As much as I like my Lexus it will never handle as well as my BMW did. The fact is the Lexus and BMW were both designed and built for very different consumers. The Lexus was built for different purposes than the BMW.

BMW has refined handling and is truly the original sports car.

jack

 

0-60 4.8. No car magazine have gotten the lexus that fast to 60.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take_road_test

 

I'm getting into this discussion quite late. I haven't read all 81 pages of comments either. (This must be the longest thread ever on CL) Suffice it to say that I have had my 335i COUPE for over a year and my IS250 AWD for a month. I cannot compare my 330HP ( which is what it really is ) to my IS 250. It is apple to oranges . But the IS 350 Is a different animal. First, let me say that the IS350 IS NOT AVAILABLE as Coupe or convertible or with AWD as the 335i is. Also, a manual transmission is not available on the IS350 either. I do like the look of the Lexus as compared to the BMW SEDAN, but I like the look of the 335i COUPE even better. As far as performance is concerned, It is hard to beat the 335i even without LSD. For $600 you can add a Turbo Tuner satellite chip and it gets very close to V8 M3 territory. Also the 3 series BMW has been on the C&D to 10 list for about forever and for good reason. Both are great cars and you can't go very wrong with either choice. Although I have had NO reason to take my car back for service, I believe in the long run, OVERALL, the Lexus will have fewer mechanical problems.

 

Who ever says Bmw interior looks cheap needs to get their eyes checked. Just picked up my e93...believe me the interior and seats are very nice.

 

BMW Seats are nice (always have been)... BMW Interior (dash, radio/climate cluster, etc.) is god afwul ugly, and always has been...

But anyway, it's just personal preference, so if you like it, that's all that matters...

 

Yeah i guess its a personal preference....I have owned many BMW through the years and have loved them all. Glad to be back

 

IMHO, the interior of the BMW is nice enough. I believe the IS250/350 is also nice but different. I also belive that the color of the interior makes a big difference. Black looks great on all cars to me. Neither quite match that of the Audis but we are really splitting hairs here. IMHO, no one would feel like they were slumming if they were forced to drive with the interior of either car. Just personal tastes and preferences.

 

maybe I'm crazy but I don't like the current Audi's interior either. My sister just bought a 2007 Audi a4 2.0 turbo.. and her interior is sooo dull and ugly. I mean the materials are cheap.. the leather is cheap.. the layout is brutal...

I feel the same when i sat in the BMW. The car drives great. .and that is very true. Has great steering (althought i thought the e46 steering was better) has great power. But beyond that.. it has nothing.

I loved it when i was flooring it and driving insanely quick around turns.. but driving it normally which i do 92% of the time.. I hated it..
Maybe i just can't get over the price tag..which in Canada is isanely overpriced. But in the end I strongly feel that the is350, 335i and g35/g37 are very similiar and for similiar people. But i will always say if you want a REAL driving experience, buy an M.

 

Even though I don't like BMW interiors, they are functional/ergonomic for the driver and don't bother me that much... My biggest problem with BMW (and basically any german/non-japanese car) is the navigation systems are TERRIBLE... BMW's being one of the worst...

100% agreed... I've only even owned BMW M's, and it will probably be that way forever... The M3 is a very trackable car...

 

agree 100% I wish most of the market would learn from Acura in this department and get rid of the limitations on our system

 

I agree on the iDrive not being so great compared to the Lexus navi.. it has a lag feature, but when typing in for a business name to find, it knows exactly what you're looking for compared to the Lexus navi.. i also like the gps traffic feature.. wish the Lexus navi had that

Revspeed.. i agree on some parts about the BMW interior not being as bad.. to me, i just think it still needs some kind of refreshing because it still looks the same ever year.. the buttons have a plastic feel.. the seats are definitely nice though.. it really keeps your body snuggled in from the torque of the 335i

 

in terms of exterior looks i'd take the bmw. i took the lexus 250 awd because i want the car to last. im not spending that much money on a car to have problems. in bmw last as long as lexus with no probs i'd take the bmw. but i do like the lexus ride and handling better than when i test drove an 07 bmw 3 series. that bmw drive was not sporty i dont see where all these people think that. lexus is smooth and comfy and i love the handling. i only like bmw cuz it looks better bascially when it comes to it as u can see everything else i go with lexus.

 

+1. BMW interiors are spartan, boring, but well laid out if you avoid the iDrive BS. I actually specifically ordered mine sans as many electronic gadgets as possible in a vain attempt to (K.I.S.S.) make it more reliable. Unfortunately for me, lacking any significant electronics to break, karma moved on to engine, transmission, etc. Oh well.

I do wish I could have ripped the suspension off of the BMW and grafted it onto my IS.....

 

I forced my father to look at a BMW when he was trying to purchase an LS460. He liked the way the BMW drove but once we turned on the navigation he was sold on the lexus, BMW navigation horrendous. The display is so antiquated it looks 10 years old.

I love BMW's from a driving standpoint but if I were to order one today I would rather have a garmin than the I-drive system. Their interiors aren't 'cheap' per say but the dash (wood trim/buttons/controls) look very dated.

That said I love both the IS350 and the 335icoupe, it really comes down to what you are looking for in a car as both are excellent choices.

 

Well laid out if you think having the cup holder located at the center vent is a good idea.