets a $5k better price - what are we talking about in a lease -$2k plus interest - maybe $65-70 per month. Given I can tax deduct the lease it works out to 55-60% of that.
Flint - one thing I can't stand is rattles. I took my cd's and put them in the trunk because they would slide around in the glove bax. That's the only noise in the car. Neither of my previous LS 400's ever had a rattle nor would I expect the new car which has an even better body build to ever get one. The S with rattles, truck like bumps and the shake, rattles and rolls those guys are describing would drive me crazy. I hope they are enjoying their cornering around sharp curves. By the way I still haven't seen an S or a 7 take a curve any faster than I do. Now a Porsche - that's a different story.
Yes there is a custom model I have seen it and driven it. They are at this point rare and in some cases more expensive then the Ultra. If you want a Custom wait till 2002 model year.
My only further request is is that Lexus solves its Phone problem and incorporates a dual mode system and that it could be
retrofitted. In essence what a car, and how lucky we all are to be able to own one.
And ljflx, I agree. The rattles and squeeks and popcorn and dealer non-solutions would all drive me nuts. I can understand your moving the CD's, and I'm beginning to wonder about those coins in the coin box shifting position. Of course, in the S Class, I wouldn't have that problem - those troublesome noisy coin shifts would be covered up by all the rattling and squeeking. I, too, hope they are enjoying that soulful driving experience. And I, too, have yet to be passed in the curves by an S or a 7.
By the way, what did you think of the Soprano final episode?
As to noangerdoc...You must be in a big hurt to have disruptively called the So Bay dealer and challenge them as to the deals they are willing to make now! How naive to think they will confirm, to some poor sucker who overpaid, that they were cutting better deals with more sophisticated buyers.
Let's continue to collaborate and level the playing field!!
thanks again , guys!
Have a great trip.
Renny
The wheel audio controls have 3 buttons. The lowest one can be set to lower the volume to any preset volume that you wish including completely off. You then have to push the top button to restore the volume. Not a true mute but close to it.
As for cruise control, I have the laser, and it does resume from a more reduced speed. It will even reduce the speed itself, quite handily, then re-accelerate. All without driver intervention. Of course, once the "old lady" law suits start against Lexus because someone thought it didn't react enough to prevent an accident while the driver was mindlessly reaching in the back seat while on "autopilot", Lexus will probably be forced to drop it in the future. But, it sure works great for me and I'm glad I have it. Damn, what a fine car!
How about a discussion in the Lexus LS Owners Club? No guarantees that a Lexus rep will show up, but there's a chance it will be noticed there. Let me know!
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
Watch yourself going through Pennsylvania - those cops are always hiding out at the bottom of the hills and given its Memorial day weekend I'm sure they'll be out there.
I couldn't understand the ending of the Soprano's. Best I could make of it was they were realizing what a bad life they had for themselves. For a while I thought the old man was going to have a heart attack when he was singing. I expected them to kill off Jackie Jr. - his part had run its course whereas Ralphie is still developing. But he died earlier in the episode than I thought.
Hosts - The S-class and M-class win a design award and the host on the S-class board (and I'm sure other MB boards)immediately posts it. Lexus wins the JD Power reliability award, by a very wide margin particularly over Mercedes, and a poster has to put it up. This is the bias I was alluding to last week. In my opinion it only hurts your independence. Either do it everywhere or don't do it at all. By the way anyone who gives the M-class a design award can't be taken seriously. The thing looks like it was sawed off in the back.
Mercedes is struggling to find the balance between cost management and perceived quality, not only on the M class, but even on the S class, as we know.
Toyota manages costs too, but they're better at hiding where the trade-offs are. For example, some of the suspension parts are welded in place which is cheaper, but if you bend them you're hosed - you can never align the car properly.
But they focus on paint, fit, tactile quality, appearance, and even smell. These are things that people really notice, and Toyota nails it there.
They also cuts costs by putting CRAPPY tires on from the factory in most cases.
I heard that 10 CD jewel cases can be stored in the door magazine rack in 2 stacks, side by side, of 5 each, snuggly with no rattles. Haven't tried it yet, though.
