Good bye LS Hello M35 or M45

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02BlkNightLS

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Well my Lincoln has to go, having some tranny problems. I am going to fix it and sell it. Why can't my LS be as reliable as my 4Runner. That 4Runner only whats 2 things from me, oil and gas now thats a great car.

Does any one have a opinion about US vs. Japan cars. They score higher on consumer reports than US cars, from what I hear, and my experience tells me the same. Me and my LS have had some good times till now!

I want a car that can last till 100k without any major issues. My family always had chevy's and fords growing up, and they always seem to have issues after about 30k, tranny most of the time. I think US cars a good till about 30k after that its a toss up. I want better than that for my hard earned money.

Thank god I can afford a higher end car now, the Ifinti 06-07 M35 280hp and M45 335hp have caught my eye, WOW! Also looking at BMW 06-330i, Lexus-350. See the pattern, all foreign. I Was thinking about the CTS-v but my confidence in US cars has been hurt severely. Does any one disagree that US cars are less reliable than foreign cars. I really hope what I say is not true, but I just seems that way. I have to do some more research.

Well guys it has been nice but I am going to the dark side they just seem to have bar none, better more reliable products.

What do you think?

P.S. Oh, if any one tries to say that I am some sort of traitor, think again US Army vet and now US Military contractor. I am still US where it counts!
 
Try checking consumer reports. They'd give a better reliability check than a group consensus on here.
 
02BlkNightLS said:
Does any one disagree that US cars are less reliable than foreign cars. I really hope what I say is not true, but I just seems that way. I have to do some more research.
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I disagree. 69 Mustang 300,000 mile on the 302 and 3 spd. No problems except clutch. Did finally pull it out to swap a 351 and 4 spd. A very very abused 85 Ford truck rolled over 4 times before the head gasket blew on the straight 6. Never even had to replace the clutch in that one (Granny low is awsome on a 4 spd). Lifted and mudded 93 Chevy Z71 200,000 miles only replaced clutch and 3rd gear synchro. Maybe American luxury vehicles have problems because they are really complex, but the base vehicles seems to last quite some time. They funny thing is, they seem to last longer if they're abused. I've had more problems when babying a vechile vs giving it hell all the time. Even my LS seems to be better now that I am driving it more aggressive.
 
any of those cars would be great. make sure the bmw has all service/maintenance records if you buy used. ive spent quite a bit on upkeep on my bmw due to past owners not taking care of it. that goes the same for any car really, but good luck. i would be confident in the cts-v, seeing as how the lsx engines are pretty bulletproof.
 
GM has started to pull their heads out of their arse and back their cars with a 100k warranty.finaly they are getting out of the mode of makeing cars to break and be replaced after 3yrs.You can call it Jap crap all day long but the cold fact is a bottom of the line Toyota will out last any American car:mad:
 
Funny....................I don't see to many 60s toyotas on the road. I will admit that they and Nissan are capable of going the 100,000 or 200,000 nowadays, but they were junk 30-40 years ago. They are still junk today if you really use/abuse them. Now their higher end models might be a different story but I have yet to find a Jap car that can hold up to American workhorses. Sorry if I'm offending I just don't car for foreign cars except for the BMWs, Jags, and stuff like that. But research those cars to because they have their own problems.
 
IMHO after much research in the past year on the web, I have come to the conclusion that the Infiniti M45 is the closest replacement to the LS. Except for the door keypad, it's got everything and more. The M35 is also good, but I prefer the V8 and the increase in horsepower. :D

I too will someday have to part with my trusty Lincoln LS stead, built in Michigan from Mexican and Canadian parts. And having never owned a rice beater or a Gestapo hauler, I am reluctant to cross the waters. However, even the US-built foreign machines are mechanically and design superior to the union-label Detroit output. And the I M45 is one hot car. IMHO :)
 
I think I have found the car that might replace my LS. It is the new 2007 Infiniti G35.

http://www.infiniti.com/g_sedan/photos/exterior_photos.html

032704-E.jpg
 
TheRebel said:
Funny....................I don't see to many 60s toyotas on the road. I will admit that they and Nissan are capable of going the 100,000 or 200,000 nowadays, but they were junk 30-40 years ago. They are still junk today if you really use/abuse them. Now their higher end models might be a different story but I have yet to find a Jap car that can hold up to American workhorses. Sorry if I'm offending I just don't car for foreign cars except for the BMWs, Jags, and stuff like that. But research those cars to because they have their own problems.
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research "toyota and nissan in 1960's america," and you'll find out why you dont see many on the road today.:rolleyes: there werent exactly a whole lot on the road then.

japanese and german auto makers are leading the way as far as vehicle technology goes. what does my 2000 lincoln ls have that wasnt available on my 92 3 series? umm, nothing besides memory seating...japan is leading the way with hybrid technology. you may thinks its stupid, but its the future. how often do you see foreign auto makers(especially german) advertising 0% interest on their new cars? very seldom, if never. why? people dont need incentives to make them want to buy from them. kia and hyundai were offering some good deals a while back, because they were making a tremendous turnaround, and buyers needed a reason to try them again. gm has the alternative fuel(ethenol) thing going on, but there arent exactly many ethenol stations around that ive seen.

i know this is getting off topic, but tell me why i should buy a ford taurus over a toyota camry. i rest my case. i love my ls, but dont think i didnt look at more bmws first.
 
