sm1ke

iTrader: (5)

I also considered the 335i for a second, until my sister bought an 08 328i. Her car hasn't had a lot of problems, but she had fluids leaking (I think washer fluid) and the dealer charged her $300 to diagnose and fix it. And when she goes in for oil changes, they charge her something like $110+. Cost to own a BMW is high, but they are beautiful looking cars. I was never a fan of the interiors though.

minato

iTrader: (1)

when I was looking to change my car, I looked at the audiA4, infinitiG35, MercedesC300, AcuraTL and lexusIS250

is250 was the best bang for my buck considering my insurance and cost of actually owning one of these cars

funny thing was I took all these cars out, and tested each one of them on the highway,

didnt test drive my lexus though,

nebojsa

i was looking at 335i and c350.

but like other have said lexus cost of ownership is much cheaper then the other cars. i did not like the fuel pump issue with bmw and the c350 did not blow me away like the is350 did.

Haitwun

Overall cost of ownership for German brands is quite high. Before I purchased my IS250, I accompanied my friend to the BMW dealership to pick up her 325i after a service. An oil change and a general inspection cost her 3 days and ~$400.

I did visit a few dealerships prior to buying. Most CPO Audi A4, Mercedes C class and BMW 3 series I saw had no navigation. By contrast, navigation seemed like standard feature on CPO IS250.

Mookie254

iTrader: (2)

I bought my 2010 IS250 about almost a year now and only had 8k when i picked her up. My other choice was the g37s sedan or the lexus CT hybrid lol. I've never been a coupe fan.

aznlexus

I bought my IS250 12 days ago because I could not find the Acura TL nor Mercedes C300 sport that I wanted and my school was about to start soon. I have looked into the BMW 328i and 335i and I've found that its interior is completely a JOKE. Yeah the exterior looks sporty but I also want something nice for interior. Never thought of getting an Lexus since I considered it kinda GIRLY. Man! I was totally wrong. After test drive it, I truly deeply in love with my Lexus and I will definitely not regret for buying it

RyPeredo

was considering a c class Benz based on looks at first. was also gonna give the 3 series BMW a try. I test drove the Lexus first at that's all i need. solid feeling car with the perfect mixture of sportiness and luxury that suits my likings. Have not once regretted it.

surensm

I didn't even consider German cars. My choices were an Evo X, IS250 or Accord V6. I went with the IS, the second most expensive of the three (the accord was the most expensive, at 430 a month)

Uda880

iTrader: (7)

I've been seeing some good deals on 335i and 135i coupes. Thought I'd google their reliability before making any physical moves. If the first 2 Google search results are these threads, I think it's safe to say that any BMW with an N54 or N55 engine (preliminary reports are saying they may have fuel pump issues as well) is horrible from an owner's POV.

Straight from the horse's mouth:
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=579748
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=441015

EDIT: After further reading, apparently for the E92/E88 owners, hitting 100,000 miles is a major milestone.

00LexusGS3

I just bought myself a 2010 Mercedes C300 4matic Sport model. I was comparing the IS350, C300, 335i, and G37. I never got around to test drive the BMW or Infiniti, nor the IS350, but my cousin had an IS250 when it just came out and I drove it a couple times, so I'd imagine it'd be the same just much quicker. I did do research on the C before I actually signed papers, and all I came up with if you keep up with maintenance, you should be fine.

What it really came down to:
Infiniti-I don't like the brand name that much and not a big fan of the styling
BMW- A lot at my school and all the drivers are douches
Lexus- That's all my family drives so I wanted something different
Mercedes- I like the name and I think it's just boss lol

Uda880

iTrader: (7)

If you keep up with maintenance on ANY German car, you should be fine. Thing is, maintenance includes both oil changes/brakes AND all the little things that can break that normally you don't see nearly as often on Japanese cars. This includes random expansion tanks cracking, bushings needing replacement every 60K, random window regulators and motors, lock actuators, etc.

Btw - Congrats on the C300

felo2081

I went to buy a is250 but when I checked the c300 next to it I fell in love with it. When turned it on the and the nav flipped out of the top, he had me at hello!! But kept the Is in mind so I went back and traded my other car for one. Now I have the both and can't be happier!!

sm1ke

iTrader: (5)

^^ Must be nice lol

Uda880

iTrader: (7)

That was a really nice feature to have that cover that flips up and down - I actually had a C300 for a bit before I moved into a G35 coupe (it was my first foray into Japanese cars), felt very solid, and loved the way the doors had a certain "heft" to them. But the engine was underpowered nonetheless - but it was nice to stare at a Mercedes badge while waiting at a red light.

Wunko

Same here. I didn't consider them either. Aside from things I've heard about German cars, most peers I know owned or want German cars (particularly BMW) already so I wanted to be different from them.