AJL0365

Those pics make me wanna keep my GS HAHA! But I just put 5k worth of repairs in december of 09 for the check engine light being on among other things and now its needing another 3k because the check engine light is back on. Its just not worth the repair cost anymore.

Sens4Miles

Get the M. The 5 series interior is ugly and boring and you will have to look at it every day - don't forget that. The M is attractive and reliable and will last forever with proper maintenance

lexusscturbo

iTrader: (12)

The LCI E60 (528i)=Pre LCI 530i.. Since the 535i came out they used the N/A 3.0 in the 528/328i models

CDNROCKIES

As far as the costs go, make sure you are aware and comfortable with what the warranty actually covers. If anything goes wrong that isn't covered it can be very expensive. For example, on dad's old 325is he got a small crack in a 12" aluminum pipe that was part of the air conditioning set up...$1000. My old X5 leaking gaskets and something plugged causing it....$4000. General maintenance will be more expensive as well unless you have a trusted mechanic with the right equipment to work on these cars. If things are covered you have no issue, but if not it can get very pricey, very quickly. I tried the whole out of warranty BMW thing already once....won't happen again.

To your second question...I'm not really sure. It is definitely a nice vehicle, just doesn't really wow me in any way. In fairness, I've never driven it, just looked at them at auto shows. My sister has a G35 and while it's nice it just doesn't excite me. I don't think it's a bad car, in fact it's probably a very good one, just not really on my radar.

LexFather

When its time to buy a real "M" you buy a BMW. Pretty simple reasoning.

rdgdawg

OP, you've mentioned cost several times, so you are really answering your own question... go with the Infiniti

And it's the one I'd choose over the BMW as well

97-SC300

iTrader: (17)

I think you will regret buying a BMW that's not under warranty.... are you thinking buying the BMW brand new and getting rid of it in 4 years?

Used BMW with no warranty = bad for your wallet

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

That was my thinking when I opened this thread...

I used to be in the vehicle service industry. I would NEVER purchase a BMW out of warranty, and if I were to purchase one brand new, I would not mod it aside from wheels / tires and trade it in / sell it as soon as it was out of warranty.

Once a Lexus gets to be about 3-4 years old, there is a ton of aftermarket support for it. BMW's never seem to have much aftermarket support, so, when something fails, you have to purchase the part from BMW direct. Not to mention, much more problems across the board to start.

I know you are looking for something that says "status" which is fine, but if you don't have a bunch of extra money laying around for repairs, the BMW is not for you.

What in the world cost 5k to fix on a Lexus, and what is supposed to cost 3k more to fix? Sounds to me like you may be getting taken advantage of. You could put a new motor in a car for that kind of money...

AJL0365

the 5k consist of numerous of repairs, not just one single part. I had all the work done at my local lexus dealer. suspension parts, cat converter, transmission mounts, sensors, just alot of things. now some other sensor is off and its 400 to replace and some ABS thing is like 2 grand according to the advisor i worked with.

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

catalytic converter? that has a government mandated 8yr / 80k mile warranty? Seems like you would be right on the edge of that?

What was wrong with the suspension?

Man, you should really get opinions here first, most of those things you speak of are probably not major issues, or even issues at all... Sorry, but get educated a little. Whats wrong with the ABS? Does it work? Is the light on on the dash for it?

AJL0365

i have 156,000 miles on the car, its time for it to go

I had this done last time at the dealership;

4 wheel alignment
replaced both front strut rods
replaced timing belt
oil change
water pump
drive belt
replaced both front upper control arms
replaced air filter
drained and refilled transmission
replaced rear diff fluid
replaced front brakes and turned rotors
replaced rear pads and turned rotors
replaced oil pan
replaced cam & crank seals
replaced convertor manifold
replaced cylinder head cover gasket?

now its needs a A/F sensor B1S1 & a Actuactor? Whatever it is, the actuactor is 2,449.99 and the sensor is 379.99

werewolf

I think the answer depends on how long you like to own cars.

Pros for the Infiniti m35
1) You have the hookup / lowdown on service costs
2) the M are pretty rare (compared to 5s)
3) they aren't very popular so you should be able to get a great price if you buy used but might be hard to sell
4) makes senses if you are going to own for a long time-durable design(?) and no german electronics

To me, the M doesn't seem that much bigger than a G but I don't follow Infiniti. How long do the trannies last?

Pros for the 530i/528i
1) BMW engines always seem to perform well
2) lots of attention paid to driving dynamics (i.e. 5s are still fun to drive)
3) there are always buyers and sellers for 5 series
4) Most nagging / small BMW repairs you can actually do yourself to keep costs down
5) You can get a stick

I am guessing that the 535i has a lot more kick to it (problems too). Not sure what that does to pricing

If you're gonna swap cars in 3-4 years and can eat the cost, go for the BMW. If you're a value for money guy and want to own for a long time, go with the M

Och

iTrader: (3)

AF sensor, or simply O2 sensor is $120, without labor. You can get an aftermarket one for $50. Installation is really simply too.

What the hell is an actuator?

AJL0365

dont know but apparently i need one and its expensive.

Och

iTrader: (3)

See, this is why you should always know what it is, why you need it, and do your research before you just shell out the money.