i would've thought the new 540i would be a closer competitor to the GS430? Nevertheless, the 5 is much more sporty, but still, the GS is a way better handler than your average car.

 

Congratulations! That is an amazing sport sedan.

 

I'll add my 2cents here since I own both a 550 and a 2nd gen 430....

I test drove the GS430, A6 4.2, M45, and 550 before deciding on the 550. The main reason was the driving dynamics. The car is simply unbelievable (but you already know this). However, it won't appeal to everyone. It is like a stallion, it wants to go and go. The GS430 is more of a blvd cruiser - sure it will go when pressed, but it takes a bit and then when you want to stop, it is either all or nothing (I find the brake assist in my GS430 will kick in AFTER I have released the brake pedal in a hard brake situation - this has happened twice and scared the crap out of me).

The M45 strikes a nice balance between the two cars and has more technology too. But the dash is a bit gimicky an the exterior did not appeal to me as much as the 550 and GS did. For the money however it is hard to go wrong.

In the end, I have a lot of respect for all of these cars (put 400hp in the A6 and I'd probalby take that personally), however, only one had the true driver involvement I was looking for.

edit: rumor has it the 2007 5-series will begin production in March and they will have a very minor facelift.

 

Yes the 2007 will have very little face lift I saw it on auto spies, I as well as several E60 forum members cannot distinquish the diffference between the 07 and the 06. I am putting the M aero package on the 550 so its going to look like the M5 anyways. The HUD feature is awesome. You never have to look down again just keep your eyes on the windshield. I think Lexus will incorporate this soon in their vehicles. I remember some of the old Pontiacs used HUD systems but it never caught on. The BMW HUD shows Nav, speed. or anything you want it to display via I-drive. MSRP on my vehicle was 70848.00 I got 2500 dollars off of MSRP which is unheard of in the US for the 550. Usually there is a 2 month wait to get the vehicle you want or you can wait for one that someone ordered and backed out on. Most 550s on the dealer's lot are stripped versions costing 60k to 65k. I had to shop 11 BMW dealers to get this discount and three offered the same payments and price. Crevier, Chapman, Irvine.

The fact that I see some 5 series owners in a Lexus GS430 forum leads me to believe we to respect the quality of the GS430. We are all so lucky we can get either car.

My only beef with the M45 is the looks, it looks like the Maxima and G35 put together as a bigger car. Interior felt cheaper. I respect that car though for price point and performance it gets best bang for buck award.

Again I dont want to turn this Lexus forum into a BMW one so thank you for putting up with me. If you guys dont mind Saturday I will post pics. If you do mind I will stop posting about it here.

Thanks

Tony

 

Congratulations!

Nobody minds about you posting here. In fact we encourage you to keep posting and be sure to update this thread with pics.

I have never driven a BMW, but based on all the responses here and elsewhere on the net, it is obvious that BMW's are leaders in the sport/steering feel/chassis departments.

There is also no doubt that the GS is the winner in the reliability / comfy / quality / not fun to drive qualities.

At the end of the day, it simply boils down to what your priorities are - sport/driving dynamics or not sport/diminshed driving dynamics.

You obviously made the right choice based on your priorities.

Both cars are great cars and appeal to different mind sets. Nothing wrong with either.

When I bought my 99 GS400 3 years ago, I could not afford a brand new car and based my purchasing decision on which car (MB E430, BMW 540, GS400) would give me the best blend of power, looks and reliability (since I could not afford buying any of the cars new, reliability was a very important factor for me as they were all at least 4 years old and out of warranty).

The final choice was simple - get a GS400. I compromised on the driving dynamics part and got reliability in exchange. Of course I could have gotten lucky and bought a 540 that was reliable, but I was not brave enough to take that chance. I have since reduced most of the non-sport characteristics of the GS by modding the suspension, brakes, wheels, drivetrain and steering. It's still not a BMW in feel, but it's close enough for me. To me it's the best of both worlds now - reliability and sport.

Of course people will be quick to point out that I spent a lot of money doing that, but it has been fun and very much worth it to me personally. We all justify to ourselves why do certain things, and I will be first to admit that I fall into that category. Nothing wrong with that - it's just human nature.

If I had the luxury of being able to buy a BMW brand new 3 years ago, I would have bought the 540 without any hesitation whatsoever.

 

Congratulations on the purchase. The 550 is a beast and in terms of driving dynamics, it's hard to deny that BMW has set the standard. Shoot, before I got my GS, I thought long and hard about picking up a 645 coupe. Although I am completely satisfied with my GS, I still feel a little regret when I see a 6 series coupe on the road.

