ff_

I don't understand the fascination with the IS vs 3er debates. As far as BMW is concerned the 335i is a much more lucrative vehicle, as is the X5.

Threxx

The SC430 does NOT try to and should not be compared to the 335i convertible, despite the fact that their prices when similarly equipped will probably be pretty close.

I'd much prefer to have the 335i inside of the warranty and the SC430 outside of the warranty.

But guess what I've realized? My local BMW dealer will negotiate with me. My Lexus dealer sticks their noses in the air. The BMW dealer offers me free maintenance until 60k miles. My Lexus dealer will charge me 4 grand or more in simple maintenance charges by 60k miles.
I don't think I really want to own EITHER car outside of warranty - yes the Lexus is reliable but it's still EXPENSIVE to fix when it does break. Not that the BMW isn't - but the SC430 isn't exactly practical in that regard.

So at this point I'm looking at owning either car strictly inside of the warranty period - and if I'm going to go that short term, I might as well lease. Guess who has far better lease rates? Guess who's going to cost me zero dollars to keep the car maintained during the lease? Guess which car would be hand-down a blast to drive as a rental car where beating on the car is almost encouraged?

Sorry but for me between the two, BMW FTW.

If Lexus wanted to include a maintenance program and if my local Lexus dealer didn't have their heads stuck up their asses about price competitiveness, then I'd really consider them.

DASHOCKER

iTrader: (2)

So true. Good post.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

BTW youre actually charged for the "free" BMW maintainence, the BMW does carry a higher price than a comparable lexus, who knows how long they are going to continue to do that, audi already dropped their similar program to cut costs

Mr. Jones

compared to what?

Threxx

Well I'm sure the cost of maintenance is built into the price - as is said, nothing is free. I'm sure the reason our Lexus dealership is so nice inside is because you pay for it by paying sticker price on almost all of the cars they sell making them 5000-15000 dollars a transaction, whereas the local GM dealer down the street is lucky to make 500 - 1000 bucks on your new purchase.

It's still worth considering. What does it really cost to own a car? Primarily depreciation, insurance, gas, and maintenance.
So if BMW offers me a car with maintenance included in the price and Lexus charges me - then I have to take that into consideration as that can easily sway the true cost of ownership. 4 thousand bucks in the first 60k miles is what I'd estimate you'll pay your Lexus dealer to keep the typical lexus maintained per their recs. Would you agree? That's 83 bucks a month if you drive 15000 miles a year like I do. 83 bucks every month can make a pretty big impact on the decision making process, I'd say.

When did this happen? My 06 A4 in my sig has free maintenance included and I still see signs up everywhere when I go by the dealership advertising the fact to potential new buyers.

ff_

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...6&postcount=31

Shawnmack

I wish Lexus would come out with A convertible for the IS so I can see four nice looking ladies in the summer top down.

ff_

How is the 8 speed automatic anything special? So what? Next week it'll be a 9 speed slushotronicmatic, and the 8 speed will be yesterday's news. So what? If the transmission was some new fangled design that didn't waste as much torque from the driveline as the current slushosupermagictronic transmissions do today, then that would be an innovation. If it weighed 50% less than the outgoing model's superwankermatic transmission, then that might be an innovation. Simply adding yet another gear to the box is not.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

8 speed I believe is lighter and has less parts than the outgoing

Threxx

Correct - though I can't help but imagine they'd have even fewer parts, less weight, and better reliability with the new design and 6 gears.

The press release I first read about it was kinda annoying - they didn't say anything about going from 8 gears giving better mileage, smoother shifting, better acceleration, or whatever else... they just said "nobody had done it so we knew we had to do it"... like they were admitting they did it just to do it.

With that said I think they managed to get some decent benefit from the 2 extra gears - those mentioned above at the very least. But still, the press release kinda hinted that they did it less for practical reasons and more just to say they had 8 gears.

BaLLzZz

OK too the moderator sorry for the placement of the thread... Secondly for all who have said sc430 that is a totaly different class of car so drop that and there was no reason to even bring that into this thread. I guess i have to get even more specific. The 335 hardtop! Whell lexus has been hinting at an is coupe/hardtop convertible. My main gripe and why i started this thread is that it bugs me how bmw comes out with the sedan then coupe then convertible so quickly. And i kno its planned and is business and i also kno people are going to say thats why they are so unreliable(which i have to agree) but why cant lexus just push there cars out just a tad quicker. If not the coupe then the 500 give us something to go against them. And as someone else stated lexus has made it clear that they want an m3 killer so for all those who ask why we are comparing to the 3 series or m3. We are comparing because even if anyone here does not like it in our class of car the m3 is the king. To get the thrown you must kill the king!

LexFather

I would think a worlds first is special Clearly if the Germans had it first, oh, it would be the 2nd coming of Christ. Since the Japanese brought it, oh, its overkill or nothing new.

The new tranny weighs as much as the outgoing model with less parts. It allows the LS to have class leading fuel economy and it is better or tied for acceleration.
With less displacment.

How is that not innovation?

picus

I think Toyota and BMW are two of the most innovative companies, just in different ways. Toyota invents stuff I can use practically, like hybrid technology, 8 speed autos, etc. BMW invents stuff I can use because it's fun (although they've brought to market some pretty practicle things too).

OC 335d

Lexus wants to make a M3 killer? I'd be interesting to see. Designing a car to go head to head with the M3 would be totally against Lexus' style. I don't see them building a car built mainly for performance.