$273,000 for a Lexus?

[SMOKEU]

It's basically an upmarket Toyota, but look what they're charging!
http://www.lexus.co.nz/Models/LS/LS600hL/PriceOptions.htm

That kind of money will get a nice Porsche.

[sil3nt]

There is one good Lexus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus_LFA

[kave]

$273,000 for a Toyota isn't nearly as bad as half a million for a VW.

http://mulsanne.bentleymotors.com/

[shrub]

I paid $530 for my Nissan Bluebird 3 years ago and haven't spent a single dollar on it apart from petrol, wof and rego. It has a stereo, a heater, a boot for carrying shit and as such is just about the perfect car.

$273k would buy a lot of bikes

[NZsarge]

$273,000 for a Toyota isn't nearly as bad as half a million for a VW.

http://mulsanne.bentleymotors.com/
They maybe owned by Volkswagen but it's definitely a Bentley, they are'nt perfect cars for sure but there is'nt too much wrong with Volkswagen's, that said I would'nt touch any european car that was high milage or long in the tooth. And yes $273k is too much for a Toyota and that's not even touching on that silly Lexus (Toyota) LFA!

[imdying]

It's basically an upmarket ToyotaIf you could sell your ability to open your mouth and let ignorance flow forth, you'd be a rich man.

Check out the technical specs on it if you get a chance, it's a lot of things, but just an upmarket Toyota it is not.

BTW, even at that price, they've had no trouble getting rid of them.

[AllanB]

Think you are missing the point - the Lexus brand is the ultra luxury division of Toyota and is directly competing with the top Mercedes, BMW, etc luxury cars. As such that type of money is very comparable and good value for money. Lexus regularly top the lit of 'best' luxury vehicles.

Your talking the buying power of multi-millionaires here so its small change. Pop down to your local Lexus dealer with the kids and watch the salespeople shit themselves!

[Hitcher]

No car is worth that sort of money. In a year's time you'll be able to buy that same Lexus for $100,000 and change. I can think of better ways of frittering $170,000 of tax-paid earnings, none of which involve buying cars. Nobody buys cars like this with their own money -- they'll all be bought by a business or some other tax rorting scheme.

[SMOKEU]

If you could sell your ability to open your mouth and let ignorance flow forth, you'd be a rich man.

Check out the technical specs on it if you get a chance, it's a lot of things, but just an upmarket Toyota it is not.

BTW, even at that price, they've had no trouble getting rid of them.

Have you ever noticed that back in the 90s, a Lexus ES300 is basically a Toyota Windom with a nicer interior? The LS400 is just a Toyota Celsior with different badges on it, and the SC300 is another name for a Toyota Soarer. The Lexus brand does not have the same kind of prestige as the likes of Porsche, Maserati, Jaguar, Aston Martin, even BMW, Audi or Mercedes Benz, and yet that particular car is in the same price (or even significantly more expensive) than that of the above mentioned automotive marques.

[SMOKEU]

If you could sell your ability to open your mouth and let ignorance flow forth, you'd be a rich man.

Check out the technical specs on it if you get a chance, it's a lot of things, but just an upmarket Toyota it is not.

BTW, even at that price, they've had no trouble getting rid of them.

Have you ever noticed that back in the 90s, a Lexus ES300 is basically a Toyota Windom with a nicer interior? The LS400 is just a Toyota Celsior with different badges on it, and the SC300 is another name for a Toyota Soarer. The Lexus brand does not have the same kind of prestige as the likes of Porsche, Maserati, Jaguar, Aston Martin, even BMW, Audi or Mercedes Benz, and yet that particular car is in the same price (or even significantly more expensive) than that of the above mentioned automotive marques.

PS - I apologize for the double post.

[onearmedbandit]

Have you ever noticed that back in the 90s, a Lexus ES300 is basically a Toyota Windom with a nicer interior? The LS400 is just a Toyota Celsior with different badges on it, and the SC300 is another name for a Toyota Soarer. The Lexus brand does not have the same kind of prestige as the likes of Porsche, Maserati, Jaguar, Aston Martin, even BMW, Audi or Mercedes Benz, and yet that particular car is in the same price (or even significantly more expensive) than that of the above mentioned automotive marques.

PS - I apologize for the double post.

In North America and Europe Lexus are held in the same regard as the likes of BMW and MB. And while there were a lot of similarities between the Toyota Windoms etc and Lexus ES300 a lot them were built in completely different factories, to different quality levels. Fact is, Lexus are very successful, they manage to sell a lot of vehicles that compete directly with the leading European marques in terms of quality, features and price. In fact Lexus have out rated the European giants in many areas for many years.

But what would I know, I was only in the car industry for 10 years.

