View Poll Results: 2003 BMW 540 Auto or 2003 Lexus GS430?
2003 BMW 540 Auto
13
30.23%
2003 Lexus GS430
30
69.77%
Voters: 43. You may not vote on this poll
2003 BMW 540 Auto or 2003 Lexus GS430?
08-09-10, 10:25 PM
#31
Guest
Posts: n/a
having owned a gs and driven a 540 6 speed for some time, i would give the edge to the gs( mine was gs400, basically almost the same as gs430).
GS, butt dyno, felt like it had more torque. and even tho the 540 was a stick, still felt like the gs was a bit quicker and faster (acceleration and top speed). again i might be biased but i also always wanted a 540. i will say, cornering and handling has to go to bimmer. having said not, it wasnt anything a set of tein cs didnt fix.
to each his own, ultimately when you choose either one, you are probably going to love it. good luck
GS, butt dyno, felt like it had more torque. and even tho the 540 was a stick, still felt like the gs was a bit quicker and faster (acceleration and top speed). again i might be biased but i also always wanted a 540. i will say, cornering and handling has to go to bimmer. having said not, it wasnt anything a set of tein cs didnt fix.
to each his own, ultimately when you choose either one, you are probably going to love it. good luck
Agreed. Some GSs will feel faster, some 540s will feel faster they are pretty even steven.
They are tit for tat in performance, PERIOD. I've driven them both stock, modded, stick, auto etc. Both fantastic.
08-09-10, 11:04 PM
#32
Lexus Test Driver
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SF
Posts: 6,467
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ahhh good times.
08-10-10, 02:31 PM
#33
Lexus Champion
I just got rid of my 2002 540ia sport with 72k miles , I bought this car with only 32K miles by the the 50k mark this is what all went wrong:
1- the taillight seals leak and shorted the rear taillight had to get a new one.
2- the instument cluster and radio had missing pixels since I got it and more started disappearing with time........very annoying
3- the doors seals leaked and there's a water puddle every time it rains hard in the rear seat floor since 32K miles
4- the whole cooling system was changed water pump, radiator (blew up) at 50K....
5- the wipers stopped working. it was the relay first and the second time the motor.
6- these cars the power seats twist, literally......mine just shorted out and stopped working had to have the seat taken out and had the wires extended.
7- relay for the ac/heat blower went out..........
8- rear tire camber is negative from factory,.... will need a new set every 15-20k miles..... I was on my 3rd set
The funny part is these are known common issues with the E39..... its not that I had picked up a bad apple,...so either its happened or going to happen to your E39
The bimmer gave me more issues than any car has ever given me, it had been unreasonably unreliable, totaly unacceptable in my opinion for a car I paid $23K for with only 1 owner and 32K on the clock!!
From 50k to 72k no problems..... I was shocked.....lol
Now the good part,...the 540 out handled and accelerated faster than my 2000 GS400...... it is a drivers car hand down!!! I absolutely love the cabin and the exterior design of the E39 over the GS!!
My GS400 which I bought with 60ish K miles and put 40K miles on it gave me no "0" issues just brakes, battery, fluid changes, plugs!!!........Every lexus I have owned has been amazing! Just give it some suspension attention and you are set!
I would only buy a BMW with a warranty, no exceptions!
ATB.....
1- the taillight seals leak and shorted the rear taillight had to get a new one.
2- the instument cluster and radio had missing pixels since I got it and more started disappearing with time........very annoying
3- the doors seals leaked and there's a water puddle every time it rains hard in the rear seat floor since 32K miles
4- the whole cooling system was changed water pump, radiator (blew up) at 50K....
5- the wipers stopped working. it was the relay first and the second time the motor.
6- these cars the power seats twist, literally......mine just shorted out and stopped working had to have the seat taken out and had the wires extended.
7- relay for the ac/heat blower went out..........
8- rear tire camber is negative from factory,.... will need a new set every 15-20k miles..... I was on my 3rd set
The funny part is these are known common issues with the E39..... its not that I had picked up a bad apple,...so either its happened or going to happen to your E39
The bimmer gave me more issues than any car has ever given me, it had been unreasonably unreliable, totaly unacceptable in my opinion for a car I paid $23K for with only 1 owner and 32K on the clock!!
From 50k to 72k no problems..... I was shocked.....lol
Now the good part,...the 540 out handled and accelerated faster than my 2000 GS400...... it is a drivers car hand down!!! I absolutely love the cabin and the exterior design of the E39 over the GS!!
My GS400 which I bought with 60ish K miles and put 40K miles on it gave me no "0" issues just brakes, battery, fluid changes, plugs!!!........Every lexus I have owned has been amazing! Just give it some suspension attention and you are set!
I would only buy a BMW with a warranty, no exceptions!
ATB.....
If this problem didn't exist, I'd be shopping for a 6MT 740i sport...
08-10-10, 03:35 PM
#34
Lexus GS is like the nerd kid in school who knew every answer but had no personality. Fun perhaps to have as a partner in a school project because you know you will get the “A,” but this is not the kid you are inviting to your birthday party to see what crazy antic is going to be pulled next. The BMW 540 is the popular cool kid everyone wanted to hang out with.
