Car totaled, need new 1, BMW vs Lexus

Originally Posted by Artisan Fan

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I had 60K on first one and 51K on my current car. There is actually a wall at my dealer of several dozen cars that have hit a million miles. P.S. Due up in a few months is an IS500 with very large engine, in case you need extra power.
I find Japanese cars to be rather shoddy especially in regards to details and interior. Million mile cars are not anything new for Mercedes-Benz which has several vintage models that have exceeded the million mark. http://www.mbusa.com/heritage/histor...illion-mile.do http://www.mbusa.com/heritage/history/news/taxi.do

My range is quite wide, I am thinking of 3, 5, 7, IS, ES, GS or LS, basically all 4-door sedan. New or CPO. But no SUV.

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Don't go for either the 7 series or the LS. The 7 series is due for replacement very soon and neither are the best in the luxury car market. In that sector I would go for the S class although the current model's styling is not to my tastes or if I had the nerve the Maserati Quattroporte.

Lexus - Church's
BMW - C&J
Mercedes - EG
Maserati - Lohn Lobb Paris

VR

I have both. I have a Lexus GS 300 ( my wife's car) and a BMW 745Li. Both are EXCELLENT cars. The Lexus is a very reliable, sporty and well built car. I have never had a problem with it! Maintenance costs are a little steep for a Toyota brand in my opinion. The BMW is my favorite car by far. It is large, roomy, sporty and luxorious. The BMW has a 100,000 mile maintenance plan on it where I don't pay for ANYTHING but gas and tires. And I mean ANYTHING. I've had my dealership take dings out of the doors for me. I do need to say that since the 745 was extremely aggressive when it came to the number of innovations included in the car, there were a few issues with the earlier models. 2002 was a bad year, 2003 was OK and then 2004-present were pretty good. My car is a 2003 and a few sensors did need to be replaced. I have had no major issues with the car and I love it. The Lexus LS 470 is an AWESOME car but I don't think you will get the BMW performance. PM me if you have any questions.

I would go for a 335i, but if you want a larger car, then get a 535i. I looked at the IS before I got my A4, and its interior is crap compared to the Audi's. There is a certain "˜solidness' that's missing in Japanese cars which all luxury German cars seem to automatically have.

Speaking of Audi, why not take a look at an S4 / RS4 or even better an S6, with a Lamborghini V10 engine!

Jon.

If you can get one the VW Phaeton (I think they are discontinued inthe USA) is a very good car in the 7/LS sector.
A Flying Spur in a better looking suit without the turbos but with all the quality at 1/2 the price. I admit I am prejudiced as I have one but they are a stealth wealth classic.

VW - Addidas

Originally Posted by tailorrmade

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VR

I have both. I have a Lexus GS 300 ( my wife's car) and a BMW 745Li. Both are EXCELLENT cars. The Lexus is a very reliable, sporty and well built car. I have never had a problem with it! Maintenance costs are a little steep for a Toyota brand in my opinion. The BMW is my favorite car by far. It is large, roomy, sporty and luxorious. The BMW has a 100,000 mile maintenance plan on it where I don't pay for ANYTHING but gas and tires. And I mean ANYTHING. I've had my dealership take dings out of the doors for me. I do need to say that since the 745 was extremely aggressive when it came to the number of innovations included in the car, there were a few issues with the earlier models. 2002 was a bad year, 2003 was OK and then 2004-present were pretty good. My car is a 2003 and a few sensors did need to be replaced. I have had no major issues with the car and I love it. The Lexus LS 470 is an AWESOME car but I don't think you will get the BMW performance. PM me if you have any questions.

Where are you buying this BMW with a 100k maintenance plan? The only thing available in the US is a 4yr/50k maintenance. The door ding thing is probably based on your relationship with your dealer. It's not available as part of the maintenance. The maintenance plan, however, alone justifies the BMW's higher costs over Lexus and Audi.

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

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Where are you buying this BMW with a 100k maintenance plan? The only thing available in the US is a 4yr/50k maintenance. The door ding thing is probably based on your relationship with your dealer. It's not available as part of the maintenance. The maintenance plan, however, alone justifies the BMW's higher costs over Lexus and Audi.

You have the opportunity to extend the maintenance out to 100k miles on every BMW, from the factory it is 50k for free. For my 335 it cost around 1400 dollars, great deal. This isn't scheduled maintenance like Audi used to have, but anything at anytime that the car needs it with one exception -tires are on the owner, my M3 even had a new clutch put in for free as it is considered normal wear and tear. This is a great deal and is currently the reason BMW is the lowest cost car, at any price or brand, to maintain. Two of the highest cost brands for factory scheduled maintenance are Lexus and Infinity (according to edmonds.com). Of course, once you hit 100k, I would move on to something else.

