EXCLUSIVE: Detroit auto show photos-Can Eva Longoria end the desperation?

"Hey, if Cadillac is not going to build Cadillac's anymore that really make a statement, then they're leaving the door wide open for companies like Chrysler to come in and steal away more customers."

I agree, their fancy buicks didnt make the grade so they tried to compete w/ the imports, and failed miserably. Lets face it Cadilac is no longer the cadilac of cars

Not Cady's anymore. Whatever. The Chrsler looks like a fancy bull dozer. If you want a big gas hog brick. Go right ahead and buy one. Personly i like sleek quality cars that stand out from the crowd and thats what a Cady is. Comparing a Chrysler to a Cady is Apple & Oranges.

Steve

The Infiniti G35 looks really good. Very modern. Hope they addressed the frigin interior..

The Chrysler Imperial will blow the doors off Cadillac and all other American car makers. Chrysler is rising to the top. BIG TIME.

Now the new LS. What a let-down.

The car looks awful. Like a bloated Avalon. This proves that Lexus still has way way too much Toyota DNA in its cars.

That backseat is ridiculous. Yes, ridiculous. Like having a dentist chair in your backseat. Who needs this...seriously. A Maybach is for a pampered billionaire CEO. The LS is everyday transportation for middle aged-older clients who would never need such a device. Stupid. I think power rear seats are enough.

The design of the car just lacks emotion. Sound familiar????

I guess some things never change. Lexus will always be second rate when it comes to design and performance.

I have driven every Lexus except the ES and GX.

And yes...of course theyre smooth. We all know that.

As a Full Scale Luxury Car, I think the LS is second rate when it comes to design and performance. NOT LUXURY. Thats where this car excels.

I disagree that any Lexus has better fit and finish than a Audi, BMW or Mercedes. Lexus plastics feel cheap and hollow. Their door sounds junky when slammed shut. The controls, materials and layout scream Toyota and that in my opinion is not first rate. The radio head units, door handles, sun visors, secondary switches, you name it, are ALL LIFTED from a Toyota. To me, thats crap. When I drop 80,000 on a new LS, I expect more. Lots More.

I DO appreciate these little things in my BMW 330 and my brothers new Audi A8. Those little things add up. Those cars scream quality. The new IS350, GS430 and most likely the upcoming LS460 dont. They scream TOYOTA.

The new LS had an opportunity and blew it. It is still can't beat the S class. Lexus had a chance to be head and shoulders better with the evolutionary S class styling. They both missed. The Lexus has an 8 speed transmission, hard drive for your music and lounge chair in the back seat which are things you can't get in the Merc though. If only they built the LF-S...

I still can't decide which one I will get. It will probably come down to price and reliable electronics and the Lexus is the clear winner.

You are right, the Lexus does look like a toyota and uses some of the same materials and buttons and technology. That's one of the reasons they are the best car making company on the planet.

It's just like the scorpion and the frog analogy, you can't blame Toyota for being Toyota.

"People need to realize that Lexus is not going to build an all-out performance car from their current line-up. We all need to face that and get over it."

That this car is .1 sec slower 0-60 than the $112,000 760i? For maybe $30k less??

If this is lexus's new design direction I cant wait untill the new suv's come out.

You can always tell that ContiRoane is bias in his blogs. He wouldn't make a good person to "review" movies. He biasness comes out big time.

First Lexus just won JD's HIGHEST QUALITY award for, what the last 12 or 13 years. They build the most reliable and dependable vehicles on the road (Japanese Auto makers usually do).

I am originally from Detroit, Mich. I lived there 45 years. I also have family that work for Audi/ VW headquartered in Auburn Hills, MI; at Ford Motor Comopany, Chrysler, and GM too. Thus I can get vehicles under any of those employee plans from the family.

Point is: I buy a new car ever 18 months (because of the family discounts) and couldn't disagree with you more about interior quality on some of the cars you mentioned (particularly the BMW). I will NOT to buy another BMW for awhile because: 330i has some of the worse plastic items on a car. Example: BMW has not one, but two cup holders up there were they place that wood trim.

They are cheap, terrible design and open into the passengers for easy breakage. That must be what you meant by "high qualty material". The 7 series has been bashed for that wonderful i-drive navigation system. Works like crap!

