OT: Lexus or BMW

[RGWhirly]

Hi all. Have had Lexus vehicles for years, never had a problem, love them. That being said, have found that the 2018 BMW 540i XDrive vehicle really has my interest.

I have never had a BMW. I have read lots of reviews and seems like a very solid vehicle, however I was looking for some advice from those that have or have had BMWs.

Pros/cons?

Thanks.

 

[Ian]

I’d go Audi! Can’t beat it or German engineering.

 

[rudedude]

I’d go Audi! Can’t beat it or German engineering.

Unlike their soccer team!

 

[kijanalives]

Hi all. Have had Lexus vehicles for years, never had a problem, love them. That being said, have found that the 2018 BMW 540i XDrive vehicle really has my interest.

I have never had a BMW. I have read lots of reviews and seems like a very solid vehicle, however I was looking for some advice from those that have or have had BMWs.

Pros/cons?

Thanks.

When, not if, Beamer breaks down or needs work, it’ll cost you a small fortune.
For Lexus, refer to the first sentence in your post....

 

[NittPicker]

Such a tough decision you have. For me the options are Chevrolet and Toyota.

 

[massimoManca II]

Remember when Lexus made their name with understated good looks and bulletproof reliability? Yeah, that was the nineties... automotive press could only cite bland sheet metal as their Achilles heel, so Lexus felt compelled to develop/adopt the overwrought, obnoxious “spindle” / predator front fascia as a corporate face... that alone would send me out of the Lexus showroom and into the blandness of the Toyota dealer... ugly cars can be cool when they have character, but Lexus? Ick. no thanks, never... in their 30 years of peddling high-zoot Toyotas- I can count the number of good looking Lexus’ on one hand ...

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

Hi all. Have had Lexus vehicles for years, never had a problem, love them. That being said, have found that the 2018 BMW 540i XDrive vehicle really has my interest.

I have never had a BMW. I have read lots of reviews and seems like a very solid vehicle, however I was looking for some advice from those that have or have had BMWs.

Pros/cons?

A Lexus Iis probably going to be more reliable in the long run and the repair costs will be less. An Audi will also cost more for repairs.

I’d stick with Lexus if you want reliability.

 

[massimoManca II]

Next question is why one would need x-drive... give me a RWD BMW any day of the week (with a factory warranty, of course) instead of an AWD system that does little more than add weight and eliminates one of the three pedals a proper BMW should have

 

[PSUcup1]

my brother in law has a 5 series BMW ... and will never get another one

 

[Tri-Power65]

Remember when Lexus made their name with understated good looks and bulletproof reliability? Yeah, that was the nineties... automotive press could only cite bland sheet metal as their Achilles heel, so Lexus felt compelled to develop/adopt the overwrought, obnoxious “spindle” / predator front fascia as a corporate face... that alone would send me out of the Lexus showroom and into the blandness of the Toyota dealer... ugly cars can be cool when they have character, but Lexus? Ick. no thanks, never... in their 30 years of peddling high-zoot Toyotas- I can count the number of good looking Lexus’ on one hand ...

Yep, for breathtakingly fugly styling, Lexus is the choice.

 

[c1976]

Have had all of the above brands except Toyota. BMW was great, Audi, just ok. Just bought Lexus hybrid and so far all is quite satisfactory. My personal advice and I’m a value hunter, look at Certified Used low mileage on Cargurus site. Bought my car at Lexus Silver Spring and all service in Pittsburgh. Treated like I bought it here. Loaner car, washed and vacuumed, etc. plus Certified got me a better warranty and my “used” car had 4800 miles on it and sold for $14,000 under new 2018.

 

[Elwood Blues]

Yep, for breathtakingly fugly styling, Lexus is the choice.

Agree. Hate the new wide-mouth-frog grills that they've defaced a bunch of otherwise sharp vehicles with.

 

[Nitwit]

Try the Mercedes E300. Great car with the best interiors I’ve ever seen.