I haven't yet managed to get my Ultra in for service yet (I bought out of state, and closest dealer is 200 mile round trip). 2,400 miles on the car already. I've got my first long trip planned, about 2,000 miles round trip to Hilton Head. I'm looking forward to the time spent in the car with all those luxuries! If I get it serviced on the way back (from the dealer I purchased from) they can detail it and remove salt residue from the ocean. I hope I'm not making a mistake by dragging my feet on servicing.
By the way, I just finished filling in a new car survey with excellent marks. They sent me a dollar!
Out the door for a California buyer, you have to add sales tax, luxury tax, Dept Motor Vehicle first year registration, and about $50 in misc fees to the $54-55K base. About $60-61K when all is said and done.
I don't know the routine to fly in and drive one back to Texas, but I know the dealer can also arrange to ship the car to your address.
Email me at jeffmust@aol.com if you want more details.
Good luck - a friend of mine picked up his LS430 last night at this dealer and price and his wife (her vehicle) made me a cherry pie to celebrate - they saved $3000 compared to purchasing at their local dealer. That's a pretty expensive pie!
ljflx, I found the Sopranos finale a little disappointing. I also predicted the kid's demise, but thought it was early. I expected more at the end, just didn't get it. For a really impressive finale, you have to be a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan.
We're off for vacation, but will get serious when we return.
I know all about buying out of state; No problem other than gas prices!
Brought the pine car in for service today. They told me 7500 mile maintenance interval is fine particularly if you have lot of highway miles. If you do a lot of stop & go stick closer to 5k intervals. I ended up with 7100 miles at this service interval. By the way they store their cars for sale at the maintenance center which is in a separate place from the dealership for the first time this year. Reason - rapidly increasing Lexus sales. There were only 4 LS430's on the lot and the guy told me the car is still hot. Oh yeah - they also service Jags in this center at a ratio of about 1 to every 5 Lexus cars. However the Lexus cars outsell the Jags by about 10 to 1. So I guess the Jag is not so reliable. I know my former neighbor had the Van den Plas (if that's how you spell it) and couldn't wait to get out of his lease because he had so many problems with it. He went to the S-500 just before he moved. Poor guy.
Stevestein - went to Wegmans this evening. That store is incredible. It's bigger than some western towns. When you bring your car in for service let me know if you get an RX300 and if so what you think of it. I need a new SUV but that one is too small for me. Still its tempting because it rides and handles like a car and gets great gas mileage. I'm more likely to move up to the LX470 though because I really need something with 3 rows of seats. That truck rides very smooth - almost like the old LS400 except for those times when you hit a big bump.
2001 Control
LX-52-01 Lexus LS 430
with GPS 2001 Right of Radio
LS 430 w/o
GPS
Glad you chose the LS430 over the S-430? Sure glad I went with it over the S-500. I still can't get over that Wegman's. What a terrible weekend - I passed on a trip to Long Beach Island because of all the cold drizzle.
If you don't want to post then please email me at sanjayvinaik@msn.com
Thanks for your guidence.
explorer
TC lx470
MDX (check the board, long waits, dealer problems and quality issues-wind noise, clunks and mirror)
ML320
other option is a wagon, audi, volvo, even taurus has 3rd seats.
maybe next year the HL will have 3rd seat, maybe if rx300 is redisigned it will have 3rd seat and bigger.
If you don't want to post then please email me at sanjayvinaik@msn.com
Thanks for your guidence.
svinaik - Can't help you - doubt you can get the base car (almost all have the Lexus link) under $53-54k. The ml is always linked to the nav and will tack on at least $3500-4500. By the way if you go with the base car the stereo system is pretty good but far short of the ml. Try Ray Catena in Ocean (the town - not the county) but I know they are still moving the cars quickly. I would always buy/lease this car in area you live though all Lexus dealers must service the car as if they sold it.
My wife only has only had her car for a year, so I don't have to think too much about a replacement now. We bought that one and will probably keep it for a while.
We love Wegman's. We like to grab lunch when we go there (a little Sushi and salad). It truly is an experience!! Weather could have been better, but we got some nice sun time the last two days. It gave me the chance to get a bit of yard work done.
I'm leaving for Paris this Friday eve (10th anniversary trip), returning on Saturday and then will be off on a week-long business trip Sun. I'll be around the board for the next few days but then will be mostly out of the loop.