BMW 535i vs. LS 460
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
From: maryland
BMW 535i vs. LS 460
Has anyone owned a BMW 535i and moved into the LS? Or any BMW product? A 535i caught my eye the other day so checked it out... nice road car, but not sure much more than that???
Pole Position
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 261
Likes: 1
From: California
i would have to agree w/ henry.. i had a '07 525i for about a year. i love the look b/c its much sportier. the handle is a little more aggressive. but the LS is pure luxury. 
love the look of the LS way more..just thats just me. the BMW is a gorgeous car, but i've had my shares of BMW. that was about my 4th BMW and I would never own one. Leased them all. But w/ Lexus, I would own. But yeah, they are both awesome cars....just a way different to compare. just my 2 cents..
love the look of the LS way more..just thats just me. the BMW is a gorgeous car, but i've had my shares of BMW. that was about my 4th BMW and I would never own one. Leased them all. But w/ Lexus, I would own. But yeah, they are both awesome cars....just a way different to compare. just my 2 cents..
Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
From: Singapore
I used to have the current generation (pre-facelift) 523i. In terms on comfort the LS gets a thumbs up. Anyway I should not be comparing a 5-Series with a LS. Its like comparing a 5-Series with a 7-Series, of course the 7 is better.
Pit Crew
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 238
Likes: 1
From: CA
I had both the 5 series and 7 series...rid my 7 for the LS. Everything everyone else has already stated I agree with..but one more thing, you wouldn't want to own a BMW out of warranty (especially the 7 series). Their charges for maintenance are unreal (to say the least). Because the car is tied so much to their computer (I-Drive), including the maintenance schedule, it gets expensive to maintain.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,031
Likes: 5
From: US: Northeast
Agree with the above. 7 series or LS is the comparison. I owned a 323 at 23 and a 525 at 25 I liked them but they were just too small especially the back seat. I would never go back unless it was my work car and nobody else was ever to ride in it.
Like everything, to each their own but the next class up is my recommendation.
I liked them but they were just too small especially the back seat. I would never go back unless it was my work car and nobody else was ever to ride in it. Like everything, to each their own but the next class up is my recommendation.
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Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 414
Likes: 1
From: Texas
I had both the 5 series and 7 series...rid my 7 for the LS. Everything everyone else has already stated I agree with..but one more thing, you wouldn't want to own a BMW out of warranty (especially the 7 series). Their charges for maintenance are unreal (to say the least). Because the car is tied so much to their computer (I-Drive), including the maintenance schedule, it gets expensive to maintain.
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Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
From: Singapore
In Singapore and other Asian countries, thats the total opposite. A 1 year-old Mercedes S-Class can sell at a price that is SGD50,000 (USD 37,000) lower than its original price while a LS loses about SGD75,000 (USD 55,500).
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 414
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From: Texas
Rookie
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 91
Likes: 1
From: CA
Just upgraded from a 2005 545i (current model) to a 2007 LS460L and I agree with the statement that these are two very different cars.
Power - Both cars have more than enough HP and are very quick. The magazine numbers have both cars 0-60 around the 5.4-5.5 second range.
Handling - The 545i is a shorter more sporty car and is a lot more nimble
Comfort - The LS460L wins hands down in many categories. I have the touring option with air suspension and the ride is significantly smoother than the 545i. The 8 speed transmission also results in rarely feeling the car shift. Interior room is just ridiculous with the 460L while the rear seat on the 545i is adequate but slightly squished.
Hopefully the biggest difference will be service and maintenance. Although the 545i was covered on the BMW free maintenance plan it was literally at dealer service every other month. Off the top of my head in the past 3 years I had an engine belt replaced, Nav ECU, passenger seat sensor, steering column (twice), tire feathering, emissions sensor malfuction, and a bunch of other random false positives with other sensors on the vehicle.
Power - Both cars have more than enough HP and are very quick. The magazine numbers have both cars 0-60 around the 5.4-5.5 second range.
Handling - The 545i is a shorter more sporty car and is a lot more nimble
Comfort - The LS460L wins hands down in many categories. I have the touring option with air suspension and the ride is significantly smoother than the 545i. The 8 speed transmission also results in rarely feeling the car shift. Interior room is just ridiculous with the 460L while the rear seat on the 545i is adequate but slightly squished.
Hopefully the biggest difference will be service and maintenance. Although the 545i was covered on the BMW free maintenance plan it was literally at dealer service every other month. Off the top of my head in the past 3 years I had an engine belt replaced, Nav ECU, passenger seat sensor, steering column (twice), tire feathering, emissions sensor malfuction, and a bunch of other random false positives with other sensors on the vehicle.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,159
Likes: 4
From: Maryland
I traded my 04 bmw 545i for a preowned 04 LS430 (ultra)... I only had to pay couple thousand extra, but well worth it... I was getting afraid of owning the BMW after warranty, because the car did have issues, and issues BMW didn't know how to fix... The car would randomly not start, and since the dealer didn't know how to duplicate the problem, they couldn't fix it... The only car that compares to the New LS and the New S550 IMO!
