I have to say...im very impressed by my GS 350. I had a 04 Mercedes E 320 before and let me say...this car makes the E class look like a joke. I had problems with the E class from day one...my older brother has the generation before mine and its the same problems all over again. The interior and appointments in the Lexus are much more refined and the quality of high grade leather and machinery makes the Lexus much more aesthetically pleasing than the mercedes. My girlfriend just bought an Acura TL and the interior in the Acura made me feel embarassed because I paid twice as much for the mercedes and the interior looked and felt cheaper than the acura. As for the exterior, the GS offers a much more aggressive look and the four geometrical independent headlights on the lexus makes the car look like a muscle car as opposed to the ovaly round headlights on the E class that make it look weak. My sister has a BMW 06 bmw 535i...and lets just say that the only thing BMW has going for them is their handling, which I admit...makes the car fun to drive...as for the interior and exterior...lets just say they need a lot of work. Both my brother and sister like the Lexus better and are thinking of getting one themselves.

 

Welcome to the club, the GS is indeed a strong contender with in the performance luxury segment, if one does not care for extreme handling the GS is clearly a strong winner, throw in some little mods like the VIAStech SoundLinkQ SLI ipod integration and a Hybrid Navigation DVD (to get access to input while driving) and you get a killer ride !

 

The GS is clearly a great car. The BMW 5 series is considered by many as THE sports sedan pinacle.

The 535 is new for 08 and has not arrived yet. Just a small clarification.

Welcome to the club.

 

Welcome to the club Nate!

 

Just a note, the 535s are out. I sat in one last week. The dealer told me the 535s were starting to come in early. The interior looks much better than last years 5.

 

Congrats and Welcome to the Club!

I'm glad to hear that you've had great chances to compare the GS with the E-Class, 5-Series, and TL. Although the GS is not perfect, it does satisfy with a lot of great amenities.

I hope you enjoy your car as much as most of us on the Forums!

Now, you have to post pics (just to prove you're not lying... ).

 

I still have an '04 E320 (wife's car) but am looking to get rid of it very soon. My GS350 is a MUCH more refined car. No competition between those two at all!

As for the '08 BMW 535, they've been out for a month. I ordered one back in February and it was ready for delivery in mid-April. Long story short, the lease payments on a 535 versus a similarly priced 2007 530 were ridiculous. It's a nice car but I couldn't see paying THAT much more for a 535 versus a similarly equiped GS350 (about $200 per month more for the 535!).

 

I would have believed you until I saw the pic of the sticker from Kroozin...

 

When I took my 325i for service about three weeks ago I asked and was told the 535 were not in yet but they would be trickling in any time now.

I tried to get a 530i back in December when BMW was heavily subsidicing their leases, but I could not get any local dealers to discount much from their MSRP. So, in Feb I ordered my GS350 after getting a nice discount and got it a month later.

After driving the Lexus for about three months, I don't think I'll seriously look at another Bimmer in envy. Nice cars and if I were stationed overseas, that would be my choice. But for the roads I generally drive here in TX, Lexus wins hands down and I'm not even considering the difference in price (in favor of Lexus).