Replace SC300 with Jag XK8? Nah!
04-16-12, 07:58 PM
#17
I bet that 325i was pretty underwhelming huh?
Try and find a 200-2004 330i or post 2004 a 335i, they are a LOT more fun to drive but still offer a lot of the thigns you are looking for.
Only difference is that maintenance is a ***** compared to the Lexus. My last car was a 2000 e39 BMW (528iT), and I really loved it, but the amount of preventitive maintenance that needed to be done BEFORE stuff breaks was staggering and I was averaging about 1.5k a year in repairs driving about 15k miles a year... or roughly 10 cents a mile. The entire cooling system has to be replaced, bushings, and airbags in the air suspension tend to go out, managed to bust a motor mount hitting a dip at speed, and did I mention the cooling system likes to break?
But if you can stomach replacing the expansion tank and bushings in the suspension every 10k miles and the rest of the cooling system every 50k miles they really are a joy to drive and own.
Try and find a 200-2004 330i or post 2004 a 335i, they are a LOT more fun to drive but still offer a lot of the thigns you are looking for.
Only difference is that maintenance is a ***** compared to the Lexus. My last car was a 2000 e39 BMW (528iT), and I really loved it, but the amount of preventitive maintenance that needed to be done BEFORE stuff breaks was staggering and I was averaging about 1.5k a year in repairs driving about 15k miles a year... or roughly 10 cents a mile. The entire cooling system has to be replaced, bushings, and airbags in the air suspension tend to go out, managed to bust a motor mount hitting a dip at speed, and did I mention the cooling system likes to break?
But if you can stomach replacing the expansion tank and bushings in the suspension every 10k miles and the rest of the cooling system every 50k miles they really are a joy to drive and own.
04-16-12, 08:24 PM
#18
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Really biting my tongue on this one lol. Not a fan of jaguars at all until the recent restyling. You would definitely be showing your age driving that thing... and convertibles are chick cars anyway.
04-16-12, 08:25 PM
#19
ride quality
I've been thinking about replacing my 98 SC300 (165,000 miles), so I've been test driving various contenders. Here's a quick list of what I've driven so far:
2002 Lexus SC430 (50k miles, $22,000)
2003 Mercedes SLK320 (50k miles, $13,000)
2006 BMW 325i (60k miles, $18,000)
2008 Lexus IS250 AWD (40k miles, $25,000)
2006 BMW Z4 Coupe (26k miles, $22,000)
2003 Jaguar XK8 (42k miles, $20,000)
Honestly, the only car that impressed me at all in comparison to my SC300 is the Jag, but after some quick research, I think it would probably be the stupidest buy I ever made. And considering what I have owned over the past 40+ years (Triumph, Austin, Citroen, etc), that would be saying a lot.
Where folks on the Lexus forums talk mainly about mods and driving, Jaguarforums.com is absolutely FILLED with "how do I get this thing to run" threads. Not just minor things, either - things like cylinder washdown and getting the "green shower" from the top mechanism. It seems that going 2,000 miles without spending $500+ in repairs is considered a major achievement with an XK8...
At this point, I think I'll be keeping my ancient Lexus. The SC430 is tempting, but it's really not a step forward. And I absolutely love the styling of the Z4 coupe, but it's just too small and really doesn't drive that well.
Be thankful for your "old" SC's, guys - I can't seem to find a car that can compare to them!
2002 Lexus SC430 (50k miles, $22,000)
2003 Mercedes SLK320 (50k miles, $13,000)
2006 BMW 325i (60k miles, $18,000)
2008 Lexus IS250 AWD (40k miles, $25,000)
2006 BMW Z4 Coupe (26k miles, $22,000)
2003 Jaguar XK8 (42k miles, $20,000)
Honestly, the only car that impressed me at all in comparison to my SC300 is the Jag, but after some quick research, I think it would probably be the stupidest buy I ever made. And considering what I have owned over the past 40+ years (Triumph, Austin, Citroen, etc), that would be saying a lot.
