Is Lexus a good choice? (lets try this again)

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Metal Made Fox

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Hi guys, you may have remembered my old thread from last year where I was asking for some advice on a BMW. I got some GREAT replies and info in that thread and did end up buying a 5 series.

Now once again I am looking for a new car now. I just sold my 5 series and am looking for a new set of wheels. My BMW was a great car! It truly was the ultimate driving machine. The fit and finish of the car was impeccable. The quality of the materials used was outstanding and most importantly the driving performance was that near of a supercar. It was fast and while it wasn't nearly as fast as a Lamborghini, it certainly handled like one. For a large and heavy 4 door luxury sedan the handling on it was nothing but IMPRESSIVE. As much as I loved it, the reason I sold it was just to try something new out. (I am the same way with cars as I am with knives, I buy them and keep them for a while and then sell them to try out something new)

Anyways, this time I was thinking of maybe trying out one of the Lexus IS cars. I really like the looks of the older IS300's. Has anyone had experience with these cars? Are they reliable, easy to maintain, and repair? I would assume so, since it's Toyota.

How about driving performance? Is their performance comparable to BMW's? Would love to hear your guys' thoughts and experiences with these cars. Thanks.
 
My personal opinion is the handling on a lexus is sloppy compared to a bmw. I have driven a 5 series in the past and it was amazing. test drove a lexus and it handled like a cheap hunk of crap compared to the bmw. if you want a truly amazing car look at an m3 or m5. they are incredible. Currently i have an m3 and is is one of the greatest cars for the money. Im a tad biased towards bmw cause i have been loyal to their cars for a long time but I truly believe they are a "drivers car" rather than a lexus. Audis are also a good choice, they drive and perform similar to a bmw. The only lexus I have enjoyed driving was the ISF which was comparable to an m3 but still not as good as the m3. long story short lexus is a reliable luxury car but lacks the performance and thrill bmw or audi has.
 
OBL said:
My personal opinion is the handling on a lexus is sloppy compared to a bmw. I have driven a 5 series in the past and it was amazing. test drove a lexus and it handled like a cheap hunk of crap compared to the bmw. if you want a truly amazing car look at an m3 or m5. they are incredible. Currently i have an m3 and is is one of the greatest cars for the money. Im a tad biased towards bmw cause i have been loyal to their cars for a long time but I truly believe they are a "drivers car" rather than a lexus. Audis are also a good choice, they drive and perform similar to a bmw. The only lexus I have enjoyed driving was the ISF which was comparable to an m3 but still not as good as the m3. long story short lexus is a reliable luxury car but lacks the performance and thrill bmw or audi has.
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Thanks for the reply. I am actually considering Audi as well. I would love to get hands on an S4!
 
Cadillac CTS V Series. Lexus these days leaves me stone cold. The honeymoon for them is over until they step up with something meaningful. The Germans have left them in the dust.
 
As the gent above said - would strongly suggest you test drive a Cady CTS [V or regular]. Former 3 series, and z series owner here who loves the Cady. That said, the BMW choice was largely based upon the available manual trans, which has largely disappeared. Good shopping!
 
Metal Made Fox said:
Thanks for the reply. I am actually considering Audi as well. I would love to get hands on an S4!
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Pass on the Audi. They are engineered to cost money, LOTS of money, if you own one when the warranty has expired. A nasty car line, trust
me.
 
You don't see a lot of older Audi's on the road. That says something right there.

Old BMW's and MB's are pretty easy to spot in most public spaces. ;)
 
2006 IS250 here. 178,000 miles on it. No problems.
And a Volkswagen with 225,000 on it that still ticks away.



My father owned a BMW 5 series. The transmission had a huge failure, and while the car was still under warranty, they wouldn't cover it. $18,000 repair job, that wasn't covered by the warranty despite the car being under warranty. Not driver error. BMW? There's a reason why people pick at the repair costs of them. No thanks.

BMW = Brutal Money Waster
 
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CARRERA50 said:
Pass on the Audi. They are engineered to cost money, LOTS of money, if you own one when the warranty has expired. A nasty car line, trust
me.
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Beat me to it. There's a reason why you'll see a lot of Audi's with 80-100,000 miles on them for what seems like a deal. That's when the expensive stuff starts to break.
 
It depends on what you are looking for your car to do. My wife was the CT200h, which is the small Lexus hybrid. It is a well-made, efficient vehicle. That being said, it is not fast and not particularly flashy. It simply gets you from Point A to Point B efficiently and comfortably. In the years we've owned it the only service required has been oil changes and new tires. Coming from an old Jeep and Chevy owner, that is a welcome experience. Of course, the CT200h is not a sports car and I cannot speak to the IS series.
 
Does the Subaru have a stick or is it automatic? BTW - I love that car, don't know why but like it much better than the Scion.
 
Stick! Having that car in an auto kinda misses the point in my opinion.
 
As an auto tech, I have the privelidge of driving many different autos. Lexus is solid and if you haven't driven an IS-F, DO IT! Omg it's a sweet ride. Almost intoxicating. 400+ horse V8 in an IS platform and the exhaust note is wonderful.
 
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