You guys just got me thinking about reliability vs satisfaction when it comes to German cars and Japanese cars.
(Again - let's not get reliability mixed up with "quality." In my book, they're mutually independent terms. VW, for instance, makes very high quality cars with below-average reliability. Buick, on the oppisite end, makes average quality cars with good reliability.)
I spent most of yesterday afternoon at a Toyota dealership, kicking the tires and testing cars with a friend. Although I like what Toyota does, and their cars have an unflappable track record for reliability, I just couldn't "get into" any of their vechicles. Much as they're excellent specimens of what to do with entry-level and midrange, I just didn't feel any magic coming from these things.
It's silly, but this is the kind of stuff you just can't wrangle out of a Consumer Reports magazine. Even though the upcoming LS460 is destined to be airtight and fabulous, there's no way the thing delivers style or satisfaction the way any of the big German boats can.
Sure, the 7er, A8 and S-Klasse are prone to electrical defects, which is irritating when your time is money. On the other hand, new owners of these cars aren't on the hook for these repairs. Most new Luxo-boat buyers won't hang on to the things for any extended period of time, so shine it... right?
From what I've seen of the new LS, Lexus has certainly stepped up their game. It looks contemporary, and boasts enough outrageous tech to rival any of the Germans. What the car lacks is the sense of special occasion. The interior makes this clear, with lines and switchgear that say "This is a nice car... carry on."