Regrets Buying Lexus Instead Of Bmw ?

[mustang]

Hello everyone - my first post is a question.

In a few days I will buy either a Lexus IS250SE (auto+mm) or BMW 325/330 (auto+nav), used.

Has anyone here who's had a BMW then went to Lexus have any regrets about not going for BMW again? I'm not talking about after sales service, just the car itself. For example, to me, the BMW has following benefits over Lexus (sorry if this offencds, i'ts not meant to, it's just IMHO):

Smoother, more powerful, torquier engine.

Faster gear changes

Nicer gear selector (straight line selection instead of jagged like old Mercs)

Sportier driving.

Parking beepers*

Lexus strengths:

MM

Build quality

* = I prefer the parking beepers because when reversing, I can look at hte side mirrors and listen for the tone changing in the beeps. With the Lexus, I have to view the side mirrors AND the camera because hte camera does not show what's to the rear and side of the car, the beepers do.

But mainly I'm interested in hearing how you felt moving from a sporty driving BMW to a less-sporty driving Lexus.

If you want, you can add your thoughts about dealer service as well, but I've already searched for that and would imagine Lexus are better than BMW. Also at BMW you get the odd non-professional sales person. With Lexus, I have yet to encounter that (exccept for the chap at Milton Keynes who suggested he could install a sat nav into a non-mm car!).

TIA.

*** EDITS ***

Thanks very much for the responses. I'll reply to each below (instead of cramming all in here).

Beepers: I didn't know you could get these fitted from Lexus. My dad (LS400) only told me this today and now I've read the same comments here. However, after test driving an IS250SE A/MM, I only want an IS with MM.

Also I am now choosing between a £24k IS250SE a/mm and 330SEa/nav for £1000 less. I know the BMW is more common but I'm concerned that the days I want to 'push it', the IS wont have enough power enough of the time compared to a 325, let alone a 330. The Lexus is certainly more exclusive and I love that. My wife has been brought up on a mantra of "german cars are awesome" and so is reluctant to go with Lexus.

Someone here mentioned that the drive on a 330 was boring. I test drove one a few days ago. My expectations were high, and the car delivered the goods which left me adequately amused (was expecting greatness, got greatness, big deal). With the Lexus, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it delievered greatness, and perhaps that's why I was so impressed by it.

There are other very minute little things that I like about BMW that aren't available on Lexus (please someone correct me). Firstly I like the central locking in the BMW, it does just that. Locks everything, unlocks everything. If I'm in traffic and need something from the boot, I hit one button (unlock) and I can access the boot. With the Lexus, I hit two buttons - unlock doors, release boot. And the lights, I like the way the BMW's interior lights gently turn on/off (probably some kind of variable resistor?). Very tiny things, but even now, after owning my 330 for 3 years, I look at the lights coming on/off. I do design work so I guess it's in my nature to watch out for these things. :D

Maybe a 24hr Lexus test drive will push me over the edge, because that's where I am right now, on the edge. Anyway, I'm going to buy something within the next 4 or so days. Oh in case you're womndering, I dont have something like this posted at any BMW forum.

One more thing: running costs. The BMW needs servicing every two years (for the low miles I do), Lexus is every year. BMW also has lower emissions (how the heck do they do that?) so lower road tax. Insurance: only £65 difference per year. So road tax and insurance is no big deal, but servicing over 7 years might play a part. Who knows what road tax figures wil be like a few years from now.

[Matus]

if you pay for parking sensor in lexus, these beep too.

I have some informations relating your problem but not from my personal experience, so I think its not worth to mention.

[Steve]

i think many would here sway your mind towards lexus. Thats what we are about ;) :)

Lexus has alot going for it.. become an owner and you will see for yourself.. anyway.. too many bmw's on the road lately.

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

Had a Beemer, got the T shirt...

Lexus all the way. Buy one - you'll see first hand!

[Steve ( West Mids )]

Having just taken delivery of my 4th Lexus in 4 years I would say Lexus without question, only question I would raise would be can you afford £2k or less for the SE-L. I couldn't but managed a good enough deal to be able to get one. PM me if you want details.

[Parthiban]

I don't really consider parking sensors or the gear selector, actual reasons to buy a different car!

You can fit parking sensors, and the jagged slot really isn't anything to worry about - I actually prefer it as you don't need to think about what you're doing, automatically know where the stick needs to go, plus it means there's no need for a button on the lever........