There is a whole different mind set with Status car buyers, 0 percent interest would go against their self image and belief in the worth of their cars. The Benzs and BMWs, appear to have more than normal mechanical problems and certainly are not in line with their premium price in my opinion. If a car is going to cost twice as much I think it should last much longer. This is not the case. Ask my dad who had a POS 560 benz and a friend with a POS 300D and another who traded his BMW in for a Pontiac of all things. Maybe status but not always reliability or value.

Status is a funny thing. The Lexus here in American is a status car and a reliable car. In Japan, they don't sell well, because they don't have status, they are just expensive Toyotas to the average Japanese consumer. The german brands have the status there, even though they do not have the reliabilty that Japanese consumers have come to expect. THis was in an interesting article last month in the LA Times.

The Japanese admittedly make fine cars now. But they have several brands that are more trouble prone than average. Americans also surprisingly make several fine cars but they have their share of clunkers too. I think the big difference between American and Japanese auto companies is their treatment of customers. The Americans for too long believed they were the cock o' the walk and could get away with things. The Japanese had to play catchup and do things better before American buyers would by their cheap tinny cars.

Now the Americans have to do the same catch up act, but they have to deal with a generation of "Japanese cars are perfect" believers.

The best cars I have had were a Chebby, and a Pontiac. The worst included Datsuns, Nissans, Dodge and some Fords including I fear my Lincoln(too early to be sure). My biggest headaches were usually cars with "exotic" components, usually engines.

None of my American cars except the Lincoln and the Dodge(1967) and Ford SHO gave me trouble before about 100K. Most of the cars that I kept over 100K eventually had tranny problems and usualy some "auxilliary" system like alternators, pumps etc. Parts for most of my American cars were much cheaper. I think in overall ownership costs, my American cars have been more cost effective.

I think the Japanese make possibly the best "normal" cars, but the Americans are not far behind. And watch out for the Koreans, their cars are right up there in reliability surveys. The Chinese for now are an unknown, but their early cars are unsafe and generally POS cars, but then that was true of the Japanese way back. It is the Germans who surprise me with the reliability not matching their price.

If you are buying a car, check the Edmunds and Consumer Reports for reliability and other rankings. I think you will be surprised to see who is high on the reliability list and who isn't.

I think in general, almost all modern cars are far more reliable and require much less maintenance than the older generations. So you won't go far wrong almost whatever you buy.

Good Luck with the Infiniti, I think they are supposed to be reliable, but if they aren't they ain't gonna be cheap to fix,

Jim Henderson
 
ballzac86 said:
1. japan is leading the way with hybrid technology. you may thinks its stupid, but its the future. how often do you see foreign auto makers(especially german)

2. gm has the alternative fuel(ethenol) thing going on, but there arent exactly many ethenol stations around that ive seen.

3. i know this is getting off topic, but tell me why i should buy a ford taurus over a toyota camry. i rest my case. i love my ls, but dont think i didnt look at more bmws first.
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1. I don't think hybrids are stupid. I'm in favor of them

2. In the midwest we have a few ethonal plants, but if the technology continues then we will see more.

3. I would buy neither. My needs are different. I drive the LS for pleasure and it does an excellent job of that. I prefer it over the others except for a few imports. But my layman need is for a truck and so far no Jap can match my Chevy or next Ford.

I'm just going off personal experinces and so far my American/ Mexican domestics seem to be holding up just fine. Maybe I am luckier than others.
 
