Re: How are these Japanese luxury brands doing these days?

It would take me several pages, perhaps a short book, to list all the
ways that my 06 LS430 premium whatsit version comes up short in
comparison to any german kar. But it is supposed to be durable and
reliable. The dealers are no better, in fact are worse because they
are such liars. As to handling, it sucks. Made a drive today that I
used to make a couple times a week for 3 years in my S Klass. The LS
was bouncing all over the road with the slightest wind. Three hours in
it felt bad, and my wife who never complains, said she was tired of
riding! She never got tired of riding in the S Klass. The tranny is
rough, but it is only 6 speeds. The pick up seemed ok, but rough and
sort of irregular when kicking in, esp at road speeds like in passing.
True, the S Klasse couldn't pass a stealer****p practicaly, and did
strand me by the side of the road on average every 3 years. In the
first 10,000 miles the LS 430 has developed a bad trunk motor and the
ac vents do not vibrate back and forth properly. And it has to go in
every 5000 miles for more cheap inferior dino oil. So it sees the
stealer****p more often than the old S Klass used to. But at least the
thing is cheap! About 30% less expensive than the S Klass. So if you
can't afford the best, drive a Lexus. Did I mention that when you hit
the open trunk button it unlatches the trunk which does not open till
you go back and grab it by the little button on the trunk? And when
you want to close the trunk, you have to push it all the way down till
the trunk closer motor wakes up, starts screeching, and pulls it down
the last inch or so. Oh yes - the open turnk button on the dash is
sooooo usefull - the button you have to push to open the trunk will
open it anyway without the dash button being pushed. Engineering for
show, not go. Buy a Lexus and you can say you have all the parts. Most
of them work, sort of. But it didn't cost much and it will run for
ever, probably. Hmmm ... wonder why Lexus cuts off its free call in
for repair service at 50,000 miles while the Krauts let theirs run on
forever or until the kar destructs or is hit by an A Bomb.