soarrabun

the reliability of a v-8 bmw is simply a joke. not to mention all the gadgets that make up the car and the scary cost to replace them.

HDEddie1

My V8 has never left me stranded but I still have factory warranty and maintenance. My previous five BMWs fared reasonably well, except the E39's model's water pump (several), so the BMW brand has never left me stranded. BUT my BMWs were new or CPO and I didn't keep the cars much beyond the warranty period. Maybe I was lucky because I never saw the horrendous repair bills everyone talks about.
I left my 3G Lexus at 40K because of its lack of feel and so-so handling, even after F Sport upgrades (sways/springs). I know its all different with the 4G Lexus F Sport.

My other BMW, a 2008 528i with sport package, and at 60K handles (quite well) like it did when it was new. Some suspension bushings and seals on the active stabilization unit went out but it did not immobilize the car. Expensive, YES about $2K but the factory CPO warranty replaced them anyway.

Now I'm thinking long term (100K miles) and don't want to push my luck with BMW. The potential maintenance cost with higher mileage BMWs is a given. I'll keep the 528i (too fun to drive) but will sell the 550i (too powerful to drive).

But, as my OP ask "Leaving BMW for Lexus Any Regrets" , I'd like to hear from former BMW owners. Please...no BMW haters/bashers. I respect BMW cars but now I'm just looking for a long term affair

Will I miss the instant BMW torque/power? Apparently yes.
Will I miss the at-the-limit handling (my 550i had its suspension modded heavily)? Apparently no. since the Lexus with DRS handles so well.
Will I lose the LACK of low to moderate speed nimbleness my current 550i doesn't have? Apparently yes since the Lexus with DRS is so nimble and toss able.

Any other insights from people who have owned or driven BMW would be appreciated...Thanks.

tompass

Owned a 2000 740il that I fortunately purchased an extended warranty for. A wonderful car and I felt like a million bucks when driving it but a myriad of frequent and expensive problems. Climate control, valley pan gasket replacement, heater core, water pump, etc. Most of which were covered by the warranty. Just became a PIA running back and forth to repair facility.. Solid car with fairly good performance. Went from the BMW to the Genesis 4.6 and now to the GS.

sick21

How do you feel the performance of the GS compares to the Genesis and 740?

I owned an '09 335i sedan in 2011, it was CPO got it with 9k mi and traded it in with 29k mi. It never had one single issue. It was a very good solid car. And that's good cause it rode solid with the run flats. It was quick, stiff (but not too so barely) and damn was that car fun. I got it for my wife but realized that was too much for her and the baby so took it and got her a suburban. Ha. Anyways, my '14 F Sport doesn't ride as tank like as that little car does. Sure you can tell the suspensions a little stiff but it's still a lexus, and a fairly big one. (I know my comparo would fair better with the IS). My GS F Sport makes up for its softer ride with a very sexy stock exhaust note. Now that I have two babies, the GS just fit the bill. It's comfy as heck and the F Sport is daring. And I know I'll never have a problem with my car, serious peace of mind. Knock on wood. My brother has a '13 535 m sport and I didn't want the same car since we even work together so I didn't really consider it but I also don't like the way it looks. He can't get over how much nicer my interior looks, he says the bimmers looks a little bland and mine has more soft touch and stitching everywhere.

Ramon

Curious as well...

As to the reliability of German cars, I think they have come a very long way since 2000, and it wouldn't really be a fair comparison to judge them based on their reliability 1.5 decades ago. They may have a few gremlins here and there, but I think for the most part, all the major issues that may have left you stranded are largely a thing of the past now.

tompass

Genesis was actually the better performer at least in a straight line. Around 5.3 0-60 but power, because of nanny's, came on a little at a time. Could not defeat the ESC etc. Not a wrinkle in 3 years of driving. No rattles and no issues at all. I miss the low end torque of the V8 big time. GS is great but you have to kick it in but and get some downshifting to get into the fat part of the power band. Sold the Genesis because of the terrible winter in NE last year to opt for AWD. The '15 Genesis V6 AWD is a nice car but msrp has really creeped up. CPO '13 GS was the smart money

HDEddie1

Interested to hear from owners of 4GS that have miles beyond the basic warranty period (50K miles).
Beyond oil service, tires, and brakes, any surprises for reliability and maintenance cost beyond 50K miles?
Thanks!

SlangBlade

I'd think that even the earliest models are just hitting those numbers now, but what I found comforting (and one of the reasons I chose the car) is that the engine has been used in Lexus's lineup since 2006 and the transmission since 2008 (I believe). Both have excellent track records.

NewSpace

Yeah, I mean that's why you buy a Toyota product, right? Bulletproof.

supraken

Had a E93 335 with the N54 engine, one thing I miss the most: torque, 300 ft-lbs from 1500rpm to red line.

Even though the two cars are about the same weight, the E93 was a lot faster. The GS is on par with the 2.0l turbo 4 in terms of straight line performance.

Surprising, I got better gas mileage with the turbo I-6 compared to the GS's NA V6

A more fair comparison would be the 535 obviously, which I felt very boring to drive. It was a smooth car with a bit more torque, but it was just boring.

