BMW 535i vs Lexus GS 350 vs Audi A6
Folks..I've narrowed down my search to these three..They all ride great..are within 2k-3k of each other price wise and they also look terrific..I'll be posting this on the Audi and Lexus forum's as well..But from a BMW perspective what is the one overiding reason why I should choose BMW versus the others? My primary criteria are:
Reliability
Ride (I have 1 hr each way to work-constantly on the cell)
and "Tech"- GPS, Bluetooth, user interface etc..
Looking forward to the responses
Reliability
Ride (I have 1 hr each way to work-constantly on the cell)
and "Tech"- GPS, Bluetooth, user interface etc..
Looking forward to the responses
0
Comments
The stock answer to your question of BMW vs. (insert competing cars in class here) is "do you want to drive or do you want to be driven?" If it's the former, the 535i is the only way to go. If its the latter, both the Lexus and Audi would be better choices. If your hour long commute is mostly stop and go traffic, the Lexus would be my pick. If, on the other hand, your commute contains some stretch where you can open it up, the BMW wins hands down.
You mentioned in your OP, how the cars "rode." Let me ask you a better question, "How did they drive?"
Great post! In short, the BMW drove like a luxury sports car- tight, responsive etc..On the other end of the spectrum, the Lexus drove like a high-end luxury car, very quiet, smooth, refined...The Audi seemed to me at least to be somewhat in the middle maybe leaning towards the BMW...I'm going to go for another run this weekend with all 3..Interesting that Audi and Lexus appear to be very hungry for my business, BMW is basically saying come back when your done driving "the rest of them".....
But anyway, I doubt you'd be disappointed driving the A6 overall.
US News Auto Rankings
Believe me i thrashed my IS 300 and drove it hard all the time. He was much more gentle with his 328, yet it was his car not mine that was falling to pieces at 120K. I even had to pick him up once because his water pump failed.
My IS 300 NEVER let me down.
In my opinion if you really are interested in performance I think the Lexus is much better than BMW because the Lexus can survive prolonged hard driving. Another benefit to Lexus was the fact I could get a $75.00 four wheel alignment at Sears. This would be very useful if you are fast driver.
As far as performance is concerned the GS 350 is awesome. When its significantly faster than the IS 300 on most roads and freeway sweepers.
The car itself has tremendous grip and its so much fun blowing past 9-11's and Corvettes on fast and tight curves.
Although the car is quite fast and has immense performance the most important thing is how comfortable you are with it. I like the light steering and quick response time. However some people prefer the high resistance BMW/Honda steering.
There are some disadvantages to the GS 350. As a performance value I feel the ES 350 is better. The ES 350 has that violent and fast initial take off because of its front wheel drive steering. In addition the tires on ES 350 are a harder compound so if you really are a fast driver they will last longer and be cheaper to replace.
In addition the trunk is much larger in the ES 350. That's not to say the GS 350 has a small trunk, but there have been times where I would have liked more trunk space.
The ES 350 also has tremendous performance. Admitedly its not quite as fast as the GS 350 through fast and tight corners it still has incredible speed and grace and was definitely faster at the limit than my IS 300.
Although I chose the GS 350 the ES 350 is in many ways a more versatile and even exciting car,especially when you are making a standing start.
Despite the other drawbacks when I drive my GS 350 however there is nothing more fun that seeing a curve or interchange on the freeway and seeing how fast you go. Its really an amazing car with excellent performance. The traction control is awesome and can really save your rear end when you overcook into a corner. Although I have to admit you NEVER want to be in a situation when you can actually hear the traction control beep(versus the seeing the yellow traction control light),it means you are going WAY TOO FAST into a corner and your tires are probably screaming.
If you have an appetite for high speed corners then the GS 350 is the car to buy.
Oh, I don't know about that. The '08 550i w/ the M-Sport package looks pretty good. But the S-Line trim is nice.
