Hassle free luxury car

nydoc · Post by **nydoc** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:59 pm

Hi,
I am thinking of getting a luxury coupe/sedan. My plan is to keep it only for 2-3 years and have no intention to do any self maintenance. Occasionally our preschooler will also travel in it. Budget is max 100K. I am leaning towards leasing in stead or buying and reselling. Any recommendations? So far I have liked Lexus LC500.
Thanks.

ram · Post by **ram** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:08 pm

I like my Lexus LS 460.

PharmerBrown · Post by **PharmerBrown** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:11 pm

The Mercedes AMG CLS if I was only going to own it while under warranty. I sat in one at the last auto show and it was impressive. The practical side of me remains a Lexus fan.

z91 · Post by **z91** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:11 pm

Lexus.

delamer · Post by **delamer** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:17 pm

By hassle free, do you just mean reliable?

bi0hazard · Post by **bi0hazard** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:22 pm

I have no reason to believe there are any 100k luxury vehicles which aren’t hassle free for 2-3 years. Why would you even think of doing your own maintenance at that price? Just pick what you like. More importantly, research the dealership, and make sure they will take care of you (recalls, oil changes, etc). I’d personally check out MB s-class , the benchmark.

megabad · Post by **megabad** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:25 pm

It sounds like this will be a new car. Given the short ownership window, most maintenance will be done at the dealer and statistically you should have no major issues. Any issues would likely be covered by warranty.

In general this means any major brand car should work as far as hassle is concerned. If you care about resale (probably don’t given the luxury car purchase), you might want to buy Japanese, but that doesn’t have much to do with hassle.

Technically a car with autopilot would be “less hassle” to drive I suppose so that would put something like a Tesla in the less hassle camp I guess. I suppose there should be less scheduled maintenance on electric cars as well...just a thought.

nydoc · Post by **nydoc** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:50 pm

Hassle free means no breakdown. Routine expected maintenance is fine. And also a little sporty.

anon_investor · Post by **anon_investor** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 7:03 pm

nydoc wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:50 pm Hassle free means no breakdown. Routine expected maintenance is fine. And also a little sporty.

Lexus.

nydoc · Post by **nydoc** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 7:08 pm

Any comments about leasing?

runner3081 · Post by **runner3081** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 7:18 pm

For 2-3 years you can quite literally buy any make or model and have it be hassle free.

megabad · Post by **megabad** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 7:21 pm

nydoc wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 7:08 pm Any comments about leasing?

I think leasing is perfect for the circumstance you outlined (assuming you are a low mileage driver). Obviously leasing luxury cars every 3 years is not cheap, but I think you may actually come out ahead vs taking the massive depreciation hit on luxury car and reselling yourself in that same ownership period. Just don’t cause any damage or go over the mileage limit.

edge · Post by **edge** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 7:30 pm

Heavily stacked segment. Keeping a little ‘sporty’ in mind...

Coupe: lc500 or f-type
Sedan: m5 (bigger) or m340i (smaller)

tmcc · Post by **tmcc** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:09 pm

are you locked in on car/sedan? personally luxury trucks are where its at. take a sierra denali or f250 king ranch for a ride.

porsche panamera s - love the new panamera's. they look amazing

if you'll go for a truck or full size SUV
sierra 2500 denali diesel
f250 king ranch diesel
escalade/yukon denali/tahoe

nydoc · Post by **nydoc** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:36 pm

Yes. Coupe or sedan. Driving a big truck will make me look like a dolt in nyc.
Panamera is great.

Brianmcg321 · Post by **Brianmcg321** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:37 pm

Lexus.

I'm in the market now and will probably be getting a LS460 some time late next year.

megabad · Post by **megabad** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:44 pm

nydoc wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:36 pm Yes. Coupe or sedan. Driving a big truck will make me look like a dolt in nyc.
Panamera is great.

Where I live, we commonly use a similar d word to describe both the drivers of lifted trucks and luxury vehicles. It is not dolt.

I actually like Rovers if those count as luxury.

sambb · Post by **sambb** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:56 pm

3 years ? lease. brand doesnt matter. warranty works.

cogito · Post by **cogito** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:59 pm

If I knew I would only have a car for 3 years I would specifically go for something known to have problems out of warranty. Get a Quadrifoglio, not a boring Lexus! C'mon man! Anything you buy new on the market is going to run just fine for 3 years.

hicabob · Post by **hicabob** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:02 pm

nydoc wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:36 pm Yes. Coupe or sedan. Driving a big truck will make me look like a dolt in nyc.
Panamera is great.

