Top Luxury Cars: Top Mercedes finishes Sixth?!! - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

rchase · #16 05-18-2006, 01:57 AM

I can only hope they start producing S350's. While as nice as it would be to have a powerful v8 engine it never has made sense for American roads. Gridlocked highways higher fuel and service costs make the V8 very much not worth it for me. Of course on top of that its almost $30K more in price as well. I have never really cared for the E-class as it has always been too small and Mercedes always seems to drive home the point that your driving their second best car with the styling and appointments of the car. If you look at all of the S class lines from the 126 on there has always been a 6cyl from the 300SE to the S300 to the S320 to the S350. I think even the 116 had a 6cyl offering.

I really wish that Mercedes would bring back the double paned glass that the 140 has. Its a unique feature to the car and the L chanel that the glass embeds into the rubber seal gives an amazing seal. In addition to the sound deadening that 2 panes of thick glass affords you.

I am eager to take a look at the 221 but I am afraid to see it at the same time. Seeing the photos online made me really want one seeing one in the flesh will probably make me want it more. Although I guess Im safe since my prefered engine choice is not yet in production. I like the way they have integrated several elements of many of the S class cars into the 221. When I see the 221 it reminds me of a 21st century 116 chassis with the shape of the 220 and the angles of the 140.

braverichard · #17 05-18-2006, 10:06 AM

Hey folks,

Remember that this is the list of the most researched vehicles. We can have a million people research vehicles while none of them buys.

And like several people have stated here, some vehicles simply need no research. Case in point: Mercedes S-Class has "fewer hits" than the BMW 7 Series but it outsells it very well. Also, the Chrysler 300 outsells all the other cars on that stinking list while it is at the very bottom of the list. Just a whole bunch of dreamers researching those cars I tell you!

trueog · #18 05-18-2006, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by braverichard

Hey folks,

Remember that this is the list of the most researched vehicles. We can have a million people research vehicles while none of them buys.

And like several people have stated here, some vehicles simply need no research. Case in point: Mercedes S-Class has "fewer hits" than the BMW 7 Series but it outsells it very well. Also, the Chrysler 300 outsells all the other cars on that stinking list while it is at the very bottom of the list. Just a whole bunch of dreamers researching those cars I tell you!

That's very true. The 300C probobly outsells any car on this list 5 to 1 at the very least. Its been the hottest seller now for 2 years. MSN should consider renaming the list to MOST DREAMED ABOUT CAR's, as they are misleading people with the posting until you read the small writing.

My biggest shock wasn't mercedes being 6th, it was the 300C being 10th. While I do hate domestics, a couple of my friends that own the 300C have made me relize that this is a great car. It almost seems like they were designed by mercedes as its built so well and then they threw in an American HEMI and decided to assemble it in Windsor Ontario Canada. I finally relize why this car is selling so well. Its a luxary car that's priced like a honda Accord.

braverichard · #19 05-18-2006, 02:15 PM

Well the 300 doesn't outsell every car on that list by such a wide margin as you're suggesting. The BMW 3 Series sells about 100,000 units each year and about 150,000 300s were sold last year.

The Chrysler 300 is truly a great car. It rides and handles well, is fairly well built, a great deal for the price and get this -- even has higher than average reliability so far and is recommended by Consumer Reports. Looks like it is the most reliable post 2000 Mercedes-Benz not built by Mercedes-Benz. Unfortunately!!!!!!

benzman2 · #20 05-18-2006, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buckwheat

Sort of reminds me of a 1974 issue of Car and Driver when they awarded the Ford Pinto as car of the year.

Lexus can at best stay about 1 model year behind Mercedes, as it takes them that long to reverse engineer any new MB. But if you don't look under the covers, Lexus looks real good.

The beamers - well you've got to admit some of their cars are right on up there with merc.

Comparing this to a Chrysler 300? An Infiniti? A Honda? They are all really find autos - but they don't compare with the new MBs, Ferraris, Bentleys etc.

I test drove an S550 the other day, and it's what MB should have done with the 220 for the last 5 years.

Still nothing beats a 140 IMHO lol.

