All the luxury brands - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

E_420 · #1 09-16-2007, 08:15 PM

So whats the diff between like MB or jagaur or even lexus or BMW? There all pretty much the same but with diff engines and styling? right? I know i'm gonna get alot of people saying other wise but it's just a question. I love MB i think it's the best and then jag comes in 2nd. Who here thinks that BMW looks like every other car. Kinda cheap lookin for the class it's in. right? This is all my personal opinoin so please hold the hate!

t walgamuth · #2 09-16-2007, 08:26 PM

Traditional Jag traits: Stylish, plush, compact dimensions, speed, handling....very suspect reliability and overall quality.

BMW: great engineering stogy styling, excellent performance and handling. Almost as bulletproof as a mercedes.

Mercedes: Great engineering, firm ride, stogy traditional styling, excellent handling (not quite as nimble as the two above but very close). Bulletproof mechanicals and unsurpassed passenger protection.

Tom W

LUVMBDiesels · #3 09-16-2007, 08:53 PM

From what I have seen of the three marques I have formed this opinion.

Jag- a car built with no regard for price. In other words, the built the thing and then priced it to fit. They did suffer from the usual Lucas gremlins and piss poor British Leyland build quality until Ford bought them. I have a friend who has fallen in love with them as we have with MB. However, his cars are usually found in the shop and not in his garage. I have no experience with newer Jaguars so I cannot comment on them since Ford took them over.

BMW- A car built by engineers who could not care what the car looked like as long as it performed well. They did build them to a price point as demonstrated by the spartan interiors and tinny construction. Mine feels like a cheap economy car compared to the MB, but I love the way it DRIVES That being said, the BMW did have a great influence on car design in the '80s and has done it again today. However, I do not think the BMW designs of the past few years are very pleasing. It pains me to see the design of the 7 series ripped off by Hyundai especially when the Hyundai looks better. They remind me of those hideous Caddy Sevilles of the late '70s with their bustle trunks and how both Lincoln and Chrysler copied the look.

MB - Again a car built by engineers with no regard to cost. This was evident in the use of high quality parts and the solid construction of the car. They truly were bullet proof in their construction, but left a lot to be desired in their handling and performance as in they were not sports cars, at least not the W123 an W126 cars. At least they were built this way until the DC merger. I do not like the stying of the new S-class and have heard from my friend who works for DB that they just do not make them the way they used to. Where in the past the engineers ruled and the bean counters had to figure out how to price the car that the engineers gave them today the bean counters set price points and control the costs running Mercedes as if it were Chevrolet.

What would I buy if I were looking for a nice luxo-sedan?
Either a 740iL (E32 or E38 series) or another W126 S-class. I would love to own a Jag, but I don't have the room for a car that is not going to be reliable.

(It is only an opinion and does not reflect the views of this station or of its owners)

TheDon · #4 09-16-2007, 09:01 PM

History... thats what matters....

I know BMW's are the car to drive and Mercedes is the car to be driven in.. all I know about Jags are they look nice and used to catch fire

rickg · #5 09-16-2007, 09:43 PM

But if you want a car that doesn't break, go Lexus

Ara T. · #6 09-16-2007, 09:46 PM

Lexuses are nice too. I'd characterize them as the Cadillacs of the big luxury brands (cadillac is not included in these brands

)

They're big and soft and quiet but not overly soft like a 70's Caddy.

Though new MBs are big and soft and will handle like a Lexus by BMW standards as well.

TheDon · #7 09-16-2007, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickg

But if you want a car that doesn't break, go Lexus

If you want an overpriced Toyota .. Go Lexus...

Kuan · #8 09-16-2007, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUVMBDiesels

I would love to own a Jag, but I don't have the room for a car that is not going to be reliable.

Then it shouldn't be a problem since the car will just live in the shop.

RG5384 · #9 09-16-2007, 11:13 PM

why not include audi as well? Take my a4 quattro, handles every bit as well as any bmw i've driven, excellent quality interior, all windows one touch etc. It does have by far the quirkiest and crappiest auto tranny, although it is much better when used in tiptronic mode.

I have to admit, before i bought my audi i never really thought much of them, and now i'm hooked. I would however, like a little more power out of the 2.8 sixer.

Hatterasguy · #10 09-16-2007, 11:18 PM

Jags are sporty and sexy, have great interiors, pretty much a poor mans Bentley!