Parking a fullsize truck would be a nightmare in any semi-metro area too. Those things are HUGE. Parking spaces in SF or similar are a lot tighter than in Iowa farm country. Lease a Benz or something in that range. Some of the new leases where you can swap the car every month would be fun but expensive. I know Volvo has this option.

bogledogle · Post by **bogledogle** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:05 pm

nydoc wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:59 pm Hi,
I am thinking of getting a luxury coupe/sedan. My plan is to keep it only for 2-3 years and have no intention to do any self maintenance. Occasionally our preschooler will also travel in it. Budget is max 100K. I am leaning towards leasing in stead or buying and reselling. Any recommendations? So far I have liked Lexus LC500.
Thanks.

All Luxury cars are hassle free if you lease them. If you have a problem, dump it at the dealer and get a loaner.

bi0hazard · Post by **bi0hazard** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:12 pm

Yikes, I wouldn’t want to drive a 100k car in nyc! Especially a lease. You need a beater.

Also, genesis is more reliable than Lexus.

https://www.jdpower.com/business/pres ... ity-study

nydoc · Post by **nydoc** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:30 pm

NYC and suburbs.

eye.surgeon · Post by **eye.surgeon** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:36 pm

bi0hazard wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:12 pm Yikes, I wouldn’t want to drive a 100k car in nyc! Especially a lease. You need a beater.

Also, genesis is more reliable than Lexus.

https://www.jdpower.com/business/pres ... ity-study

Ever been to a Genesis dealership/service center? Most of them are Hyundai dealerships. Don't expect a Lexus experience in a Hyundai dealership.

cogito · Post by **cogito** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:58 pm

eye.surgeon wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:36 pm
Ever been to a Genesis dealership/service center? Most of them are Hyundai dealerships. Don't expect a Lexus experience in a Hyundai dealership.

Ever been to a Lexus dealership/service center? Most of them are Toyota dealerships. Don't expect a Genesis experience in a Toyota dealership.

yogesh · Post by **yogesh** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:04 pm

cogito wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:58 pm
eye.surgeon wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:36 pm
Ever been to a Genesis dealership/service center? Most of them are Hyundai dealerships. Don't expect a Lexus experience in a Hyundai dealership.
Ever been to a Lexus dealership/service center? Most of them are Toyota dealerships. Don't expect a Genesis experience in a Toyota dealership.

May I suggest Tesla Model S

ram · Post by **ram** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:11 pm

nydoc wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:50 pm Hassle free means no breakdown. Routine expected maintenance is fine. And also a little sporty.

The moment you add "sporty" lexus slips down by more than a few notches.

My Lexus LS 460 is NOT sporty.
Luxurious: Yes.
Quiet: Yes.
Smooth ride : Yes.
Powerful: Yes.
Reliable: YES. Absolutely nothing has broken in the last 5 years.

If I wanted reliability and sportiness in the same luxurious car I would likely consider an Audi. Better still I would get 2 different cars.

jabberwockOG · Post by **jabberwockOG** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:14 pm

cogito wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:58 pm
eye.surgeon wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:36 pm
Ever been to a Genesis dealership/service center? Most of them are Hyundai dealerships. Don't expect a Lexus experience in a Hyundai dealership.
Ever been to a Lexus dealership/service center? Most of them are Toyota dealerships. Don't expect a Genesis experience in a Toyota dealership.

Toyota dealers do not sell Lexus vehicles in the US. Lexus has its own unique dealers in the US. The customer experience buying and getting service on a Lexus in the US is very different than at a Toyota dealership.

cogito · Post by **cogito** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:21 pm

jabberwockOG wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:14 pm

Toyota dealers do not sell Lexus vehicles in the US. Lexus has its own unique dealers in the US. The customer experience buying and getting service on a Lexus in the US is very different than at a Toyota dealership.

Ah, you know, I actually did not know that. So thanks for setting me straight. I was indeed being a little snarky, but to reframe my point a bit, I think its fair to view Hyundai/Genesis, Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura, VW/Audi as all very comparable tiers in the car world. You will get quality up and down the line, and probably a great dealership experience as well, but Porsche/Ferrari/Bentley/Lamborghini it ain't. Regardless, if OP buys a Genesis or a Lexus for 3 years, maintenance is not going to be a concern. They should buy the car they want and not fret about being stranded on the side of the road.

phxjcc · Post by **phxjcc** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:37 pm

PharmerBrown wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:11 pm The Mercedes AMG CLS if I was only going to own it while under warranty. I sat in one at the last auto show and it was impressive. The practical side of me remains a Lexus fan.

