is250 vs. 325i

I am interested in trading my Acura TL, and have
narrowed the most likely possible replacements to
the Lexus is250 and the BMW 325i, both with manual
transmission.

I am interested in whatever input anyone might
have. I have owned a number of Toyotas over the
years, but no Lexus and no BMW.

I have heard that Lexus takes Toyota's quality and
attention to detail to the next level, and that in
the long run BMW is very expensive to maintain. I
have friends who own both - and swear they
wouldn't drive anything else.

Suggestions, pros, cons, all info would be
appreciated.

Many thanks.

Robert

"Robert A. Cibiras" <Cibiras (AT) BellSouth (DOT) net> wrote

I am interested in trading my Acura TL, and have narrowed the most likely
possible replacements to the Lexus is250 and the BMW 325i, both with manual
transmission.

I am interested in whatever input anyone might have. I have owned a number
of Toyotas over the years, but no Lexus and no BMW.

I have heard that Lexus takes Toyota's quality and attention to detail to
the next level, and that in the long run BMW is very expensive to
maintain. I have friends who own both - and swear they wouldn't drive
anything else.

I don't know why people say that BMWs are expensive to maintain.
The Camry that I bought my mom has cost about the same as my 330xi.
Some parts for my T100 cost *MORE* than the same part for my 330xi -
for instance the starter solenoid went out and the entire starter had to be
replaced; the O2 sensor is TWICE as expensive as those on BMWs.
My wife's Highlander has more often maintenance intervals; in aggregate
they cost what it does for my 330xi. And the maintenance on the BMW
is free for 4yrs/50K.

YMMV.

FloydR

On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 04:13:09 UTC, "Robert A. Cibiras"
<Cibiras (AT) BellSouth (DOT) net> wrote:

I am interested in trading my Acura TL, and have
narrowed the most likely possible replacements to
the Lexus is250 and the BMW 325i, both with manual
transmission.

I am interested in whatever input anyone might
have. I have owned a number of Toyotas over the
years, but no Lexus and no BMW.

I have an 02 manual transmission IS300. From what I understand about
the IS250-350, they are fast cars, but not particularly sporty (seems
to be a Lexus characteristic, unfortunately). the BMW is probably
going to be a bit more of a "driver's car" but from everything I've
read, the Lexus will be the more reliable of the two by far.

"Robert A. Cibiras" <Cibiras (AT) BellSouth (DOT) net> wrote

I am interested in trading my Acura TL, and have narrowed the most likely
possible replacements to the Lexus is250 and the BMW 325i, both with manual
transmission.

I am interested in whatever input anyone might have. I have owned a number
of Toyotas over the years, but no Lexus and no BMW.

I have heard that Lexus takes Toyota's quality and attention to detail to
the next level, and that in the long run BMW is very expensive to
maintain. I have friends who own both - and swear they wouldn't drive
anything else.

Suggestions, pros, cons, all info would be appreciated.

Many thanks.

Robert

If you're looking at those two particular cars you are, evidently, intersted
in the driving dynamics. If that's the case, I'd choose the BMW.

If all you are interested in is reliability, pick the Lexus (or any other
driving appliance).

Floyd Rogers wrote:

"Robert A. Cibiras" <Cibiras (AT) BellSouth (DOT) net> wrote

I am interested in trading my Acura TL, and have narrowed the most likely
possible replacements to the Lexus is250 and the BMW 325i, both with manual
transmission.

I am interested in whatever input anyone might have. I have owned a number
of Toyotas over the years, but no Lexus and no BMW.

I have heard that Lexus takes Toyota's quality and attention to detail to
the next level, and that in the long run BMW is very expensive to
maintain. I have friends who own both - and swear they wouldn't drive
anything else.


I don't know why people say that BMWs are expensive to maintain.
The Camry that I bought my mom has cost about the same as my 330xi.
Some parts for my T100 cost *MORE* than the same part for my 330xi -
for instance the starter solenoid went out and the entire starter had to be
replaced; the O2 sensor is TWICE as expensive as those on BMWs.
My wife's Highlander has more often maintenance intervals; in aggregate
they cost what it does for my 330xi. And the maintenance on the BMW
is free for 4yrs/50K.

....in the US.


--
-Fred W

joe_tide wrote:

"Robert A. Cibiras" <Cibiras (AT) BellSouth (DOT) net> wrote in message
news:tJSDg.14912$vj1.12683 (AT) bignews5 (DOT) bellsouth.net...

