daygo718

iTrader: (1)

Alright people...before you all beat me up on this thread, let me start by saying I love Lexus (I have 2 SC's), but I also respect german car makers as well (and I always loved how the old 740's looked and performed).

Here's the situation, I'm seriously considering getting either a '95 LS400 or a '95 740i as a daily "beater". Nothing needs to be said about the LS...a very reliable and luxurious ride and I would have no problem buying an LS (I've always wanted one anyway). Since I already have 2 Lexus vehicles, I am considering the 740i. This car is also very luxurious and sporty, plus I love the look of the car. My major concern is the reliability issues this car may have. If the 740i had the reliability that Lexus is known for, I would buy it in a heartbeat. Since I have never been a BMW owner, I am not familiar with their reliability issues I always hear about. Do the problems pertain to BMW in general or is it a car by car basis? If the car checks out well, would it be safe to buy it?

Any input (especially from current or ex 7 series owners) would be greatly appreciated!

ChasFenwick

A good friend of mine had a 740iL of about the vintage you are talking about. He hated it. Couldn't WAIT for it to get off of lease. Bought one of the first LS430's. LOVES it.

(He had bought a new LS400 in 1991 and, as far as I know, had nothing but good experiences with it).

Sorry, can't say just exactly what he hated about the BMW. Other than the ridiculous excuse for a Nav system. But I do know that he did.

GA400

daygo718,

My experience --
I went through the same decision process recently. I needed a daily driver. I wanted a big comfortable powerful car. I have owned a variety of imports and domestics and had horrible luck with the domestics. I set a price range and started looking for stock vehicles in excellent mechanical shape. There are a lot of older BMW's selling for fairly cheap here in Atlanta. Older Lexus's are a little harder to find. Talking to the owners, my experience was that the BMW's have had more repairs, and the repairs have been more expensive ( a lot of cooling problems which lead to head gasket issues was very common - maybe due to the heat and traffic here) also more routine inspections and adjustments than the Lexus's. On the other side, BMW owners love driving their cars and talk about the handling being far superior to anything else. Lexus owners always wanted to tell me how trouble free and smooth riding their cars were and they basically forgot to service them because they never needed it. They would go by the light maintenance schedule which is almost nothing at all.
Do you already have a Lexus mechanic you trust? You mention you already own two Lexus. That is one thing you wouldn't have to worry about if you got another Lexus - you already have that relationship and trust built.

Good Luck!

rhlight

ATSOU

I think the only good thing about the 740 is the look. It is very stylish......especially with some big wheels. But I'll go with the LS400......All BMW sounds like a diesel truck.....So loud.

RON430

daygo 718 - From the way you posted your original question, you know the answer. You can certainly have maintenance problems with any used car but you already know that the odds are against you with the bimmer. You mention wanting a daily driver but don't mention about your feelings about having the car in the shop. Bimmer owners who like to talk about their handling also don't seem to mind being at the repair shop. My trophy wife goes ballistic with cars, especially new cars, being in the shop. My last seven, which is right around the years you are looking at, was such a garage queen that my wife went off on the BMW lease guy when he called wanting to know "about our experiences and would we like to lease another one" phone call after we had called them to come get the car. If you like the look and handling, get the bimmer, you will have plenty of chance to talk to other bimmer owners about how great the cars handle at the repair shop. The Lexus may not have the panache of the bimmer but it is very likely going to do its job effortlessly. Poor Lexus, reliability is only an issue when you don't have it.

seanl

daygo718-

I was in the same quandry as you, I wanted either a '94-'96 LS400 or a '95-'96 740iL. After doing alot of research, I decided that buying a used Lexus was a 'safer' decision with much less risk than a used BMW. BMWs, while great driver's cars, do require more maintenance than the LS400s, and IMO are more prone to parts breakage/failure. As others have said, the LS400 probably isn't as sexy as a 740i or iL, but it's more reliable and cost effective high end luxury car.

I ended up with a '97 LS400 Coach Edition, pearl white with 53K miles on it. It's now 1.5 years later and I'm just at 70K miles. The car runs like a top and has been troublefree other than the factory battery dying (almost) last week. Given that this car is 5+ years old w/ 70K miles and the fact that most batteries don't live long lives here in FLA, I'm ok with it! Got a replacement battery from Interstate for $60 (wholesale) and I'm again worry free.

