Interesting discussion. I was expecting much more hate on the Lexus. I really wish they had manual transmission and that is a deal breaker for me in a sports car.
On top of being more reliable, I'd say they might be quieter and more comfortable than a BMW. This guy here tells what he thinks about the IS 250 (and compares with the 350). He said that the gear shifts are kind of slow. THAT I know that the M235i/M240i is really fast on the automatic version.
I would probably buy one of these for my wife as she doesn't like manuals.