If you value a smooth ride, I would advise the Lexus. They are nice cars with softer suspension, keep in mind the 3 is somewhat firm.

Originally Posted by LSeca

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You have the opportunity to extend the maintenance out to 100k miles on every BMW, from the factory it is 50k for free. For my 335 it cost around 1400 dollars, great deal. This isn't scheduled maintenance like Audi used to have, but anything at anytime that the car needs it with one exception -tires are on the owner, my M3 even had a new clutch put in for free as it is considered normal wear and tear. This is a great deal and is currently the reason BMW is the lowest cost car, at any price or brand, to maintain. Two of the highest cost brands for factory scheduled maintenance are Lexus and Infinity (according to edmonds.com). Of course, once you hit 100k, I would move on to something else.

If you value a smooth ride, I would advise the Lexus. They are nice cars with softer suspension, keep in mind the 3 is somewhat firm.

Right, you can get it, but it isn't free. I'm surprised that BMW doesn't push this benefit. We have several BMWs in my family, and it's great not having to think about maintenance issues. My mom's X5 is now out of the maintenance period and she's probably going to get another one partly because of this reason.

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

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Right, you can get it, but it isn't free. I'm surprised that BMW doesn't push this benefit. We have several BMWs in my family, and it's great not having to think about maintenance issues. My mom's X5 is now out of the maintenance period and she's probably going to get another one partly because of this reason.

Surely the cost of buying a new car outweighs maintenance? It's not like BMWs become unreliable at 100k.

Originally Posted by GQgeek

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Surely the cost of buying a new car outweighs maintenance? It's not like BMWs become unreliable at 100k.
Ha, no. Far from that, my mom drives very little. He car probably has about 50k now at the most for a 2000 model. She's looking for a new one because the old one feels...a bit old. That and a few electronic things have started to malfunction over the past 2 years or so. You know, the gift that keeps on giving that BMW doesn't tell its customers. Having to pay for maintenance is just the last straw on the camel's back, so to speak.

Originally Posted by visionology

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Do you have the new IS? What are the maintenance costs? Are you able to go to Toyota dealerships for general maintenance since there are more of them?

I have driven the new IS three times now. It is every bit the equal of a 3 Series BMW which many friends of mine have. As fast, as good at handling, more luxury, better service experience.

I have an ES330 now but I am eyeing the new IS or possibly a Porsche Cayman.

I find Japanese cars to be rather shoddy especially in regards to details and interior.

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LK,

This statement baffles me. My experience with a wide variety of Lexi has been totally the opposite. As a car detailing enthusiast, I can attest to quality of the interior plastic and real wood inlays and the absence of noise and any rattles over tens of thousands of miles.

Originally Posted by Artisan Fan

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I have driven the new IS three times now. It is every bit the equal of a 3 Series BMW which many friends of mine have. As fast, as good at handling, more luxury, better service experience.

I have an ES330 now but I am eyeing the new IS or possibly a Porsche Cayman.

I love the new IS but the Porsche Cayman would be pretty tempting if I could afford it.

The free maitenance is a huge bonus for me. As dealers make more and more of their margins in the service dept anymore (margins on new cars are down) it is nice not to have to haggle with repair bills or authorize this or that. I drop off my car, they repair or replace everything and charge teh manufacturer. Btw, I don't know if it has changed but you can extend teh maintenance on a BMW at anytime you want, as long as the factory program has not run out. Last year, the "inpection two" on teh M came up. Everything from new plugs, belts, hoses, and valve adjustments was performed. This was an all day job. The cost was zero for me, the bill would have been over two grand.

I know Lexus makes a great and reliable car though. I believe they are somewhat lower cost than a european counterpart. I like teh GS, the ES has always looked like a Camry with a gold package slapped on it. I would advise to narrow down what you want further and try to drive them back to back, then decide.

Originally Posted by zjpj83

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BMW styling is just awful these days. That brand has gone to **** IMO. The 3 series looks nice, but I'd still feel badly about indirectly supporting the rubbish that they are churning out of their factories these days.

I agree to an extent - the BMW mass market cars of recent years have been hideous.

The last car I liked was the E46 M3.

I like what I have seen of the new E92 M3.

I also liked the new CS concept unveiled in Shanghai.

All the rest are crap.