I agree, and the funny thing... I didn't buy my 550i w/M-Sport Pkg. to blow doors off of anything. Just love having a car that drives and handles as well as this does, and of course has the torque and HP when you need it. :shades:
In fact, you have to refrain from insulting others under all circumstances, regardless of who "started it".
I ended up orderering a BMW 535xi. It was the first car I test drove and nothing I drove after it put the same grin on my face. I wanted an AWD car and I found the Lexus GS awd to be cramped (no headroom), there was a strange bump that hit my right calf when my foot was on the pedal, and it had a very small trunk. The Audi's don't do anything for me, can't say why. I was a bit hesitant about getting a car with the iDrive system, so I focused on it the second time I test drove the 535. I found that I really enjoyed the way the iDrive worked, but the menus are slightly confusing. That will just take a bit of time to learn, but shouldn't be the problem that reviewers make it out to be. It might have something to do with my being comfortable using computers.
I went with the GS350 as it was the sensible choice. Fit and finish were the best of the three, more then enough power then I'll ever need in real-world driving and most important,...reliability. If I was going to the track, I'd choose the 535. If I was shopping price, I'd consider the M35. But in the "pleasant" stop-and-go traffic of Los Angeles,..I made the right choice. Five months later and the honeymoon continues.
So I find myself torn between the 535xi (luxury and cold weather packages and logic7 audio) and the GS350 AWD with the Nav package. MSRP is 6K apart (50,999 for the Lexus vs.57 and change for the BMW) and I feel like I can get Lexus to move more than BMW will. I have driven both (I drove the 528xi and then the 535xi which immediately eliminated the 528xi as an option) and when I get in the Lexus I feel like I am getting in a car targeted at my father's demographic vs. mine. So I have a couple of questions:
1) Does the sport package add any value on the Bimmer? 20 way power seats (vs. 10 way w/out) and some trim changes is about all I can see and I am not sure what those other 10 adjustments do for me. I will not get the 18" wheels due to previous experience with an E36 M3 and potholes in the midwest.
2) Should I be concerned about the twin turbos and reliability? Consumer Reports says no, but they aren't exactly car people. Did the turbos come from the european market? Does anyone have any facts on the testing that was done? Or konw where I could look.
3) I know this one is silly, but it's down to cupholders and ULEV ratings to help decide....the cupholders in the Bimmer look fragile and awkward.
4) Why can't I just be smart and save 30K by getting a Honda Accord? That ones probably for my psychologist.
Thanks.
1 - The 20 way power seats add backrest width, shoulder support, and thigh support adjustments (also 4 way lumbar, which is standard on the 535, but not on the 528). They are great seats. Stick with the standard tires, don't get the run flat tires if the roads are bad.
2 - The turbo's reliability should not be an issue. BMW doesn't overload them to max out the horsepower and torque. You can even buy 3rd party software for the turbo 535 that has the same 4 year warranty as the stock bi-turbo and produces a maximum output of 384 horsepower at 5700 rpm and 421 lb-ft torque at 4300 rpm. Check out the link below:
Dinan Engine Software
3 - The cupholders are the worst part of the car. I believe that BMW's engines are EU4 and ULEV II approved. BMW is a green company. BTW, the reviewers knock the iDrive, but if you are comfortable with a computer mouse, you will enjoy the iDrive.
4 - I was driving a "sensible" Camry, trouble free, and it bored me to tears. I like driving, but not if the car is a Camry or an Accord. On the other hand, my wife could care less
5 - Test drive them both!
Hope this helps!
You can get just the 20 way multi-contour seats as a stand alone option, for $100 less than the cost of the sport package.
I stayed with the standard 17" wheels and tires as I was gun shy of RFTs and extra low profile tires from my experience with an '06 330Xi.
The cupholders are not the strong suit of the car.
Can't comment on the reliability of the turbos. I have owned my car since early July, it now has about 7500 miles, and I have had zero problems. I really really like the 535Xi.
Bruce
On the contrary, out of the 3 major German brands, Audi looks the most up to date and fresh, IMO.