 

[PineIslandLion]

Hi all. Have had Lexus vehicles for years, never had a problem, love them. That being said, have found that the 2018 BMW 540i XDrive vehicle really has my interest.

I have never had a BMW. I have read lots of reviews and seems like a very solid vehicle, however I was looking for some advice from those that have or have had BMWs.

Pros/cons?

Thanks.

I’m on my 3rd BMW, a 2016 535i X-drive. I previously had another 535 & a 335 prior to that. Going further back, I’ve had a Mercedes E class sedan, Porsche Cayenne S, Infiniti FX 35, 2 Lexus SUV’s & a Lexus GS 350. Needless to say, I do change up cars often,

But, there’s a reason I’m on my 3rd consecutive BMW. The combination of fun, luxury & performance is tough to beat. I can’t relate to all the naysayers re: BWM reliability or service concerns, because I’ve had 0
issues. 9 years behind the wheel of a beemer & not a single maintenance or repair issue; just normal maintenance, which by the way, is free of charge for 1st 4 years or 50k miles (although this has reduced now to 3 yrs or 36k miles with ‘17 or newer vehicles).

Regardless of which route you go, two good options. Good luck with decision!

 

[Vic Vaselino]

Hi all. Have had Lexus vehicles for years, never had a problem, love them. That being said, have found that the 2018 BMW 540i XDrive vehicle really has my interest.

I have never had a BMW. I have read lots of reviews and seems like a very solid vehicle, however I was looking for some advice from those that have or have had BMWs.

Pros/cons?

Thanks.

Do you have an engineering degree? You'll need it to operate the radio.

 

[massimoManca II]

I’m on my 3rd BMW, a 2016 535i X-drive. I previously had another 535 & a 335 prior to that. Going further back, I’ve had a Mercedes E class sedan, Porsche Cayenne S, Infiniti FX 35, 2 Lexus SUV’s & a Lexus GS 350. Needless to say, I do change up cars often,

But, there’s a reason I’m on my 3rd consecutive BMW. The combination of fun, luxury & performance is tough to beat. I can’t relate to all the naysayers re: BWM reliability or service concerns, because I’ve had 0
issues. 9 years behind the wheel of a beemer & not a single maintenance or repair issue; just normal maintenance, which by the way, is free of charge for 1st 4 years or 50k miles (although this has reduced now to 3 yrs or 36k miles with ‘17 or newer vehicles).

Regardless of which route you go, two good options. Good luck with decision!

BMW owners who refer to their cars as “Beamers” are indicative of the BMW problem...

 

[cvilleelkscoach]

I have two Lexus. NX 200t and a GX 460. Love them both and very reliable.

 

[massimoManca II]

I have two Lexus. NX 200t and a GX 460. Love them both and very reliable.

So you have the RAV4 in “wolf’s” clothing and the hideous version of the old 4Runner (but with a Toyota V8 )*

 

[ivan brunetti]

The Lexus GSF should be more reliable. The BMW 5 series is a better car. Depends upon your priorities.

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/upscale-midsize-cars

 

[Woodpecker]

Do you have an engineering degree? You'll need it to operate the radio.

Whoa, so this car is loaded?

 

[bplionfan]

Have had all of the above brands except Toyota. BMW was great, Audi, just ok. Just bought Lexus hybrid and so far all is quite satisfactory. My personal advice and I’m a value hunter, look at Certified Used low mileage on Cargurus site. Bought my car at Lexus Silver Spring and all service in Pittsburgh. Treated like I bought it here. Loaner car, washed and vacuumed, etc. plus Certified got me a better warranty and my “used” car had 4800 miles on it and sold for $14,000 under new 2018.

I too bought my Lexus 200t at Silver Spring and live in Pgh. Well worth the drive as I saved over 4k from best deal I could have received here.

 

[not so fast my friend]

I too bought my Lexus 200t at Silver Spring and live in Pgh. Well worth the drive as I saved over 4k from best deal I could have received here.

