I didn't say it was actually a truck engine, the implication was that it was low-tech and made of iron, like most truck engines, and thus it is more durable than today's aluminum/alloy engines.

FYI most heavy duty semis use an turbo-I6.

M

Guess what guys? The LS430 is actually not that bad a drive up to around 8/10s or so, then it actually does tend to lose the plot a little...but to drive it like that, you are breaking the law bya big margin. Fact is, even in spirited driving, the LS430 is quite good. But it puts supreme comfort ahead of performance and the only way that the BMW 7 series beats it convincingly is that the performance edge that is faster than the law allows...so naughty all of you!

Yep...JD Powers wants my expert opinion again and sent me the usual $1 bill as a token of appreciation.

The form is quite long and the What you Like and Don't Like section is the largest. All subjective oriented...I love this one..."Smell of the vehicle interior" They don't indicate before meals or after

I may fill this one out to keep MB record on the rise...if I fail to respond they will get only the people who don't like the color scheme...:-)

You know Jack, that might be the reason it got such ratings. Maybe pleased owners didn't bother to fill the form because they probably thought who wouldn't like such a car? So take your time and fill it Jack


Oh and who doesn't like new car's interior smell?

The J.D. Powers survey seems to be much like random sampling, you don't know what's coming from where or whom??? Word of mouth is always the best research method.

Well, despite the randomness or otherwise of their sampling, word of mouth inevitably gets you a tiny fraction of what they can achieve. It also gets you the word of people whom only you know.

Plus, confronting people who own the car is hardly likely to produce an objective review. Nobody wants to say that the car they spent $X on is actually crap.

Nevertheless, they can offer you the insight that only an owner can. On the other hand, JD Power can offer you the general overview that only a huge surveying effort can. Use them both for their purposes, and don't give one undue weight over the other.

You may be right Yaz...you very rarely see a lot of complimentary posts on the forums, but you see many more "problem" oriented posts. People who are happy with a product do not complain and therefore do not post and like many will not answer a 8 page survey with really boring and drawn out questions. The What do you like has probably 10 headings and then there are 8-15 individual questions with 10 or so levels of "likes" for each one.

As far as the smell question...there are others that are just as obtuse as that one. Too much useless information...