Used lux sedan pros/cons

"Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom" (will-alib) 01/04/2016 at 12:36 • Filed to: None

0

17

Indulge me, fellow Opponauts - I’m having a stream of consciousness moment thinking about my next car. I’m interested in a full size lux auto, and am considering the merits of a “previously loved” Lexus LS/S-Class/7-series/A8/Jag. Having read many Tavarish columns and heard the siren song of “ buy this formerly expensive auto for less than the price of this much cheaper car ” I have to question what the risk may be. Sure, the potential downside of any 10 year old German sedan is the specter of a horrifyingly expensive surprise shop visit. If we compare the above cars as 8-10 year old examples with comparable mileage, do any come out ahead? Does a Lexus typically hold up better than the German makes? Any of these vehicles could be expensive to fix if some major part goes south, but what are the typical risk areas for these cars? With so many older lux cars on the road, *somebody* is buying them. (unassailable logic there, right?) Discuss.

Tripper > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 01/04/2016 at 12:45

1

Lexus for longevity

KatzManDu > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 01/04/2016 at 12:46

1

1) You’re buying them, at least in-part, to show off.

2) You’re buying them to cruise in and enjoy.

The trade-off is maintenance costs.

Milky > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 01/04/2016 at 12:49

0

My dad has had an ‘04 A8 for years. Its been reliable but he made sure the suspension was sorted before buying. As far as I know thats the only problem with the big Audi.

ciscokidinsf > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 01/04/2016 at 12:50

0

Find a loved VW Phaeton V8 between 100K-120K miles

Pros:

- Lots of car for the money

- V8 is robust and NA - and silky smooth

- Prices are reasonable now for them

Cons:

- Some parts might take time to arrive from Germany

- You can probably do 80% of the work outside of the dealer (indies or yourself), but some stuff has to be done at the stealership

- Most of the ‘failures’ are sensors, the main components of the engine and powertrain are very solid. Try a 2005-2006 to avoid the issue of the older air shocks.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 01/04/2016 at 12:52

0

Lexus LS600h hybrid. It’s .5 sec faster to 60, torque on demand, and gets 2 better mpg than the LS460.

Also, you get the added smugness of both a hybrid and a full-size luxury mobile.

jariten1781 > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 01/04/2016 at 13:06

0

Keep in mind that most of them will have more expensive small repairs and incidentals. They add up.

If you just want the lux badge with a non-lux reliability get a palette-swap like an ES300 or something.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 01/04/2016 at 14:51

0

“Does a Lexus typically hold up better than the German makes?”

Yes.

If you want luxury on a budget, I suggest you look into a Lexus ES300/ES350... it’s basically a very nice, more luxurious and higher quality Camry/Avalon.

I’ve read the LS400/LS430/LS460 is rock solid too... except that replacing the starter motor is expensive because it’s hard to get to.

If you want a smooth/quiet ride with lots of space, look into getting a Lincoln Town Car. The Lincoln MKS and MKZ often can be a good used deal as well.

For the full size BMW, Mercedes, Audi or Jag, I suggest budgeting an extra $400/month for maintenance and repairs. You may not need it, but it’s good to be prepared.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > KatzManDu 01/04/2016 at 16:10

0

I don't think driving a 10 year old lux car is necessarily showing off. I'd argue leasing a new one probably is. My question was are the German sedans more reliable when older than a comparable Lexus?

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > ciscokidinsf 01/04/2016 at 16:13

0

Never thought I’d see somebody here recommend a Phaeton.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 01/04/2016 at 16:22

0

I bought an '08 Town Car last April; what appealed to me (and got me to buy an old man's car) is the room and the ride. Plus the fact that there's relatively little to break on it. Ford didn't go gadget-heavy on the TC, and while I was looking I saw many of them with 200-300k plus miles being sold by livery companies. I'll probably keep it for 2 or 3 years then look for something else. I am leaning toward the LS but still like the 7-series and late model XJ8. The huge depreciation makes it doable but I need to know the hidden costs before jumping in.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/04/2016 at 16:24

0

LOL. Smug alone adds 5% to NADA used values. I don't want the added complexity of a hybrid drivetrain though. More 'spensive shit to break.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 01/04/2016 at 16:40

0

You’re being pessimistic on that drivetrain. Its failure rate is ridiculously miniscule.

They’ve consistently been among the most reliable cars on the market, hybrid and conventional drivetrain.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 01/04/2016 at 16:44

0

Maybe so, but it's more than I wanna pay. As I'd be buying a car that's already 7 or 8 years old, I don't want to roll the dice.

ciscokidinsf > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 01/04/2016 at 17:08

0

Never say Never.I’m on my 2nd one. If you want full size lux you should not exclude the Phaeton.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > ciscokidinsf 01/05/2016 at 10:10

0

My last five cars have been VeeDubs, so I have the t-shirt and coffee mug - but those are so rare I'd think most dealerships wouldn't have techs familiar with the car?

ciscokidinsf > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 01/05/2016 at 11:18

0

Yes, that’s a downside but:

- Online support at VWVortex is awesome and very complete (and well written & documented, unlike most of Vortex)

- The V8 engine the Phaeton uses has been around for a long time now, so as mentioned, most indie shops, and yourself with a VAGCOM cable should be able to handle most of it.

- In my last 2 years of Phaeton ownership, I’ve only had to go to the dealer once (for a specific procedure to align the headlights) but nothing else

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > ciscokidinsf 01/05/2016 at 11:39

0

Well there def is a neat factor involved from owning an orphan/oddball (not quite unicorn) car. May have to look into it further as I get closer. Don’t those things weigh in over 5,000lb? A contender for a demolition derby once their service life is over?

#panzertank