I recently became semi retired and have decided to buy a myself a dream car. I had originally decided on a 2017 corvette but there were a few things that turned me off on the vette so I started looking at the Lexus RC350 and BMW 428i. The biggest pro for the BMW is no cost maintenance for 4 years/50000 miles and I found a 2016 left over for 47000 with M package and all the bells and whistles. The downside to the BMW is they are expensive to maintain once they're out of warranty.

I also checked out the Lexus RC 350, more HP than the BMW, just about the same bells and whistles for a couple grand more. The RC 350 is a 2017 with about 3500 miles on the clock. I think the Lexus in the long run will be more reliable than the BMW or the Vette which is important to me because I plan to keep which ever car I purchase for a while.

The BMW and Lexus are both all wheel drive which I like because I can drive both year round whereas the Vette is more suited for summer driving. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone with experience driving the RC 350, BMW 428i/430 or any Lexus or BMW. My budget won't allow me to purchase a high end luxury car every few years so this will probably be my first and last so I won't to make sure I get the right car. Thanks

I don't have direct experience with either, but after owning European cars off-and-on for almost 40 years, I can tell you the Japanese car will be a better long-term car. But you already know that.

At this point in my life (retired, on a limited income) the last thing I'd want is a money-pit, be it a car, a house, a boat...

The Lexus will likely be more reliable long term, that said, the 428 is pretty well sorted out now. They learned a lot about turbos, oil cooling, and high pressure fuel pumps in the 2000's, and upgraded a lot of components around 2010 (at least for 335). It might not be as bad as you think, and obviously in the first few years you wont even pay for oil changes.

Still, I would prefer the 6 cylinder, if this is your dream sports car. I have had a lot of 328, 428, 528 as service loaners and none had the power of my 335i. Of course, I added the MPPK tune mine, and it has the M sport exhaust and sport suspension. The N55 engine is quite tunable down the road if you want the option to get in the 400 hp game.

So....I would drive both, and get the one you fall in love with. Me, I look at 0-60 times, as that is the "truth" when it comes to power driving around town, more than just horsepower numbers.

If the Lexus rides well, handles well, and has good power, it would be my pick, cuz it certainly wins in the reliability column.

Oh, a lot of writers *hate* the Lexus mouse control infotainment set up, so make sure you are good with that.

Good hunting!

I would go with the 428i but in convertible. You get the best of both worlds. I love my hard top BMW Z4.

Fun to drive BMW hands down, reliable Lexus it's really depend on your driving style and habit. If it's me I will take the bimmer M4 over the RCF any day.

I absolutely love my 428i. It's a 2014 with the xdrive and has 31,000 miles on it. The 4 cylinder twin power turbo has plenty of power and for my daily needs as a commuter car. I really don't have any complaints about the car.

One thing to consider is the car does sit low to the ground so getting in and out might be a problem if you are older and not has agile anymore. But that would be true with any of the 3 cars mentioned.

Surprisingly, the 428 resale value has dropped like a rock. Think my car is only worth about 55% of the msrp. Not sure of the Lexus resale value.

If I had to do it again it may be a toss up. I might lean towards the Lexus if I was older (51) and concerned about maintenance costs eating more of my disposable budget. That said, I still think the 428 is one hell of a sharp looking car.

I would take a long look at a Camero if I were you.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by Dusty78:
I would go with the 428i but in convertible. You get the best of both worlds. I love my hard top BMW Z4.

The Z4 is way over my budget along with the 428I convertible and 2 series convertible. My budget is in the 40-50K range, preferably closer to 45k and below. I want something new with a full warrenty so I'm not considering anything used unless it's a 2017 with only a couple thousand miles.

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
[FLASH_VIDEO]<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iYsVeFko5Ds" width="420"></iframe>[/FLASH_VIDEO]

Both those cars are completely awesome and completely out of my price range but thanks for sharing

quote:

Originally posted by skyline009:
Fun to drive BMW hands down, reliable Lexus it's really depend on your driving style and habit. If it's me I will take the bimmer M4 over the RCF any day.

There are major differences between a 428i with the M Package and an M4, in both performance and price. The OP is not considering the M4 at all.

quote:

Originally posted by rbert0005:
I would take a long look at a Camero if I were you.

Bob

Thanks for the suggestion but I have no interest in the Camaro or Mustang. If I buy a Chevy product it will definitely be the Corvette.

quote:

The biggest pro for the BMW is no cost maintenance for 4 years/50000 miles

I bet you could easily get this added by your Lexus dealership if you tell them this is why you will be getting the BMW.

They'll just tell you you want free maintenance vs legendary Lexus reliability (or make you pre-pay for it). They give you the first two for free and that's about it.

The RC is a bit of a sad Frankenstein of bits borrowed from other Lexus. It's a bit wonky. The 428 is a classic example of BMW lying about how much power their engine puts out. It's more like 245hp at the wheels.

For other options, if you can stand CUE, give the Cadillac ATS a try. It's an incredibly fun car to drive and a lightweight in the class.

You also really should have a look at the Camaro. We're not joking.

I know you said you don't want a used car but the Certified Pre-owned BMW warranties are pretty great.

I have been a bimmeroid for almost 30 years now and you are right, the BMW will cost you more off warranty. However, if you like to drive, BMW rewards you with dynamics Lexus cannot match at that price level.

I came up in the normally aspirated era with BMW's. I cast a jaundiced eye at anything with a turbo charger as in the past that simply meant trouble down the line stuffing all that air into an engine just to get more power out of it.

God intended displacement to create power, not exhaust-driven stuffers.

However (ahem), I bought SWMBO a turbo Mini Cooper and I am quite impressed. Not only does the car wish to kill you with all the power that little motor makes, but it has been reliable for quite a while now. And it is quick with no turbo lag. So, maybe turbo's are O.K.

I vote the BMW with the M package. M Technic is a quite special bunch of people and they do very good work when it comes to going fast, handling and braking.

Hope it works out for you and you enjoy the car.

RMD