a 2008 535i should change that missing power you talk about. And If you dont want to spend that much you can always get a 2007 550i, but I would go for the 2008 535 anyways.

 

I dont know much about the new es350, but my mom has the es330 and it's alright. It has alot of luxuries such as navigation and heated seats, but the performance is terrible in my opinion. There is quite a bit of body roll on the es330 and the transmission isnt that great. After 70k or 80k miles, it would shift wierd. Kind of like the rocking chair effect, it would shift like its going into overdrive then shift into the right gear. I know a good amount of the lexus' have transmission problems. On the other hand, my mom's es330 has pretty good gas mileage and the ride is nice and soft. So if you are cruising along then its quite comfortable. If you are planning on driving a bit more spirited, id say go with the g37 or 528i. For me, I test drove the 528i and the 530i and there is a small but noticeable power difference and thats why I looked harder to find a 530i instead of a 528i.

 

The commute will be 100 miles daily mostly highway in the bay area. The traffic can get tough and some portions of the highway are pretty bad.

I am looking for a mid-large sedan for family, since I already has a 2005 330Cic as a weekend fun car. The 535i's got HPFP problems and the 550i is too much on gas for 20k+ miles per year.

It is really a tough decision. Now I am gonna just keep driving my Toyota van for a while.

 

try driving a 520i and THEN tell me if that's underpowered! LOL. 528 still has a 3.0 engine. Get the 535i and you would NOT be disappointed.

 

I know they have the 320 and 520 in Asia, where it is so crowded most times you cannot drive anywhere fast. A lot of cars there are 3-cylinder 1.0L. LOL

 

The GS 460 has a pretty nice engine, but it does not get to 60 mph in under 5 seconds !!! It gets to 60 in the low to mid 5 second range. Just FYI.

 

Drove one myself before I bought my E60. I was dead set on a G37 and decided to give the 350 a try..Did not like how it drove. Too much like a Town Car for me. It had some nice features though..I really liked the ventilated seats (especially down here in the South)...

 

the 535i is basically the same price as the 550i if you're looking at 2008+ CPO models, so really i think it's a no-brainer 550 if you're extending your budget to that range. yes, the mpg will be low. but i don't think you would see leaps and bounds better mpg in the 535i, either.

i was doing this exact math as you when i went searching for an e60. i went with the 2007 530i just because it has the most HP of any US E60 I6 NA, and it sells for cheaper than a lot of the 2008+ 528i's. the only downside is you probably won't get LCI. otherwise i would just go with a 550i, but you are talking at least $5k more in price, probably closer to 8-10k in reality.

 

This isn't news, but BMW and MB are apples and oranges. Having owned both, BMW is definitely sport-tuned with luxury while MB is luxury with added sportiness. BMW steering and handling is top-notch. If you're looking for a sporty vehicle right out of the box, then BMW is your answer. Unless you're getting an AMG, MB's ride is softer with less steering-feel than BMW.

I've driven the Lexus GS and it felt like a boat... too soft and steering was vague.

For me, I'm looking for sport first and comfort second. BMW was my answer.

Good luck with your search. It's always fun to test drove different vehicles.

 

After driving all sorts of cars, I think the BMW is my top choice.

I saw the 2011 528i (F10 generation?) and really like it. Perhaps I should wait a while for the 2011.