Good Luck.

daygo718

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for your input guys! Since I am going to use the next vehicle as a daily driver, reliability is at the top of my decision making list (I definitely don't want the car to be in the shop). That being said, the LS should be the obvious winner. I do "trust" Lexus vehicles and would very much like to have the LS. I just wanted to get other opinions before I move forward so I can make an educated decision. As for looks, I'm sure I'll find ways to make the LS a definite head turner...can you say 20's and a body kit!

Also, how do you know if the LS has air suspension or not. Most of the classifieds I've looked at do not mention air suspension. Is it recommended to buy an LS with air suspension or without?

LOTC

There should be some buttons in the center console with a air suspesion buton.

I dont not recommend a air suspension LS.It will mean that you cannot lower ur car and repairs will cost around 1000-2000 dollars for parts.

stay with stock suspensions

seanl

I wouldn't buy an LS with air suspension either, that's something that's going to fail eventually, and is expensive to replace.

SharpLS-96

All I can say is stay far and clear from the 740i or il!!!!!!
Those cars are fine until they reach 100k and then they are nightmares no matter what yr you go with!!! MAJOR...MAJOR rough idling, valve, suspension problems! Shall I go on? I have driven many and they don't even compare or come close to an LS with that kind of milege!!! If you want to buy a car that will be in the shop more then on the road then go with the 740! :eek: :eek: If you want a trouble FREE car then go with the LS! I have mine for 6 ys and couldn't be happier with it!
The only thing a bimmer has going for it is the looks and the sporty ride it has to offer! Other then that its down hill from there! I am more into the soft luxury ride and the reliabilty Lexus offers! I'd rather spend my day at the beach baking under the sun then to bake under the sun on the side of some major highway on a 90 plus day in the middle of july waiting for a tow to show up!

I would not go with the air suspension because that is the only thing that will eventually cost bucks to repair if it goes bad plus the LS has a nice enough ride without it!

Thats my 2 cents! Good luck in whatever your decision will be!

JAC JZS

LOL I drove an '03 745i last week and it idled VERY rough I could not believe a brand new $70,000(flagship) car idled like that Way to go bimmer.

hyperopt

Well said! I think the BMW 745i's front looks nice and sporty but unbalanced with the ugly rear. Ouch!

paradox

..if you're not already convinced.....
In the V8 engines of the E34 530i (3 liter V8 ), 540i, and in the 740i and 840i from '93 to '95, BMW utilized a Nikasil alloy. Essentially, in this implementation, the cylinder bores are cross-hatched by a mechanical process and then plated with a thin layer of nickel, which is a refractory (hard, heat-resistant) metal. It was supposed to an extremely innovative, durable, robust engine design, and still is touted as such in some parts of Europe. However, in North America, sulfur in the gasolines interacted with the nickel in the Nikasil alloy. In the majority of cases, the cylinder walls in the engines would deteriorate to the point where the engine block required replacement. BMW is aware of this issue, and -ostensibly- offers a "limited warranty enhancement." Good luck trying to collect on it! BMW/NA has also been propagating tons of misinformation about this. BMW attempted to fix this initially, by reprogramming the vehicle's ECU to allow the engine to run hotter, in the hopes of burning off excessive sulphur. As you can imagine, this did not resolve the problem; to the contrary, it exacerbated it. There are a number of these cars still on the road. It's very easy to get stuck with one.
In 1996, BMW reverted back to the Alusil block.... basically, a high-silicon-content alloy, which ended that problem. Now, all the vehicle owner had to contend with were the usual electrical issues, dealership attitudes and exorbitant bills.
Lexus on the other hand..... well, I'd be preaching to the choir to continue.
One other event of note.... the Lexus ride and the ride a Bimmer has to offer are very, very different. Each has its own appeal to different individuals. For a Lexus owner, the solitude, detachment and ride quality is paramount. A BMW's "sporty" ride would be little more than rough and jarring. For a BMW owner, the Lexus ride would be akin to a gigantic tomb on wheels, with little or no tactile road feedback. To each his own. Just a few things to consider. Good luck and all that!

ATSOU

Hmm...........The Ultimate Driving Machine??

GA400

yeah, driving to the repair shop, that is