Manaray

Buying the current E430 would be dumb. The new one is right around the corner. And the E class doesn't drive as well as GS IMO. Not only that, the GS is WAY more reliable. So let's see, you save $10K and you get a more reliable car...why would you get the E-class?

And Lexus does not "COPY" from German cars. They make them better than German cars.

AC's TL/540i

This is exactly the type of stuff I wanted to hear!
In your words, can you describe or explain drive better? Is it smoother, softer, harder, etc?

Also, what if reliability isn't too much of a factor since I personally don't like to keep cars over 3 years.

And I agree, if new E Class was coming out this year, I'd hold out but if not the wife wants a car NOW!

Thanx guys, and any pros and cons would help.

540-6, I agree I love the look of the E Class and I think it does look classy, but I want to make sure I consider all angles since my wife is a very picky person about her car.

ARIST

... how many people on this board would keep their $50,000+ luxury automobile which they bought brand new for over 3 years? I personally think not a whole bunch of people here would. As far the article in C&D, I think the "reliability" issue is not "as important" when evaluating cars. Factors such as handling, accerleration, braking, etc., are more important to car critics and to the enthusiasts who are reading those magazine. Reliability, serviceability, safety, etc., are more interested by the actual consumers of that particular model. That's why it's a totally differnt taste of eval when you read Car and Driver versus Consumer Report.

Also on a personal note, I feel that BMW is more suited for us sports driver versus the GS in stock form. From checking out Bimmer.org and ClubLexus.com, I found more GS owners soaping up their suspension versus GS owners. I think BMW do live up with their motto the Ultimate Driving Machine. But is it reliable? Dependable? I think everyone on this board knows the answer.

Best,

- ARIST

GS4Will

e430 spp-yap, that was one of buddies' new ride. the guy drives nothing but bmws and benzs. though he knew the next E is just around the corner in less than a year possibily, the dealer offered him a lease deal that he thought was good(benz guys are used to paying close to retail, so any sort of discount to them is happy hour)

after paying $8500 more than a loaded gs430 few moths ago, the AC is already having problem. the car drives ok, nothing too impressive. but for some, having that german mark on the hood is worth that extra $$$$$ for show.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Interesting you say that - maybe you should create a poll. I will definitely be keeping my car more than 3 years and I bought my car new for more than $50K.

jimmd

It will be interesting to see where Lexus goes from here with the GS suspension, not to mention the image the car is intended to project. Now that the IS will be available with a manual transmission and the SC is an increasingly common site in L.A. traffic, Lexus is obviously going for a chunk of BMW's enthusiast driver market segment. On the other hand, as pointed out in the recent Car & Driver, the existence of the sporty IS allowed Lexus to redesign the new ES to be a true entry-level luxury car without sport sedan pretensions. At the high end, the flagship LS and the new SC are the definitive Lexus luxury and performance cars.

So does the GS get revamped with more performance in keeping with the new Lexus models, or does it see a softening up like the ES? I would bet on the latter. Just as the IS an overt attempt to compete with the BMW 3 series, Lexus may decide to compete directly with the 5 series as well by focusing on performance improvements. Those of you lusting for sport suspension factory options may not have many years to wait. Stay "tuned."

gsintensive

Again, 540-6 is trying everything he can to put down our beloved GS. excuse me, in what way does the E430 handle better than GS430? Look at the new E class, and see how much they imitate from the GS series. yeah, just because our 430/400 kicks your 540 doesn't mean you have to go around and talk acheap about it. why you stay on GS forum anywayz? you do'nt even have a GS? made me laugh.

RacingAristo

E430 doesn't handle better than GS430. I've tested drive both E430 and GS430 when I was planning on purchasing my GS. For the money you save from buying/leasing Benz or BMW, you could do a lot of mod and it will be superior than 540i and E 430 in any kind of way.

Just my 0.02