German cars are great to drive because they have the sporty engines & driving mechanics (but are not too reliable). There's nothing wrong having a quality division like Lexus, whose parent company is Toyota. So what if it's a higher equipped "Toyota" as you say.

There are numerous differences in those cars. Such as mechanical suspension differences, larger brakes/rotors, interior options, features, other perks like road side assistance, longer warranties, free loaner cars and etc. This has to be factored in with those higher prestiage companies.

You can't just "blanket" them as being the same as a Toyota simply because they are related companies.

Finally, I just bought an 2006 Acura TL for my wife. I found numerous differences between this and the Honda Accord (too many to list here). The thing I love besides the high quality Japanese cars bring is: This Acura cost $13K less then a similar equipped BMW 330i.

It isn't to hard to figure: Would I rather save $13K on a car that has as many options? If you don't care about the money, then buy yourself that BMW 330i with those nice cup holders in the dash area; rough run flat tires that are rough riding and being installed; extra cost for "metallic paint"; extra cost for fold down rear seat and "average" reliability, but don't bash Lexus because they make a fantastic product like your biasness shows!!!!

All interesting comments.

However..I feel as though in the manner that the new S-class and BMW 7-series have broken ground with their designs and caused a firestorm, this Lexus appears to have stayed relatively bland.

I laugh at all of you who said the brilliant concept that we were shown would make it to production.

Not even close. Just a huge bloated IS Avalon.

Yes It does have lots and lots of Luxury features.

Yes. It is very fast and smooth (As is the new IS)

And Yes. It has typical Lexus quality and reliability.

But will it make any BMW, Audi, Benz driver want to drop their cars and buy it?

Quite Simply...NO

As I said before...And this is only my opinion....The design lacks big time.

Then perhaps you should of thought of that before you bought it

If you enjoy riding on a magic carpet, then the Lexus is for you.

Next time, why dont you actually test drive the car your buying.

How could you buy a car you consider unattractive?

You obviously dont have a love affair with your automobiles like I do.

"Sorry" Lexus bashers. Enough said and said enough :)
peace.

p.s. Lots of more to come!

"Sorry" Lexus bashers. Enough said and said enough :)
peace.

p.s. Lots of more to come!

"The truth is, Lexus is not as well known as the German brands, but the German brands better watch out. Their dominance in name and reputation may come to an end if they continue to turn a blind eye to Lexus, which Toyota is doing a great job with."

Anyone who is actually interested in purchasing a luxury vehicle knows who lexus is.

Looks like this year's show is dedicated to the sedan or coupe! Not too many trucks. Love the Chrysler concepts. The Challenger is hot and the Imperial if built would surely give GM and Ford some restless nights. Now GM's Camero is hot! But I doubt they will build it, because it looks good! LOL. The Lexus LS looks the luxury part it is intended to play. The G35 concept is quite a looker as well.

..Booooooo! As a Detroit Pistons fan, I am deeply disappointed in choosing that cop hating, Tony Parker dating, slab on non-talent. Why in the hell would they pick the girlfriend of a team member who beat the Pistons in the final last year?

I think I speak for many Detroiters when I say I'd MUCH rather hear what Ben Wallace's wife has to say. Stop pandering to L.A.!

when state transportation boards considered installing a toll lane ( letting single passengers ride in the hov lane) the media dubbed this "the lexus lane".
http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=deskbar&q=%22lexus+lane%22 you can see its nation wide.

I work for many affluent clients, and many of them own mercedes, bmw's, maybach's, porsche's etc. I do tend to see a lot of S class's in their driveways, however the ammount of LS's, and 7 series seem to be about the same.

I cannot speak for the cars outside of a country club on conneticut, but I have been to one in Detroit, and there is a huge number of deville and STS's in the parking lot. It doesnt mean that they are more recognizable than a lexus, they just tend to me more popular in that geographic locale. At my Club (not golf) their is a whole potpourri of cars, even a few camry's, and accords, maybe we are just not as stuffy out her in seattle.


On my street in seattle, where houses go for $850-1.4m There is a huge number of Saab's, I have no idea why, but they are very popular in my neighborhood, this doesnt make them better than a lexus, bmw, mb, etc.

