Mercedes-Benz ranked higher than Lexus for the first time in 21 years says J.D. Power survey

IMNSHO, "Initial Quality" is hugely misleading. Yeah, discovering a defect as you drive off the dealer's lot is a major bummer, but something MUCH more meaningful is the number of defects you'll see in the first 3 years of new car ownership. NOW we're talking about something that the reader can use to assess how likely is this thing to break down?

Merc has made and is making huge strides in improving the number of defects etc. Now that Chrysler is gone they've pledged to focus back on quality. Are they at a Lexus level? Not yet. Are they better than say they were in the early 2000's when "Command" was intro'd? You bet.

What exactly does "Lexus level quality" mean? Mercedes does many things better than Lexus, Lexus does many things better than Mercedes. I'd say that overall both brands are quite equal when it comes to quality. The difference is that a Lexus will usually have less problems overall.

Quality and reliability are upon deeper examination two different things. Both Lexus and Mercedes produce high quality cars. They're built well, the materials they use are top notch etc. The reliability of the software or components is a differentiating factor. Mechanically a Lexus and Benz are bulletproof. In terms of electronics, you might have more problems in a Mercedes, though the degree of the word "problem" must also be taken into context.

That said, I've never had any problems on my W203 C230 (V6). I'm planning on selling it though since I'm looking for something new. Perhaps an Audi A4 this time or the current C300.

Really, when was the last time Lexus won an "Engine of the Year" award.

I find this post truly inaccurate. Have you ever driven a Lexus? Lexus has horrible Buick like floaty suspensions and horribly soft gas pedals that force you to push down hard to get reasonable pickup from the engine.

@theoptimisticpessimist

I think getting the wards 10 best engine for the 4.0L v8 from 1998-2000 and the 3.5L v6 for those few years count; don't you think so too? And to those who used European taxis as an example, I think u guys took a cheap shot. There are more Mercedes' than Lexus vehicles used for many other obvious reasons.

For starters mercedes makes better engines than lexus. Secondly, mercedes typically hold up to ware and tare longer than lexus. This is why mercedes are used as taxis in europe. I see a lot more older model mercedes models around than lexus.

Not to mention Taxis are usually stripped down to the bare essentials therefore minimizing glitches and failure of some components in the long run. Things like climate control, multi speaker stereo, maybe even heated seats, etc.

Nevertheless, I'm rooting for MB to keep improving quality.

Sour Grapes anyone?

Funny how jd powers and/or consumer reports suddenly become 'meaningless' to toyota fanboys whenever their precious lexus isn't in first place.

As Mercedes owner I think I will make myself a Long Island Ice tea in their honor.

tattedtwice - spot on.

so not only are mercedes better looking, better designed, better handling, better riding, higher technology, etc, etc....but they're also higher ranked in quality.

of course, these quality rankings are largely a joke for years now as the differential between first ranked and last ranked is shockingly small. pretty much all cars today are reliable. who sees broken down cars on the side of the road these days?

CONGRADULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!











To Lexus for holdig the spot for so long.
Also keep up the good work MB!

FYI....Lexus Awards

Note:Based on Consumer Reports, a five-year-old Lexus LS is more reliable and dependable than a BRAND new BMW 7 series, Mercedes S-class, or Audi A8, owing to the wide disparity in reliability scores between the top-ranked LS and below-average German makes.

The LS has received numerous awards since its introduction.

* The Lexus LS has won the J.D. Power award for the "Best High-end Luxury Sedan" 12 years in a row, the most for any manufacturer, due to vehicle dependability.
* The Lexus LS was the highest-ranked vehicle in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey for seven consecutive years, from 1997 to 2003. In 2004 and 2005, the Lexus LS 430 was second only to the Lexus SC 430 in the Initial Quality Survey. The LS 430 was again ranked in the top spot in 2006.
* In 2006, Consumer Reports awarded the Lexus LS as the highest-ranked vehicle in reliability in the luxury car class and gave it the "Best Car We Ever Tested" title, continuing the Lexus trend of scoring highly on Consumer Reports surveys. Based on Consumer Reports, a five-year-old Lexus LS is more reliable and dependable than a brand new BMW 7 series, Mercedes S-class, or Audi A8, owing to the wide disparity in reliability scores between the top-ranked LS and below-average German makes.
* The 2005 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study found just 90 problems per 100 LS vehicles, the first time in the study's 16-year history for a vehicle to have less than one problem per vehicle. In 2006, the Lexus LS repeated this feat, averaging just 88 problems per 100 vehicles.
* The Lexus LS 430 was named the Most Appealing Premium Luxury Car by J.D. Power in 2001. The second-generation LS 400 was also named Most Appealing Premium Luxury Car in 1996.
* In 1989, the Motoring Press Association of the U.S. named the LS 400 the Best Imported Car of the Year.

And in 2010 Lexus stopped selling their LS460 due to steering defect.