I am interested in trading my Acura TL, and have narrowed the most likely
possible replacements to the Lexus is250 and the BMW 325i, both with manual
transmission.

I am interested in whatever input anyone might have. I have owned a number
of Toyotas over the years, but no Lexus and no BMW.

I have heard that Lexus takes Toyota's quality and attention to detail to
the next level, and that in the long run BMW is very expensive to
maintain. I have friends who own both - and swear they wouldn't drive
anything else.

Suggestions, pros, cons, all info would be appreciated.

Many thanks.

Robert



If you're looking at those two particular cars you are, evidently, intersted
in the driving dynamics. If that's the case, I'd choose the BMW.

If all you are interested in is reliability, pick the Lexus (or any other
driving appliance).

I would not go quite that far... I think that a prior poster got it
right. The BMW is a better driver's car. The Lexus will be a softer
ride (mushy) and marginally more reliable. If talking new cars, the
maintenance on the BMW will be covered under warranty. But even for
cars out-of-warranty I would not expect to save much with the reliable
Lexus.

--
-Fred W

Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:

In article <uc6dnZ0h3KaY533ZnZ2dnUVZ_t-dnZ2d (AT) adelphia (DOT) com>,
Fred W <Malt_Hound@*spam-me-not*yahoo.com> wrote:


The BMW is a better driver's car. The Lexus will be a softer
ride (mushy) and marginally more reliable.


The Lexus will be infinitely more reliable.

define infinitely...

--
-Fred W

Richard Sexton wrote:

Yeah. Plus chicks really dig toyotas.

Good point.

--
-Fred W

In article <ebq4g4$v23$1 (AT) news (DOT) datemas.de>,
richard (AT) news (DOT) vrx.net (Richard Sexton) wrote:

I don't know why people say that BMWs are expensive to maintain.

This is the way my father in law explained it to me 30 years ago: "the
Germans are quite up front about maintenance costs. The Japanese want you
to believe their cars are cheaspre cheap to maintain but in reality they cost
about the same".

I wouldn't buy a German car with YOUR money. (Been there, done that.)

And yes, I "get" German cars. German cars are the expensive, pouty, and
high-maintenance mistresses of the road. Damn, they are a fine, fine
ride...

.....but then the maintenance and pouting kicks in.

At some point, without unlimited funds, you are at a decision point:
continue the high-priced, high-maintenance fun, or go back home and
enjoy your reliable Lexus wife of a car, patiently sitting there waiting
for you to get over the midlife crisis.

Oh sure, she's not as sexy as the German car, and she doesn't handle at
the edge like the German car. She's also not as fickle and high
maintenance and pouty, and she agrees with you much more of the time.
She's always there and never complains, and you come to realize there's
more to life than a high-maintenance relationship with a pouty,
high-maintenance woman--no matter how sexy she is or how fun the nights
out with her can be. Because when she lets you down and demands more of
you than you have to give, and treats you like dirt, you're standing
there all alone outside the club, looking and feeling like an idiot.

Your Lexus wife would never, ever do that to you.

And the occasional fun night out isn't worth what you end up paying for
it, both financially and in time wasted while you wait for the German
car mistress to be in the mood to play.

Do this: start paying attention to cars with tail light and headlight
problems. What brands of cars are you seeing? That's right--VW, M-B, and
BMW. And pay attention to how old, or rather how new, those problem cars
are.

The reality of electrical issues with German cars make Lucas electrics
look reliable.

Now *try* to find a Honda or Toyota, either low brand or high brand, no
matter how old, with non-working tail lights. Good luck.

It's a small thing, but it represents the reality of the situation. You
want to buy a German car? Just buy a GM car. At least the money you're
throwing away stays more inside the country--and you get just as
reliable a car.

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" <elmop (AT) nastydesigns (DOT) com> wrote

In article <ebq4lh$v23$2 (AT) news (DOT) datemas.de>,
richard (AT) news (DOT) vrx.net (Richard Sexton) wrote:

The Lexus will be infinitely more reliable.


Yeah. Plus chicks really dig toyotas.

I don't want women who base their choice of a man by what he drives.

(The Lexus isn't a toyota; it's made by Toyota, sure, but an SC400
screams something way different than a Corolla...)

Speaking of SC400's, I had two of them and I really miss them. Too bad Lexus

couldn't have continued them. I understand about "progress" and all, but I
sure miss them!