To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

[IS200]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

Erm.. guys is it my CSA is playing hard or is there a new central booking system that we have to go thru to make a PML service appointment. I'd take the 6 cyc Lexus... Fking hate PML.

That's a very sweet smile you have in yr avatar.

Between IS250 vs 320i? There's no need to ponder ... its a no brainer.

Higher BHP, higher torque, quicker 0-100, 2 more cylinders, 8 more valves, front double wishbones, larger brake rotors, extreme reliability, lower NVH, better quality ICE (sound system) ... and most of all, can be got for about the same price!

I have owned 3 German marques in succession, and believe me when I say, there is nothing wrong with Japanese.

And ... peace of mind.

 

[mistraele]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

who is the perfect dealer? Borneo Motor? C'mon. C&C? Premiun Auto? Malayan Motor?
i'd like to know ;-)

well, as far as im concerned, i am very happy with SM. the car, like any conti, is not 100 percent fault free, but every time i have to send it in, its a very pleasant experience.

for any warranty work longer than 1 day, i either get a loaner car, or taxi vouchers. and i dont need to book an appointment for warranty work.

whether for warranty or servicing, i dont take a queue number. drive up, get greeted by name by the receptionist (they cheat by checking ur license plate as u drive in) who then gets your SC to come to see you. u get assigned your own SC when you get your car. and if you dont like them, which some havent , can change to others.

i never wait more than 10-15 mins for SC to see me. and whilst waiting, the coffee aunty will come and take my drink orders.

if its service, i can then get a lift back to work if its nearby, or to MRT station, or taxi voucher.

a couple of times picking up the car, i noticed a couple of grease stains on the interior. my SC will personally go and get a cloth and clean herself.

as for servicing, because its free, everything is free. even the brake pads.

and as for warranty, SM generally have no hesitation in changing parts that you complain about. friend f mine had slightly warped door sill, all changed. similarly front suspension making some noise, they replaced practically the whole front set up.

2 days after servicing or picking up car from warranty, my SC will call me to follow up and check everything is okay. and after every service, i will also get a call from their call centre to ask for feedback on all elements of their service.

this is not to mention freebies, like movie tickets, wine tastings etc.

i can honestly say, hand on heart, once u experience after sales service like this, its hard to go to a place with CMI service standards.

oh btw, not just my SC looks after me but my original sales consultant will also help out if necessary. he offers to pick up and drop off car if busy. if car is delayed getting fixed he will also help chase up the workshop..
and its not like im a long standing volvo customer. first time buyer....

dont get me wrong, i do love BMWs. having the luxury of driving a E46 320i now for a couple of days and its really quite a sweet ride. but i would die if i had to deal with PML from the sounds of things

 

[zag]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

well, as far as im concerned, i am very happy with SM. the car, like any conti, is not 100 percent fault free, but every time i have to send it in, its a very pleasant experience.

dont get me wrong, i do love BMWs. having the luxury of driving a E46 320i now for a couple of days and its really quite a sweet ride. but i would die if i had to deal with PML from the sounds of things

great to hear all the good stuff on other marques.
once again it proves that in order to compete ones need to try much harder.
C&C and PML have premium brand that sells themselves on their hands, it is for them to loose if they slacken.
Guess for me as a "UDM" lover, i am glad to have in road into PML service to be much bothered by it and my next car would still be one.
It is the driving experience that matters most to me not the expresso coffee at the service center. Different strokes for different folks!

 

[mistraele]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

heh true. and thats why i cannot go to bm... heh 320i was the car i was looking at to buy, and its a sweet ride, but after getting used to my cars torque, 320i really boh lat, even though i do appreciate that buttery smooth inline 6 and much nicer handling balance in the corners.
for me, for singapore driving, engine performance > handling.

as u said, different strokes....

 

[e46sg]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

Now the most sensitive question.

Whats the best deal on the 320 e90?

Any experience? Quotes? Freebies?

