Well, after almost 2.5 very eventful years it's time to go.

All the issues with economy, rattles etc have left a sad glint in my eye. Not to say that ditching the car 3.5 years ahead of schedule hasn't cost us £000's in real cash too. But alas we couldn't carry on. Lets not go there!

The looming Credit crunch has created some good deals and you can push dealerships beyond the norm - both on purchase price/cost to change and finance options.

What did we look at?

I didn't want the new A4 - dodgy driving position and it' too new - I don't want to be pathfinding issues again
IS250 - considered it for a few minutes, but the dealership didn't really come up with a good enough deal UNTIL the BMW dealer asked the Lex dealer (Same group) to buy mine off them - then they panicked and upped the PEX price by £1000 - amazingly rang me whilst I was trying to negotioate a price on a prospective purchase! The thought of squeaks and rattles in the usual places put me off...I'd forever be looking out for them! also - I need to take delivery immediately....so that meant 08 MY, not the 09. The deal was just not good enough overall.
Merc C Class - still too new and I hate the saggy rear end
3 series - facelifted one with newer idrive seems really good, but it would mean a brand new one or keep the Lexus for another 6 months and buy an ex-demo. Well I couldn't wait!

SO what did we buy?

Well...it's not Japanese. I'm afraid it's a German again, and not in the same category as the IS/Compact exec cars. 57 plate. We went one size bigger so you can't really compare it to the 220d - other than to say it's 6 Cylinder Diesel, 3.0l, Automatic and is more economical than the IS220d!

It's a 525d M Sport Auto with Leather, Media, Privacy glass tc etc. It's the new LCI model and has the flybywire gears etc and all teethers in the iDrive are aparently resolved. No one who I know with one/IDrive since 2006 have an issue - so fingers are crossed!

It's done less than 5000 miles, list price was £40k, is virtually mint and cost the same as the discounted IS250 SE/MM Auto...A few of these exist in the wider family (523-535d) so I sort of knew what to expect!!

On the test drive it showed 40mpg and I wasn't hanging about. That's more than I've seen on the IS220d for a year now!! Even with a 5-10% error in the calculations, the sheer performance of the auto box and max torque delivered from just 1300RPM makes the 525d quick!! I also know first hand that a 535d can achieve 40-42MPG on a run, so I'm expecting mid to high 40's.

So it just leaves me to say a big THANK YOU and good bye...

Scarlet Pimp (AKA Jamboo)

aaaaah Jamboo, was wondering why I hadn't seen you on for a while.

Sorry the Lexus is going, don't be a stranger

Good luck and well wear

Best of luck with the new motor Jamboo...I'll miss your posts

I'll make the odd guest appearance now and again

It's a great passionate forum. The best I've ever come across for anything!! The BMW ones are like a ghost town....

Good on you Jamboo

Sad to see you go mate, but hopefully things work out better for you with the BMW............except for the quality of the interior I'm a big fan of the 5 series MSport so I'm sure things will be better, in terms of diesel engines no one can touch the BMs for performance and economy........

Do come back and let us know how the new motor compares!

Cheers mate.

I did have a long hard look at the quality of the interior and compard to the new IS (and GS), it appears to have a better consistency of materials used. It's well put together and not as "where's my money gone" 3 series, inspite of being over 5 years old into production now.

The quality is at least as good as the Lexus IMHO. The only things that are a slight downer on the 5 over the G2 IS are the resolution of the screen on the Satnav. It's a bit like that of the earlier GS300's, grainy, but it's OK. As long as it gets me there I'll be happy!! The sound system is a bit feeble too!!

The seats are incredibly comfortable though - firm and supportive in true germanic style. The boot is 520litres compared to the 375 of the Lex, but as I mentioned, it's the next size up!! And rear leg room is massive!!

The fact that I won't have touch screen is the biggest worry!! The iDrive is a bit daunting, but people tell me it's like using a mouse...Yeah...right! Famous last words...

I'll come back and let you know more once it arrives.

good luck mate, i'm sure you'll be happy with the bmw

Sorry to heard about the problems you had with your Lexus, I think the 5 series is also a good choice, i would love one if i can afford it, best of luck matey, and keep coming back to have a chat with us Jamboo....

Good choice Jamboo. I was hoping to find a 525/530d within budget, but the dealership is the same as the Lexus one. They won't be getting any of my business again for a long, long time. Good to see even a 520d returns better MPG than the 220d and wil be only £115 to tax come 2010.

Bye Bye & Good Luck so sad when peeps leave

Cheers Jamboo

Thanks for all of your posts, which have always helped to make this forum such an interesting read!!

Good luck with the new motor!!

Good luck with it matey and don't be a stranger.

Ditto!