Definitely post pics, in the end, we are all car enthusiasts and can appreciate fine automobiles.

 

I currently own 2004 BMW 545i and 2006 E350 AMG sports package. I also owned GS400 which I sold. I also used to work for Lexus when the 3rd gen GS hit the showroom. The new GS is awesome car, except it doen't have the driving dynamics of the BMW, and the "look at me styling". GS430 is QUAILTY and COMFORT. 545i is HANDLING and STYLE IMO. My 545i was in service several times, and the service is terrible for sure. Lexus has the best service. Lexus is a little lame in style, the the overall package can't be beat! The only reason I didn't get 3rd gen GS430 was because I was already driving GS400. And I recently picked up the E350. Also a fine car as well.

 

Congrats on the purchase

 

Tony, I'm guessing you had to order that right? Or did you really find one that loaded?

My dealer actually let me re-order my car so I could get the comfort seats (they were supposed to change the order and forgot). So they ended up with TWO Monaco blue 550s -one with comfort seats (and heated rears) and one without comfort seats and heated rears. Both cars were at the dealer 5-6 weeks after the order was placed. The joke being that my "cars" had arrived.

I skipped the HUD for several reasons
1. Fear of cracking the $70K barrier (I missed it by $400)
2. While it was kind of cool to have it up there, it was also a distraction for me

With regards to pricing, it is regional. Out here, they are going for as little as $1K over dealer cost (you would be amazed how badly rear wheel drive V8 cars sell in the winter in Chicago). Now, I'm not saying that's what I paid, I'm just saying that's what they are going for today

Anyway, make sure you post pics when you get it!

 

Yeah Doug99 with the HUD it pushed my MSRP to 70846 but I got 3000 off from Crevier BMW which is insane because I called and emailed 11 BMW dealerships all over the country and they all told me to take a hike except for three. Chapman BMW, Irvine BMW and Crevier BMW when its all said and done I saved 5500 dollars by merely emailing as many BMW internet sales guys as I could. Some got mad I even suggested discounting the 550 because its a rare car right now and a fully loaded one has to either be ordered or no luck. I lucked out someone ordered one with every option possible in Silver Grey with black interior so I pulled the trigger on it when they backed out. Its coming from Colorado to California and then I fly from Nevada to Cali and drive home.

Doug you are getting yours for 1k over invoice? I couldnt get anyone past MSRP except for the three above. I even tried as far as Tennesse.

In the Southwest and West Coast where we can drive year round without ice and snow these cars are rare items. My dealership only had one stripped down one for test drives and the you had to order one from scratch.

 

Go with ED.

You will get a huge saving. You can offer $1k over ED invoice and any dealer will take that deal and run with it.

Fully loaded the 550i should be no more than $64k. The base ED invoice of 550i is $48.5k and add $1k for dealer profit. The base ED invoice is $49.5k.

If you do not know what ED is, go visit bimmerfest.com.

 

Good stuff... 550 is nice... If I only could spend the money on a car like that.... Can't go wrong...

 

I have had a similar experience a couple of times myself.
Only in my case, the brake assist would not release maximum brake hold until you completely remove pressure from the pedal. My foot was "hovering" on the brake (pressed just a little). It did not scare me, but it did disorient me, which could be very dangerous in certain situations (where you are trying to avoid an accident and may need to do more than just slow down dramatically, but also get out of the way afterwards to avoid being t-boned in the middle of an intersection or rear-ended, for example).
It is very unfortunate that the car's electronic big brother is working against the [better than a novice] driver in this case. Also, imagine what this 10/10th braking would to your car on a curvy mountain road approaching a corner... think scrap metal.

Also, I had a situation when I overused the throttle on a wet freeway entrance turn and the VSC kicked in. My first instinct was to compensate the oversteer, but in combination with VSC comensation and the throttle coming and going (VSC cuts throttle at some times), I ended up unbalancing the car more. Once you realized it and "let go", things got back to normal.

In my experience, the GS (2nd gen) is a very capable car (as others have pointed out), but definitely not a driver's car.

 

well imo I have had 4 Bimmers never even bother looking at anything else my wife bought her 2001 rx brand new and the only problem she had was a little squeal in fan belt that they fixed under warranty. But as far as driving the bimmers are basically for performance but as far as a smoother ride and everyday driving car you can't go wrong with the Lexus I've had my car almost a week and my commute (35 miles each way) is so relaxing It seems Lexus knows where the driver wants every thing I have a 2002 M3 love it but it is not an eveyday car drinks oil which is $9-12 a pop a good week-end car but not an everyday car imo.

 

I am just curious did anyone here actually get a manual BMW or are they all automatics?