HDEddie1

Anyone leave BMW for Lexus?
Seriously thinking about leaving my '12 BMW 550i M Sport and getting into a '14 or '15 GS F Sport.
Impressed with Lexus looks and tasty interiors. I only test drove dealer's '14 F Sport but didn't really push it. I don't know what the GS will do when pushed in "sport +" and handling at speed.
Other than the 550i's power (which I won't miss because I can't use it all) I there anything else I should know? Anyone have any regrets leaving BMW?
Thanks

metaleckz

iTrader: (9)

We see a lot of people leaving from lexus to bmw but they always come back.

#1 reason. Reliability

irondonkey

maintenance on a BMW is a huge NO NO for me.

it's ridiculous.

islandbeef

My independent BMW mechanic has started to turn away owners of the newer BMW models. He can't fix them anymore.

jjscsix

I have a 2012 550 M Sport and my wife's car is a GS350 with luxury. I drive the GS quite a bit. The power is the one negative. I don't have time to go into all the pluses in minuses, but in many ways I like the GS better.

BTW, I do not agree with the posts above. I agree that the Lexus is going to be more reliable over the long haul, but maintenance is free for four years on BMWs and my service experiences have been excellent.

jjscsix

That would likely be true of any high end car as they have become so complex. It's likely more a matter that he can't afford all the diagnostic equipment and does not have access to BMW factory support like a dealer does.

rjm

Absolutely not. After 4 BMW's over a 12 year period I got tired of the run-flat tires and all the maintenance issues with BMW....electrical problems, an inadequate battery charging system, steering issues that BMW couldn't fix, hesitation problems during acceleration, blown up turbo chargers, recurring upgrading of the computer in a vain attempt to fix problems, and engineering "advances" like the Stop/Start system that were annoying and some that degraded the performance of the cars. So I made the switch to the 2013 GS350 as soon as it came out and have never regretted my decision for one second. Performance, acceleration, comfort, quality, and reliability have been excellent with the Lexus and the only complaint I have had has been excessive road noise, that in my case, is directly related to the Dunlop tires that came on my car. I have no regrets at making the switch.

Kayman

I came back to Lexus as soon as I could after a terrible experience with a 535iX M Sport. Won't buy BMW again as the engine reliability was terrible... great when it worked but never really did. BMW was unresponsive to complaints for 3 years and yet a month before I got rid of it I received a major engine recall so there was clearly something wrong with the BMW. Just glad to have the smooth reliability of Lexus.... oh and the fact you don't see one everywhere is appealing too

Rexus300

iTrader: (1)

I left my 2011 BMW 535i x drive which is same generation as yours and got a 2013 GS fsport. The 535 was the worst car i have ever owned. Too many problems and annoying vibrations on the highway that the deals couldn't solve. I have absolutely no regrets in getting the GS. I'm so impressed with the handling and feel of this car along with the reliability and looks that im looking into leasing another one next spring. You should push the gs fsport in the sport+ mode and you will be impressed. The engine is sufficed enough and powerful with good revving capabilities in the sports mode that you will not have any issues. Yes it may not have the torque as the 550 but as you said you rarely need that much power.

HDEddie1

While at the dealer, I did not push the GS yet (red-line in sport + mode).
My local dealer sales person said that the sport+ mode firms up the shock dampening a bit but does not alter the engine performance. And, he said that the Sport + feature is the SAME on the luxury model as on the F Sport. I asked him if he was sure, and he confirmed this. I find this hard to believe. Do you know if this is the case? As you know, on BMW (those equipped with with Sport Automatic and Dynamic Dampner control), Sport + activates higher dampener settings as well as engine/drivetrain settings.
Thanks.

GregCanada

Sport or Sport + give you much more aggressive throttle and transmission settings. Sport + gives you the aggressive suspension damping. Yes Sport + is on Luxury and F sport.

Going with an Fsport, will give you bigger front brakes (RWD only), staggered wheels, different interior colours (red), front bumper, rear lip, aluminum pedals and different front seats (compared to base or luxury).

ThomasGS4

iTrader: (19)

Not exactly free, rather it is rolled into the price of the vehicle.

natnut

Note that DRS or Dynamic Rear Steering is only available on the F-Sport version and it is an option in the US market.

Rexus300

iTrader: (1)

The dealer is wrong that the Sport + only changes dampers on the f-sport. It does much more. It stiffens up the steering wheel and increase throttle/engine reponse. It also makes the engine more likely to downshift quicker and lead to faster acceleration and to allow you to engage the manual paddle shifters more. It is also much better and more planted then the Luxury with the Sport + dampers. I have the GS Luxury loaner right now and the car is a bit soft sprunged due to the dampers even in sports +. The body roll is more in the luxury and the steering is a bit less feedback then the F-sport.

symple84

I recently traded my 535i for a GS 350 F Sport, and while you will miss the torque from the BMW the GS has a better interior and overall more tech for the price. Oh and I also had several drivetrain malfunctions on my brand new car with less than 2000 miles on the 535i which is a common problem and had it twice in service. In a few years, I hope to get back into a M4 or M3 possibly.