JMin7843

Currently daily driving a 2003 540i M-Tech, really like the car but frankly tired of replacing parts. Local small dealer has a very clean, single owner 2014 with 37K that I'm seriously considering giving up the 540 for.

Curious if anyone has made a similar switch or just comparisons between the two.

703

There is no comparison. It will be a better car than the 2003 BMW.

AJLex19

I think you'll miss the smoothness and power delivery of your BMW's V8 if you make the switch. What you won't miss are the concerns about reliability or constant fixes. The Lexus mouse based nav/infotainment isn't as user friendly as some touchscreen interfaces and Lexus is now switching back to touch-screen interfaces in all their 2021+ vehicles.

I'd highly recommend an F-Sport variant of the GS350 where the full potential of the power delivery, handling and suspension can be appreciated. Definitely test drive the GS and see if it fits the bill...

JMin7843

The F-Sport variant, I always thought that was just mainly an appearance/trim package kind of the like the Audi S variants. Worth hunting an F-Sport down then or at least driving one it sounds like??

baconRx

either fsport or lux package don't go for a premium package car

CottageChz

I made that exact change. I had an e39 2003 540i with auto transmission and the M package. Car was a blast to drive, but I couldn’t get myself out of that money pit fast enough. Only owned it for a year. I probably got an exceptionally bad one, but jeez did the mechanic bills hurt for that year. Felt like I was at the mechanic once a month.

I think you will like the GS. It’s not quite as sporty feeling as the 540, and the 540’s V8 is real nice, but I don’t miss it really. The GS power is no slouch, totally adequate for daily driving, and I would say comparable to your 540. Could it be faster? Yeah, but you can’t practically use more power on public roads all that often, if we are being honest. More power would be fun off course, but my point is it’s adequate and already better than 60-70% of cars out there. Anyway, Hp will be just about the same as the 540 if memory serves, and I don’t think torque is far off either.

I will say, I absolutely love the e39 styling, such a classic design... you can’t find a design like that anywhere these days, though. The GS interior feels about the same size. GS is a pretty big car but I don’t think it totally feels like a big car when you drive it, handling is good imo.

As someone has mentioned, try to opt for the luxury package or f sport package, both get you the adaptive suspension. if you are very particular about having a sporty feel, as I suspect you may be coming from an e39, you probably want the adaptive suspension. I had a lux package on my 2013 GS, my 2017 GS is the base package without adaptive suspension. Truth be told, both are fine, but if I could have found one in my price range, I would have opted for luxury package or f sport for the 2017.

signdetres

No. Find yourself a RWD F-Sport with rear-wheel steering. You'll love it.
Generally, the lower you are in the Lexus lineup, F-Sport will only be cosmetic. The higher you go F-Sport becomes cosmetic + chassis upgrades. In the GS, that means you get Variable Gear Ratio Steering, Adaptive Variable Suspension (F-Sport tuned), and a staggered tire setup. F-Sport is worth it for the Adaptive Variable Suspension alone.
You can also add on top of that rear-wheel steering and a limited-slip differential.

AJLex19

@JMin7843 110% if you enjoy being the driver - the F-sport is the way to go. Fellow members have already chimed in with their experience with the great job Lexus did with the Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) in the F-Sport GS. Keep in mind that OEM wear/tear parts like brakes/rotors/tires tend to be more $$$ on the F-sport but most folks find that to be well worth it.

kietlander

if you have a 6 speed, keep it and buy a new daily. if its an auto, you wont miss the move over to a GS. I find the GS does very well all around, and it will offer less downtime on an aging BMW, unless you have been good with preventative maintenance, since that will last you another 50-75k miles of worry free driving.

shurik74

iTrader: (5)

exactly what I was going to say... keep E39 as a toy/weekend car and get GS as daily! I really want manual as weekend car, not many nowadays to choose from.

JMin7843

Really appreciate all the feedback gentlemen. Unfortunately the BMW is not a manual, doubtful I'd be considering getting out of it if it were, although this one is 3.15 rear end vs. I believe 2.70 or so on the regular 540i so with that plus the factory set-up makes it fairly lively for an automatic. Yes, I'm certainly a huge fan of the E39 and E38 era BMWs, just a uniqueness and style about them that I love.......... since then imho the brand has just gone a bit downhill. It really is that smooth V8 and the old-school, no-electronic b.s. that are a big draw for me, but damn if I'm not tired of waiting for the grumpy german to tell me about his next problem that I'm either gonna have to pay someone to address or spend hours reading forums and researching parts in order to figure out how to fix it myself.

Couldn't really keep the BMW along with a GS, it is just my wife and I driving and although we have a 14 yr. old I can't really justify carrying 4 vehicles. The other two are a 2008 GX470 and a 2000 Land Cruiser.......of course neither one of those are going anywhere anytime soon :-)

Alright, so I'll do my homework and find an F-Sport to check out.

kietlander

seems like we have the same issue, too many cars with not enough drivers. it's ok, we have 5 cars and my motorcycle between the 2 of us, if you have the room keep it for now. That car has hit its lowest in value, this leaves me to ask, if you sold it can you find a better one at the same price? if yes sell, if not keep it, and turn it into a project car with your son and swap it to a manual. You might be able to keep it under 1000, and will have one hell of a fun weekend car or his first car.

azipod

I did own a 2001 E39 540i with the V8 in the past. It's really a different car compared to the GS. The 540i's V8 has a bit less HP (282 HP), but a step up in torque (324-lb feet) which comes in pretty low in the powerband. The V8 is super smooth and with a very refined muted growl. The 540i is also a smaller car compared to the GS --- and it was designed during a time when BMW was truly still a driver's car.

The GS is all around a more reliable car. I had the 540i when I was much younger and all my money went into the car. It was a great car. But everything broke, slowly. Now, almost 20-years later, I think the GS is a more fitting car (for me) because it's an excellent all-around vehicle and it doesn't even dent my wallet -- not even a single bit. The same can't be said about the BMW.

If money was no object, I think the 540i was a better car. But the car came out in 1997(?) I think, two decades ago..... So it's not a great comparison. My recommendation? Yes, ditch the BMW and get the Lexus. All the money you'll be saving servicing the BMW can be put into good use to finance your Lexus. Money better spent.

kietlander

I would like to add, only own older BMWs if you do your own wrenching. If you pay for any maintenance work, the parts are cheap, yes cheaper than any Japanese Car, but they get you on service. I own and love BMWs because I do all my own work, mechanically and electronically. I was forced into buying my GS, otherwise I would be looking for a manual f10 5 series. I really would stand by my previous statement and keep it, swap in a manual with your son. Let him learn How to wrench and drive manual at the same time. Lead another enthusiast into our world.

E46CT

Chalk up the 540 as a fun experience but if you are getting older, more mature, the time for wrenching on cars is less and less and a relatively trouble free vehicle like a GS is nice. Just know the GS, like the E39, is still a sports sedan so it will eat tires brakes and gas like no tomorrow. So you're out of the woods unexpected repair cost wise, but not consumables wise.