To say that Lexus is not a well known brand in the usa is idiotic. Their lineup moves more product than bmw's, in the usa and the company is much younger. When you talk about competing w/ cars like bently and rolls, lexus, and bmw have no desire to compete w/ them (at least in the states) this market is too small and hard to turn a profit in. Lexus wants to build profitable cars.

"The MOST important thing to consider when purchasing a car are handling and driving dynamics"

Not really, there are many other factors coming into play, like reliability, cost of ownership and value. A better handling car != a safer car.

"It gives me great confidence when I drive through corners in the wet..precision like a surgeons knife like no other."

You read motor trend also????????? Go drive a lexus, push it hard, you wont be dissapointed. The differences these days are getting to the point where only mesuring devices know the difference.



"but Lexus is no Rolex or Omega" You are right there, both those watches are overpriced "look at what I own" hunks of metal. I own a rolex (submariner) and never wear it, because everytime I use it for long periods of time somthing breaks. When I do wear it it seems to lose a few minutes a week, so you may be onto something as far as reliablity is concerened. Lexus is the Tag Heuer of cars. Great build quality, good brand recognition, and great price point. Comparing it to seiko is a%%holish a chrysler would be a seiko.

"I personally own a BMW 760iL" now doesnt it just burn you that this 4.6 liter V8 is going to perform just as well as your problem ridden v12?

"Resale value: A second hand used BMW M5 will cost MORE than its original retail price, by at least 20%! Enough said. Lexus depreciates like a used condom. ;-D"

You can buy a 2003 m5 for $41k depending on the trim level that is $30k in depreciation. And that is in the USA the Austrian used car market is much weaker than the US'S (you can pick up a 2003 3 series for a song). I imagine you were talking about when people were selling recently aquired M5's for over msrp while the waiting list was 1 1/2 years long. Lexus's depriciation in the USA is on par with BMW some cars do slightly better, some do slightly worse, but they tend to average out. Cars like the Z4 do however reduce Bmw's overall resale score due to lack of second market demand.

"Reliability: The latest consumer reliability feedback gives Lexus, on AVERAGE 12/100 problem. The German automobiles have a problem 14/100."

Why is it when Lexus bashers quote statistics here they never quote their sources????

"With all other factors being equal, I'd definitely choose the car with the best driving dynamics. And that would be a Bimmer."

All factors are not equal, price, build quality etc. I personally would sacrifice 2% of "driving dynamics" for reliability.

Do you honeslty think the razor thin difference in Bmw's "driving dynamics" is going to save your life? Probably not, but it could shave 1/100th of a second off a track time. Lexus has all the airbags and skid control protection that it counterparts offer.


The differences are not night and day, but miniscule to the point where some of them are psychosomatic. I went to a lexus "taste of luxury" event a year ago and drove everything except Audi's, and testing one car after another, to be perfectly honest there isnt really a noticable difference in "driving dynamics" Bmw's did have bigger engines, but now Lexus realized that people do want more power even if they dont need it (hence the 460). After that event I had a new found respect for lexus, even though at the time I didnt own one. My wife now has an IS300, and I plan on getting a GX once they refresh the body ( not that fond of the current product looks). She loves the IS, and was disappointed with the 330i, especially for being 10k more comparably equipped.

And Rolex's are not the best of the best. They are the middle of the road. (WAAAY OVERPRICED, and do not keep time as accurately as a watch 1/2 the price). Why not tout brands like Vacheron, Breitling, Patek, and Zenith? Those brands are far superior to the overprice Rolex's and Omega's

IF you are paying top bucks for the ultimate, best of the best, luxury car you should look past BMW, lexus, and mercedes. Maybe a Maybach, RR, or Maserati.

I'll bet this LS430 will do even better than it predocessor. I bet its "driving dynamics" will be just as good, or better than the 745.

I did mean the ls460

" I wouldn't bet on it! BMW has the edge in performance/handling,"

We know that the LS460 is .1 secs slower than the top of the line V12 760 0-60. So the performance edge is erased.

While you cannnot cheat physics, you can cheat marketing gimmicks.

As far as saftey is concerened I wonder how many people have plowed into the car in front of them while trying to figure out the iDrive System?