The GS has better materials and more comfort.

Needsdecaf

Great first post and summary.

I owned a 2011 F10 535i for almost 30 months. It had the sport package, dynamic handling package, and just about every option save for HUD, Sport Automatic Transmission and Night vision.

My car had a multitude of first year build problems (my car was built in the second month of full production for the model). However, the majority of these were worked out later in the MY and simply are not present on 2012 models and above. Discounting this, I feel like BMW's are decent reliability wise. Not as good as Lexus or Acura, but certainly not Land Rover / Jaguar territory as is made out to be.

IMO, there is more than a bit of BMW bashing and sterotyping going on in this thread.

Having said that, I strongly considered another F10 5 series when I got the GS. However, much like JJSC6, I prefer the way that the GS DRIVES. There is much I like better about the BMW. The styling. The POWER. iDrive. The leather. Etc. But I will say that the GS simply rides and drives more how I prefer a car to be set up. It rides and drives like an E60 5 series. The F10 5 series is too much of a mini-7.

The 5 series is not a bad car. It is a very good car, that has had it's priorities redefined.

Things I like better about the Lexus? The steering (no wandering on center, not vague, much quicker, more feedback). The ride (despite both my car and my F10 having adaptive suspension, I feel that the Lexus is much more "of a piece" and better sorted. The F10 was either too hard or too soft. This was solved in later models from what I have driven). The feeling of lightness (the Lexus is a lot lighter). The fact that there is a dedicated portion of the screen to show infotainment (vs. the meager small box in the BMW). The vented seats work better. The transmission is quicker to react than the one in my BMW (probably would have been solved by having Sport Automatic Transmission in the BMW). And the price. I was definitely shopping to a price this time and did not want to pay the extra for the BMW.

I may get another Lexus when the lease is up. But only if they come out with a more powerful GS. The lack of power leaves me wanting. GS-F would be very sweet indeed. Otherwise I will return to BMW...to an M3.

Yes, more money, but more focused on my personal priorities than a 550 or even an M5 would be (and the M5 is out of my budget!). It's got enough lux to keep me happy and size to keep the family happy, but it's performance is otherworldly.

So unless you feel like you are totally addicted to the power and torque of the 550, then I don't think you'll have any regrets making the switch. I don't.

williakz

Great post - balanced and well-informed. Could you take a minute and explain why you value the M3 over the M5 (other than cost differential which you mentioned). Thanks.

hochingyiu

I jumped into this post because I used to own a 2007 328i with sport package for good 6 years from 2008 to 2013 October. Let's not talk about why I switch from BMW to Lexus, but I do admit that BMW is really fun to drive as far as handling and acceleration. I am sure all the current BMW owners or ex-owners will agree how wonderful the handling BMW is. I love it and I miss it.

Even though I drive a lower line of model (not 335, M...etc), I do feel the BMW is very solid, heavy with good acceleration and give you the feeling of the European cars. To summarize, I have to admit I did enjoy the time driving.

HOWEVER...the maintenance is like a BIGGGGGG no no for bmw. Yes. You do have 50k or 5 years warranty. Since I kept the car longer than 5 years and over 50k miles, I had the real experience how to truly OWN and do maintenance on my 328i. It's JUST ridiculous. The cost of repair and run-flat tires are always a joke and you have to really suck it up as a bmw owner. You may be right, if I was rich and wealthy enough not to bother the cost of maintenance. Unfortunately, I'm not and that is the reason why I stay away from BMW. It's just tooo expensive to the point for all different minor and major maintenance. Run-flat tire 300 each.....so whole set is $1200 plus the installation and alignment...etc. I don't think I need to name what type of maintenance as you guys are expert in cars (I'm not ) it's just very expensive.

Therefore, I switched to Lexus GS350 F 2013. I know the car is more expensive but I'm confident that the car can run to 100k easily but don't need to do this and do that with all costly maintenance.....

Needsdecaf

Costly maintenance is a given for any luxury brand.

First, RFT's are a joke and a ripoff. Switch to non-rft's, carry a can of fix-a-flat and a AAA card and you're done.

Second, I just had a conversation with a very wealthy guy with all kinds of cars - Porsches, Lambos, Ferraris', and we were talking about his wife's LS. He told us the local dealer was banging him for a $200 alignment every 10k miles...which they did not do, causing his tires to wear every 10k miles (bad toe). And that they were keeping the gift cards he should have gotten, overcharging him for tires, and also getting the tires for free because the manufacturer had a wear warranty up to 25k miles and pro-rated after that up to 80k.

THis crap happens all the time, that's why they call them stealers. Not just at BMW.

Needsdecaf

Fun.

The M5 is georgeous, fast, very fast, and quite fast. It's very comfortable and competent. It also weighs over 4,500 lbs and feels it. SO most of the fun is, you guessed it, going fast.

The M3 is nimble. It weighs 1000 lbs less, and feels like 2000 lbs less. It feels more responsive, alive and agile. And not much less fast. Although measured, it is, especially on top end.

To me, the F80 M3 is very similar in spirit and execution to the E39 M5 (the V8 normally aspirated with 400 hp version). Which is a perfect size to me.