C, yes
CLS, no.

cheesepep · Post by **cheesepep** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:46 pm

I would lease. Steve Jobs leased a new Benz every 6 months, just not to have a license plate be attached to the car and distract from the overall appearance of the car. It was like a pimple (my words, not his).

bi0hazard · Post by **bi0hazard** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:52 pm

eye.surgeon wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:36 pm
bi0hazard wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:12 pm Yikes, I wouldn’t want to drive a 100k car in nyc! Especially a lease. You need a beater.

Also, genesis is more reliable than Lexus.

https://www.jdpower.com/business/pres ... ity-study
Ever been to a Genesis dealership/service center? Most of them are Hyundai dealerships. Don't expect a Lexus experience in a Hyundai dealership.

I don’t own a genesis, but I don’t think you know how this works. OP wants it for 2-3 years. He doesn’t go to the dealer. Genesis goes to the customer.

https://owners.genesis.com/us/en/resou ... nce.html

Adfmacro · Post by **Adfmacro** » Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:58 pm

The LS 500 is the sedan version of the LC 500 coupe and is the newer model of the LS460. I loved my old ES 300 before it was totaled and I know someone who seems pretty pampered at the Lexus dealership.

“Hassle free luxury car” just seems like it should be an oxymoron. I like the Edmunds app to check out reviews and specs between vehicles. But I will confess that $100,000 Is not the price point I focus In on.

Jack FFR1846 · Post by **Jack FFR1846** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 7:20 am

cogito wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:59 pm If I knew I would only have a car for 3 years I would specifically go for something known to have problems out of warranty. Get a Quadrifoglio, not a boring Lexus! C'mon man! Anything you buy new on the market is going to run just fine for 3 years.

This is a great idea! The only downside is that problems like the car just shutting down randomly occur with ALFAs. Much, much nicer than anything Lexus has ever dreamed of, but the day to day unreliability would prevent me from going that route. (and I've owned 3 ALFAs myself in the past)

Sandtrap · Post by **Sandtrap** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 7:22 am

nydoc wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:59 pm Hi,
I am thinking of getting a luxury coupe/sedan. My plan is to keep it only for 2-3 years and have no intention to do any self maintenance. Occasionally our preschooler will also travel in it. Budget is max 100K. I am leaning towards leasing in stead or buying and reselling. Any recommendations? So far I have liked Lexus LC500.
Thanks.

Why?

j

hunoraut · Post by **hunoraut** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 7:36 am

Why dont you just get a Lexus GSF if you like the LC500? same drivetrain, in 4dr

nydoc · Post by **nydoc** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 7:46 am

I don’t have any interest in driving a sporty luxury car after 40.

FireSekr · Post by **FireSekr** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 8:02 am

A Lexus isn’t sporty. If you drive one everyone will assume you are over the age of 70 and have back problems.

Any Mercedes, BMW, Audi should be relatively problem free for the first 3 years which would cover a lease term.

The posters all claiming a “hassle free luxury car is an oxymoron” are just trying to justify their own decisions to buy Toyotas or overpriced Toyotas with leather (Lexus)

Follow the facts. The long term reliability surveys all indicate that Porsche, BMW, and Audi are fairly close to Lexus in reliability, and ahead of touted Japanese brands like Honda, Nissan etc. Toyota may be marginally better for reliability but the gap has narrowed on that front and widened on the actual experience.

If you want a Toyota with leather and an 80s style Casio clock get a Lexus. If you want a sporty luxury car Audi, BMW, or Mercedes are on another level and should have no problem getting you through a 3 year lease without incident.

nydoc · Post by **nydoc** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 8:14 am

From what I have seen, Porsche seems to be more reliable compared to other German cars.

flaccidsteele · Post by **flaccidsteele** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 8:46 am

nydoc wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:59 pm Hi,
I am thinking of getting a luxury coupe/sedan. My plan is to keep it only for 2-3 years and have no intention to do any self maintenance. Occasionally our preschooler will also travel in it. Budget is max 100K. I am leaning towards leasing in stead or buying and reselling. Any recommendations? So far I have liked Lexus LC500.
Thanks.

I would suggest test driving the S550

dknightd · Post by **dknightd** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:02 am

I'd probably lease something if I knew I only wanted it for 2-3 years.
I'd probably get a 4 door if I knew I was going to have to strap a young kid in a car seat very often.
I'd have the car seat more or less permanently attached, with a mat underneath it.
I'd pick the car I liked, with either a dealer nearby, or one willing to come pick it up and leave you with a loaner.
I'm not sure why you do not want a sporty luxury car after you turn 40. You may also have to decide, which is more important, luxury or sporty, and how do you define each?
I've never leased a car. I suspect the hidden hassle is having to make the decision again when the lease expires.

