OOOOA3

iTrader: (1)

as most of you know, i decided against trading in my coupe for a new car, in order to purchase my dad a new car.. my brother and i are using his lexus gs300 as a trade-in, and funding the difference of the purchase.. now, here are the 3 main choices that we have in mind..

mercedes benz e350
bmw 745
lexus ls430

keep in mind, my dad does similar work to me, thus he needs to be on the go almost everyday.. thus, gas mileage is definitely something to consider.. personally, i want to get him an e55, but i can't imagine the mileage being half decent..

money is not the issue here, as this is the start of me repaying my parents for all they've done for me.. not related to the car, but we're also helping pay for the down payment on their new home.. anyways, the main issue is efficiency and comfort and what best fits him.. keep in mind, he is 56.. we're probably going to deliver this car to him in april for his b-day..

any input on this would be great.. also, if you or someone you know (parents, friends) have recently purchased these, it would be nice if you could list the dealership they purchased from..

thanks guys..

drsifu1

iTrader: (8)

wow...how sweet of you

man, if I only I could afford to do this for my parents. the best I got them was a new stove for Christmas. I guess they'll have to settle with me being a good kid.

anyways, i don't know too much about any of these cars, but I think all sound like a good choice.

i would assume based solely on reputation, the lexus would be a good fit for your dad. i hear the LS430 is very comfortable.

doesn't the 745 come with iDrive? I would figure that would be 1 point off, seeing as how your dad may not want to have to deal with that.

for such a large purchase, why not ask your dad which car he would prefer? Sure, you ruin the surprise, but at least he gets the car of his choice. Have you and your bro take your Dad out on a "Test Drive" day. Test drive all three cars then let him decide which one he wants, with what options and color, etc.

good luck with the purchase David.

Vinh

kenempireex

yea, i agree with drsifu1. A car isn't a T-shirt or TV. You can't refund once you sign the contact. Even though all the choices are very nice, i think it's better to ask him what he wants. I am sure he will still very happy.

Lexus LS430 is a good car for Dad. Not everyone like the look of Bmw 7series.

Good luck

shodog

One thing to consider is the cost of maintenance. eventually that car is going to need some repair. The lexus would probably be the leaset expensive of the three to repair

paolo

agree 100%...but like liu69 said, money is not an issue. all three cars have respectable reputations, each to it's individual characters. Personally, if I had the money to do that for my parents, then I would go with the Benz. Why? You're dad maybe close to retiring (age-wise), but it doesn't necessarily mean that he has to drive one of the "old-people" cars. The E55 AMG model looks a lot sportier than the other 2 cars you have in mind.

....my 2 cents.