We're just looking for something that'll fit in the garage a little easier but we're not ready for the minivan crowd. A car type platform still has a reasonable amount of cargo area, is easy to drive in traffic and will fit in most parking slots. The big turn off is the price these days reaching above $30K. It's just doesn't make sense to spend that kind of money on a car. That's why we had our hopes up for the 4-matic. They seemed to be quite reasonable, but now it looks like we know the reason for the relatively low resale.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

If I saw a nice 300TE 4-matic, I'd jump at the chance to get one. I drove a 1991 300E 4-matic sedan once, and it was awesome going up some steeper mountains in the area
It just wanted to "run" on the highway...
Personally, I love driving my 1991 300TE rwd. With snow tires I can pretty much negotiate most normal roads, just not with the extra 5-10 mph of extra confidence of 4-matic.
I've heard that the one main 4-matic unit costs a grand or more, so just hope that it doesn't break ... and I have heard of several people who have had no problems at all.

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

As mentioned in an earlier note, while the 300E 4-matic was full of problems, the 4-matic system fitted to the W210 models (E320, etc.) is not. My own has been perfectly reliable, and I have another on order. As to the optimistic comments about going around stranded SUVs in the snow, this really depends more on the tires than the 4WD. If you are in the snow on summer tires, you are not going anywhere. SUVs here in the Alps tend to have more aggressive winter tread patterns than the "normal" cars, and seem to do a bit better in the snow.

Of course, all cars have 4-wheel brakes, so don't expect miracles there.

In the Alps, Subarus are the most popular 4WD cars, and also have the best reliability record of all cars, according to official Swiss statistics. As to SUVs, I suspect the Grand Cherokee is first, then the ML. BMW catching up fast.

Momo

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1990 500SL 65k km - until May 11 2004
2004 E320 4-Matic wagon
2004 CLK500 Cabrio from May 11 2004

This is very true. I once had studded snows in the front in a 1983 Nissan Sentra, and I do recall passing at least one SUV stranded in the snow, but then that driver was not using snow tires, and went kind of stupid into the highest part of the snowdrift across the road, whereas I pointed the Nissan towards the shallowest snow.
Good snows will transform a rwd car into something capable in snow.

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

Unless Chrysler is shipping some specially hand selected models for overseas export, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has a very dismal reliability record, if not the worst of any SUV in the US.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

While noting in passing that the JD Power survey suggests the Grand Cherokee does better than the ML from that perspective, it is clear that it does really really badly here. Typically within a couple of places of the bottom, together with Land Rovers.

Momo

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1990 500SL 65k km - until May 11 2004
2004 E320 4-Matic wagon
2004 CLK500 Cabrio from May 11 2004

Since we are on the topic of SUV,
I think the New Infinit FX45 is the sexiest out there; it is what the Porsche Cayenne(sp) should have been. Instead it is a very boring if not ugly design although mechanically it is reported to be very good. i think the fact that they sell is more a result of the Porsche name than the way it looks.