Hey guys, great forum here. I have been researching my next car purchase for some time and had it narrowed down to a pre-owned GS400/430 or BMW 540i (my budget is around 35k so new ones are out of the question).
Now here comes Acura with their new TL WOW! Great car and meets all my criteria except I was convinced I wanted rear wheel drive and a V-8 this time around. Now I'm not too sure...
Definitely have to drive one ASAP! I want to be driving my new car by the end of Nov. Anyone out there own either of the two cars I mentioned above? How does the TL compare? Thanks...

 

Well, I don't own two of those cars but I have recently purchased the 04 TL...In my opinion, getting a new car over a used car is A TOTALLY DIFFERENT FEELING...you never know anything about used cars...what if the people drove those cars hard and sometimes not all accidents are reported and you will never know whether there is internal damage in the car...yes acura doesn't give you that name as bmw and lexus but the name isn't that important...it's the reliability, quality, and security that you get from a new car...yes you would get that in the lexus and bmw but it still isn't the same...as it is, the GS is changing it's shape in 2005 (so by next september, it should be out) so you lose value in your car...it depreciates even more than what it currently has...and with the bmw 5 series, they just changed the shape this year, so it has already depreciated...and i've heard about bmw's and the problems that they can have in the long run and that's why i decided not to go for a 330i...yes RWD is fun but it all depends on where you live and how you plan on driving your car...and with TL you get new technology that you can't in lexus or bmw...personally, i would choose a TL over both the cars that you mentioned...just my opinion...

 

Good points made-thanks for the input!
Yeah, hard to beat that brand new car feeling! We bought a new '02 Honda Odyssey and I have no regrets at all.
I was leaning toward the Lexus ('00 or '01) because of their reliability vs. BMW but I do love the 5 series Beemer too.
I also really like the new Audi A4 but it's a bit small and underpowered for what I want.

 

Your best bet is to drive them yourself. RWD vs FWD has been discussed on many threads here with advocates for both sides. Basically comes down to RWD better on the track, FWD better in the snow. You have to decide which is better for you. As far as V8 goes, if the engine is powerful and smooth, it shouldn't matter how many cylinders it has --- again, you have to decide. I would recommend driving an '04 TL and a new '03 or '04 GS at a dealer, then drive a used 540 at a dealer or a friend's. Keep in mind that the GS is due for an update ('05 if I am not mistaken) and the 540 has just been updated for '04. So you will be buying the previous generation real soon. I think for reliability the Lexus and Acura are higher than BMW. For status the Lexus or BMW win, if you care about that.

I have heard that the best value-point to buying used is at the 2-year point and then best to keep the car as long as it is serviceable ("until the doors fall off" I think was the quote). That said, I prefer to buy new except when I know the previous owner.

Good luck with your decision.

 

Unless you're driving on the track, or pushing the car to ten-tenths, you're unlikely to notice the difference between RWD and FWD. At eight-tenths of the limit, the differences between FWD and RWD are almost indistinguishable. Bear in mind that it's pretty tough to push a car to even eight-tenths on public roads.

If you live in the real world, like most people, front wheel drive is vastly superior for traction in snow, ice and even rain. Trust me, I used to live on a steep hill and drove both. Rear wheel drive in the snow? Forget it...park it.

The argument is largely academic, as most people on this board would never drive their cars at ten-tenths on the track anyway, and those who might would probably run out of driving skills before the the TL ran out of capability.

 

Hello Dieter,

I had the same debate about purchasing a car. I thought I would be buying a 2000 or 2001 GS 400 or 430. I wanted to pay about $35k as well. A few weeks ago I test drove the Lexus and I enjoyed the drive especially the pure power the car. A lot of torque!!!

I then went to test drive the new TL. The TL didn't have as much power or torque but that was it. The interior of the TL is by far superior, along with stereo and navigation. I felt the screen was crisper. The other item i didn't like, was the wear on leather of the lexus. It looks a little dirty.

I didn't think I was going to be buying a TL, but Honda really made a big jump from the last generation TL.