BMW 5 or Lexus GS350???

I

imported_sonyexec

New member
time to buy a new car and I am torn between the BMW 5 series and the Lexus GS350.



I am on my second GS and have had an excellent experience with both GS'. All I have known is toyota, corolla, supra, GS, GS so you can see my hesitation in switching brands. In comparing the two the only thing I know for sure is that maintenance cost on a BMW is a lot more than on a GS ( I know that BMW offers free maint on the first 50k but just about any car you buy now-a-days makes it to 50k without service).



so any opinions, comments, suggestions?
 
I was once in the opposite situation as you. Owned and loved BMW's, moved to Lexus and hated life for a few years, moved back. I know Lexus makes quality vehicles and you are very comfortable with the Lexus experience. You may jump and find you want to go back.... You'll never know if you don't try. :) The Lexus will probably tend to have a softer, more comfortable ride. IMO BMW's feel a little more connected to the road.



The free service does seem noteworthy on the BMW's and it did shock me the first time I took my Lexus in for scheduled maintenance and they wanted $300. It also blew my mind a little when I went in for brakes and had to pay for them. lol
 
I love BMW, own one, but if you're looking for a sedan and you're not getting an upper model 5 seriesl, maybe your 530 i would consider the Acura RL.... listen im not a big japanese automotive fan, but my buddy's parents bought this instead of the 5 series and i was AMAZED at the detail and class put into this vehicle... BE SURE TO CHECK ONE OUT!!!! Im not kidding! They were also looking at the Benz e350 and e500... This RL is really nice!
 
Hello!!



I have a 5 series and was going to add my thoughts.



I think they are two different beasts, the 5 is a drivers car through and through. It handles and accelerates well and you feel in control at all speeds.



I feel the GS is more about luxery crusing, the setup from a driving point of view is distinctly softer. Its a much more laid back drive but thats good for somethings like motorway crusing and if you just prefer a more relaxed drive.



The looks of the 5 series go well with its brutish abilitlys on the road. It something you are punishd by or punish with. The GS is much more sleek and it seduces you as a technology focused upmarket looker.



I wouldent give MB a second look to be honest. The new E has had good press but there are 3 in my office and only one hasnt suffered problems with electrical issues.



The Audi A6 is a sweet package esp. with the Quattro package but thats really main benefit and unless you get a big discount its not as good as the 5.



The Acura RL has good mix of everything and is keenly priced. I would choose that if you want AWD over 5 series awd. BMWs are not about awd.



Just a few opinions!!



Geoff
 
If you are not fan of frequent, necessary software updates, go for another Lexus.



If your eyes are comfortable with Lexus' panel gaps and overall build quality, maybe the BMW will scream another story (chunk). IMO it's disgusting when I can see deep into the gaps because they are a mile wide, and Germans use a larger radius at the edge of the panels when stamping, so the gaps look even larger than they are.



Oh, and while the RL is really a terrific machine, I'd recommend that you should wait for the MMC.
 
I will be biased on this one, take the lexus. I have driven the new and the old 5 series and the new and the old GS and IMO there really is no comparision, The GS is a clear winner, I still think the first GEN GS beat the 5 series in almost every category as well. On the new GS's everything is top notch, from the paint to the interior materials are all high class. Case closed.:grinno:
 
With the Lexus you can get the premium Mark Levinson sound system. The best factory stereo system in the world probably. True hi-fidelity with amazing imaging, not something that's just loud and rattles the license plate on the trunk lid.
 
Thanks for all the great opions and I will take a second look at the RL and give it a test ride. I understand the BMW is a driver's car and I only wish I lived someplace where I could take advantage of the top notch handling the car delivers. Unfortunatly I am in So Calif where the majority of our freeways are straight as arrows and congested. If I want to take advantage of a performance car I would have to get on the freeways between midnight and 3a - any other time there is traffic. Given that maybe I should concentrate on creature comforts in a car, those that can be enjoyed at our break neck traffic hour speeds of 15-20mph LOL. :thx
 
Do I really need to say anything else? PURE FOOKING SEX!!!!
 

