BMW owner thinking about Lexus- comments?

I am a BMW owner who is unhappy with the reliability of BMW of late, and the lousy customer service and difficulty in making appointments for service. Also the maintenance and repair costs are outrageous.

SO-- I am considering Lexus.

Any Lexus owners care to comment on their experiences with dealers as well as service people? Is the Lexus experience really THAT great, or is it the same as any other company?

Also, any ex BMW or Mercedes drivers now Lexus owners? Was it worth the switch?

Reply to
Verizon User
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We own both a BMW and Lexus. First they are not the same in any way. The service at Lexus is excellent, service at BMW is a not. You never find the same service advisory at BMW more between any two visits. The factory trained Technician at BMW is excellent. All the Lexus technicians have some factory training. The Lexus store even has a much nicer customer area and all the staff treats you like a valued customer. Not the case at BMW.

Now for the cars. The BMW in our case a 2002 525 is dream to drive. The just fits right. Yes I would have purchased a 530 or 540, but the wife wanted the 525. The Lexus, a RX330, is very comfortable and designed for the Mom's of the world. Everything is easy to reach and the ride is much like a living room couch on wheels. Very little road feel and lots of wind noise. The BMW is to be driven, go faster and it feels better. The radar cops spot it before I even start it. The Lexus is oh another over priced Toyota.

BMW with the 4 year paid maintenance is great. Lexus is expensive. I was screwed to the total of $400 for an oil change and some other minor

15K stuff. At BMW I have spent $0.00 to date. Even our 11 year old BMW has not been too expensive to keep.

Good luck.

Reply to
CFL

Mine used to be THAT great --- great service and reasonable prices.

But the prices have gone up and the service is not quite the same. Still, I suspect Lexus service is a much better value for the dollar than either Mercedes or BMW both of which have been major rip-offs ever since I can remember.

Reply to
David Z

I had a BMW 525 before my current Lexus, a 2003 GS300. As another poster said, the cars are different. The BMW handles better and if you are a driver, or drive in the mountains or canyons a lot, the BMW is the way to go. On the other hand, the GS 300 rides smother, and since it is my wife's car, she seems to enjoy that more than a great handling car. This is not to say the GS 300 handles badly, it is just not as good as the BMW in that regard. The interior of the Lexus is better than the BMW also.

Reliability of the Lexus is better than the BMW in my experience. On the other hand, if you are still under warranty, that may not matter to you. Also, you can not beat BMW's no cost maintaince if you are able to take advantage of than program. If not, I found that Lexus maintaince is a little less in cost than the BMW. A lot depends on the dealer. As far as dealer treatment, I could never get a loan car from the BMW dealer and from my first Lexus dealer. My second Lexus bought from another dealer always provides a loaner and treats me well. Yet, my first Lexus dealer could care less about how they treated customers.

I guess what I am saying is that I would rather drive the BMW but would rather own the Lexus, if you get my meaning.

SF

Reply to
sf/gf
4 year maintenance always seems to run out before the expensive services are due and then there are the 15,000 miles between oil changes. Newly introduced BMW's are test beds for at least 2 years. Even a well trained mechanic can not reverse poor design and engineering. BMW's make great sculpture but lousy day to day transportation. On a good day they are almost Porsche-like but there are so many down days. I enjoy the best of both worlds --- a LS430 with a Euro-Tuned Suspension. Regards Steve Previous owner of a 633 635
Reply to
ssvalina

Steve -- tell me more about your LS430 with the sport suspension....what year? How do you like it compared to your BMWs?

