2003 TL Type-S lease ends in august, so I started shopping.

The short list is:
BMW 330i - leather, auto (stick ain't gonna happen unfortunately), sport, navi - 43K

Lexus ES350 - ultra luxury package, navi, mark levinson sound - 44k

Acura RL - navi - 49k but there's great deals to be had

I also looked at the m35, but i'm just not feeling the design for some reason.

I was in love with the is350, but i'm 6'4" and the size just didn't work. way too cramped.

I know the choices are all over the board, but any comments from people that may have owned / driven these?

 

out of those 3...330i

 

i havent driven the m35 but ive been in the m45...i really like that car

 

Have you considered a SHO? I heard they will walk the TLs on the highway.

Out of those, I would get the RL.

 

m45 with any options gets way too pricey...nice car though.

i was never a big fan of the bimmers, has anyone ever used their navi? any good? i've heard nothing but horror stories about the idrive...

 

I'd suggest you drive down to your local infiniti dealer and test drive the M.

 

i'm definitely going to drive it, liked the interior when i sat in it at the auto show, but something about the exterior just doesnt do it for me.

i'll give it a chance though.

 

The IS350 competes with the 330...how is it you arent counting the Lex in??? 330 should be about the same size.

 

m35/45 or 330 if you could deal with the size

 

RL or M45.

 

i think its the same with most Infiniti's with their radical designs...it takes a little bit for you to get used to the look. But with that said I think the 330 would be the most fun to drive.

Since you didnt list any coupes... I assume your not even considering one correct?

 

Slighty used M3. Unless you need a sedan.

Otherwise 330i

 

 

How much car do you need? If you need something the size of the TL, you're gonna be severely disappointed with the size of the 330i and especially the IS350. If you're interested in something sporty, go with the M, if you're looking for luxury, get the ES350. If you want something in between, the RL is an excellent choice.

 

new 330i? i think its way more than 43k

 

agreed with you on m35. it's highly overrated!!

 

If i'm reading correctly that people are buying RLs in the low 40s, I'd go with that route. Its a bigger car for less, AWD, and a few nice options included and since your a tall guy plenty of room.

 

1. M35/45
2. is350
3. 330

 

the IS is out of the question...I think lol

 

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/car/151666641.html

 

Another vote for the RL. I think it's one of the best buys out there right now.

 

your 6'4 and you fit in the 330? im 6'2 and i sat at one in the dealer, and it felt way too cramped, my head was almost touching the roof...

 

can't fit in the is350. i really wanted to, i love that car. i have the leg room, but my head smacked the door sill every time, even with the seat on the ground. and there was a total of 2" of rear legroom when i had the seat adjusted. rear visibilty was practically zero as well.

i'd look at a coupe, but none really interest me. the g35 is being redesigned next year, i don't want the outgoing model. i am interested in the bimmer coupe though.

the 330i really wasn't cramped at all, had decent headroom, and even a bit of a back seat.

i know i'm all over the place...

330i would be the fun car
es350 would be the luxurious car--although i hear the new one is more fun to drive, and i have a very good connection with lexus to hopefully get a decent deal
RL is best of both worlds, okay sportiness, nice interior, awd

m3 would be fun, but i'd be scared to buy a used one.

thanks for the help guys!

 

with the options listed in my first post, 43 and change. i hear you can get a few grand off that price fairly easily, plus they include full maintainance.

 

I really wish i could...i was in love with the 350, had rims picked out and everything, it was just too tight of a fit. i can deal with the "sports car" fit for short drives, but not as my daily driver.

damn i really wanted that car!

 

did you adjust the seat all the way down? i found with most new cars you can lower the front part, and the bottom part separately. but you have to press down exactly in the middle of the button to lower the seat to the lowest position. with that i was pretty good. i've also driven my friends 325 plenty of times and its not bad.

 

This is a no brainer... The RL

 

haha...acurazine bias?

good thing i didn't post this on clublexus...i read a comparo there between the rl and the es350, those guys have just a bit of tunnel vision for their brand...

i am excited to test drive the new ES though, the panorama roof is hot, and the mark levinson is a great audio system. i just hope it's more fun to drive than the last generation, that thing had zero driver feedback. felt like driving a video game, luxury is nice but i don't want to be completely isolated from the road.

 

there was a reason as to why you'd always see older ladies driving ES's

 

330s are way bigger inside than the is350. I had that same lexus affair with the IS. I stalked it online til it appeared in showrooms, went to the dealer when it arrived. Sat down, and said, this is NOT going to work. For me, it'd be between the RL and the 3, but why not a new TL?

I also remember reading about how they tried to isolate this ES even more. I have a hunch that moving the IS more upscale allows them to make it a true ES counterpart so that the ES could be absolutely nothing but luxury. Which is why I wouldnt have one, because my senses would kill me. The RL has alot of advantages, just not at that price. If you could get one for 45 down, i'd get on it. The 330 is a great drivers car, but you're going to be giving up a lot of technology for it. I plan on getting rid of my TL for a 335i coupe, so I guess we could start a club. hahaha

 

well, not to sound like a dick but i'm making a little more money now, i'd like to upgrade to something nicer. that's why the RL seems like a logical next step. the tl is still a great value in the segment, but theres a pretty sizeable step up in the 40-45k range.

yeah, i like the 335 coupe too...when are they being released?

and acura has a great deal on the RL lease right now, evidently they're selling like shit.

 

I say RL not only because it's Honda powered but also it's a shade bigger than the other 2.

 

I like the M but there are other cars I would rather drive for $51,000 (M35). That goes double for the M45 at around $58,000.

The ES350 and RL are great cars and are much better values (especially the RL) than the M, but you're 25, not 35. Unless you truly want an "old-man" car, I would pass on both until 5-6 years from now.

If it were me, I would go with the 330i or wait for the next generation G35 or 335i.

 

I can promise you the 335i is gonna have a hell of a "dealer mark up" on top of paying MSRP for the first model year.
BMW dealers on first model years are little bitches about this. go price a new M6 this year. they're tacking on an extra 15-16 grand on top of MSRP. there's no "chewing them down." you either pay it or you wait till next year.

 

Ordering it takes care of the dealer markup. I agree though that BMW dealers will mark it up for the first year....bastards.

 

well my timeline puts me out of the new g35. lease ends in august, that doesnt go on sale til november i've heard.

i agree completely about the m, it gets very expensive very quickly.

has anyone ever used bmw navi? i like the lexus and acura ones, is bmw anywhere near them?

 

My moms navi in the 330 is really easy to use. Unless you are technology illiterate, you can get it down fairly quickly.

 

I say the M35x if you get the lip kit it looks good. My boy has one with the lip kit and it looks great. I agree with you it doesnt look too hot without it but the interior is immaculate on the car. In the M you feel like you are in your living room in your lazy boy watching the game without the wife and kids bothering you. Of course the RL is hot too...SH-AWD..gotta love it.

 

that's the only downside to the 330i -- i'm a little scared of the rwd if we get one of those crazy winters around here. i wouldnt consider the xi, its either rwd or nothing with the bimmer. hopefully snow shoes would do the trick.

but if it's anything like last winter, i can probably just leave summer tires on all year

 

doesn't sound like you're too keen on the m, so i'd go with the rl.

since you're considering the es, i'm assuming that you're not too fond of the gs?