I have an 8 year old BMW 3series convertible. I would buy it again. Had a valve cover break but had my own mechanic fix it instead of dealer. Part was $55. Labor much cheaper if you have someone you trust instead of dealer. I change my own oil. Only went to dealer for the included maintenance which was like two oil changes
But you can't go wrong with either choice! First world problem!

 

[Lion84]

Next question is why one would need x-drive... give me a RWD BMW any day of the week (with a factory warranty, of course) instead of an AWD system that does little more than add weight and eliminates one of the three pedals a proper BMW should have

Maybe he lives where it snows? Had a rear wheel drive Lexus in SEPA and it sucked in the winter - my MB C300 AWD is terrific in the snow.

 

[massimoManca II]

So you have the RAV4 in “wolf’s” clothing and the hideous version of the old 4Runner *

Maybe he lives where it snows? Had a rear wheel drive Lexus in SEPA and it sucked in the winter - my MB C300 AWD is terrific in the snow.

I’ve explained many times before on this board that RWD with a capable set of snow/ice tired is exponentially better in the slop compared to AWD with the OEM all seasons... not to mention thousands of dollars less expensive... automakers have successfully snow-jobbed the sheep that AWD is a must-have...

 

[cvilleelkscoach]

So you have the RAV4 in “wolf’s” clothing and the hideous version of the old 4Runner (but with a Toyota V8 )*

Dude I could really careless what you think. How many cars on cement blocks do you have in your front yard?

 

[PineIslandLion]

BMW owners who refer to their cars as “Beamers” are indicative of the BMW problem...

Yeah, you’re right. I meant to say bimmer, as certainly I should have known that beemer refers to the BMW motorcycle. Pretty ironic that you’re critical of this slang term for the vehicle while referencing your location as Candy Mountain.

Not sure what particular problem you’re suggesting I have, but perhaps you should look at yourself in the mirror. Appears from this thread alone that you simply have all the answers.

 

[PSU2UNC]

Hi all. Have had Lexus vehicles for years, never had a problem, love them. That being said, have found that the 2018 BMW 540i XDrive vehicle really has my interest.

I have never had a BMW. I have read lots of reviews and seems like a very solid vehicle, however I was looking for some advice from those that have or have had BMWs.

Pros/cons?

Thanks.

I am on my second BMW: a 428 coupe with x drive. My first was a 328 coupe (also with X drive).

I have had very, very issues with them (disclaimer: I drive less than 4000 miles a year). I heartily endorse. My only complaint with the 328 was the cupholder design was terrible, but they've now fixed that (it used to flimsily "pop" out of the dash, now it's standard center console).

One issue that may or may not bother you is the run flat tires. They "feel" stiffer than regular tires and are really expensive to replace. If you decide to replace them with non-run flats, there is not "spare wheel well" in the trunk, so you either take up your whole trunk with a donut, or roll around without a spare. Of course, this is not unique to BMW, but I'm not sure if run flats are standard on Lexus.

I didn't care for the Lexus hybird my gf used to drive, but that might have been because it was a hybrid.

 

[PSU2UNC]

I’ve explained many times before on this board that RWD with a capable set of snow/ice tired is exponentially better in the slop compared to AWD with the OEM all seasons... not to mention thousands of dollars less expensive... automakers have successfully snow-jobbed the sheep that AWD is a must-have...

Having had a RWD luxury car and driven it in the snow, I strongly disagree with that statement.

 

[Lion84]

I’ve explained many times before on this board that RWD with a capable set of snow/ice tired is exponentially better in the slop compared to AWD with the OEM all seasons... not to mention thousands of dollars less expensive... automakers have successfully snow-jobbed the sheep that AWD is a must-have...

I'm throwing the Bullsh&t flag on that - unless you have illegal studded tires this is complete BS professor.

 

[ivan brunetti]

I’ve explained many times before on this board that RWD with a capable set of snow/ice tired is exponentially better in the slop compared to AWD with the OEM all seasons... not to mention thousands of dollars less expensive... automakers have successfully snow-jobbed the sheep that AWD is a must-have...