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I was pondering the same question when I bought my GS. My friend, who used to be a mechanic at BMW, told me this; If you're looking to buy, get a Lexus. If you're going to lease, get a Bimmer. Problems on the Bimmer usually appear the day after the warranty expires. So I got a GS.



If you are in congestion and love power, the GS450h is awesome. Just waiting for year-end price drop and will probably go in and get one this year.
 
I have a 2005 RL. Not a "drivers" car. Great tech and very smooth ride. I went with it over BMW due to AWD (needed it in NY).
 
Owned Audi's & drove BMW and MB. I drive 20 to 25K miles a year and now own a GS. I had constant issues with the Audis, even nicknamed it the $800 car because NOTHING ever cost less than $800 to fix. I've had Lexus and Acuras and never had anything major break.



The 3.5 motor in the GS has lots of power. The Hybrid version is plain fast. IF you like Lexus, buy Lexus. The first time you experience BMW service issues, you'll be sorry you didn't buy Lexus. Also, the dealer experience is much more pleasant at Lexus.



My .02's worth.
 
My wife wants to get rid of her Jeep Cherokee and get into a sedan, these are the 2 cars she is looking at also. I've owned an '02 IS300 and loved it, if I go with a lease i'm leaning towards the 5, if I buy I think i'd go with the GS but we're still looking. We're also going to take a look at the Infiniti M35 too.
 
The 2 cars you are looking at are really not the kind of cars that would compete with one another. European cars are built for handling and performance, keep in mind these are cars that are usually driven on different kinds of roads than we have here in the U.S. The Japanese cars are built to be quiet, comfortable, and are filled with electronic gadgets. As a person who used to sell Lexus and now sells Mercedes Benz if you want a performance car go for a European car, if you want comfort and luxury the Lexus is the way to go. Also like one of the other guys said if you want to lease a car in most cases the BMW will have a lower monthly payment than the Lexus, Keep in mind that with the BMW you will be forced to keep it until the end of the lease unless you want to get into anothe BMW. BMW Financial inflates their residual values in order to make their monthly payments lower so due to this if you want to get out of your lease earlier than the term and get another type of car you will have a negative equity situation. Lexus on the other hand does not do that which would make it easier for you to get out of the lease earlier if you choose to.
 
A BMW owner who has never driven anything other than BMWs will tell you it's the best thing out there, Lexus owners will do the same to defend their purchase. Your best bet is to test drive the models you prefer and also do some reading on real world owner experiences like forums or edmunds.com. The previous poster is right when he said euro cars tend to lean more on the performance side but if you compare Japanese brands (not necessarily makes 'coz some are made in the US). Honda/ Acura tends to lean more on a mixture of performance and luxury and technology. Toyota/ Lexus has more emphasis on the luxury side so it caters to an older age bracket, some would even say too much luxury on the Lexus (beauty is in the eye of the beholder.) I disagree however about the technology part since BMW and MB are pioneers of a lot of technlogy hat has trickled down to the (other) mainstream brands. (Shiftronic, ABS, GPS Navigation, Multi function Steering Wheels, etc..)



Having personal experiences with Lexus, Acura, Mercedes-Benz and now BMW. BMW service and Mercedes IMO is almost at par, but Lexus I think outshines most. Acura service sucks big time and I would not say their cars are not any more reliable than any of the above. MB has had some bad publicity recently but have been showing an improvement lately. German cars do have issues about being "over-engineered". VW/ Audi is the best example of this.



My reasoning for getting a BMW is that after my experiences with the above brands, I feel that BMW, especially the 5 Series is indeed a driver's car. If you like driving and lots of it with no emphasis on worrying about where to put your drinks or fiddle around with any gadgets and both hands on 9 and 3. That's where I'm at right now and my E39 M-Sport 530i is indeed the best car (sedan) I've ever driven (so far).



If you like that floaty, quiet plush ride then go with Lexus. But Lexus over BMW isn't going to be any cheaper.
 
no quetion:

Scottwax said:
2007 Lexus IS350



The sun popped out for a few minutes so I quickly took these shots:



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Click to expand...

^^^^credits to scottwax
 
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