My friend owned both a Mercedes and a BMW, when things do go wrong the parts & labor are both extremely expensive.

Um.... oh I wish!

My top recommendation would be to go to the online website of Consumer Reports magazine:

www.consumerreports.org

They are non-profit, have been in print since 1936, and have incredible, unbiased auto reviews, and they are also backed by annual owner surveys they send out to their subscribers. This is THE place to get information on a car's performance, comfort, reliability, etc.

To get the reviews, you need either to be a 'real' paper subscriber or you can join up online for $26/year. Trust me, it'll be the best $26 investment you ever made, especially for such a car as a BMW.

Are those the only 2 cars you have test driven? I didn't care for a lexus when I test drove it and I don't like BMWs so I didn't test drive that but I considered 15 or so cars and test drove about 10 before I bought my car. I think there are a lot of better options than the BMW if you look at cars in the similar range.

Have you considered the Infiniti? I've had my M for almost 2 years and have never had any problem with it. I like it better than Lexus because everyone and their cousin drives a Lexus around here.

You must come from a different area of Cali than me alinnell. Everyone and their cousin drives a BMW where I came from and went to school. (Northern San Diego County/Southern Orange county)

I actually had a funny experience test driving an infiniti. The dealer got mad at me for not liking the car! He tried to tell me it was the best car in its class and I told him I just didn't care for it as much as the other cars I test drove.

Nelie~I just say that because it seems like everyone has a Lexus. But you're right! Everywhere you go it's Beemers, Mercedes and Lexus's. And since we have such a rich population, we also have a lot of Bentley's, Rolls Royces, Mazaratis....you name it! You almost have to drive a nice car to fit in!

I actually think the fun is in not fitting in I love my car or at least I did when I had long commutes but I may eventually downgrade it. I keep thinking I want a smaller car, something like a Yaris. Although european manufacturers are bringing back some of the smaller european cars which didn't do well in the past but now there seems to be a demand because of higher gas prices. So I'm hoping in a few years when I may think of getting a different car, there will be quite a few options for me.

DD test drove a Yaris and we weren't impressed. We ended up getting her a Honda Civic--it has much better crash test ratings.

Yeah I know someone who bought a civic as well and they are very impressed with it. It even fits their baby seat in the back seat.

BMWs are EXTREMELY expensive in the long run. The insurance will kick you in the pants, it's recommended you use premium-grade gas in them, and if anything ever needs to be replaced, you're screwed.

Nothing wrong with driving a ford pickup or a honda civic or any other car for that matter. One of the reasons I dislike BMWs so much is (well for a variety of reasons) is that they are so common and well especially around those that get a little money and want to splurge on a car or those that want to overextend themselves. I personally think that near-luxury/luxury cars should be a lot less common but people want to spend their money on something flashy and leases have made payments low enough for people who truly can't afford a car to actually get one. I have what you would call a near-luxury car which I bought for my own reasons but I really love DH's toyota

Cars really shouldn't be something that you buy because of what others have or do. If you really enjoy driving (like I do) and are willing to splurge on a car if you have the money, then there is nothing wrong with spending a little extra money on that. If you have other priorities in life, then splurging on a car may be at the bottom of your list.

Oh nelie, but I think we ALL should have luxury cars

How many teeth would I have to put under my pillow for that now, hmm...

p.s. Well-said

I thinking leasing a car is always better if you want to drive a new german car (no maintainance plus new car)! You should usually not keep german cars after 5-6 years as they start having problems and could be very expensive to even fix a small thing. Plus if you have a business, leasing could be 100% tax deductable.

German cars are safer (no question) because of the steel bodies and even very solid and easier to turn around. Airbag system is also the best in german cars.

Lexus is a nice car but its all aluminium and for me safety comes first!

But whichever car you buy, make sure the airbag system is good and it has an electronic stabilisation system and a good and stable breaking system!