The 'rents have decided it's time to upgrade their 91 Olds 98!

They asked me to tag along and we looked at 3 cars. It boils down to the Q or the LS (the Acura RL was clearly not in competition - as much as they like to believe).

I think that the Q was the better looking of the two, and sports a nice new engine.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

Isn't there a new RL coming out this fall. I personally don't like Lexus or Infinity. I would buy a Beemer or Merc for the money.

 

I prefer the LS430. Q45 is very nice, but LS430 is still my favorite.
I would also take S500 over Q45. That's my second favorite.
I guess Q45 would be my 3rd favorite before A8. I don't want an ugly 740 on my driveway even if it's free.

 

s2kdan-

I hate to offer you the canned response, but it really depends on what your parents want out of the car.

I am a little biased. My parents are on their 4th Lexus LS. They got an original one back in 1989 (1990 model year) and have happily gotten a new one every three years or so. Each of the cars has gotten progressively better. Never a problem (other than losing chrome valve caps on the tires which Lexus replaced for free without a question). My folks have put betwen 85K and 120K miles on each of their cars and they are as tight as a drum the day they turn them in. They also hold their value very, very well. Dealership experience (really two dealers as they moved to N. CA a few years back) is the best in the world. Bar none.

Having said all of that, I would not buy one. Why??? you ask. Well simply put the car is not for guys like me. It is far too quiet, and far too big. But then, I am willing to bet your folks are more like mine than you or me.

The Infiniti is also a very nice product. It has always been the "sportier" of the two, and that's why I was so surprised that a number of the car mags were unable to produce better numbers than they have for the new Q. In fact, one mag. (C&D or R&T) questioned whether the new powerplant was really making as much power (320bhp) as advertised since the slightly heavier LS430 actually accelerated quicker). The concensus seems to be that the Q still has slightly more sporty road manners than the LS (even the sport model) but that Lexus has closed the gap considerably.

I am not a fan of the way the new Q looks. I actually liked the original Q ten plus years ago and think that the new one pales in comparison.

If your folks' priorities are comfort, quality and dealership experience.. go Lexus. If they want something different than the neighbors (there are lot of LS here in S. Cal.) and/or a sportier car... go Infiniti.

You can't go wrong either way. That's the good news. I think since your parents kept their olds that long, they may want to pay attention to the long-term costs as well. Neither car is going to be an accord to service, but to be honest, the service bills on my folks Lexus is not that bad. Certianly better than a Merc or BMW once the free maintenance burns off.

If only I could get Lexus or Infiniti caliber service with my S2000......

 

Both are great cars! How can they lose with a choice like that?

 

guys, the feedback is great...

da hapa, great personal experience to relay. i will say that the Q also debuted in 89 and i, too, was a huge fan of the original body. i really thought it was a hot platform and then they really lost focus in the mid-late 90's.
in that time lexus really turned it up a bunch with their LS. resale value, quality and overall value was much better than infiniti. with that said, i think the new Q is just a great platform and revamped the looks. i think the time is right for them to start closing the gap on Lexus. The 430 looks a bit staid and the general shape remains similar to their platform a generation ago...

i always preferred nissan to toyota, but like everyone here says, you can't lose by going with either of the two.

on a side note, my mom said, you paid HOW MUCH for that little car of yours?

 

I don't really have much of an opinion here, but I really like the new commercials for the Infiniti Q. Can you say.. lights, stereo, phone..

 

i drove the Q, and i love the engine! smooth, powerful, and it's just a blast to drive. however, the interior, the windows, and other stuff are all...well...less than luxurious.

 

After seeing and driving both cars, I like the LS430 much more than the Q. The interior of the Lexus is definitely made of much higher quality materials than the Q. If both are loaded equally, about 60 grand each, the LS is definitely the nicer car. It reminds me of why the previous Q, while list priced at around 54 grand always sold around here for like 42... Lexus triumphs again... And personally, we had bad experiences with our Infiniti, electrical problems, transmission problems... and more! One of the worst car ownership experiences ever. Whereas our Lexus has been trouble free, along with the rest of our Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles. Just my opinions.