DDLexus

Aldo.
Would you mind providing us with the details of your purchase and comparisson?

Couple questions...

1. Purchase price/lease deal
2. color/options you compared on your final choices (LS vs 7-series)
3. Dealerships you worked with and your impression
4. Lessons learned from your exercise

Just thought it would be interesting to hear your side rather than everyone else.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

Me too

And pictures, please

We have an S500 and I guess once you're used to it, it gets pretty boring. As compared to the 7, subjectively, the 7 is waaay better looking than the S500, imo.

krippled

Good points from everyone. BMW 7 series do have better handling and also do look very attractive. If money is not a subject, this car is better than the LS4. The point of choosing LS over 7series is the over-all plus and minuses. Lexus are RELIABLE!! and definitely more practical than MB and BW's. For the money that the Europeans spends with the expensive materials meaning parts they use for their vehicles
there is not be any reasons that their car will be less reliable than Lexus. Lexus is only 15 years old and the BMW and MBenz have been around making luxury car even when Hitler was still alive lol. Point being is..Engineering comparision. It is fairly amazing enough to compare a Japanese made vehicle like the LS4 against the ultimate driving machines. This should be a miss match. From what we see its a close race. Lexus never stop improving, and that's the main strength Lexus have. BMW are dropping in the reliability scale. The BMW SUV compare with the RX3,,,,,this is a good analogy for u guyz. I owned the BW
Suv and hate it. Window problem, idles up and down, tranny surge and more. I return the darn thing!!. My friends RX3 still kicks ***. Germans in my opinion are one of the best engineers in the world, yet it is disappointing that a bunch of japanese are catching up to them. lol. 7 series handling is ok compare to
Cadillac and Lincoln not to forget these american cars don't cost $70g. Over-all rating...the LS4 is better than the 7series. If you ride the 2 cars for only 4 years...then the 7 series is the better car.

Just to let u all know... I still own my first 91 LS 400 with the original tranny and engine without any major work done. Yes,,, I have 269,000 miles on it. This is not a diesel car lol.

ktiger

I think the S55 is the best full size luxury/sport sedan on the market today. If you were going for just luxury then it's the LS 430 Ultra hands down. If you are looking at just a driving experience then the 7 series is your ride but if you are looking for both with one car without having to modify it in any way then the S55 is the car you need to buy.

RNM GS3

Up until 2005, wasn't MB maint. service free for all their models for the first 3 or 4 years?

All these cars are top of the line flagships so there is no bad choice.

RON430

If you find reliability to be important and expected in this price range, there is not much to decide here. If performance is highest in your priority list, I suspect the 7 is worth putting up with the poor reliability and other issues as mentioned. Please lease it with the extended warranty and flip the keys back to bimmer. But, if performance is the highest priority for you, you would be foolish to get the 7 at present. The consensus estimates on the freshened 7 is for minor tweeking of the body and other components but the engine is widely acknowledged as going to 4.8l and in the neighborhood of 400hp while the 760s V12 will be tweeked to get to the range of the M5's 500hp. If you can't get Lexus reliability or admit your design (interior and exterior) failings, you might as well stuff in a bag full of hp, works for Chrysler. Can't think of a reason to settle for a current 7 other than price and at this range, that would be false economy. The depreciation on the current 7 will be even steeper if the rumors on the new one are true. If they are, it will be very difficult to put the LS in the same category as the 7, probably better to compare it to the non AMG S and RL. And if that 4.8 winds up in the 5, and it probably will, the GS is also not going to be an alternative to the performance of the 5 by a lot.

aldo23

reasons for buying the car, i didint add the comments, or should i say question you guys asked..so ill break it dwon to what i did and why i did, and you guys can tear me apart later. for the record, im fairly young 28, i own 3properties here in miami(incase u rip me by saying why waste money on a car), and im doing good in the work force. yrs ago, i bought the 02' TL, in 01, some 3-4yrs ago of course..the car was great but it suffered transmission problems, something about the car being built here instead of japan..whatever..sold it..but the thing was i was young and the car was already paid for..i use to believe that everything should be paid for..times have changed..anyways..so i always had a free 20k in my pocket for cars, b/c quite simply i dont think of it as money in the bank..i just use it for collateral or deposit when i buy cars..anyways, so i went to lexus traded it in..got 20k for it and bought a GS4, w/ 20k miles on it, and had the CPO warranty..the car had no problems, for the 1st 40k, but when the car hit 60k, the car felt like crap and i could feel the beginings of the end..so i went of to look for a better car, i wanted to treat myself considering i busted my ***. i drove the LS430 UL..nice car, but the sales-people were jerks, some even tried to use schemes, and one pretty much embarrased me considering im so young..that 1 left a real bad impression on me..anyway...so i kept looking around, and came across a buddy of mine who sells high-end cars, hence the test drive, well the borrowing of the CL600 for about 4hrs. later i saw the BMW, and how can i say this, i fell in love, i knew the problems, but i truly was impressed by the car. the handling especially on curves, the manual transmission, and the overall lack of noise..yea, the idrive has its quirks, but i still here my new emenim and nas CD. i never use navigation so that wont be a problem, i always know where im going, well i think i do..anyway, the car was impressive, and i made the call to the dealership to carfax it, and make sure the warranty is still good which it was, the previous owner is a multi-millionaire who had 14-cars, popular guy here in miami named Lennar, just gave UM 100million dollars...regardless its a 7-series, for a young guy like me its nice to have this car here in miami, its a status symbol, yea, stupid to some of you guys..but i gurantee to you rolex guys, im sure you let everyone know you have one, i doubt you hide it under your sleeve..same thing w/ the 7, heads turn w/ that car...even when its stock...next yrs gift will be 22's by the way...as far as price drops, everything in life drops, but ive seen old 7-seies still demand money..remeber the guys who love BMW's will always love BMW's, and same goes for Lexus. I dropped 10k, and all i owe on that car is 36k, so i roughly pay 600 a month for amoster machine...bad choice, well ill let you guys decide that for yourselves, b/c trust me ive made some lousy choices in my young life..but like everything ill dealw/ the consequences, b/c luckily for me i can live w/ this one...the car is gunmetal color, w/ a black dash and wheel, and a brown interior. 19" stock rims, and air suspension in the rear..the seats are bad ***, auto everything...i had some pics, but they came out bad..ill post them up soon..sorry for the long thread..