[marty]

No car is worth that sort of money. In a year's time you'll be able to buy that same Lexus for $100,000 and change. I can think of better ways of frittering $170,000 of tax-paid earnings, none of which involve buying cars. Nobody buys cars like this with their own money -- they'll all be bought by a business or some other tax rorting scheme.

you think that someone who pays $250k for a car also pays tax?

[imdying]

No car is worth that sort of money. In a year's time you'll be able to buy that same Lexus for $100,000 and change. I can think of better ways of frittering $170,000 of tax-paid earnings, none of which involve buying cars. Nobody buys cars like this with their own money -- they'll all be bought by a business or some other tax rorting scheme.You sound like a poor person, with your poor person attitudes towards money and small extravagances. This car was not designed to be sold to poor people. If you think people that buy cars like this are big tax payers... well... :laugh:


Have you ever noticed that back in the 90s, a Lexus ES300 is basically a Toyota Windom with a nicer interior *blah blah snipped**said slowly*

Does this look like an ES300? Have you looked at the specs on this car? Are we back in the 90s? If you think that Lexus is short on brand cachet then you're deluded. The Japanese don't have their tounges completely up their own arses, they make cars to sell, and they invented this brand to capture a certain segment of the market, which it did admirably.

[SMOKEU]

You sound like a poor person, with your poor person attitudes towards money and small extravagances. This car was not designed to be sold to poor people. If you think people that buy cars like this are big tax payers... well... :laugh:

*said slowly*

Does this look like an ES300? Have you looked at the specs on this car? Are we back in the 90s? If you think that Lexus is short on brand cachet then you're deluded. The Japanese don't have their tounges completely up their own arses, they make cars to sell, and they invented this brand to capture a certain segment of the market, which it did admirably.

I did look at the specs and they are rather unimpressive compared to the monsterous power and torque figures that the big supercharged Mercedes Benz engines can provide, at the same price level.

[onearmedbandit]

I did look at the specs and they are rather unimpressive compared to the monsterous power and torque figures that the big supercharged Mercedes Benz engines can provide, at the same price level.

Compare like with like. The 'h' in the model name stands for 'hybrid'. And 'specs' are just more than hp and torque figures.

[avgas]

Have you ever noticed that back in the 90s, a Lexus ES300 is basically a Toyota Windom with a nicer interior? The LS400 is just a Toyota Celsior with different badges on it, and the SC300 is another name for a Toyota Soarer. The Lexus brand does not have the same kind of prestige as the likes of Porsche, Maserati, Jaguar, Aston Martin, even BMW, Audi or Mercedes Benz, and yet that particular car is in the same price (or even significantly more expensive) than that of the above mentioned automotive marques.
Just like those 'prilla RS250's.........they were just RGV250
AMG is just a fancy Mercedes
Lotus was just a fancy ford
But sadly no.
Lexus cars generally got the better spec everything. From recall both the old SC and ES had better brakes, better suspension.....
But sadly you pay a lot for a name.
Tis the great thing about perceived value.
It made me laugh in China, 95% of the cars there are the following:
VW, BMW, Audi, AMG
Yet all are assembled in China.
But there is a perceived brand value.

[SMOKEU]

Compare like with like. The 'h' in the model name stands for 'hybrid'. And 'specs' are just more than hp and torque figures.

It's unlikely that someone with that much money to burn would really care about the fuel economy of a hybrid. If you had that much money to burn, are you saying you'd say no to a supercharged V8 Mercedes or Jaguar?

[imdying]

I give up, you're clearly too much of a moron with too many (wrong) preconceived ideas about luxury vehicles and the priorities of people who can afford them.

[onearmedbandit]

It's unlikely that someone with that much money to burn would really care about the fuel economy of a hybrid. If you had that much money to burn, are you saying you'd say no to a supercharged V8 Mercedes or Jaguar?

Yep, I'd take the AMG Merc any day of the week. And one day I will. But as for right now, I'm not in the position to consider any of the 3 brands. And neither are you. So this isn't about what we want. Lexus couldn't give a shit what we think. All they care about is how much of a dent they have made to the Euro giants.


I give up, you're clearly too much of a moron with too many (wrong) preconceived ideas about luxury vehicles and the priorities of people who can afford them.

+1 imdying.

[nosebleed]

It's unlikely that someone with that much money to burn would really care about the fuel economy of a hybrid. If you had that much money to burn, are you saying you'd say no to a supercharged V8 Mercedes or Jaguar?
Would I?, no.

But as a real-world example, one of the directors of the company I work for is a huge Lexus fanboy.
He's actually owned the vehicles that you cite in your example, and was sold on Lexus years ago.

He'll never own those other marques again.

[Morepower]

$273 K for a car that I would mistake at first glance for a Camry or Accord..... no thanks ... no matter how good it is