But of course, I drive a 06 4.2 A6
I looked into the MB E-series, the Lexus GS series and of course the BMW 5-series. I had all but settled on the 535i. It is a rocket, luxurious w/o question and I love the way it feels and performs.
But then I sat in the A6 and was blown away. I found the interior to be more than just a notch above the BMW -- in all ways the A6 was, for me, superior. And the Audi exterior, quite frankly, seems to me sleeker and less "busy" than the latest iteration of the 5 series. And finally, while the Audi is not a 5-series by any stretch in terms of road grip, handling and giddy-up, the A6 is a lot closer to the BMW than the MB or the Lexus. I found it to be an excellent choice for someone looking for a German alternative to the Lexus "ride on a cloud" feel but who also wants a Lexus-like set of creature comforts and interior. And the Audi's interior is really beautiful.
All in all a two month search with two test drives per vehicle.
http://community.myride.com/kickapps/service/displayMediaPlayPage.kickAction?med- iaType=VIDEO&mediaId=72510&as=3898
I've driven the 335i Coupe a few times and found it also to exhibit everything I love about BMW. Sure would love to have the 535 & S5 in my garage! One thing I can say... my 2003 530SP has been nothing short of a tremendous ownership & driving experience! Gives me the impetus to stay in the BMW family, but that S5 sure calls my name
Again, if you are worried about have to shell out $$ for the maintenance of the 535, then talk with them about the maintenance plan.
That's just my experience.
I too like V8 performance. Try the 550i, you'll be very impressed!
The Mark Levinson stereo almost could make it worth it, though.
I have been looking at Bmw 5 series, the a6, and the gs. If the 5 series didn't do god awful in the side impact test, i would get that car in a second. But i have a baby so thats out of the question.
I have discounted the a6 completely because of all the trouble i had with the a8. But safety is very important to me and the a6 kicks butt in the safety department, and even though I live in california, the confidence in inclement weather that quattro provides is incredible. and i checked consumer reports and they feel that the 2007 a6 for some reason is incredibly reliable. According to them, the a6 is just about as reliable as the lexus. i find it very hard to believe.
by the way, i have mmi in my car and its absolutely incredible.
so the a6 is back on my list vs. the gs.
the 5 series which i initially wanted is out because of the bad side impact results.
My last car was leased BMW 530i.
I'm actually considering 535i, because it resolved some key 530i problems (somewhat better NAV w/integrated live traffic; memory buttons for radio and AM-FM-satellite band-switching; voice recognition that actually works). Mileage worse than Lexus GS350 with more value, but lease terms not so great, and BMW has free maintenance (w/brakes!). Still prefer NAV and other user friendly items on Lexus, Infiniti and other alternatives I'm exploring.
As long as I can avoid my local dealer here in Calabasas (So Calif), I may give BMW another chance!
Questions--
(1) Given the slowness of the auto market, how close to invoice does 530i go?
(2) Does BMW offer financing deals, or just leasing deals?
(3) Other than premium, sports, comfort access, navigation, sirius satellite radio, does anyone reading this recommend any options ...especially if they are perosonally familiar with them? If I go beyond the above, I must special order:
(4) Are head-up display and night vision use mere toys or useful? (Seems odd that night vision visible only in NAV system.)
(5) Is rear door side impact airbag safe, or a threat to kids?
(6) power rear &manual side sunshades worth the money to keep the kids happy?
(7) any other options truly worthwhile and worth the money?
(8) Last time, I did 24 mo, cheaper per mo than 36. Now, 36 slightly higher. I still think 24 mo, to save buying 4 costly fun-flat tires.
(8a) FINALLY -- does anyone know what the Money Factor will be for 535i for APRIL for 12000, 24mo, 36 mo, and, possibly for 15000. If I go BMW, I could buy/lease Mon/3-31 or wait until Tues/4-1, if MF different.
(8b) IF I special order, due to other items, I'd use March MF or June MF, whichever is lower. My guess is June MF would be lower. Thoughts?