My boss has a new M45. I have driven with him on a few occasions and that car is on a different level of luxury than the LS. Sorry.
 
fla02ls you have an 05 ls and your having problems with it? i am gonna hold on to my ls for a year and move up to a 03+ model but i keep hearing about problems. i may be steering towards gm product :(
 
eastcoast27959 said:
fla02ls you have an 05 ls and your having problems with it? i am gonna hold on to my ls for a year and move up to a 03+ model but i keep hearing about problems. i may be steering towards gm product :(
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My '05 has had the throttle body changed and 4 coils. I dont think the throttle body needed replacing, the coils seemed to throw some false ETC codes. The coils i guess just take a dump after awhile. Thats nothing new. Its an '05 with 40k on it now. I guess 40k is about the expected life of a LS coil. But i would absolutely recommend upgrading to the newer model. Other than drive by wire, everything about it is just alittle bit better than the 1st gen LS. I would recommend buying a newer one with a factory warranty left. I would say atleast 10-15k miles on a factory warranty is enough time to work out any problems after you have it, for the "little" things that a ESP doesnt cover.
 
ballzac86 said:
i know this is getting off topic, but tell me why i should buy a ford taurus over a toyota camry. i rest my case. i love my ls, but dont think i didnt look at more bmws first.
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Maybe because the transaxle in the '07 Camry is complete garbage? And maybe because Toyota's attitude on the subject appears to be "it's broken, get used to it"?

My boss has a brand new '07 Camry, and this is what he's found in researching the problems he's having with its transaxle. He said that there are, at last count, 11 or 17 (I think he said 17, but it could've been 11) TSBs on that ATX, and they still don't fix all the problems...
 
I have read many reports and found that the foreign cars are the way to go. Not all but there are more than american that are recommended. Someone mentioned the CTS-V. Good luck w/ that, I read a like 3 things on it and they are said the same thing, give or take a few different wordings. Its an a car that eats up very high priced tires, does not hold up in the quality, lots of weird noises and what not. One place said they had to do something w/ the rear-end. I really liked the car but after reading the reports on it I am pretty much against wanting one.

The M's are beautiful cars and so is the G Coupe(not a big fan of the 4 dr).

My g/f has a toyota, '01 and it has 127K and not one thing wrong and its not been taken of for the most part(was her older sisters car before) besides the oil changes and its still going strong. Even w/ the check engine light on. I do not like it cause its a corolla but I gotta say its doing its job very well.
 
Fla02LS said:
My boss has a new M45. I have driven with him on a few occasions and that car is on a different level of luxury than the LS. Sorry.
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Could you expain further what you just said? Like, why are you sorry and what about the level of luxury of the M45?
 
lifer@writeme.com said:
Could you expain further what you just said? Like, why are you sorry and what about the level of luxury of the M45?
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I meant sorry to anyone who didnt think the M45 was a higher level of luxury than the LS. It totally is. Some little things like built in bluetooth, other things like the quality of the interior. Plus 300+ hp isnt too shabby for a stock sedan.
 
My thoughts.....
Ford is in serious trouble with all their brands. I want to buy American, I prefer American but Ford is doing a lousy job in keeping me and apparently many others from buying American cars.

1. I have a 2005 Ranger ext cab, lots of upgrades and extras. My son just bought a 2006 Tacoma, with a crew cab. Miles ahead of the Ranger. Feels better, seems like a better truck. I went to the Ford dealer to inquire about getting a Ranger w/crew cab. The sales manager told me not available. Maybe in 2008. Meanwhile Toyota, Nissan, Chevy, Dodge all have that option. Not Ford. I asked my son why he didn't look at the Ranger. His answer, The Ranger platform has not been updated in over 10 yrs.

2. I love my LS, unfortunately Lincoln brings out an exciting product and then no engineering improvements are ever made.
They keep the car a few years and then shut it down. I.E. Mk VIII, LS.
The only thing you can count on is the Town Car and that client base is dying off.
The LS is no more. Yes, I have had 4 problems with it and they have been covered under warranty. These were interior issues like headliners , seats, water leaks. I don't think Lexus or Infinity would have this type of problem. Like I said, now the LS is finished the Wixom plant is closed down. American workers are now laid off. The new MKZ is now made in Mexico with Mexicans. So why should I buy American now?? Especially when the Japanese have American plants, hiring Americans.

3. Read the latest about the Edge, the new CUV. The only thing that makes me want to buy it is the Ford nameplate. But read the reviews. 600 lbs heavier than its competitors. That is like riding around with 3 200 lb men all the time. The gas mileage is already seriously compromised by the added weight.


4. My daughter wants a Murano. We took one out for a test drive and I have to admit it is a nice vehicle. I don't care for its looks but it is well made and the interior is smart and modern looking.
She doesn't even want to look at a Ford. I forced her to test drive an Escape. She hated it. I have to admit the Murano is a better vehicle.

My daughter and friends all want Japanese cars. Ford has a real perception problem with younger buyers and they better start changing that.

5. I have thought about buying an F-150 with a crew cab, but Ford is now shutting down the F-150 plant here in Norfolk. My neighbors and friends are losing their jobs, so someone from Ford please tell me why I should remain brand loyal.

Just a few of my thoughts....

Doug
 
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