What Makes a Premium Car these days?

Linas.P · August 16, 2018

37 minutes ago, st4 said:

I didn’t feel the car was that “customisable”

If Merc is not customisable... What about Lexus then?

I ran google search - "A960E transmission problems/ +faults/ +replacement/ +failure", scrolled trough first 5 pages didn't found any actual issue. There are topics like "what to look after", "how likely it is to fail", "how much would be replacement if it would fail" etc. Not as single person reporting the fault. Now I don't say that faulty transmissions don't exist - but I cannot find any case of that. Again if you have the link to those "several threads" I would be more then happy to read it. I can find you several threads in this forum (never mind google) about manual gearbox with DMF issue or needing clutch replacement (it is not even fault, it is more like when not if).

No response for the cost? £5000.. no? Or do we agree the actual costs are like 10x smaller? smaller then even average clutch replacement? In which case it doesn't even matter if the gearbox "craps out" at 140k miles - still cheaper then clutch replacement...

st4 · August 16, 2018

If Merc is not customisable... What about Lexus then?
I ran google search - "A960E transmission problems/ +faults/ +replacement/ +failure", scrolled trough first 5 pages didn't found any actual issue. There are topics like "what to look after", "how likely it is to fail", "how much would be replacement if it would fail" etc. Not as single person reporting the fault. Now I don't say that faulty transmissions don't exist - but I cannot find any case of that. Again if you have the link to those "several threads" I would be more then happy to read it. I can find you several threads in this forum (never mind google) about manual gearbox with DMF issue or needing clutch replacement (it is not even fault, it is more like when not if).
No response for the cost? £5000.. no? Or do we agree the actual costs are like 10x smaller? smaller then even average clutch replacement? In which case it doesn't even matter if the gearbox "craps out" at 140k miles - still cheaper then clutch replacement...

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-3rd-gen-2006-2011/801228-lexus-lawsuit-transmission-vsc-p2757-issues.html

5100 usd. So not far off £5000

And another....several with issues.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-2nd-gen-2006-2013/799041-replace-or-try-to-fix-transmission.html

Ok - I stand by my comment that as a car gets on a MT isn’t a bad thing.

Re customisation Lexus do the old age trick of just giving you pretty much everything as standard which works well. I have a GS with no options and spec wise it’s comparable to a standard S class. I cannot think of anything I don’t have in the car I don’t want other than a clutch pedal and I’ll live with it because the car will be gone before 100k - a bit before the a960e goes bang

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Linas.P · August 16, 2018

Did you actually red into those threads - both times the issue was faulty solenoid, not actual A960E having mechanical problem. Anyhow, the price quoted ($5100) is just american dealer quote - has no bearing to real life. Anything substantial will always cost thousands from dealer, take for example IS220d engine - £8000 to replace! Ar you actually telling me that there is a sane person on Earth who would be paying that money when entire car costs less then £2200 and engines are plentiful in scrappies for £250-400.

Secondly, you undermine your own argument saying, that clutch in 100k miles is no issue for you because you will replace the car before that - can we not make same argument for AT then? Even if we assume it will explode after 140-160k? That is irrelevant right - because you would have changed the car well before 100k anyway....

st4 · August 16, 2018

Did you actually red into those threads - both times the issue was faulty solenoid, not actual A960E having mechanical problem. Anyhow, the price quoted ($5100) is just american dealer quote - has no bearing to real life. Anything substantial will always cost thousands from dealer, take for example IS220d engine - £8000 to replace! Ar you actually telling me that there is a sane person on Earth who would be paying that money when entire car costs less then £2200 and engines are plentiful in scrappies for £250-400.
Secondly, you undermine your own argument saying, that clutch in 100k miles is no issue for you because you will replace the car before that - can we not make same argument for AT then? Even if we assume it will explode after 140-160k? That is irrelevant right - because you would have changed the car well before 100k anyway....

Reread it - both times solenoid replacement didn’t fix it and replacing the box was needed. I wouldn’t put in a part from a breakage yard as the part might not last that much longer. I recall a Volvo I owned had a faulty gearbox, it was 56k miles old and 4.5 years old - the repair was quoted at 3k and a new one at 5k. Put some new fluid in and it was fine for 2k mikes then started misbehaving- I ended up selling it. Had it been a manual it just wouldn’t have happened and a new clutch a few hundred.

I’d keep mine longer if it was an MT. I’m going to change it earlier due to worries over the AT

ATs are nice but I don’t have an huge objection to changing gear myself.

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