Good Luck

and remember that BMW diesels are just BEGGING to be remapped

Hi Jambo -wow you will be missed as I have been wondering where you were ie won the lottery - robbed a bank etc. or even that your IS 220 d was running ok ???

great choice in limo - I have been able to compare LEX V BMW over the last 11 months and to date the BMW has not missed a beat and has been no where near the BMW service dept - so you will not be disapointed in your new purchase - still got the IS 250 and have started looking - so thanks for doing the leg work for me and will be looking into a 5 series myself

take care

swager

Good luck Jambo you have made a valuable contribution to our forum, enjoy your new car - Merv

Cheers guys - appreciated.

Swager - I looked at all combo's - SE's, M Sports etc, 17"-19" wheels, and the ride actually isn't that bad in a 5 ser, even with the Mixed 19" alloys. With a new model around the corner there are loads of LCI models to choose from - manufuactured post Jul'07. Just avoid the 4 cylinder diesel - it's not bad, but it doesn't have the awesome grunt of the 6 cylinders...though it is economical and avoid the ones without shiny Auto lever (i.e. pre LCI) - again they are not bad, but the LCI ones are the last incarnation and will hold values better. Also - spec is all important - Media, Leather and Auto are mandatory if you want to gt a decent price back!!

And yes - it is so easy to make a 525d into a 530d!! Just a remap!

I have done lots of homework this time - didn't want a new model, and wanted a car I could keep long term. The 5 series seems to hit on all scores.

I will be coming back here to see how you all are, and post every now and again.

Take care guys, and thanks for all your help, threads, posts, frustrations (at me) etc. Nothing personal ever intended or taken - like everyone else here, all I wanted to do was make sure we got the dealers and Lexus to sort things out. At times people thought I was being negative too often, but sometimes you need a balance in order the odd heckle keeps the status quo.

I think they are almost there now with the 57 plate 220d and onwards - so good luck to you all. I will have some fond memories of the IS - and take a glancing look as each one goes by, 'cos I still think it's one of the best VFM cars arpound, and the best looking. Ironically I've gone from the best looking car to the pig ugliest....!!

Au Revoir (or should I be saying Auf Wiedersen??)!!

Best of luck with new motor Jamboo, I think the 5 series are superb cars, too big for us though.
I've not posted or commented for a while but still look at the forum now and then.
Picked up on your I.D. change, don't blame you with some of the abuse you were getting, you were only telling it as it was for you, that upset some people which gave credence to your question is it a forum or a fan club.
Purchase of new car never materialised, got a paltry discount offered by local dealer, 2.5%, said I was looking for 7.5%, would have bought at 6%, they never came back to me, honest!
Didn't want to go down "Drive The Deal" route, wanted to buy locally. In the end I couldn't be arsed. What I do now when we need a bigger car for any reason is hire one from my local BMW garage, they have details of our licences, I phone them, they drop a car off and collect it when we've finished with it, they are superb to deal with and it's hassle free.
I've test drove the 3 series, but don't like the look of the car, the new C 220 CDI auto and IS 250 auto, for me the Lexus was different class, far superior, we are all individuals, "one man's meat?"
I've enjoyed reading about your trials and tribulations with a 220d and as you have always had something interesting and informative to say, I like others would like you to continue putting in your "two penneth" now and again.

Cheers,

Exiled.

The best thing about BMWs is you get your own lane on the m-way, and you have special dispensation to use your mobile whilst driving, and not use your indicators!

Enjoy- 535s are great cars, BMW make the best engines IMO.

enjoy the BMW jamboo...hope it works out much better for you than the 220d ever did, apart from the looks!

Do keep us informed & best wishes for your new car even if it is a BumW!
Tel

Well guys - what can I say? For those who stated that they are interested, read on. THIS IS NOT for the Lexsqueamish!

The 5 is in a different league altogether! The more I drive it the more I realise that I've finally gone back "home" to Bavaria again. It is more comparable to a GS in size etc, but for the money it's a no brainer...new IS or a slightly used 5 series...no competition there at all!

OK - the Satnav is OK, but not brilliant, the iDrive is fine once you start to use the voice commands and combine the idrive and voice (then it becomes a joy to use) - but the biggest benefit of all is the drive. That's what BMW's are about and this is as good as it will ever get. It only has 17bhp more than the IS220d, but all I can say is wow! It absolutely flies! You really cannot tell it's a diesel at all, even when you cain it, and it has so much low down torque. The auto box too is really good and perfectly matched. the sports seats are firm and supportive and the steering spot on! Every switch is where you want it.

Fuel economy hovers currently around 27mpg - town only driving and 80%gentle, 20% smiley stuff. For a 3 litre Auto it's pretty good! Incidentally that is identical to the IS in my hands driven 100% gentle.....

