rofflehous

Congrats on the BMW
bmw's are notorious for oil leaks and its crazy because most 100k 2jzs need a water pump, cams seals, vvti pulley rebuilds, front/rear mains, and such so I doubt there is a huge difference in reliability.

ttaylor993

2jzs don't usually need a water pump, or front or rear main seal at 100k. The cam seals and VVT-i pulley, maybe. It's just that if you are in the engine changing the timing belt for the 90k service, you may as well change the WP and front main, cam seals and VVT-i pulley, since the additional labor is minimal and the parts are relatively inexpensive. The rear main seal rarely goes bad that soon. There is a big difference between changing for convenience and changing out of necessity.

SoCal Cyco

iTrader: (20)

are you nuts?

rofflehous

Yes I am ;-)

jdmgadget

Congrats on the ultimate driving machine

DMPesso

Your JOKING right? At least the lexus will still run almost forever even without changing it. the BMW on the other hand will blow its engine if the oil isnt changed in time or if some type of maitenance isnt done in time... Lexus built this car to drive a very long time even with no oil in the engine. BMWS need to be pampered like princesses or pray for your wallet. I mean there IS a reason you dont see BMWs from 98-2004 still driving around like you do with the 2GS. Old BMW's are seldom seen and if they are driving and running you know damn well they have a good aftermarket warranty. I dont hear too many stories of high mileage BMWs like the lexus, unless those are the pre 98 BMWs, so thats for a reason.

mccrimmon

iTrader: (2)

E39 M5's are very sexy

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

I could see myself adding a BMW but not replacing my Lexus. No way, no how. Too unreliable. Too expensive to maintain. A new one under warranty, yes. But not to replace my Lexus.

MattyG

Any car can be a surprise good or bad. I've spent $3K on my car and I've barely had it a year. I banked on the Lexus reputation and was surprised by the unexpected bills.

Now if I had bought a 3 or 5 series or even a E class like I was looking at, what would I have ended up with? Maybe something far worse, but one thing the Germans are known for is driving excitement and performance.

That's what I miss on my GS... it's a sanitized disconnected "cruising" experience.

Some forum members are obviously on their first or second car while others are movin on up. Technology has caught up and some members are making choices as they look around.

mccrimmon I agree with you. The E39 has got to be one of the sexiest shapes from the 90's. Still looks good and you can bet it is a road rocket with the v8.

SoCal Cyco

iTrader: (20)

if you spend a little coin on the suspension and it will handle just as good if not better than a bimmer

bigguppy

iTrader: (15)

Congrats on the buy. I would ignore the comments about bmw and their issues. It's a hit and miss with any car, even lexus. Just remember that a bmw is design for performance and so things will wear out faster than your typical car. Stay on top of maintenance before they are do and you should be fine.

Edit: stay on top of the cooling system. Bmw cooling system was poorly design for those years. Go with a performance aftermarket cooling kit.

I want a M5 now.......

Johnny Rad

Overheard here from a BMW service tech: "Never own a BMW out of warranty."

And

Overheard from an independent European repair shop in my town: "BMWs keep me in business."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

That said, I would love to be a BMW owner. I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm weak. Afraid.

MattyG

Yes very true. You usually don't want to own a German car out of warranty or without a really honest independent mechanic specializing in them.

But then again my local Toyota dealership makes a lot of money and stays in business ripping off people too. Same goes for any brand.

MattyG

Yes and no. You can certainly tighten up the suspension to get rid of the slop, but there is very little you can do about the steering. That's just a Lexus trademark.

It gets better at higher speeds but around town it's way to loose for my liking. This car feels every pound of its curb weight.

Lukas99GS

I'm not sure how much that model goes for used, but I would've looked at the new GS, I've driven it and can attest to it's performance. That car handles so well it just puts our cars to shame, the braking, speed, and especially the interior, one of the best if not my fav interior I've seen, I could go on. But hope the BMW does well for you