Where folks on the Lexus forums talk mainly about mods and driving, Jaguarforums.com is absolutely FILLED with "how do I get this thing to run" threads. Not just minor things, either - things like cylinder washdown and getting the "green shower" from the top mechanism. It seems that going 2,000 miles without spending $500+ in repairs is considered a major achievement with an XK8...
At this point, I think I'll be keeping my ancient Lexus. The SC430 is tempting, but it's really not a step forward. And I absolutely love the styling of the Z4 coupe, but it's just too small and really doesn't drive that well.
Be thankful for your "old" SC's, guys - I can't seem to find a car that can compare to them!
i have read through a couple of threads and a lot of members keep saying that the SC3-400 has a very smooth ride quality. is this true. im askin because you drove those cars (bmw, merc, jag) recently, and id expect them to to be miles ahead in comfort.(not sayin anything about the SC)
thanks.
04-16-12, 08:42 PM
#20
The bastard child of GM. Could have had so much potential but GM botched it.
Luckily, this means the used market is good on them because their value dropped like a rock coming off the dealer floor. GM was offering $8,000 off new MRSP back when they were struggling to sell them.
Luckily, this means the used market is good on them because their value dropped like a rock coming off the dealer floor. GM was offering $8,000 off new MRSP back when they were struggling to sell them.
. The 03-04 SL500's are in that price range too, but they're not as fast as the S600/CL600.
04-16-12, 09:46 PM
#22
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Basically the same story for the IS250, very underpowered, cheesy interior.
I'm afraid nothing short of another Lexus is going to be even close to my SC300 in terms of trim level and reliability. I've even been tempted by a Solara V6SLE convertible, it does have decent looks, leather, and wood, etc. A coupe would be better but haven't seen any, and it's still not a Lexus...
Looks like I drive what I've got, or find the right SC430!
04-16-12, 09:51 PM
#23
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Funny how ragtops are viewed nowadays. No one though my Triumph TR3A was a chick car in 1975!
04-17-12, 02:08 AM
#27
An older Benz would be a good value. Like you said, you just can't beat 500+ horsepower stock. Those 03-04 S600's are pretty cheap now too and the CL's are pretty sick too. The 03-04 SL500's are in that price range too, but they're not as fast as the S600/CL600.[/QUOTE]
yea Kira they are getting pretty cheap and they are very tempting but they are priced accordingly.
At $7-8 thousand dollars to replace a tranny in an s500 benz it turned me off just a little bit lol.
To the person that made this thread, if your 57 years old and want style comfort , room with a bit of power theres really only one choice for you my friend, one of my favourite cars of all time the Lexus ls430!!!!!!!
stay away from benz, bmw and jag unless you really have money to just throw away, they do break down more often and parts prices are insane.
. The 03-04 SL500's are in that price range too, but they're not as fast as the S600/CL600.[/QUOTE]yea Kira they are getting pretty cheap and they are very tempting but they are priced accordingly.
At $7-8 thousand dollars to replace a tranny in an s500 benz it turned me off just a little bit lol.
To the person that made this thread, if your 57 years old and want style comfort , room with a bit of power theres really only one choice for you my friend, one of my favourite cars of all time the Lexus ls430!!!!!!!
stay away from benz, bmw and jag unless you really have money to just throw away, they do break down more often and parts prices are insane.
04-17-12, 03:03 AM
#28
Wow, so many responses but yet nobody thought of this car. Bmw 645ci. They come in drop or coupe and are the closest thing to an SC imo. They are"big" coupes it's what I like to call em. But the bmw has more room than the SC. I haven't heard anything bad about these motors as bmw used it for years throughout their lineup. Interior is far more ahead of the SC. Guarantee you, you won't look back
04-17-12, 02:50 PM
#29
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Take a test drive in a BMW E46 330ci Coupe with a STICK! Or even better, a E46 M3 and report back on your impressions. Make sure they are in nice shape. Great cars, but more pricey to maintain than a Lexus.
