Well I believe i've gotten to the point in my car loving career where i want to steer myself away from a flashy sports car and get something more subtle, something with four doors thats big and comfy and close to practical, however i still love to drive, and i'd still like a car with some power and enough flash to stand out ever so slightly from the standard drab corollas, focuses and tauruses that we all hate seeing so much every day, I'm planning on selling my supra and taking out a loan to cover the rest of what i need so these are the three cars i have been thinking about 01-04 Lexus IS300 01-04 Lexus GS400/GS430 99-03 BMW M5 Now typically I would want to buy a japanese car since they tend to cost the least to maintain, but all three are luxury cars and from what i have read all three are pretty reliable, comfortable, and fun to drive. i'm currently leaning towards the M5 but anyone who has any experience with any of these cars i would massively appreciate any input or thoughts that you have. bear in mind that i want something that is both reliable and sporty. thanks a ton guys
Out of those three definitely I would go for the E39 M5, but why not either a 1st Generation G35, or even a 2nd Gen. The 2nd Gen G35 Sedans are sporty with the sport package and are reliable and quick.
E39 M5 FTW! the maint/repair will be more expensive than the lexus, but there'll be a smile on your face everytime u drive it!
Although i agree with DJ (G8 GXP) i will give you a quick rundown of my opinions of what you listed. Lexus IS - Little bit on the small side. Fun car, Reliable. However you might have a hard time finding one that has not been beat on. They are now starting to be owned by the younger crowd and typically those are the ones that are modded and beat on. GS - Average size family car, fun, Reliable. In my opinion a better choice then the IS. More comfort but less handling capability's (stock for stock). M5- Also a car that may be hard to find that has not been beat on. Fast, handles well. Out of the three i would go with the IS or GS. The nice thing with Lexus is they are typically owned by older people with decent bank accounts. Now the M5 also falls under that category but from my experience BMW's don't age as well as Lexus (cosmetically). My Father worked for Lexus Dealers for 15 years. He would bring a used trade in's home almost every night and one thing i noticed about them i always had a hard time figuring out if the cars he brought home were new or used. The used ones were always in amazing shape. However he is now working for a BMW dealer. One thing i have noticed is the interiors of the BMWs are almost always falling apart (pealing trim, broken plastic in a 2 year old car) they just do not seem to age as well. My theory about it is Lexus's are Typically owned by the 60+ retired crowd. As where BMW's are owned by the 40 something professional crowed that is talking on the phone, Eating ETC.. while driving. The retired crowd is proud of their car and do everything to keep it looking and running as new. As where the 40 something crowd is to busy to maintain the looks of the car and they go with the if its not broke dont fix it mentality. Now there are exceptions to the rule. I just think you would have a better chance of finding a Lexus that is up to a detailers standards. Now these are just my experiences and observations, take them with a grain of salt.
the m5 can cost loads of money to repair if you are lucky. I wouldnt touch a car with high mileage and service history is important. I'm kind of sold on the brand i'm driving so i guess my opinion i a bit colored but a Saab 9-5 Aero is a great 4-door saloon car with 250bhp and lots of tourque that model is something that you don't see everywhere. Good luck either way!
True to that, Brother. I had an 1999 gtp loved it. The new look put's them on the top of my list. My buddy sold his V series Caddy and got a BMW, has spent tons on keeping it running. They told him free tires for life, yea if they don't wear out before they the shop thinks they sould:giggle: Then the ones they put on where cheap.
Hey Jag, I was once in your place looking for a car that somewhat rare (or people I knew didn't own one), something that would last and was reliable and would not break the bank. I was in love with the IS300 especially after 02' when they introduced a 5spd manual:applause2:! My problem with the car was that I was too cramped and when I thought about all the places I would want to drive, I would eventually get tired of being confined. So I passed. The GS was great but not manual so that for me was a no go. Last but not least was the M5. I particularly like the 2000-2003 models, and a manual stick was availble. I finally opted for the M5, test drove it loved. I decided to drive another car and that was the 540i 6spd. w/the MSport pkg. http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/f5/whats-your-ride-8679-9.html you will see my car somewhere near the bottom. After driving the 540i I was sold, it was 10K less, 2 yrs newer (M5 was a 2000), and while it was 103hp slower, I still had enough ballz to become a :devil: on the road!!! The only problem that I found out was that the rads (not sure for the M's) would pop at around 100,000km/ 62,000mile. Other than that, O2 sensors would be your next worry. I have 4 and hope I don't have to change them all at once. Water pumps and timing belts would be normal wear and tear. So as far as I'm concerned, if you can find a 540i with everything the M5 has (excluding 400hp M-engine, I believe suspension, which wasn't on all 540's till 03), you will have the enjoyment of a sedan and heart beating, white knuckled cornering and launches of a BMW.
