When I posted this reply, it was to offer an opinion different to that offered here, one to balance the one sided view of this board because, someone who wanted some advice on spending their money....So, I shall add more by way of balance to the replies since I first posted on this board....
Buy a BMW for the challenge of buying the best proven balanced RWD car money can have, and if it is a 6 cylinder, buy it because you want to drive a German legend - buy a 3 series and you can always sell it on. Buy a 5 series and you are buying the best exec in its class - 7 years in a row...
I have never met anyone who has ever traded up a 3 series - even a poverty spec 316 for an IS200, get real for *** sake!!! IS300, I'll be honest and say I don't know. The LS430 is different and rather special, but for the cash I would expect it to be up there with the S mercedes (albeit the S430) And again, how many LS430's do you see on the road compared to S class mercedes? If it is your money, where would you put it, Mercedes or Lexus?
BMW 330 vs IS300. Give people the free choice and what do you think - that they would take Toyota/Lexus over BMW. Is Lexus your answer? - well think again. Of course they don't. Day after day, BMW sells more cars than Lexus could ever dream about. The Lexus IS200 in particular is an also-ran, when it first came out it was heralded as the poor mans 3 series, good, but not good enough.. Yes BMW is more expensive and yes, the options are very dear, but you pay your money and take your choice. I don't have my Lexus through choice, it is my company car and I put up with it but would take a 6 cylinder BMW every time. Why do so many company car drivers drive 318's as opposed to the IS200, it being such a good car??
No, as BMW drivers, we are not sheep, I am certainly not a sheep. I drive an IS200 for work and an M5 for pleasure .Incidentally, I bought the M5 simply because it is the most complete car I have ever driven and a perfect antidode to 30k every year in a Lexus
That's my view, challenge it if you like that's fine by me, but if you do, then please do so based on some firm grounding of reason, not on the emotion of my car is better than yours because that's just plain infantile.
Incidentally, and as an aside to this main post, when I drive my M5 people drive so differently, they pull out without indicating, they tailgate stupidly, they overtake on bends, they just have to get past. I know, because I have seen it, time and time again. When I drive my M5 I drive it like a motorbike and plan much futher ahead and drive very defensively - funnily enough, it is often these tacky little modified hatchbacks of the MaxPower genre who are the worst offenders at this. I don't even get bothered any more.
I await your no-dount strong anti BMW replies. Just trying to strike some form of a balance here :P
Sheepman