ktiger

Aldo23, I don't think you made the wrong choice with the 7 series. Everyone that I know that has one is very pleased with it and their problems have been few & far between. Unlike most people I happen to like the styling of the 7 series. As a matter of fact when I finish paying for my wife's LX 470 in a couple of years, I will probably purchase either the S55 or the 7 series unless Lexus comes out with a "drivers" car which they are rumored to be working on. If Lexus does then I'll be driving a LS or whatever they will call it.

Make sure to post those pictures when you have them.

RON430

I probably wasn't much older than you when I had my fun with bimmers. I started my company when I was 28 and as we progressed, I went through the bimmer phase. And while I probably will always have some feeling of what other people's opinions are of what I drive, it means far less to me today than it did in the past. Besides the perceived notion of Lexus is by and large representing someone who can afford whatever they want but place higher marks on reliability and value than badging. So enjoy your bimmer and hope it doesn't live down to the worst bimmer can provide.

Not sure whether you bought or leased, but I hope it is leased. I may actually go back to bimmer someday but it will never be my sole means of transportation. For that, I will want a Japanese car for some time, and there are really none better than Toyota. My father was never interested in buying used cars as his opinion was you were buying someone elses problems. Even a Lexus can have problems and the GS you bought, even though CPO, was likely a good example. Have to wonder why a GS was for sale with only 20K on it. Something was not right. There are things I am not crazy about with the two GSs my wife and I own but one thing I can say is that I have 43K on mine and she has 29K on hers and they show now signs of wear at all.

When I talked about depreciation, the current seven is pretty well known to not be very good. Most depreciation numbers on bimmers are quoting relative to quite a few years ago when things were different and their pricing, while still high, was not what it is today. But bimmer still believes a lot of their own press and price residuals on their cars for leases are too high. Lowers the lease payment and they get to eat it if you don't exercise the buyout, like I said, leasing is a good idea, let BMWNA eat the thing. And those wonderful bimmer salesmen aren't exactly the most noble "friends of man" either. They know the freshened seven is just around the corner (I think it will be March) and they want the current ones out of there before it arrives. So enjoy your good deal. When they are running, there is nothing quite like a bimmer. But the 400hp in the freshened 7 might get me to look at it, especially if they have to put good leases on it in a year or so.

aldo23

good point and thanks...but im not leasing it..and the car has 8k miles on it..
my total decision, what was the best car for me now..if it blows up on my face, so be it..experience is the key, like u said u passed that stage..i will to one day, could be tomorrow..until than ill make sure when i see an LS430 or GS, ill activate the manual drive and blow pass them..

RON430

OK, I get it, the 7 is used too. Probably explains the good deal. Hope the extended warranty is better now than the one I had.

I guess the hardest part was finally coming to grips with what people do think of you. When I see a barely twenty something with a seven or that gold Rolex, yeah I do get a pretty quick opinion about them. I assume it is the image they want to present.

Don't know about the LS but I wouldn't try to blow past too many GS4's. And be sure to leave the freshened sevens alone, you won't stand a chance.

doug_999

yea, just wait for the twisties and then walk on by the GS....

RON430

With no mods, I probably agree, that stock GS suspension leaves much to be desired. If the GS has any mods, I am not so sure. The two new 7s I have driven didn't exactly give you a point and shoot feel. But I also have to admit that I couldn't do anything in the i Drive, even set a new radio channel. But beyond the suspension there was just something annoying about how the 7 put its power down, sort of like it had to think about things for a split second. GS hasn't got a world beater driveline setup either but seemed like the 7 wasn't any better.

doug_999

Interesting - I was blown away by the 745iL I drove - however the 745i with sport suspension had steering lighter than my GS! Still those comfort seats, the sound the car makes when it accelerates, and the handling all made me want a BMW again.

aldo23

i also had a gs4 for 2yrs, there is no way a GS can beat the 745i, impossible..i'll put it on sports, and on manual as well, i gurantee ill blow away any stock GS or LS430,easily, especially in top speed considering its a 6-speed like the LS...if any1 in miami would like to try..ill be more than happy to test it...


*and the comment about showing off, its not showing off or status..the car just looks better built and more rigid, yea the idrive is a pain, but there isint any tranny or engine problems, the car is a sound machine, w/ plenty of power..