Lexus Gs400/430 Vs Bmw540 Vs Infinti M45

anfreny · December 18, 2004

N00B here!

Since I respect Toyota's reliablity, resale, etc... and what I've noticed, Toyota generally underrates HP... :) (atleast the dynos I've seen, not much drivetrain loss)

1) Anyone have dyno numbers for the GS400/430? STOCK

I'm debating weather to get this, BMW540, or Infinit M45. The acceleration in autos all seem pretty close. The interiors and luxury are all great! But the rated 340hp from the M45 doesnt feel faster, nor are they quicker from the magazines. So I'm just trying to figure out if the GS is under rated, or the M45 is over rated.

2) Motor Trend got 13.9 once out of this car, but I'm hearing not many people are getting better than mid 14s?

Well I'm just shopping around to see, I have a 2002 altima 3.5 auto v6, the best I've got was 14.69 in the 1/4, and consistent 14.8 9s stock. But of course the LEX doesnt die out after 100mph like my VQ35. Anyways... still deciding what to do =)

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddim...kZmQzMXk1NDE%3D

^ here's a 0-60 clip of my speedo, tell me how it matches with the LEX...

signing off, near future V8 luxury owner

CHEERS =)

RRocket · December 19, 2004

Hi,

I also did lots of research before settling on my 1998 Antique Bronze Mica GS400. When the GS400 was released in 1997 as a 1998 model, it was the fastest sedan in the world. (for a short time..the 1998 Jag XJR came out after with 380HP). In 1998, the GS400 was Motor Trend's Import Car of The Year. (the 5 Series won the award the previous year). As tested, the brakes on the GS400 are awesome. 60-0 in 113ft. To put that in perspective, the M3, regarded as one of the finest sports cars, does it in 112ft. As you know, 0-60 comes in 5.6-5.9 seconds, depending on the source. Handling was .90G on the skidpad, again better than any BMW except for their M3. The engine is regarded as being bulletproof, and overbuilt. (6 bolt mains!!) I ultimately decided on the GS400 beacuse it will be cheaper to mod than the other cars you are shopping. A torque converter (approx $1000 with install) makes the car into an absolute missile, easily capable of terrorizing sports cars and muscle cars. Dyno sheets were 242 HP to the wheels stock. I've seen the as low as mid 230's, and as high as mid 240's. Overall it's a great car, and I have no regretted the purchase. It's fast, quiet, mods nicely, and best of all, is renowned for the reliability.

JimmyD · December 19, 2004

I was looking at some of these models as well. Except I was looking more at the Benz E-Class more than the Infiniti M45.

From my experience, the E-Class and the GS both drive the nicest. All those people that claim that Lexus is a glorified Toyota (not really a bad thing, IMO) have not been in a Lexus lately. Both are smooth. The GS is definately faster compared to it's Benz counterpart when you compare the 430 engines. Since I am comparing a GS400/430 to the 96-01 Benz E class bodystyle, the E looked outdated compared to it. The current E is much better looking, but when you compare a new fully loaded E430 compared to a fully loaded GS430, the price is at least 10 grand apart, with nearly equal power and quality, plus you get Toyota/Lexus reliability. The current GS bodystyle has been around for a long time, but it doesn't get old. You have new cars today that copied the lines of this GS.

The Bimmer's biggest strength is it's handling. I don't think it drives with the same comfy smoothness of a GS or a E, but the 540i is a very fun car to drive. BMW's reliability recently has taken a nose dive. Even though a large chunk of that is due to the big 7 series, it makes you skeptical. I also like the styling of the car. But I like the GS style more and the GS feels more like a luxury car than the Bimmer. Quality is why I only buy Toyota and anything associated with it, so as nice as it was, the Bimmer was not an option for me after I read about all those issues with other BMW's. There are all kinds of horror stories about brand new 745's with big time electrical issues. If their flagship has these many problems, then what are the chances that their mid size sedan is the best built car in it's class? If you are used to Toyota's reliability, then I would not reccommend a Bimmer. The 00 and up 3 series and the previous 5 series are still 2 of the best looking cars I've seen.

The M45 I did not really look at. First off, I barely knew that it even existed when I was looking for a car because no one buys them. I wouldn't be surprised if Nissan/Infiniti overrated their engines because that's their marketing idea: horsepower. Everytime you see a Nissan ad, it almost always mentions the horsepower first. I think the late 90's model Q45's had higher rated power than the 97-00 Lexus LS, but the LS was quicker than them with about the same weight differences.

As for the stock GS4 running 13.9, I don't know. Maybe with perfect whether/road conditions and a good driver, yes. Other than that, I'd say mid 14's is reasonable with low 14's being achievable. The car is definately better than high 14's though, from my experiences.