Got to drive around in a brand new 5 series this past Friday while I had a major tune up on my car. Not inpressed at all in any way, shape or form. The BMW is totally plain looking inside and out. Not to mention that they tend to give a lot of headaches from what I hear. I personally would rather get a new 3 series coupe before I get a new 5 series. Overall, I'll take the Lexus hands down over the 5 series or 7 series. Better quality and durability IMO.

 

ONE WORD "LEXUS"

 

My sisters got a newer 530i and I drive it sometimes when Im home. Totally different car doesnt even compare but I say Lexus!

 

Just passing by............ i dont think i have to say much.

 

I have a lowered 2001 330 CiC with Turner pulleys, a conforti chip, an ECIS cold air intake, blah blah blah - I love it. I've also got a 2001 GS430 with painted calipers, a strut tower bar, an SRT intake, blah blah blah.

They're both a blast. One is not "better" than the other (although that Lexus is freakin quick :-))

I've been one of the lucky ones with nearly no mechanical issues on the BMW. Same with the Lexus. In the summer, the convertible is the ride to have...other season's the Lexus. But I have no illusions that I'm a better person than my neighbor driving his Ford. The guys on this forum (as on other forums) love cars, so we talk like we care, but I would hope that no one here would look down on someone that either doesn't "get" the whole car thing, and therefore drives a Chevy, or who can't afford our car addiction, and therefore drives Hyundai.

I don't know why I felt compelled to respond to this post, particularly after so many others already have, but I guess as an owner of both marques, I wanted to make clear that I have no snooty pretentions about either one. They're just really fun, really fast, really expensive cars, but I love em all, even the slow, cheap, crappy ones. I'm just glad I can drive whatever, wherever I want. Hope you feel the same way too.

dd

 

It seems to me that too many CLers have inferiority complexes about their cars, especially since the originating company is Toyota, a manufacture who builds for the mainstream masses of the world. I guess CLers have heard often enough that we're just driving 'gussied-up Toyotas' and so now some feel they must retaliate with BMW-, Mercedes-, Audi- and Infiniti-bashing.

Specifically though, putting down BMW owners is really just silly to me, because they are certainly not any more pretentious than we Lexus owners are. Hec, just reading this thread is enough to show how great we think our cars are, and how little we think of others. We think that simply because Lexus makes more reliable cars or more luxurious cars, our cars are better. NOT. They're just more reliable, and/or more luxurious, as a whole. That's all. For pure driving enthusiasts, most of can admit that a stock Lexus needs some significant modding to get the ol' adrenaline pumping.

BMWs have their strong suits, and so do Mercedes Benzes, Audis and Porsches and even Infinitis.

Example, I had an M45 rental back in February when I was in Chicago. Not really a fan of Infiniti's exterior designs the last few years, I really wasn't that excited about the rental...I actually wanted the new Audi Q7, but the two Hertz had were gone (the Audi Q7 interior is absolutely gorgeous).

After 4 days in that Infiniti though, I had a WHOLE NEW RESPECT for Infinitis. It's like a luxury hotrod...MUCH more thrilling than ANY stock GS I have driven (2nd AND 3rd Gen GS' included). Coming right off the factory floor, that Infiniti is fast, and handles REALLY well, without beating up the occupants. It puts a stock GS to shame. And the interior, though funky at first, has LOTS of neat stuff...and seems more engaging than even the 3rd Gen GS' interior. AND it's ROOMIER than the 3rd Gen GS. And the stock exhaust note is WAY more thrilling than any stock GS from ANY year.

I walked away wholly impressed, so impressed that I thought if Infiniti could just find a way to engage my senses on the outside, I'd really consider buying one next. Just not a fan of that Infiniti grill, nor those funky taillights. And there's no real mods to fix either that I have seen, not that I have looked though.

So, I say all that to say...Lexus owners should appreciate their cars, but realize that our cars have MAJOR flaws coming off the showroom floor...which is why many of us spend so much money modding our cars.

Really, that Infiniti M45 needs no real engine/suspension mods...it just needs some cosmetic help, IMO, and not that much. It even 'sits' nicely, no real gaps or anything above the rims.

ALso, I have two very good friends with Bimmers, and two with Benzes. And only one of the four is ready to change companies on his next purchase...and that's because the electrical gremlins have wreaked havoc on his 2000 E-class sedan. And then the local Mercedes dealers have pissed him off royally, so he's moving on. I've actually tried to convince him to get a Lexus, but he wants more hp and handling than any large stock Lexus has to offer. So his black on black Audi S6 has been ordered.

The other three, they're all buying BMWs and Mercedes again when the time comes for their next cars. Why? 'Cause all in all, they're cars are pretty damn nice, and they've been happy with their particular car's reliability. Hec, Steve with the 540i has 165,000 miles, and no major problems, not even electrical ones.

So just buy what you like, and stop defending your decision by constantly criticizing the other companies, and their owners.

In the end, it makes no sense....since all cars each have positive attributes, and negative attributes.

To each their own.

 

Your friend that drives a 325i has no right to open his mouth. It's really a piece of crap, no kidding!

 

I'm in the same camp, sort of. 3 series vs GS, eh...not really a comparison. 5 vs GS now thats a comparison. I have a 99 GS300 and I love it. I just bought a 1994 325i with 80,000 miles 5 speed and its fun as hell to drive.
I do my own mechanical work so thats not an issue. So all in all...its a personal preference, My GS rides nice and smooth, looks classy, even better with mods. The 3 is just a run-a-bout, fun to drive. Rides a lil harsher. My opinion? buy what makes you happy....

 

That reminds me of the conversation I had with a guy who owns a Mercedes Benz S500. I asked him how he liked his car, he shook his head and told me his sad story.

He bought the ‘Benz for his wife, it’s left her stranded three times. The car has spent so much time in the shop that he met with the owner of the dealership and the MB factory rep. It seems this car has spent just one day shy of being designated a lemon. (I think he told me it spent 89 days in the shop the first year he owned it) They offered to take it back at “fair market value” in trade for a new MB. That would have cost him many thousands of dollars. Now, the car sits in his garage, his wife refuses to drive it, she drives a three year old Explorer. Everything was fixed under warranty. I suggested he make a flower planter out of it. He’s thinking about it.

 

The boys at bmw club have to live with this fact. I'm not hating on BMW please don't get me wrong, i only say this to a 325 not any other models. I had one, my ex girlfriend had a newer generation one and she later traded it in for a TSX. We had bad experience with the 325. Besides, don't you find it weird for a 325 owner to open his mouth on a GS300 or Gs400? I understand if it's a 330Ci, but a 325?

 

Sounds to me like im in the same boat as many of you, however i used to own an E36 318is. All of my friends have BMW's BESIDES me and i mean ALL of them, models include: 98 M3, 2004 330ci, 1994 325is, 2004 325ci, 2003 530i.... see what i got myself into, so when we roll together im the outkast, but its awesome to hear when my friends complain about issues they are having when their cars are much newer then mine and i can tell myself that i have never had any types of problems like they have!! Although i was very into the whole being a BMW owner just like they are now until i totalled her

 

maybe when they can afford to buy their own cars instead of having their parents buy them, they will realize that it sucks to pay ALOT for repairs on BMW's.

 

I definitly like th way you think and its very true, none of them paid to get the car, some make monthly payments, NONE pay for repairs....

 

That's why you get a Lexus. Instead of spending money on repairs...you can put that money towards modding it!

Modding does get pretty expensive after a while though lol...especially when you go the FI boat.