The standard stereo is surprisingly good unless you push the volume up too high.

I do miss the rear camera though. The optical PDC in the Beemer is very good, but nothing beats a good camera! The MLS is something I miss too overall. But that's all I really miss! I can even live without touch screen, Smart access and vented seats despite the humid weather!

The 5 has NO rattles or squeaks at all - I mean ZERO - in fact it is cathedral quiet inside just as I had expected! Much quieter than the IS and I reckon given the M sport tyres on 18" rims, similar to the GS from a rgular ambience perspective. BUT - there is almost zero road noise in the beemer - wheres the GS does have some on rough roads.... That is the most defining feature. No matter what surface - the ride remains very very quiet and actually smoother than the pre 2007 5's. They tweaked the suspension last year and it is a changed machine. Even with M Sport suspension and ultra low profiles.

Overall it is head and shoulders above the IS, and better than the GS - only because of the steering and handling. It truly is flybytheseat stuff.

So far so good!

Nice one mate, I'm glad things are going better with the BM (let's hope that continues! )

I'd probably agree with everything you've said, nothing drives like a BMW but is the ride ok? I remember test driving a 545 a few years back and I thought the ride was ridiculously hard - that wasn't even a Sport model, it was an SE and compared to the GS and the CLS (that we eventually bought) there was no comparison.

Other than that, your compliments and downsides are pretty much exactly as I'd see them myself.........do let us know as the months pass if the car is still behaving exactly as you'd like

Run flats are now increasingly common on BMW models as standard fitment.
We all know that run flats make for a very harsh ride (when compared to ride on regular tyres).
The models that don't have runflats, are the expensive, luxury models such as 750, M5 and M6.
AFAIK, models such as the 330, 545, 645, and 650 are on runflats. Vyker's new 330 has them, and he said the ride is harsh over any bump.

Congrats on the 5 series.
The previous E39 model was hailed as the "world's best car" when it came out (best as in it's overall blend of space, refinement, handling, ride, build, performance and value for money). The E60 seems to be better than the E39 by all accounts.

Maneesh/Parthiban - you are correct - those Run Flats have been a problem. However, the Post Jul 07 LCI (LifeCycleImpulse) seems to ride so much better, even with RF 245/40 18's all round. Dare I say, it bounces less than the IS due to the longer wheelbase and the jitterriness is gone. Even at low speeds, you can't really tell it's on RF's at all. It's firm, yes, but no firmer than the IS and you can't feel every piece of gravel like you could in the pre 2007 M sports or even 5 SE's with 18's RF's. They really have done a good job in removing that single dreaded issue which put me off the 320d in 2005. It was the one thing I watched out for on the test drives over and above even the economy, iDrive or rattles...

You can tell an LCI model as it has the new Auto shift, up-turned lower grill edges on SE's (around the fog lights on SE's, not M Sport) and the Angel "Wings" rear LED lights.

I'd driven loads of E39's, and they were very good. In fact I think they still ride and handle exceptionally well, even better than a current E Class! The Build quality was sound.

The only other thing that I do miss are those big folding mirrors on the IS...they were brilliant! The Beemers are like letter box's.

The leather (Dakota) is pretty good so far, comfortable and not "shiny" like the Lexus leather, and you don't sit too low in the seat squab.

Anyway, enough for now...this is a Lexus forum!!!!

True, but now I know where else I might look if I want to switch brands

This will get on to some peoples goat, but....I just completed a journey of 235 miles, 85% motorway, at the same speeds as I did in the Lexus, and guess what?

OBC shows 46.3mpg, and at the pumps of 44.5mpg. So that means approx 8mpg more than the old IS220d - which was only giving me 35-37.5mpg according to the trip computer (!) on the identical regular run. It's all the proof I ever needed taht something wasn't right with the Lexus, and am now sure of the decision to jump ship...

Just need to remind you all that my current car is a 3.0l 6 cylinder Auto diesel and was fully loaded (5 people and a boot (520litres) full of junk) and is heavier than the IS...someone will surely tell me soon that the lexus is much cleaner and that for the extra cash I paid for the car I could have bought a tanker full of diesel...

Sorry for gloating, but whilst some of you guys carry on kidding yourselves and shoving DPS4 and other stuff in, the rest of the world enjoys normal diesel economy! And there is NO RATTLES and the road noise is almost gone - peace at last! In fact 80% of the time the beemers rides as quietly on a motorway on normal surfaces as the lex did on billiard table smooth fresh tarcmac - it's that much quieter.