The popular cool kid will get on your nerve one day and you can't wait to get rid of him. All he cares is having a good time at the moment, not focused on the future and likes to spend $$$
08-10-10, 03:37 PM
#35
More like the BMW is the girl with the fake *****, make up, botox, and other plastic surgery. She looks like a Movie Star, but probably cost a ton to upkeep and maintain. The BMW is the trophy wife, while the GS is the wife you're not afraid to take to church on Sundays.
08-11-10, 12:17 PM
#37
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CT
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't know if maintenance on the older 5 is that bad. I see tons of old 5ers still driving around, which suggest that service and repair costs are not that terrible, otherwise people wouldn't be keeping them. For instance the older E class is becoming a rare sight. I dont remember the last time I saw a W124, and I seldom see a W210, which suggest that their reliability and service costs leave much to be desired, and people are junking them.
Both older 5 and GS are plentiful on the streets, and there are a lot of them for sale. Whatever you pick, just make sure it isn't molested by the previous owner.
Both older 5 and GS are plentiful on the streets, and there are a lot of them for sale. Whatever you pick, just make sure it isn't molested by the previous owner.
08-14-10, 08:49 AM
#38
Driver
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: NY
Posts: 134
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I dont know if it is a bad idea but a friend recommended the Mercedes 2006 E350 sedan. I know they had problems in the early years when it 1st came out in 2003 but I believe they should have been fixed by the year 2006. 2009 was the last year the W211 was manufacture.
Im going to start a new thread for input on the E350 from you guys on the 2006 E350. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...ml#post5714958
Thanks in advance for your time and help.
Im going to start a new thread for input on the E350 from you guys on the 2006 E350. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...ml#post5714958
Thanks in advance for your time and help.
09-23-10, 06:37 AM
#41
I have a good friend that got a 2003 BMW 540i (blk/blk, Sport, 6MT) at roughly the same time that I got my GS, both with similar miles and options. He is a car guy as well and has maintained the car meticulously - in fact, it is probably one of the best kept E39s I have seen. I love the timeless body of this car and still think it is the best looking 5 series ever. Owning two cars that were competitors in their day, we often joke with each other and compare different thoughts and opinions, but I can say that our ownership experiences have been very different.
My car now has 85,000 miles on it (bought it with 64,000) and he is just under 91,000 (bought it at 68,000), and this is a rough breakdown of what we both have seen:
I firmly believe that the previous owner of my car was not running premium gasoline as he should have, which contributed to a few of these problems, but in two and a half years I have serviced/replaced the following:
o2 Sensor
3 Door Lock Actuators
1 Catalytic Converter (warranty)
Valve Cover Gaskets
Battery
My friend has replaced the following:
two headlights and one tail light for leaky seals/condensation
Radio (tuner died)
several fuses for AC, power windows, and gauges
entire cooling system, as referenced earlier by someone else
MAF sensor
A few oil leaks here and there
...but the worst part of it is the interior. I will admit that I am **** about maintaining my interior, but my buddy isn't far off. The interior of my car looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor whereas the 5 really shows it's age. The leather is badly worn and tearing in spots- regardless of how much he conditions and treats it, the carpet looks like it came out of a dog's cage, the glue in the headliner has dried out and left parts of it drooping down, pixels have slowly started dying out of the screens in the center dash and instrument panel, and the wood looks faded in certain areas.
With all of that said, his car is certainly fast and fun to drive with the 6MT, but when you look at the total ownership experience, I don't know if it is worth it. With a few suspension mods you can make a GS hang with a 5 series easily, and you'll still have a car that is three times as reliable and easier to maintain.
My car now has 85,000 miles on it (bought it with 64,000) and he is just under 91,000 (bought it at 68,000), and this is a rough breakdown of what we both have seen:
I firmly believe that the previous owner of my car was not running premium gasoline as he should have, which contributed to a few of these problems, but in two and a half years I have serviced/replaced the following:
o2 Sensor
3 Door Lock Actuators
1 Catalytic Converter (warranty)
Valve Cover Gaskets
Battery
My friend has replaced the following:
two headlights and one tail light for leaky seals/condensation
Radio (tuner died)
several fuses for AC, power windows, and gauges
entire cooling system, as referenced earlier by someone else
MAF sensor
A few oil leaks here and there
...but the worst part of it is the interior. I will admit that I am **** about maintaining my interior, but my buddy isn't far off. The interior of my car looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor whereas the 5 really shows it's age. The leather is badly worn and tearing in spots- regardless of how much he conditions and treats it, the carpet looks like it came out of a dog's cage, the glue in the headliner has dried out and left parts of it drooping down, pixels have slowly started dying out of the screens in the center dash and instrument panel, and the wood looks faded in certain areas.
With all of that said, his car is certainly fast and fun to drive with the 6MT, but when you look at the total ownership experience, I don't know if it is worth it. With a few suspension mods you can make a GS hang with a 5 series easily, and you'll still have a car that is three times as reliable and easier to maintain.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
986wang
GS - 3rd Gen (2006-2011)
4
02-23-05 07:11 AM
