Which is better car and why:1990 Lexus LS400 or a 1990 Mercedes Benz 300se?

Question

hobbabob - The 300 SE has the 126w not, the 124. It's an "S" class Mercedes Benz with the six cylinder.

Answer 1

Mercedes for one you don't have to crawl down into it.The engine will go over 400,000 miles with a timing chain every 200,000 miles,instead of the other cars rubber timing belts.

Answer 2

this all depends on how each vehicle was used and how well it was serviced.
this being said the ls 400 compares directly w/420 mercedes not124 bodied 300 as much as i personally like the 124 [both working on and driving] the lexus has proven more reliable dryer [no oil leaks] and has a longer lasting suspension [bushing materials have held up better] also climate control and radios still work i have not had to replace so much as an ac hose on any lexus yet, period . the 300's engine while certainly smooth and powerful is a leaker, head gasket and timing cover. plastic timing chain guides are usually found broken at 150k miles of course the chain should be replaced at the same time
exterior fit and finish have been about equal
interior the mercedes dash pads crack from heat unless treated regularly and a sunshield used

Answer 3

Both are at the end of normal service lifetime. 18 year old cars? Why would you want to compare? When a car get that old you need to see what the service history is. Both cars will be frightfully expensive to repair should there be work to be done. Japan Car Parts become obsolete after 12 years. German cars you can get parts for popular cars a little longer because there owners replace lots of parts as they wear out. Japan car owners tend to neglect broken switches and power window motors and locks when there cars get old. The Mercedes Benz you want you cannot close the glove box because the receipts fill it up. MB could cost 1,000's a year to operate.Just look at the last years receipts.

Answer 4

When I was researching buying a new car, we found that the main difference between the Lexus and the Mercedes was that Lexus' are built fully loaded and Mercedes gives you options which allows them to cost less then the Lexus if you choose not to have useless options.

Otherwise we found them comparable but Mercedes in my opinion is the best which is why we bought one. We didn't get that model but we did get Mercedes and it has all the bells and whistles we needed with a few we don't use.

Why pay for things you will never use?

Answer 5

When Brand New I'd say the Mercedes, but today it depends on who had the car prior to you. What condition the car is in overall. I have seen cars with 50k miles on them that are junk, v/s cars with 150K miles that are better depending on maintenance. So it's a difficult question to give a solid answer about. Get as much of the past history on each, and have a mechanic look at each, and then make an informed decision.

Answer 6

The Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes has more of that classy look to it, while to toyota OOPS i mean LEXUS looks old

Answer 7

I go with Mercedes!

Answer 8

Check the kbb.com and see which is a better value... Other than that neithe is the better car. Each is 17 years old and it is not true that they will run forever... Other problems develop and they are either fixed for left for the next owner...