BMW Vs S40 T5

[Radon39]

Yup! Tried the S40T5 again the other day with BrandonS who is in the market for the Z now :wavey:

The T5 shiok...straight line nice, zip torque steer too man.. :verysad:..however, idle and engine note..jus not there

but...when I went to PML and tested the in-line 6...no amount of speed can match that kind of silk smoothness in the ride

Even BrandonS concurred...and that is why he is bought over with BMW

Have tested the LGT too...and FAST is all it is..no refinement, and that 'conti-feel' is jus not there

Guess at the end of the day, it is up to one's preference

Guess it is to what you want

 

[Mav]

Yup! Tried the S40T5 again the other day with BrandonS who is in the market for the Z now :wavey:

The T5 shiok...straight line nice, zip torque steer too man.. :verysad:..however, idle and engine note..jus not there

but...when I went to PML and tested the in-line 6...no amount of speed can match that kind of silk smoothness in the ride

Even BrandonS concurred...and that is why he is bought over with BMW

Have tested the LGT too...and FAST is all it is..no refinement, and that 'conti-feel' is jus not there

Guess at the end of the day, it is up to one's preference

Guess it is to what you want

LGT is not just fast becos of the high torque at low rpm... the cornering is much better than 320 and T5 becos of the AWD. Among the 3, the T5 has the worst cornering prob due to FWD. Maybe the S40R will be better with AWD. For test driving, try pushing the cars at higher speeds around corners and u will know what I mean.

And BTW, the sound proofing for the LGT is much better than the 3 series and T5. Interior wise, the LGT reminds me of the Audi. It may be more simplist than the T5 but I guess that's up to personal preference.

Of course, these are just IMHO. End of the day, buyers should sit in all cars as both driver and passenger and decide for themselves which is the best.

:roll:

 

[astrid]

Hello to everyone,

To me, I am attracted to BMWs because of its immense driveability. No doubt BMWs are not the most value-for money cars (enter S40, Legacy GT), but the driving experience is uncomparable.

My conclusion is simple. Compare buying a $1,000 Hi-Fi set with 10 disc changer, digital sound enhancement, 8 speaker set, DVD/CD/VCD player all-in-one. Then compare an audiophile buying a tube amplifier, single disc player and 2 BOSE speakers - several thousand dollars in total. The richness and warmth in sound from a simple set-up will beat the all-in-one, hundred button/function Hi-Fi set hands down.

Sometimes, simplicity is best, and less is more.

BMW - silky 6 pot, balanced chassis, sweet looks, fantastic autobox.

Thats all you need in a true driver's car.

Cheers!
:wavey:

Agree with you on what driveability and being a true driver's car is.
Its not always about straight line acceleration, but how a car handles corners and be the first one to come out of a series of bends.

Consider this as a true alternative to a BMW 3-Series, having all its trappings and then some:
- In-line 6 cylinder
- 155 bhp / 195 Nm from just a 2L NA engine
- RWD
- Near 50:50 weight distribution
- Ultra-rigid chassis designed for 3L 290+bhp equivalent
- Double wishbone suspensions front/rear with gas shocks
- Cast-iron engine block (better than aluminium in all aspects, except weight)
- Nakamichi-OEM hi-fi (not BOSE please)
- Lexus silky smoothness, quietness and high reliability
- Engine idling tickover at just 700-800 rpm with engine warmed up
- Top-5 car in UK's JD Power list for 3 years running for reliability and owner satisfaction
- Highly reliable electricals

My kind of car!

 

[yendor]

astrid,

IMO, the car that you are refering to is the Lexus IS200. During it's introduction, it was continually compared to the 3 series in that it followed all the right statistics. What you mentioned is true but you forgot to mention the 4sp Auto box made by Aisin Warner. The IS200 is smooth and fluid even through the corners but the lack of another gear is quite evident when gunning hard. the gears are either too tall or too short for the corner. The manual IS 200 on the other hand was praised for their 6speed box. Also I think that cast iron blocks are inherently slighty stiffer and offers better strength compared to aluminium ones but unless you are keen on forced induction, the weight savings of an Alu block benefits the everyday driver in terms of front end weight.

The lexus just missed the mark then IMO. I think the current upgrade now sports a 5 speed box... not too sure.

Both cars are up there.....BMW or Lexus....personal preference.

Cheers

 

[super2ndgen]

Agree with you on what driveability and being a true driver's car is.
Its not always about straight line acceleration, but how a car handles corners and be the first one to come out of a series of bends.

Consider this as a true alternative to a BMW 3-Series, having all its trappings and then some:
- In-line 6 cylinder
- 155 bhp / 195 Nm from just a 2L NA engine
- RWD
- Near 50:50 weight distribution
- Ultra-rigid chassis designed for 3L 290+bhp equivalent
- Double wishbone suspensions front/rear with gas shocks
- Cast-iron engine block (better than aluminium in all aspects, except weight)
- Nakamichi-OEM hi-fi (not BOSE please)
- Lexus silky smoothness, quietness and high reliability
- Engine idling tickover at just 700-800 rpm with engine warmed up
- Top-5 car in UK's JD Power list for 3 years running for reliability and owner satisfaction
- Highly reliable electricals

My kind of car!

hmmm..... Lexus IS200?

 

[astrid]

astrid,

IMO, the car that you are refering to is the Lexus IS200. During it's introduction, it was continually compared to the 3 series in that it followed all the right statistics. What you mentioned is true but you forgot to mention the 4sp Auto box made by Aisin Warner. The IS200 is smooth and fluid even through the corners but the lack of another gear is quite evident when gunning hard. the gears are either too tall or too short for the corner. The manual IS 200 on the other hand was praised for their 6speed box. Also I think that cast iron blocks are inherently slighty stiffer and offers better strength compared to aluminium ones but unless you are keen on forced induction, the weight savings of an Alu block benefits the everyday driver in terms of front end weight.

The lexus just missed the mark then IMO. I think the current upgrade now sports a 5 speed box... not too sure.

Both cars are up there.....BMW or Lexus....personal preference.

Cheers

Yendor,

I do not take exception on your views.

There is another plus point on cast iron engine blocks ... that is lower resonance-induced vibrations ... especially at higher rpms. However, it needs more coolant channels through the block as thermal conductivity is lower than aluminium. In the longer term (typically >10yrs, the typical life of a SG car), aluminium is more susceptible to possible hydriding resulting from high temp operation in the presence of acid salts, oxidants and water. This could result in brittle fracture on prolonged exposure (versus cast iron).

Cheers!

 

[T6]

Hmmmnnn, some bros here have moved from the IS200 to the 320i. Mebbe they can leave personal feedback on the comparo. I have a friend who switched from the IS200 to the e39 520i and he personally prefers the 520i. :wavey:

 

[Mav]

Hmmmnnn, some bros here have moved from the IS200 to the 320i. Mebbe they can leave personal feedback on the comparo. I have a friend who switched from the IS200 to the e39 520i and he personally prefers the 520i. :wavey:

Errr... IS200 and 520i are different class of cars lah...

:roll: :laughlik:

 

[Nedkelly]

Why would you need the performance of a T5 or Legacy GT?? Nowadays, the TPs are EVERYWHERE... yes, I mean EVERYWHERE, day and night. :verysad:

Really meaningless to choose a car because of better performance in Singapore, you'll be better off with a car which has better handling, comfort, image and resale value.

 

[T6]

Errr... IS200 and 520i are different class of cars lah...

:roll: :laughlik:

When my friend said he prefers the 520i, he wan't referring to the extra space. He juz likes the engine better.