In my opinion, BMWs have become really focussed drivers cars, but have somehow lost their ability to do anything else - the Lexus provides a far better compromise in that it drives pretty well, but will also be fantastic on those days when you just want to get home in absolute quiet and luxury.....................

It's your choice at the end of the day, but it's rare you find someone who regrets buying a Lexus............

[evoelf]

I used to have a BMW. I spent 8 Months deciding whether to go for a Lex or stick to BMW.... I went for the Lex.

IMHO a Lexus is better value for money. The BMW may be a bit sportier but i find the Lexus has a perfect balance of both comfort and sport.

A friend of mine brought a BMW a few weeks ago for the same money i paid for my Lexus and i must say i deffo have no regrets switching from BMW to Lexus.

[Chris Skelton]

And there's the uniqueness angle too? BMs too common?

The Lex is good to be in too, as MOST of the time you're not ABLE to drive like a racer in reality?

I liked the Lex recently when I borrowed one, but didn't like banging my head on entry! Plus restricted vision. But that's a comment on the current style of cars generally I guess? From an LS owner, used to space? The IS certainly moved and handled well.

[IanB]

I'd go for Lexus any day, but it depends what you want really.

I had a 325 Ci Sport which I bought on a whim, without my wife being in the car. Big mistake The suspension may get you round corners quickly, but the choppy ride made her queezy. So I changed it for a 330Ci with standard suspension which was better, but still not as comfy a ride as the IS300 I subsequently bought.

Maybe the latest model has better suspension but I've not tried one. Now I've got the GS, BMW's are just a distant memory.......

Good luck with your choice.

IanB :D

[Dayglows]

After having a 3 series and the wife having a Z4 I have never had any regrets about moving to Lexus. Yes if you are looking for a more involving drive then the 3 series will win as that's the market BMW target. With Lexus you get the whole package. The Lexus is by far a much quieter drive (depending on the tyres) and much more comfortable. Plus the extras you get are much better. Also looking at the residuals the Lexus seems to be holding it's own and in my opinion is holding up better than the beemers.

The IS250 is such a silky engine that it is never felt wanting. The manual gearbox on the other hand seems to get lose it's crispness over time as I am told it is a very robust and very strong gearbox which was built for reliability. The BMW's are two a penny and seem to be everywhere but the Lexus are still relatively rare on UK roads and are always talking points at work as to whose the IS in the car park belongs to and what a nice car it looks. I have been asked on numerous occasions for people to go out in it or have a closer look. I never had that with the BMW.

As for parking beeps. I too preferred these when I first got into a Lexus but after living with the camera and actaully being able to see things behind you I wouldn't go back. I noticed that Audi are now offereing the reverse camera on the new a4. In my opinion it is by far more superior. My wife doesn't like it because she rarely drives it and she relies on the beeps in her car. The other day after the wife packed the boot as I was putting the little boy in the back, I was just about to reverse off the drive when looking at the camera I saw something on the drive behind the car. It turned out to be my wifes really expensive sunglasses on the floor behind. These would have been crushed it I would have had the beeps. It has also helped on so many occasion by actually being able to with your eyes rather than hear with your ears.

At the end of the day it depends whether you want an inolving drive or a nice car allround.

[Chris.S]

If you buy a BMW make sure the foglamps work ok, you'll need them to drive round in the day with

[el_gencer]

One of my friends, his dad has a 330i auto with nav. Its really boring. It's difficult to express just how dull it is, even the owner regrets getting it. Its an odd drive as well, usually in an auto, kick down occurs when you floor it. In this car you have to lift and then floor it otherwise it stays in the same gear and plods along. The interior is bland, however the nav is good as is the sensor for parking, you get a radar style visualisation. Its certainly fast enough and holds the road like its glued.

I've driven the is250 and found that to be a better drive. Its well built, comfortable and fast enough for uk roads. It might not be bmw fast but thats the choice you have to make.

[SiWhite]

Go for the BMW and you'll never wonder if you made the right choice.

Go for the Lexus and you'll know you did.

[IanCornwall]

By being here and asking the question I think you already know the answer to your own question, you just need a bit of convincing to take the plunge and go Jap

If you were really interested in going fast then why haven't you gone the other way in badges and bought a Vauxhall

The VXR will drop either of the Beemer or Lexus dead at traffic lights and being fair isn't a bad car at all, in fact if speed and power is what you want, well why not ? and it will probably out perform the M series or the new Lexus F series in normal humans hands

I know of pocket rocket Corsas that will out accelerate most beemers or Lexus, and go around corners like they are on rails

What you are looking for I believe is adequate power, comfort, and the sort of drive that makes you actually want to get in your car and enjoy driving it

If that is the case, no doubt about it, if you buy the beemer you will be dissapointed and always wondering the "what if" question, and if you buy a Lexus you will be smiling and in smug mode enabled like the rest of us :)

[mustang]

I don't really consider parking sensors or the gear selector, actual reasons to buy a different car!

