[QUOTE]Originally posted by NewR
[B]$60-70K for a toyota????

They can be compared, but Lexus will never be Mercedes-Benz or BMW.

They might be great cars, but they are not the best in the world.

So what is "the best in the world"?
Though I'm sure your opinion lays some where in the hordes of MB power monsters.

Enlighten us (me).

NS2000X

Of for the love of God... give me a break.

This kind of ignorant statement is no better than the "Buy 'Merican" or "why drive that jap crap" mentality that you hear/read on Mustang and Corvette forums.

Its too bad that as a group of educated car enthusiasts, we can't be more open minded and logical than this.

Define "best". Then define best at what. There are plenty of awesome cars available to us today. But if you're going to compare a S600 Mercedes to an LS430 and say that Lexus doesn't compare to MB then I call:bs:

Thank God!! Check a recent Consumer Reports or any other objective publication. Every single Lexus was a reccommended purchase whereas only one BMW or Merc was recommended (the 5 series). Sorry, but Lexus is the now the standard for luxury. The Germans had their day and it has passed.

Da Hapa, dbjb,

Nice replies. :)

NS2000X

One car nobody is talking Volkwagen Phaeton. It has gotten pretty good reviews, has a nice 330 hp V8 (with a W12 414 hp option soon) right in the price point, the interior is Audi-esqe.

http://www.jdpa.com/presspass/pr/images/2002049a.gif

Mercedes didn't even make the list. Infiniti is a strong contender here ahead of Lexus for once. Usually Lexus and Infiniti are both in the 1/2 top positions, or vice versa.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Da Hapa
[B]

No offense intended but this is exactly what I was trying to get at with my last post.

Anyone shopping an M5 isn't going to cross shop an LS430 no matter how close their price points are.

Moreover, I'd question your decision making ability based on your response to spending that kind of coin on a "Toyota".

I am very open minded and I speak from experience when I say Mercedes or BMW makes better cars than Lexus.

Having driven cars from all three manufacturers, I can tell you that you do not get the same feeling driving a Lexus as you do a Mercedes for example. You feel like you are driving a tin can, and the feel of driving an expensive car just is not there. It really feels as if you are driving a Camry. The feel of the leather and interior plastics is quite cheap in comparison.

Overall, Lexus are great cars. They are comfortable, they are reliable, and have a lot of luxury for a Japanese car. But Lexus will always be a poor man's Mercedes, as they keep on trying to imitate them. But you know what they say...imitation is the biggest form of flattery.