Hello -
I'm new here - and new to Lexus in general.
Ive had an older BMW 5 series for quite some time and that car just amazes me everytime I drive it, but as it ages it is getting quite costly to maintain. I have driven almost every car out there and there is nothing out there that I would rather have. I am looking for a daily driver with lower mileage that is a little bit more powerful and a little bit lower maintenance than my BMW.
I have decided that my next car is either the SC400 or an older model BMW 540i/6 The 6speed in the 540 catches my attention, but the reliability of the toyota products makes me say "go with Lexus"
Now it would be silly to ask which I should pick on this forum as I am sure most members are biased - just as I would not ask this same question on a BMW forum.
However, I would like to ask - do the early years SC400s have any MAJOR problems, or super high maintenance issues? In general, what mileage (assuming all cars have been properly maintained) should I say "no" to. I have Toyota Camry with 217,000 miles and its great, but is the SC400 with the V8 the same way?
Is the car fast at all? I was looking into the 540i/6 and it can do 0-60 in under 6 seconds with nearly 300ft-lbs / tq.. .is that SIGNIFICANTLY more powerful than this car?
Also - after driving, I feel that the handling and road feel of the BMW is superior - is there any aftermarket parts that I can put on the SC to improve road holding, etc? I understand that comparing a Lexus to a BMW is just... impossible, but Lexus is really the only other car than I like enough to buy and I see no need to own two BMWs.
I am a car fanatic and would not keep the car stock for more than a month, so how is aftermarket parts availability? Is there enough out there to get the SC close to 300hp / 300ft-lbs tq w/o FI? How wide of tires in the rear can I get on it / what companies make aftermarket suspension components?
I do plan to auto-x sometimes - and the BMW would be the main car, but would like the Lexus to be more-than-capable, as well.
Any opinions, comments and / or suggestions are appreciated.
I look forward to purchasing an SC400 (within a month) and being a member and learning all about the SC.
~Don