 

[BYB]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

I would just like to say that i love my E90!

I don't know how the lexus IS250 performs and i was told about it when i was buying the E90. It looks a lot like the previous IS200 and it doesn't have that classic look that stands the test of time.

I too didn't like the look of the E90 at first. More correctly, i disliked the way the rear looked. It was so sedan like. Not like the e46. But i have since added 18inch rims and spoiler and the whole car looks beautiful to me now ))

My only fear is the reliability. Thankfully my car has not given me any problems yet, but i have read of so many problems on this forum alreagy i wonder whether its only a matter of time. The PML service is legendary too so i'm hoping my car never has a breakdown!

I would seriously consider the IS250 as it is probably going to have value for money. But in my opinion, go for the bigger lexuses, that's where they have made their mark!

 

[CoolBlue6699]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

Reviews of IS250 so far say it handles like a pig, it's apparently not as driver focused and dynamic than even the old IS200 let alone the new E90. I think Lexus has decided to not chase BMW in the dynamics stakes and take a more middle ground, taking customers away from the likes of Audi, Merc not just BMW.

What they do provide with the IS250 is a well built, very highly spec-ed small executive sedan at a pretty good price.

Ultimately, your choice, go test drive both cars and decide what's more important to you

Happy hunting!

Which reviews have you read?? None right?? IS250 still comparing to IS200?? Go buy more mag and read lar, most reviews reflex that the IS250 at least as good or else better drive than the 320.

 

[IS200]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

Reviews of IS250 so far say it handles like a pig, it's apparently not as driver focused and dynamic than even the old IS200 let alone the new E90.

I disagree with what you posted ... which magazine did you get that from? So far, all the UK mags reviewing IS250 vs E90 325i had only said positives about its handling, which claimed even better than the BMW.

I have posted this before in another thread:

>>>

This is taken from AutoCar (UK) mag (Vol 246 No.5 - Nov 2005):

It is a comparision test between the IS250 and the E90 325i (a fair comparison IMHO).


..... On the other hand, the Lexus really does go where you point it, whereas in the BMW there is a fair bit less grip and bunldes more understeer engineered into the chasis if you start to lean the car through a quick corner.

In the 325i, especially so in the wet, you need to take account of the fact that the nose will push wide of an apex and wind on more lock accordingly, even at relatively low speeds. In the IS the response from the front tyres is so much more immediate and the onset of understeer so non-existent it feels, if anything, like it wants to oversteer on turn-in, a bit like a 3-series of yesteryear. ...


So from this mag's review, I think the IS250 handles better on tight and wet bendies, at speed, than the E90 325i.

There was also a newspaper review in Thailand two Fridays ago (when I was there on business), again comparing the IS250 against the E90 325i and the Thais also concluded the same thing re a better-handling IS.

In another UK magazine comparing all the BMW 3 Series (21, 36, 46 and 90), it was mentioned that the E90's handling still fell short of the venerable E36, although better than the last E46.

The IS250's handling was assessed to be closer to the E36's, which it was modelled after. And I don't think I have read anywhere (so far) that the IS250 loses to the E90 in the handling stakes.

 

[Puny]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

Review published in AUTOCAR Dec 2005 (Asean - Singapore), pg. 79

The comparison between the IS250 and the E90 325i, somehow giving the edge to the drive of the E90. The price difference however, a good 30-40K apart.

Land of the Three by Steve Sutcliffe (who also reviewed the Bugatti Veyron)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conclusion

To begin with the Lexus ticks all the right boxes and even makes the BMW seem quite predictable. The IS is beautiful to behold, better equipped and, on the surface has an interior and a level of build quality to die for. It would appear, therefore to be the perfect answer to what has been the best small saloon car in the world for a long time.

But gradually the BMW breaks it down, and eventually it overwhelms it quite easily - mostly because it is unquestionably the better of the two to drive, but also it has the logic of engineering evolution on its side. Take its packaging as an example: after six generations of making cars like this, BMW has simply travelled further down the road, to a point where the 3-series has more head- and legroom in the back as well as a bigger, better-shaped boot - despite making a smaller footprint on the road.