I dont think you can compare mercedes even as high as the S class with Bentley and Ferrari. Apples and oranges. Secondly I would take a 2006 Acura TL over a C class of the same year. They are the same price range. Also it is unfair to compare a S-class with a TL since the S class costs maybe twice as much if not more. This article and some opinions are skewed a bit.

rchase · #21 05-19-2006, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benzman2

I dont think you can compare mercedes even as high as the S class with Bentley and Ferrari. Apples and oranges. Secondly I would take a 2006 Acura TL over a C class of the same year. They are the same price range. Also it is unfair to compare a S-class with a TL since the S class costs maybe twice as much if not more. This article and some opinions are skewed a bit.

Hmmm I think you can compare Mercedes to the likes of Ferrari and Bentley. If your looking at quality rather than price. All three cars are well constructed "best of the best" for their paticular style of car. I watch the British car show Top Gear and recently one of the hosts traded in his Ferrari on an SL55 AMG.

The Japanese were the ones who invented the "for the same price" logic in shopping for cars. Both Kia and Hyundai make some nice cars "for the price" but you don't see them selling very well do you? I compare cars to their logical counterparts. Price is only important for people who can't afford to drive whatever they want.

As for the Acura I think you would regret your decision in 5 years when you started looking at the difference in resale. In 7-10 years an Acura is a throw away car. There are 20 year old 126's and 107's on ebay easily fetching between 10K and 20K. How many 20 year old Acuras go for that much?

braverichard · #22 05-19-2006, 07:25 AM

Mercedes-Benzes are actually better engineered than anything else on the road. The expensive exotics command such prices because some of them (if not all) are completely hand crafted and are also sold with top drawer service levels and in limited quantities. As for initial and even long term quality, none of those can hold a candle to an MB. Everyone knows that Lamboghini's break down before you even start them the first time - even the newer ones built by Audi/VW have quality issues. Same goes for Rolls Royces. In fact in a funny move, two of the car magazines I received for this month had comparison tests comparing the new S-Class to the Rolls Royce Phantom. That surprised me because if the S-Class can whoop the Phantom's butt, then what would the Maybach do to it?

And oh, by the way, Kia and Hyundai have been selling very well with great yearly growth. Indeed, price is only important for people who can't afford to drive whatever they want, but that statement applies to the vast majority of people.

Hatterasguy · #23 05-19-2006, 04:37 PM

Actualy you really shouldn't compare Ferrari and Lambo to MB. Its insulting to MB, check out a mid 80's Lambo sometime. No where near the enginering and quality that say a 560SL of the same year would have.

Recently since Audio now owns them they are a bit better. But still expect random interor parts to fall off now and then.

Royce is in a class of its own, for many reasons.

rchase · #24 05-20-2006, 12:44 AM

Hmm.... I know Ferrari quite well as I have been considering a Mondial for quite some time now..... Here are some interesting tidbits.... Many Ferrari's use the same off the shelf bosch systems that MB does..... Ferrari also has been known to use a lot of VDO's off the shelf systems... For a while now Ferrari has been using Becker audio systems in their cars..... Both MB and Ferrari use Glassurit paint.....

The Ferrari in a lot of ways is better engineered than the Mercedes.. It just has a different mission and different owners.... Ferrari's like Mercedes cars can last forever..... Ferrari's have hand made bodies where panels are hand fitted and hand prepared for paint..... Mercedes may use the same paint but their body work and paint work are inferior in every way..... Interiors are the same way.... Ferrari interiors are fully leather lined including the door panels, dashboards and center consoles..... Their carpets and headliners are high quality wool..... The plastic found in even an S600 S class with its leather door and dash panels make it seem cheap in comparison.......

A good analogy is high performance tires..... A Sticky racing tire is going to give you wonderful grip with the sacrifice of tread life..... With a Ferrari you get the performance but sacrifice reliability and money..... Another analogy for you... A cheap chinese made quartz watch keeps better time than the handmade antique Grandfather clock..... The Grandfather clock however has a wonderful prescence to it and great chimes.......

Jim B. · #25 05-20-2006, 02:09 AM

GOOD Sails along

BAD Slack at the tiller

IN SUM Dry land gin palace