Somewhat agree. 4 wheel drive with proper snow tires is your best bet, but even that won't save your butt if you are driving too fast in poor conditions. I would take front wheel drive with proper snow tires next, then rear wheel drive with proper snow tires. All season tires on a 4 wheel vehicle would be the next choice. Better perhaps for slowly climbing a driveway, but worse for stopping, cornering, etc.

 

[Lion8286]

Somewhat agree. 4 wheel drive with proper snow tires is your best bet, but even that won't save your butt if you are driving too fast in poor conditions. I would take front wheel drive with proper snow tires next, then rear wheel drive with proper snow tires. All season tires on a 4 wheel vehicle would be the next choice. Better perhaps for slowly climbing a driveway, but worse for stopping, cornering, etc.

Thanks fat cartoonist.

 

[BBrown]

I am on my second BMW: a 428 coupe with x drive. My first was a 328 coupe (also with X drive).

I have had very, very issues with them (disclaimer: I drive less than 4000 miles a year). I heartily endorse. My only complaint with the 328 was the cupholder design was terrible, but they've now fixed that (it used to flimsily "pop" out of the dash, now it's standard center console).

One issue that may or may not bother you is the run flat tires. They "feel" stiffer than regular tires and are really expensive to replace. If you decide to replace them with non-run flats, there is not "spare wheel well" in the trunk, so you either take up your whole trunk with a donut, or roll around without a spare. Of course, this is not unique to BMW, but I'm not sure if run flats are standard on Lexus.

I didn't care for the Lexus hybird my gf used to drive, but that might have been because it was a hybrid.

Yea I'm not crazy about my "run flats" either.
I have them on my 2012 Mini S.
A couple things I've noticed.
The ride isn't as smooth.
They seem to "hydroplane" quicker than the tires on my Jetta or GTI ever did.
They wear faster than regular tires.
They are outrageously priced.
When I need to replace them I will get "normal" tires.

 

[ivan brunetti]

Thanks fat cartoonist.

Thanks to you as well.

From Consumer Reports testing:

"Through weeks of driving in snowy, unplowed conditions at Consumer Reports’ 327-acre test center in Connecticut, we found that all-wheel drive didn’t aid in braking or in certain cornering situations. Our evaluations conclusively showed that using winter tires matters more than having all-wheel drive in many situations, and that the difference on snow and ice can be significant.
We realize that swapping and storing tires twice per year is a nuisance. And in places where street plowing is thorough, you can probably get by with all-season tires that are in good condition.
All-wheel drive is far better than two-wheel drive when it comes to driving on slick surfaces where you need serious traction to get going, such as a snowy uphill driveway. But our tests found that all-wheel drive by itself won’t help if you’re heading too fast toward a sudden sharp curve on a snowy night.
That’s an important point for people who overestimate the capability of their all-wheel-drive vehicle. We’ve all seen them, zipping past us in blizzards with their illusory cloak of invincibility."
Don’t be one of those guys—unless you want to risk a crash or find yourself stranded far from civilization.
Our test-track observations lead us to advise that using snow tires provides the best grip and assurance for going, stopping, and cornering no matter what you drive: all-wheel drive, front-drive, or rear-drive. And buying winter tires for a front-drive car will cost far less than the several-thousand-dollar premium you’ll pay for all-wheel drive."

 

[BBrown]

Thanks to you as well.

From Consumer Reports testing:

"Through weeks of driving in snowy, unplowed conditions at Consumer Reports’ 327-acre test center in Connecticut, we found that all-wheel drive didn’t aid in braking or in certain cornering situations. Our evaluations conclusively showed that using winter tires matters more than having all-wheel drive in many situations, and that the difference on snow and ice can be significant.
We realize that swapping and storing tires twice per year is a nuisance. And in places where street plowing is thorough, you can probably get by with all-season tires that are in good condition.
All-wheel drive is far better than two-wheel drive when it comes to driving on slick surfaces where you need serious traction to get going, such as a snowy uphill driveway. But our tests found that all-wheel drive by itself won’t help if you’re heading too fast toward a sudden sharp curve on a snowy night.
That’s an important point for people who overestimate the capability of their all-wheel-drive vehicle. We’ve all seen them, zipping past us in blizzards with their illusory cloak of invincibility."
Don’t be one of those guys—unless you want to risk a crash or find yourself stranded far from civilization.
Our test-track observations lead us to advise that using snow tires provides the best grip and assurance for going, stopping, and cornering no matter what you drive: all-wheel drive, front-drive, or rear-drive. And buying winter tires for a front-drive car will cost far less than the several-thousand-dollar premium you’ll pay for all-wheel drive."