The Lexus is close, very close and for many its looks alone will seal the deal. But in the end its cigar must remain unlit. The 3-series is the winner.

 

[WhyBMW?]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

I am driving a Toyota and BMW. Let's try to put it this way...
When I drive the Toyota, I feel very confident about the car, like a long time wife... very reliable, never let you down, but feels a little 'just like one of the crowd'.
When I drive the BMW, I feel like taking a mistress out, little naughty smile, proud, nose a little higher but never knowing when she'll act up or when someone will find out.. so must always becareful and hope nothing will go wrong.

IS250 of course.... unless you got money for 325 or 330.
Simple

 

[Gombat]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

Peter, you might be right. I was told the 2 additional airbags are optional, as with the Mark Levinson system. Hmmm.

The issue of airbags is over rated lah........ if u need to use the airbag u shouldn't be in that situation anyway........... a bag or hot air more like........

 

[eggz]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

Which reviews have you read?? None right?? IS250 still comparing to IS200?? Go buy more mag and read lar, most reviews reflex that the IS250 at least as good or else better drive than the 320.

Try this one http://www.autozine.org/html/Toyota/IS.html

I'll have to go drive an IS and decide for myself....

 

[osprey]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

Deciding between the 320i and the IS250........ IS only here in march, no pricing yet.....
Am worried about the defects on the 320i....... got a call today from PML quoting 130k.... how low can it get? heard someone got it for 125k without the 3yr svs...... what other freebies can we ask for???...

lastly, went to audi today just to make another comparision...... A4 at 123k....... really good built quality and the 7 speed multitronic transmission is FLAWLESS....... 3yr free svs incl too....... new model in 2008..........

decisions decisions..........

 

[colrc]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

If its not a 330, then settle for IS250 for value for money.

 

[kai]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

if u wanna buy is250,y not consider and check it out the toyota mark x? it has the same engine and platform...30k cheaper! 2.5 v6

 

[tbt]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

well even on lexus site, strange ? check it out before lexus marketing delete it.

Final Word

The all-new Lexus IS models are a quantum leap forward for the Lexus brand in terms of cutting-edge style and higher levels of performance. But BMW still has an edge when it comes to claiming itself the ultimate driving machine.

http://www.lexus.com/models/is/road_test.html

 

[Newredbug]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

I am driving a Toyota and BMW. Let's try to put it this way...
When I drive the Toyota, I feel very confident about the car, like a long time wife... very reliable, never let you down, but feels a little 'just like one of the crowd'.
When I drive the BMW, I feel like taking a mistress out, little naughty smile, proud, nose a little higher but never knowing when she'll act up or when someone will find out.. so must always becareful and hope nothing will go wrong.

IS250 of course.... unless you got money for 325 or 330.
Simple

OT...

No wonder i am driving a bimmer... Jus love the thrill

 

[althaus]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

Am worried about the defects on the 320i....... got a call today from PML quoting 130k.... how low can it get? heard someone got it for 125k without the 3yr svs...... what other freebies can we ask for???...

Hmm, got my 320i for one month already and so far no defects. As for the pricing, I believe the 320i now can go as far below to 120K WITH the 3 years free servicing...

 

[marclees]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

Using Price as a 'rough' guideline, the BMW 325 should be a better car than the Lexus IS250 since the BMW OMV is higher....

 

[Drag00n]

Re: To Buy or not to buy (e90 320 vs IS250)

Hi There,

I am new to the forum, thinking of getting the 320i though.

Went down PML, but the SE told me he can TRY to get me at 126k with 3 years servicing.

Maybe I know what is the source for 120k WITH servicing?

thanks alot

Hmm, got my 320i for one month already and so far no defects. As for the pricing, I believe the 320i now can go as far below to 120K WITH the 3 years free servicing...