You can fit parking sensors, and the jagged slot really isn't anything to worry about - I actually prefer it as you don't need to think about what you're doing, automatically know where the stick needs to go, plus it means there's no need for a button on the lever........

In my opinion, BMWs have become really focussed drivers cars, but have somehow lost their ability to do anything else - the Lexus provides a far better compromise in that it drives pretty well, but will also be fantastic on those days when you just want to get home in absolute quiet and luxury.....................

It's your choice at the end of the day, but it's rare you find someone who regrets buying a Lexus............

I did prefer the straight-gate selector and feel of the gear stick on the BMW. And it changed gears in manual mode quicker (no, I wont use that, but I like that it's there).

My current car (330 sport conv) has parking sensors and I adore them so Iwasa looking for a similar feature in my next car.

[mustang]

If you buy a BMW make sure the foglamps work ok, you'll need them to drive round in the day with

LOL. Yes I do use the foglights but only when the sun is low and visibilty in the direction towards the sun is limited. I see less floglights during daytime running these days however.

[mustang]

By being here and asking the question I think you already know the answer to your own question, you just need a bit of convincing to take the plunge and go Jap

If you were really interested in going fast then why haven't you gone the other way in badges and bought a Vauxhall

The VXR will drop either of the Beemer or Lexus dead at traffic lights and being fair isn't a bad car at all, in fact if speed and power is what you want, well why not ? and it will probably out perform the M series or the new Lexus F series in normal humans hands

I know of pocket rocket Corsas that will out accelerate most beemers or Lexus, and go around corners like they are on rails

What you are looking for I believe is adequate power, comfort, and the sort of drive that makes you actually want to get in your car and enjoy driving it

If that is the case, no doubt about it, if you buy the beemer you will be dissapointed and always wondering the "what if" question, and if you buy a Lexus you will be smiling and in smug mode enabled like the rest of us :)

Yes, I have been here for a few months before deciding to post (just about to buy - woohoo!). The thing is I'm not interested in going fast, I just like the idea of having the power there if I want to go fast. I understand what you mean about the VXR, but I also want a prestiguos badge and would neveer consider a VXR.

[Tango]

My current car (330 sport conv) has parking sensors and I adore them so I was looking for a similar feature in my next car.

You sure the Lexus boot is gonna be big enough for all your hairdressing kit?

[mustang]

Go for the BMW and you'll never wonder if you made the right choice.

Go for the Lexus and you'll know you did.

Actually I was thinking the other way round. If I buy Lexus I'll wonder if I have the power I like. With BMW I know I will.

[Parthiban]

I did prefer the straight-gate selector and feel of the gear stick on the BMW. And it changed gears in manual mode quicker (no, I wont use that, but I like that it's there).

My current car (330 sport conv) has parking sensors and I adore them so Iwasa looking for a similar feature in my next car.

I guess the BMWs auto may be quicker, but the paddles on the Lexus are far better (down on the left, up on the right) and proper paddles instead of weird buttons (unless they've finally changed that)

I agree about parking sensors, I prefer them to having a camera (if I had to choose just one) - what I meant was that it wouldn't cost much to have them fitted so shouldn't really influence the decision much.

Ignoring everything but the actual car itself, I guess you need to decide whether you prefer to have a sharper drive, or more comfort - current BMWs are not comfortable at all, but if that doesn't bother you, it may be the right option for you........

Is the 325 really that much faster than the IS250 though? Or are we talking about the 330?

[Rsarin]

i run both a beemer and a lex together and although both cars are used for different things,id take the bmw only for performance.For everything else id take the lex.The ride in the beemer is rubbish,it rattles loads and warning lights come on the dash very often.The lexus is refined,smooth and when you get out of the beemer and drive the Lex,when driving down the road you wonder if the car has actually cut out,cos its so smooth and quiet.For UK roads,which are rubbish you need a lexus,cos otherwise your family and friends will not wanna go anywhere with you,every time someone gets out of my M3,they tell me their back or arse hurts,just because of the sports suspension.Lexus all the way for luxury and very good build quality in comparison to the bmws.the best car ive found for build quality is Audi.