Looking at it constructivly, someone over at the ivory tower might see this post as trying to help Lexus improve the cars...well guys here's the bench mark!

not a diesel lover myself but i dont do loads of miles but when your looking at mpg, plus you have an auto box i'd say youve made the right choice.

jamboo, i do wish you good luck with you bmw.but as to thinking that you are winning on the economy issue you are misguided.you must have dumped thousands of pounds by swapping cars.you are only fooling yourself.i would be asking myself why the previous owner of your bmw wanted rid of it after 5k miles.so,patronise us no longer and be on your way.

talk about the long goodbye.

Well said Dqman how long will it take to recover the Money Jamboo has spent on the part ex
i think this might just out weigh the MPG for a while

Matt
An IS220d Happy Owner

at the end of day the he wasnt happy with his lexus

I disagree- its interesting to read a different perspective.

I had a long line of BMW 3s before my Lexus IS250, and it is fair to say that the engines and handling of the BMWs monstered the Lexus. How they squeeze so much power and so much economy out of their engines is remarkable.

That said, a 530d is at a completely different price point to the IS220d, so if it wasn't better I'd be disappointed!

Price a 3 series up to the equivalent spec of an IS SEL(which you can't, but get as close as you can), and you will be looking at over £40k and the build quality/materials of the 3 are no better than the IS. I may be lucky, but my 55 reg IS 250SEL with 34k miles is as tight and rattle-free as any beemer I've owned, and the few post delivery issues I've had are dealt with utterly painlessly and courteously by Lexus Reading. Visiting a BMW dealer was never a rewarding experience...

I think Jamboo did the right thing - for him. He hasn't been happy with his Lexus for a long time and once you get to the stage where you are out driving being distracted by the things that annoy you and you can't enjoy all the Lexus' positive points, then you might as well bite the bullet and change. Of course the cost to change will outweigh any savings in fuel, but if he's happier then it's worth it.

Having driven the IS220d I'm sure that if that had been my only choice of Lexus I'd have opted for something else, the gearchange and clutch set up were just not to my liking. However, I drove the IS250 auto first and was smitten by it straight away, and I can honestly say I have never regretted my decision and it still brings a smile to my face when driving it.
The BMW 5 series is a car that has grown on me since it was launched and while it doesn't make sense as a new buy, getting a nearly new one as a private buyer, is a good option. I still struggle with liking the 3 series though.

NBLG - spot on!

Like I said in my post earlier, it wouldn't be long before someone said I could have bought a tanker load of diesel...

But those who think that have never really understood my point; it wasn't about me not being able to afford the diesel. It was about buying a car that does what it states on the tin. The IS had more warranty visits than all of my new cars put together, mostly german and the odd Jap/French car...All that promise of numero uno customer sat, realibility was all just banter in the end

The IS220d started off well, then fell away, as each 1000 mile and months went by, as each 5th injector went by, as each rattle appeared and stayed...You get my drift?

Yes the 3 series is a bit "where's my dosh gone", but Lexus and BMW are very different. BMW takes yer money but gives you a great drive, Lexus take your money and gives you every extra known to man. Horses for courses...

What is certain though is that the 525d does deliver the government stated fuel economy, in the same way the 250 Auto does. I know some 220d's do, but mine couldn't hold a candle to the figures

These two are a bit harsh, but it does seem you got screwed over by both a dodgy car backed up by an awful dealership.........

Yes Lexus provide you with every toy, but also a great luxury car and normally very impressive reliability...........all the stuff about Lexus isn't banter, or it would never have been talked about in the first place. My IS200 is now 6 years old, still drives like the day I picked it up and is still totally rattle free - I have not yet paid for a single part on it that wasn't routine maintenance (touch wood!) and the dealership has been nothing but a pleasure to deal with.

Having said that though, you were absolutely right to switch, I think I mentioned on earlier occasions that it might be best to change it as there's no point having a car that is no fun to drive anymore. Especially a diesel of which all of them I hate, so if you're not getting decent economy, what's the point?

And I'm glad you're still posting on here, as I find it interesting to see how much of a difference there is between the BMW and the Lexus. I'm more interested to see what your repair bills are like but hopefully you'll be a lucky one

Me too - having said that there are so many specialists around...it could get expensive...but the newer ranges in the wider family all appear bullet proof, including the 535d, 07 plate with 55k...nothing other than standard servcing and 1 set of discs and pads so far

I think it was just me - the dealership improved, but were not that much better than Audi, and when they "forgot" to leave the wine in the car aftr the recall, and never returned my call when I complained that was it...

The differences are not necessarily in the quality from what I have seen so far, just the lack of toys and lack of rattles in the Beemer and the drive, which is very "connected" and fly by the seats stuff...

The Lex was still better looking...and if you want a new car, the IS250 Auto SE with MM is difficult to ignore...such good VFM comes rarely