FireSekr · Post by **FireSekr** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:06 am

nydoc wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 8:14 am From what I have seen, Porsche seems to be more reliable compared to other German cars.

They are.

When they do need repairs those repairs are more expensive than BMW and Mercedes but about the same as Audi. Luckily Porsche is more reliable than their German counterparts so they don’t have problems all that often. In a 3 year lease you shouldn’t have to make any trips to the dealer other than oil changes.

The Panamera Sport Turismo would make an excellent sporty family car.

hunoraut · Post by **hunoraut** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:16 am

FireSekr wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 8:02 am A Lexus isn’t sporty....
If you want a sporty luxury car Audi, BMW, or Mercedes are on another level

Lexus is the few manufacturers left with a naturally aspirated V8. It revs to 7300RPM. It's probably one of the sportiest motors left in production.

Audi, BMW, and Mercedes are not sportier. Mercedes sedans are shoutier Lexus with turbochargers. Audi sedans are front-wheel-centric touring cars. BMW left their sporting heritage about 2 generations ago and doesn't know what they want to be anymore, as their current M sedans are AWD and turbocharged.

Alfa Romeo makes the sportiest sedans, but they're not quite reliable. Had one a few years ago.. looked quite good but is otherwise a general mess.

flaccidsteele · Post by **flaccidsteele** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:28 am

FireSekr wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:06 am
The Panamera Sport Turismo would make an excellent sporty family car.

+1 another nice option

iamlucky13 · Post by **iamlucky13** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:58 am

bi0hazard wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:22 pm I have no reason to believe there are any 100k luxury vehicles which aren’t hassle free for 2-3 years.

Unfortunately, surveys show all makes have a high rate of reliability problems within the first 3 years regardless of price point. The average rate of problems measured in JD Power's reliability surveys for 3 year old cars is over 100 per 100 vehicles, so any new car buyer should expect to a problem or two.

Usually these are not in the drivetrain or other critical parts of the vehicle. Regardless of the brand, it is very unlikely you will be stranded by a breakdown of a new car, and warranties are 3+ years for these nuisance issues so you shouldn't have unexpected costs, but you will still have to schedule visits to the dealership to fix them.

https://www.jdpower.com/business/press- ... lity-study

It seems Lexus continues to be at or near the top of the list for reliability.

NJdad6 · Post by **NJdad6** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:00 am

Any make will be fine. They will most likely have a full warranty and even included service for 2-3 years. Also the sedans/SUVs should also have high safety scores. Reliability really only matters if you are buying used or planning to keep for a long time.

At that budget and timeframe get whatever you like best. MB, BMW, Porsche, Maserati, Jaguar, etc.

ClevrChico · Post by **ClevrChico** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:05 am

Lexus defined hassle free. The LC500 is amazing.

Friends with luxury German cars are always going back to the dealer for warranty work. One had to have their car shipped several states away for a certified body shop. No thanks.

delamer · Post by **delamer** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:15 am

ClevrChico wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:05 am Lexus defined hassle free. The LC500 is amazing.

Friends with luxury German cars are always going back to the dealer for warranty work. One had to have their car shipped several states away for a certified body shop. No thanks.

We have bought several German luxury cars that were 2 to 3 years old, and never had to take one in for work under the warranty. And never had a major repair even after 5 to 7 years. EDIT: I was wrong on the major repairs — we had a 7 year-old Mercedes and the AC stopped working. Given that and an upcoming expensive routine maintenance, we decided to sell the car. So that’s 1 out of 6.

We’ve always faithfully done routine maintenance (including replacements for normal wear-and-tear like new tires) and had a couple recalls that were fixed.

BTW, OP, some of the luxury brands — like BMW, Volvo, and Jaguar — offer free maintenance for a few years on new vehicles: https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/are- ... th-it.html

(And, yes, I understand that free maintenance is different than warranty work.)

sk2101 · Post by **sk2101** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:20 am

Porsche Panamera. Looks like you are looking for something sporty and those are very reliable when new.

Lexus would be my recommendation if you were keeping it for 10 years. I would not get the LC if you need to carry kids becasue the backseat is useless.

OldBallCoach · Post by **OldBallCoach** » Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:27 am

750i X drive from BMW should fit the bill. 2-3 years they are solid. Lease it and move on. Nice drive, safe, secure, sporty. Then go and buy a Landcruiser. Solid, boring, safe and built like a brick S house.