[mustang]

I did prefer the straight-gate selector and feel of the gear stick on the BMW. And it changed gears in manual mode quicker (no, I wont use that, but I like that it's there).

My current car (330 sport conv) has parking sensors and I adore them so Iwasa looking for a similar feature in my next car.

I guess the BMWs auto may be quicker, but the paddles on the Lexus are far better (down on the left, up on the right) and proper paddles instead of weird buttons (unless they've finally changed that)

I agree about parking sensors, I prefer them to having a camera (if I had to choose just one) - what I meant was that it wouldn't cost much to have them fitted so shouldn't really influence the decision much.

Ignoring everything but the actual car itself, I guess you need to decide whether you prefer to have a sharper drive, or more comfort - current BMWs are not comfortable at all, but if that doesn't bother you, it may be the right option for you........

Is the 325 really that much faster than the IS250 though? Or are we talking about the 330?

Hi Parthiban - thanks for responding - in fact I started wondering how much those parking beepers will cost. I'd image around £200 ball park but I'll find out tomorrow.

BMW only have the paddles for 2007+ cars otherwise you need to snick the gear lever left and then use fwd/back movements - no steering wheel paddles.

You asked about 325 being not much faster than a 250 and on the whole yes you're right. I was refering more to the torque; both cars have around 1805lb ft but the IS produces this at 4800rpm whereas 325 is around 3000 (maybe lower) rpm, so I guess you dont need to rev as much to get useful torque. Having said that, I was comparing a 330 which has about 220 lb ft, also produced quite low down. However it's unfair to compare a 2.5 Lexus to a 3.0 BMW. I still found the Lexus to be around £1000 dearer (with mm and auto) so obviously Lexus is a lot more exclusive (a very good thing).

[mustang]

i run both a beemer and a lex together and although both cars are used for different things,id take the bmw only for performance.For everything else id take the lex.The ride in the beemer is rubbish,it rattles loads and warning lights come on the dash very often.The lexus is refined,smooth and when you get out of the beemer and drive the Lex,when driving down the road you wonder if the car has actually cut out,cos its so smooth and quiet.For UK roads,which are rubbish you need a lexus,cos otherwise your family and friends will not wanna go anywhere with you,every time someone gets out of my M3,they tell me their back or arse hurts,just because of the sports suspension.Lexus all the way for luxury and very good build quality in comparison to the bmws.the best car ive found for build quality is Audi.

Comparing an M3's ride quality to an IS is somewhat unfair (as I won't explain). Out of interest, if you only had to have one car out of M3 or IS, which would it be?

[swager]

Interesting forum - thought it would rattle a few cages - anyway have done in reverse -had the IS250 se-l auto mm for the 12 months and now also run a BMW 320d sport coupe auto .The beama is new and the handover at the garage very good - on a par with Lexus - good points on the beama are

1 great engine and auto box

2 low co's with impressive m.p.g (42 -45 mpg with only 600 miles on the clock to date )

3 very good sat nav

4 very goog blue tooth phone system

5 no rattles

6 high build standard

7 quiet ride

8 can use all extras on the move

9 voice activation good

10 paint work

although I still love to drive the Lexus ,out of the two I would grab the beama keys although I know they both have totally different engins (perhaps because it new and different )

but I still wounder if lexus have lost the plot with their customer care .

cheers

swager

[ihpj]

If I might put forward my own contribution ...

don't think you can 'regret' buying either vehicle. Both are very good (in all aspects when considered individually) and competent (when compared against each other). There will always be areas of which appeal more to some than others - but thats what life is all about. if Lexus made cars that were equivalent in every aspect to BMW, wouldn't that be a bad thing? Wouldn't we just be driving 'the standard Euro Box' all the time but with a different badge? No, I think choice is a good thing and if you buy a car from either brans, you will be very satisfied.

For me, and it has always come down to this, is the thrill of the drive. The feeling of being connected to the car and the road is where I derive my 'fun' when driving. The precision balance and poise of the car will determine (for me) if it is 'good' or 'bad'. When you have driven both, then you understand why BMWs moniker is 'The Ultimate Driving Machine' and why Lexus are still on their journey towards achieving perfection (In the Pursuit of Perfection or something) - the two statements are very different. BMWs is assertive and quite clear: they have set out to make the best handling car and they feel they have achieved it...while Lexus is still looking to achieve perfection, bu don't think they are quite there yet.

Perhaps I am being pedantic by reading too much into the company moniker - but I genuinely believe that both cars will be a sound choice in their own right. It comes down to what appeals for you more?