fmai

Hello, I am new to the forum. I have been reading the CL forum for awhile now but this is my first post . Anyways, I might be buying a new car soon and so far I have limited my choices down to three cars; the lexus gs350, BMW 530i, and MB E350. Given a choice I would rather go for a 550i but the price difference is HUGE. Here in Taiwan, a 530i costs more than USD $10k over the GS 350!

Please Advice or make some constructive suggestions.

Best regards,
Frank


"Me fail English? That is unpossible!" Ralph Wiggins

CrazyMPG

iTrader: (4)

i say go with the gs350 cuz it has more power than the other euro cars you mentioned. I am currently in taiwan too and my uncle has a 06 gs300 which is not too bad...i think lexus is a lot more reliable than the bmw or benz so just get the gs350. I am pretty sure you will enjoy it too and probably the fuel consumption is much better than the other two. wel good luck man!

RandalR

If cost is a consideration at all, go for the GS350. Much more car for the money, nicer interior, nicer ride, better electronics. If you are a performance guy and nothing less will do, then the 550i might be worth the money.

Nidan

I was in your shoes a few weeks ago with the same 3 car choices, the Lexus loaded was less expensive and had more extras that the BMW and MBZ. The deciding factor was reliability, all new cars have some lemons in the barrel, but from the research that I did Lexus had fewer complaints.

My views for the 3 cars:

1. BMW drives and handles the best, but has idrive issues
2. MBZ built solid, but had some past electronic problems, must have options really pushes the price up.
3. Lexus reputation, handling not quite as good as the BMW, has more power than the MBZ.
4. Styling, I just love the way the front end looks.

good luck on your choice.

Nidan

hsk73

I left BMW for ugly styling and switch to GS...
But, I would go back to BMW... depend on the next design...

If performance is important to you.... I would pick BMW!
If comfort and design is important... Lexus!!

Reliability?? Well, it's important if you are planning on driving it for 10 years!! But, if you change cars as often as I do... it's nothing when everything is covered under warranty now days...

fmai

Another worth mention is that the GS350 has GPS developed specifically for the Taiwan market, while in the other two German offerings, it is not even available from the factory. The Panasonic unit which they install into the 5 and E does not seem to work very intuitively. I love the 550i, because I have always been a bimmer person. However, the nearly $40k price difference here is scary!

I do not usually like Japanese cars... However, the new GS and IS from lexus are really nice looking.

BTW which of the three is a better baby car?

doug_999

I think you really need to drive them. Each of them has their strengths and each of them has their weaknesses. From the BMW perspective, I will say that I-drive is easy to master, but in no way is as easy as the Lexus touch screen. I would also say that the BMW rides just as well as the Lexus product and is just as quiet*. However, the BMW is more of an involved experience - some people love that and some people think "why bother?". So it is totally up to the individual.

I will say that during the time I had both my 550 and my GS430 I enjoyed both cars for their respective strengths (the 550 for pure fun - even on a short 0-30-0 commute, the GS430 for the I just don't feel like "driving" today sort of trip).

But nothing beats a test drive... or best case, bring each of them home for the night. That's a lot of money you are spending and you should be happy with what you get.

*If both cars are equipped with the same tires (Run Flats or Non-Run Flats)

1BlackM3

This is my first post and I'm in the same boat as you. I'm looking at the BMW 530 with the sport package, Lexus GS 300, The new infiniti G35 and the Infiniti M35. People keep saying that the BMW is ugly to me it's aggresive looking eye catching and sporty. It depends on what you want I wouldn't rush take your time and look at the pros and cons of each car.

Shawnmack

I like the Bimmer but I had a 04 545 that gave me a lot of problems I have 98 GS 300 that hasn't had any problems. I think that BMW reliablity has become and issue as they try to keep up with Lexus.

1BlackM3

I have had 3 BMWS with no major problems

hsk73

Well, I did switch from BMW to Lexus... because the warranties ran out on both of my BMWs! Yes, I was afraid of something might break and cost me my arm!!...

But, when the leases over on my GS and new 5-series model come out the way I like... I'm definately going back to BMW for sure!!
There's nothing more fun to drive then BMW!!
Lexus is great and I love my GS. But, it's boring to drive....

SilverSprt

Money: If money is an issue I'd go with the Lexus since cost of ownership is less than the MBZ and BMW. In my opinion, you also get more bang for the buck. If money isn't an issue, I'd get an E500 or a E55 for that matter but we wouldn't be comparing apples to apples here. If you consider yourself a spirited driver and performance is your utmost concern, the BMW may be right for you.

Service: Lexus service is unmatched. Customer satisfaction guaranteed. Lexus is at the top year after year.
Reliability: The car will last you forever. And if there are any issues, they usually address them if you still have your warranty.

doug_999

Shawnmack - not sure if I follow the comment "try to keep up with Lexus". If you mean in terms of technology, BMW actually puts more of it in their cars - much sooner than Lexus - thus one of the major causes of their issues.

http://www.telematicsresearch.com/im...logy_Index.JPG

Raptor.1

Keep in mind the technology that is currently going into BMW is at a wider spectrum because of higher end models. Watch what happens, once the LS 460 is officially in the running the "Telematics" chart should change and that will just be the start. It is funny to see that chart because apples for apples Lexus is more technological in almost every way, they just don’t put their emphasis on being high performance. It would be interesting to see what that chart was based on?

doug_999

Here is more info
http://www.telematicsresearch.com/in...h-report.php&1

Basically things like heads up display, night vision, etc really help the cause. But I can tell you from my past BMWs, they always had more technology than the comparible Lexus products (Little did I know I was in for a huge disapointment when I went from my 2000 540ia to my 2003 GS430).

I don't doubt that the LS460 will help Lexus' cause - but they need to make other technologies available sooner in all of their products.