They are also very traditional in their interior layout, no freaken I drive! J gate shifter, etc, etc. But traditional is good. Jag's are cheaper than MB though, the engineers at Jag do not operate with a blank check like they do at MB. Cost cutting and poor design abound. Also parts prices will bring you to your knees if you are used to MB's. For example, have you ever heard of a head linner falling down on a MB? On a Jag its rather commen, they use the same foam crap that Ford uses. Lots of little crap like that breaks on them, stuff that MB got right, Jag fell short. It may look great, but the design only gets a C.

BMW's are sports cars that you can drive to work. They are built just fine, but very German. The interiors are very sparten and well thats the way German cars are. If you buy a BMW with an auto your a girl!

Lexus, builds cars that car enthusiasts hate, but non car people love. They do everything well and are totaly bland and boring at doing it. The LS series is a blantant rip off of the S class. But Lexus is smart, they let MB intorduce new technoligy, then they copy it and work out the bugs. Lexus doesn't lead, they follow and make money on MB, and BMW's coat tails. They are sprung like a Caddy, and any 90 year old would love the way an LS drives. Totaly quite and soft as a cloud. If you want a high end luxury car that simply gets you from point A to B, and really don't know much or care much about cars, get a Lexus.

MB builds luxury cars that can kinda do that sport thing if you force them to. Every properly sorted MB that I have driven will hunker down and act sporty if you force it to, but they may not like it. This is why I like MB's, my car is my office, I don't want a high strung sports sedan. I want to waft along in total comfort, and be relaxed. Even the AMG's can waft. I want to enjoy the wood, enjoy the world as it silently passes by. But I don't want to get sea sick.

The best part about MB is that you can fix them, they are built to be fixed. You can take stuff apart without killing yourself. I love on the W210 how the interior just comes apart. Whoever built that interior must have known the W126 because they fixed all the little PITA stuff that makes say removing the center console difficult. This is certainly not true with Toyota.

E_420 · #11 09-17-2007, 12:38 AM

ya i shoulda included audi. but there just so main stream. i mean i see a4s daily. But dont see jags or MB (high end) daily. Idk there all good cars in my opinoin. but there are better ones. I HATE LEXUS!!!! See if it were my way my e420 would be a manual trans not auto. That would be cool. whats the now BMW equivlent to my 94 e420? in now times though. Like a 2003 or 2007 bmw 525i or whatever. not another 94 if that makes sense. The only thing caddy has going is the cts and cts-v. Now those are cool cars. What do you guys think of the cts line?

E_420 · #12 09-17-2007, 12:41 AM

ok so would you rather have a 2007 BMW M3 or a 2007 merceded AMG any model? Me M3. it would be a tough disision though. Or like a SL600 or S600. I would rather have a 2007 SL600 over an M3 anyday.

rickg · #13 09-17-2007, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDon

If you want an overpriced Toyota .. Go Lexus...

Better than an overpriced breakdown waiting to happen

Haven't we been down this road before?

86560SEL · #14 09-17-2007, 01:23 AM

Dont laugh, but out of all of the more recent large luxury cars- I love the Volkswagon Phaeton. I am not sure of its reliability, but I think it is an amazingly styled car. Not to change the subject, but I recently went to VW's website and did not see this car listed... has production of this car already came to a stop? I think its main problem is that it was over engineered and way to pricey. They should have designed a car of that size, but not so complex and kept the price around $45K-55K, rather than that $80K+ price. Lexus is awesome too, like Hattaras said, but the styling does not always applaud. Here are one of those VW's I was referring to.

greasybenz · #15 09-17-2007, 03:25 AM

My buddy has a 2000 GS400, and the styling is very very!! bland and boring. Interior wood looks worse then the aftermarket stick on wood available for our MB's. My 96 S420 had 154K miles when i sold it and the leather still looked like new without any ugly cracks or blemishes. My friends lexus has just about 100K and the leather looks like the car has had 200K+ put on it. Cracks, blemishes, overall bad looking and he has it detailed often.

Coming from a 96 S420 the fit and finish in the W140 vs the lexus is just a hands down win for MB. Its all in the tiny details that i am very picky about, for example when i raise the steering wheel up in the S420 its silent like a true luxury car supposed to be. In the lexus youll hear the cheap plastic make popping noises and the electric motor will make its annoying whine sound as the wheel lifts.

Im VERY picky on stupid things like that but its what counts in a luxury car. At least in my book it does.

And the the comment about a car that never breaks down, i think its a 20yr old car vs a 11yr old car (or even a bit older or younger) thing. My 96 S420 was pretty much trouble free, cant say the same for the 20+yr old cars i have currently since they have triple the miles and wear.