Like they say. We all have 4 wheel stop.

 

[Lion8286]

Thanks to you as well.

From Consumer Reports testing:

"Through weeks of driving in snowy, unplowed conditions at Consumer Reports’ 327-acre test center in Connecticut, we found that all-wheel drive didn’t aid in braking or in certain cornering situations. Our evaluations conclusively showed that using winter tires matters more than having all-wheel drive in many situations, and that the difference on snow and ice can be significant.
We realize that swapping and storing tires twice per year is a nuisance. And in places where street plowing is thorough, you can probably get by with all-season tires that are in good condition.
All-wheel drive is far better than two-wheel drive when it comes to driving on slick surfaces where you need serious traction to get going, such as a snowy uphill driveway. But our tests found that all-wheel drive by itself won’t help if you’re heading too fast toward a sudden sharp curve on a snowy night.
That’s an important point for people who overestimate the capability of their all-wheel-drive vehicle. We’ve all seen them, zipping past us in blizzards with their illusory cloak of invincibility."
Don’t be one of those guys—unless you want to risk a crash or find yourself stranded far from civilization.
Our test-track observations lead us to advise that using snow tires provides the best grip and assurance for going, stopping, and cornering no matter what you drive: all-wheel drive, front-drive, or rear-drive. And buying winter tires for a front-drive car will cost far less than the several-thousand-dollar premium you’ll pay for all-wheel drive."

Cowardly?? lol. We see what you write on the rutgers board about Franklin and Penn State. Write that crap here and be a man, you f'n pussy.

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

I’m not an engineer and certainly not a “car guy” but a trusted friend encouraged me to check out a Buick as a luxury option. My wife has driven an Enclave since last fall and LOVES it. Again, not trying to throw out a comparison to the big luxury brands, but rather offering a personal anecdote.

 

[PSU2UNC]

Yea I'm not crazy about my "run flats" either.
I have them on my 2012 Mini S.
A couple things I've noticed.
The ride isn't as smooth.
They seem to "hydroplane" quicker than the tires on my Jetta or GTI ever did.
They wear faster than regular tires.
They are outrageously priced.
When I need to replace them I will get "normal" tires.

I have replaced mine with normal tires as well and notice a huge difference in road feel. Does your mini have a place for a spare tire?

 

[DrJC]

Hi all. Have had Lexus vehicles for years, never had a problem, love them. That being said, have found that the 2018 BMW 540i XDrive vehicle really has my interest.

I have never had a BMW. I have read lots of reviews and seems like a very solid vehicle, however I was looking for some advice from those that have or have had BMWs.

Pros/cons?

Thanks.

I have had 5 Audi's. Rarely a problem and great performance. However, do NOT keep any German car past the warranty or your looking for Money, Money, Money.

 

[BBrown]

I have replaced mine with normal tires as well and notice a huge difference in road feel. Does your mini have a place for a spare tire?

LOL, well not exactly. In order to get to the donut you have to take the tire wrench and use the lug part of it and find the "nut" under the hatch. Then you use a long handled wrench to turn the screw enough so that you can squeeze open the Spring locks then you can lower the tire down using the long handled wrench.
Then you can access the donut.
Yea I'm calling AAA. LOL.

 

[ivan brunetti]

Cowardly?? lol. We see what you write on the rutgers board about Franklin and Penn State. Write that crap here and be a man, you f'n pussy.

What? Franklin's Big Ten record? I think that is already known here.

F-off.