Randy

Reply to
Randy S

Steve -- We own two Mercedes E-classes; a 1997 E420, and a 2000 E430 4matic. We have had horrible dealer experiences with both, often getting something fixed, only to pick the car up with something else wrong or damaged, with the dealer claiming "it must have been like that when you brought it in." Also, the "free service" plan on the 2000 model was just a waste, as they would only change the oil when the computer said, sometimes not for 10,000 miles, so we would pay to change it when we wanted to (buying Mobil 1 from Sam's Club). Just as the "free service" period ended, with only 22,000 miles on the clock, we brought it in for a oil change, and then the car supposedly needed nearly $2200 in work done, including new hubs for the awd system. We threatened legal action and the work was performed for free (did they really do it? we'll never know). We also own a 2001 Toyota Sequoia, which has almost 90,000 trouble-free miles on it, and are considering buying a new one (bigger engine, new 5-speed tranny, new colors). Our experience with Toyota has been so great we are considering trading both Mercedes and buying two Lexus vehicles, most likely an '04 or '05 LS430 sport, and maybe a second LS430 sport or the new (yet to be released) GS300 (with awd) or GS430 (with the V8). I really wish they had a GS430 with all-wheel-drive on the way. Anyway, I'm glad to hear of your satisfaction with your LS430. I really like the (IMHO) improved looks of the 2004 over the 2003. Are you happy with the Navi system, and the audio system as well? I've always loved how the Mercedes' drive, and I've often lusted after the handling of the BMW, but experiencing and hearing too many service horror stories have turned me towards the "boring but reliable" brands. I think many "German car snobs" who bash Lexus just don't get it. Sure, you may give up a bit of handling or driver involvement, but neither are worth giving up dependability and the lack of service headaches. I'm anxious to join the Lexus family, and hope to do so this year.

Randy

In a message dated 2/1/2005 8:07:45 A.M. Central Standard Time, Steve writes:

After chronic problems that affected the drivability on my X5, I literally crossed the street and bought a '03 LS430. After 20,000 mi's I knew I could not live with the softer suspension. A slightly used '04 Sport was available and the rest is history. Lexus has a jewel that they fail to promote. It's impossible to find literature that even describes the hardware (and these days---software) differences. The Sports seem to arrive at dealers in bunches in late winter when they should be hard to sell (summer tires) but are snapped by auto enthusiasts who appreciate the firmer handling. After that delivery, the Sport becomes a ordered model with long waits and the showrooms are flooded with the standard models. The ride is considerably firmer than the standard model and similar to the standard BMW. If you like the "feel" of a German car but are done with your autocrossing days and want Lexus quality and reliability, it's the way to go. IMHO Steve

Reply to
Randy S

Get the LEXUS and never look back, from a former BMW owner

Mike

Reply to
Simmonsmc

Which Lexus- I hope the new 2006 GS is for me, but I wish the 430 was in AWD.

Reply to
Verizon User

Speaking of German car snobs, I've worked with one for about the last 7 years that has recently admitted that he wished he had never heard the initials BMW. In fact, just a few weeks ago he said that he would never buy another German car because of the vast amount of mechanical and electrical problems that he has encountered with his 2003

3-Series vehicle. This guy is totally fed up with his car and the local BMW dealership. He said that he will just buy a Toyota/Lexus next time--or else a Honda/Acura product. A couple of us were shocked to hear this guy say these things, because he's always been a Lexus and Acura basher.
Reply to
R.M.

I think it may be starting to dawn on Lexus that there a segment of the driving public who are yearning for the type of auto that MB was famous for in the 70's and early 80's except with useable HP and torque for American type driving. An all year round car (with snow tires in the winter) that accelerates well and adheres to the road surfaces while allowing a transmission of "road feel" to the driver. My 04 LS430 Sport does that. Of course the manual aspect of the automatic transmission should be revised and the software program enhanced. But enough with distracting safety features like radar controlled cruise control and pre accident warning devices . If I wanted to become isolated by electronic stuff, I would buy a 7 series. I applaud Lexus for not allowing paging through the telephone book and resetting destinations on the navigation system while in motion. For God's sake concentrate on and enjoy driving. But what do I know Steve

Reply to
ssvalina

I have a 2004 LS 430 with sports suspension and a 2001 BMW 525. Reliability goes to Lexus. However, even with the sports suspension it is not a BMW. I get very good service from both delears. My suggestion is to lease the BMW and buy the Lexus.

Reply to
michael abramson

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