What have you done lately or are you having issues trying to forget the 16 million cars toyota/lexus recalled over the past 2 years? 5 years ago, is great but what has lexus and toyota done over the past 3 years to help keep ontop of the quality index? not much

Mercedes has come a long way back. good for them.

invisible. I understand about the 1-series stop sales. and yet how many lexus this year have had a stop sales request? 2 ... But yet I was responding to the comment above and yet you chose to say i am a "blind fanboy ". This is also coming from people still protecting their beloved company that recalled 16 million cars ... let me repeat so it sinks in 16 million cars. wow is that alot or what?

invisible. I understand about the 1-series stop sales. and yet how many lexus this year have had a stop sales request? 2 ... But yet I was responding to the comment above and yet you chose to say i am a "blind fanboy ". This is also coming from people still protecting their beloved company that recalled 16 million cars ... let me repeat so it sinks in 16 million cars. wow is that alot or what?

LOL. "smart well dressed successful folks"--you forgot to mention OLD. yeah, 70 year olds don't tend to go for anything but ultra conservative/boring. and they also tend to be value shoppers who like floaty quiet cars. in other words, lexus.

Badgewhore: you have no clue what you are talking about...Mercedes' gas pedals are not hard to push what nonsense.....Of course you feel the road more in a Mercedes because Mercedes doesn't use awful floaty suspensions that float you over a bump, the car properly grips the road. Lexus tuned the sound of the engine out to such an extent in one car that I drove that I could not hear that the car started.

vmaxtechart
Hilarious commentary on the Gs considering the GS attempts to copy the BMW 5-series. If Lexus is so brilliant why are they always copying the Germans. Also no car feels brand new at 400,000 miles nice hyperbole

BMW4ME4EVER always remember this, please don't ever forget this - Based on Consumer Reports, a five-year-old Lexus LS is more reliable and dependable than a BRAND new BMW 7 series, Mercedes S-class, or Audi A8,

Only a fool would use Consumer Reports to evaluate cars.

Toasters? Yes
Cars? No

Consumer reports that you are quoting is about a 5 year old lexus. Was that before or after recalls on the century? There is no way anyone can really justify that toyota/lexus is that much more reliable. Especially, considering they recalled 16 Million cars over the past 2 years. During that timeframe, stopped building the Camry, corolla, pathfinder, tacoma, GX470, LS460, sequoia, highlander due to defects in workmanship .... Or the fact that even the president of the company said that Toyota has made some mistakes and is trying to correct them. This is a good thing, but as to why anyone had to become injured or die due to negligence is beyond me.

But hey whatever, no other company I have heard of or in the history of the automotive industry has recalled more cars due to acceleration/gas pedal sticking/ floor mats/ steering electronics, faulty traction system/ braking issues with the hybrids ..... at one time.

yeah they are reliable.


still congrats to Mercedes as it is a big jump forward to becoming the great car company they once were

Don't get too excited... it's INITIAL quality... not quality in the future.

vamx ... but who really wants to?

Glad to hear it. I left Mercedes-Benz and defected to Lexus in 2003 (technically) with the purchase of a 1998 LS400. I did hang on to my 1998 S-Class until 2005 but became sour over it's reliability issues. I sold my LS400 privately in 2007 and used a 1995 Cadillac Deville Spring Edition for about 7 months or so. I purchased a 2005 LS430 Ultra Luxury in early 2008. It would take me 39 years or so to hit 70 years of age.

Drove the current MB S-Class. It seems like a huge leap forward while Lexus might have taken a step...um, backwards in terms of interior quality. MB definitely has the advantage as far as road feel goes...always did. What I'm not 100% sure about is which one is more advanced. MB has ABC and a littany of gadgets but Lexus has the 8-speed transmission (if that matters), rear-sensing pre-collision system, the rear seat luxury package (forget the exact name) and body temperature sensors for it's occupants. I don't think the LS ever aspired to be a sports-luxury car, save for the newer LS Sport I never drove, which I obviously can not comment on.

...And of course MB's reliability would have improved in the last few years...because I'm not in the market right now!!!

When it rains it pours.............................................

By Josh Mitchell

(Adds statement by Toyota Motor Sales, comment by Toyota spokesman)

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Toyota Motor Corp. (TM, 7203.TO) is recalling 17,000 Lexus sedans after the vehicle spilled fuel during a crash test, according to documents released by federal auto-safety regulators Friday.

The company notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it was recalling the 2010 Lexus HS 250h hybrid model. During a test conducted by an agency contractor, fuel spillage from the vehicle exceeded federal regulations, according to documents filed with the agency.

The problem is being investigated.

"At the present time, Lexus has not identified a remedy to address this issue, but it is working hard to do so promptly and will notify owners as soon as one is developed. Until then, as required by federal law, dealers will not deliver any new vehicles (of the model) in their inventory...until remedied," Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. said in a release issued Friday.

The car maker will halt temporarily production in Japan of the hybrid model for the U.S. market, a Toyota spokesman said.