BMW or Lexus - Which is a Better Used Car?

[cdnsir]

I've been window shopping for a few used cars lately. All for 2007, I have IS250, 328 coupe, or 335 coupe in mind. As long as it's a manual and around $25-35k's, I'm good with any of these.

Question is, I've been hearing a lot of nightmares about BMW's after their initial 4 year warranty mark, and how much it will cost to fix things afterward. Are they really that bad in the long run?

For Lexus, I don't think reliability and maintenance cost would be as much of an issue. But I've heard words of it being too small on the inside and relatively slow compared to the bimmers. A 350 would be a logical choice, but I do prefer stick so that's outta the question.

I typically own a 3-4 years before I'll itch for a new ride. With both cars scheduled for a redesign in about 2 years, I find it really hard to decide which one would make a better buy. I'm hoping to pick one up before x'mas. Do you guys have any thoughts and opinions on this?

http://images.dealerrevs.com/pictures/2507421.jpg
http://www.exportnewcars.com/wp-content/uploads/classipress/1243033345-1.jpg

[friedn00dles]

personally i drive a IS250RWD. Yes the interior is a small compared to competitors but personally i enjoy it. its a little nimble sports sedan. Major flaw is that the rear seats do not fold down. the backseats are still mint in my car because i barely drive anyone back there. if you are looking to fill the backseat with people everyday or very often, stay away from the IS.

Not hating on BMW because i absolutely love the 2dr coupes. i'd take a bmw coupe over lexus IS-C's but as a sedan, i'd prefer to take the IS over the BMW 3 Sedans.



Power is low on the 250's but its good enough for the City and pulls pretty good when passing on the highway. i'm not a tuner nor a speed racer so the 250 has done well for me for the past 2 years.

[TorqueDog]

Maybe I've been lucky, but my car has been a treat to maintain despite being well past its warranty period. No issues at all.

As far as being the 'better' used car, it depends on how you define 'better'. I would take nearly anything over a Lexus because I am not a big fan of falling asleep while driving. Some people welcome a rather isolating drive, so YMMV.

I do have to say, if you opt for the IS anyways, please stay away from white:

http://torquedog.gotdns.com/lulz/is250cab.jpg

[Sugarphreak]

....

[TorqueDog]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
Lexus > BMW for reliability
BMW > Lexus for fun & enjoyment Really all that needed to be said, though I needed to get that JPG in here somewhere. :D

[friedn00dles]

Starfire Pearl is one the of the sexiest pearl's ever!

[Clever]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
Lexus > BMW for reliability
BMW > Lexus for fun & enjoyment


That pretty much sums it up for me as well, if you don't mind getting down and dirty and do maintenance yourself, I would go with the BMW.

[cdnsir]

Originally posted by TorqueDog
Really all that needed to be said, though I needed to get that JPG in here somewhere. :D

That was a great crop! I'm gonna think about that every time I pass by one now. LOL

Fun vs Reliability... I think I'm leaning more towards fun? I guess if the bmw's can hold up for 4 more years without major issues, that would seem like a better choice. Having owned Japanese cars all my life, I'm somewhat spoiled by cheap parts and easy maintenance work. The move to euro might prolly be what concerns me the most cuz I don't know what to expect right.

[TorqueDog]

You'll appreciate the feedback you get when driving the German.

I mean road and handling feedback. Not the feedback of 85% of Beyond automatically assuming you're a douche because of the car you drive.

[94boosted]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
Lexus > BMW for reliability
BMW > Lexus for fun & enjoyment

This.

[talonboi]

i like the IS350, fun to drive imo, but the rear seats suck! its too tight back there.

[cdnsir]

A small backseat keeps me from carpooling people in the morning or becoming the DD at night. ;)

This consensus on reliability is pretty concerning now... What things are usually the first to go? If it's mechanical, I might be able to figure it out. But if it's anything electrical, I'm screwed!

[t-im]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
Lexus > BMW for reliability
BMW > Lexus for fun & enjoyment
This sums everything up nicely.

Originally posted by cdnsir
This consensus on reliability is pretty concerning now... What things are usually the first to go? If it's mechanical, I might be able to figure it out. But if it's anything electrical, I'm screwed!
If you're concerned about reliability, 328>335.

[max_boost]

Better as in more enjoyable to drive? BMW. No doubt about it.

The IS sucks IMO haha

[Aleks]

Originally posted by cdnsir
A small backseat keeps me from carpooling people in the morning or becoming the DD at night. ;)

This consensus on reliability is pretty concerning now... What things are usually the first to go? If it's mechanical, I might be able to figure it out. But if it's anything electrical, I'm screwed!

If you get a CPO BMW with 6 yr total coverage and stick with a 328i I doubt you'd have any issues. I've had 2 neither of them were 335s and I've had 0 issues.

[911fever]

Originally posted by Aleks


If you get a CPO BMW with 6 yr total coverage and stick with a 328i I doubt you'd have any issues. I've had 2 neither of them were 335s and I've had 0 issues.

exactly. Avoid 335i's, get a 328i in stick. Hopefully you can withstand the interior, but on a whole it's a more fun car than an IS250. And the backseats are tiny on the IS!

[banned3x]

I heard the BMW has better brakes too.

[TYMSMNY]

Another thing to consider...

Lexus interior > BMW Interior. especially in base models.

[cdnsir]

Originally posted by banned3x
I heard the BMW has better brakes too.

AFAIK, all IS's are made in Japan. Only Toyota's made outside of their motherland had the brakes recalled.

So seems like 328i is going to be the top choice for now. I can live without the twins if it means it'll be less prone to issues. :)

About bmw's interior, if it had say the luxury package, it would be comparable to a Lexus right? Or does it still look kinda dated?

[Aleks]

Originally posted by cdnsir


AFAIK, all IS's are made in Japan. Only Toyota's made outside of their motherland had the brakes recalled.

So seems like 328i is going to be the top choice for now. I can live without the twins if it means it'll be less prone to issues. :)

About bmw's interior, if it had say the luxury package, it would be comparable to a Lexus right? Or does it still look kinda dated?

Get the one with leather. Feels much better. I personally like the interior. It looks basic but it's very well put together and materials are good quality. The IS interior is also very nice but IMO it's nothing incredibly special as it has a toyota familiarity to it.

[Xtrema]

Another vote for 328.

Stay away from 335.

[rc2002]

Originally posted by max_boost
The IS sucks IMO

+1. Well, the 250 and 350 models anyway.

[D. Dub]

335 is fine. The big issue is the fuel pump on which I believe there is now a recall and extended warranty program.

[cdnsir]

Ok... there's only 1 CPO 328 coupe in Calgary. Did the 2007 models come out late 06 or at the beginning of 07? Trying to figure out when the 4-yr leases would come back...

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by cdnsir
Ok... there's only 1 CPO 328 coupe in Calgary. Did the 2007 models come out late 06 or at the beginning of 07? Trying to figure out when the 4-yr leases would come back...

2007 (E92) model came out in 2nd half of 2006.

So right now would be the 1st batch of E92 starting to run out of warranty. But I think 4yr lease are in the minority anyway when it comes to BMW.