What car would you consider???
08-04-11, 05:08 PM
#16
My opinion of the 2nd gen M45 from my memories are:
Very spacious, great for a family man, the cabin feel almost as big as a LS460L.
Interior quality and material is lower then GS, but acceptable to me.
The 340 hp rating is optimistic, it feels slower and more sluggish then the 300 hp GS430.
What I don't like the most from Infiniti vehicles are they generally have lower refinement, they feel rougher then Lexus in every details. And they don't age well at all, they are lower quality so they don't last. If you plan to keep it for a long time, don't consider a Nissan product.
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Last edited by BNR34; 08-04-11 at 05:23 PM.
08-04-11, 05:12 PM
#17
A good value no frills choice would be a late model Acura RL, they are very nice cars but not popular at all so they depreciate quickly.
Really though, the GS350 you got is the best choice in that segment, so if you stay in this segment, everything else is a down grade in refinement.
The only way to get a cooler car is go to the more exotic Euro side, but then they get more expensive in repairs for a used car.
Really though, the GS350 you got is the best choice in that segment, so if you stay in this segment, everything else is a down grade in refinement.
The only way to get a cooler car is go to the more exotic Euro side, but then they get more expensive in repairs for a used car.
08-04-11, 05:16 PM
#18
I always liked the W221 S550, I think the early cars are under $40k now and they suppose to be much more reliable then the last generation.
The E60 M5s are way under $40k, that is cool if you can keep driving a stick, you know how much I hate the SMG.
How about a E55 wagon?! That can double as family duty too!
The E60 M5s are way under $40k, that is cool if you can keep driving a stick, you know how much I hate the SMG.
How about a E55 wagon?! That can double as family duty too!
08-04-11, 05:21 PM
#20
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According to cars.com:
I found 13 S500s for under $40k, cheapest was $35k with 75k miles in Costa Mesa.
Also found almost 50 750is, starting at $28k but with at least 90k miles on it.
If you mention the year and miles you want in the car, it'll make searching easier.
I found 13 S500s for under $40k, cheapest was $35k with 75k miles in Costa Mesa.
Also found almost 50 750is, starting at $28k but with at least 90k miles on it.
If you mention the year and miles you want in the car, it'll make searching easier.
08-04-11, 05:51 PM
#21
With the US economy in deep ***** and the american dollar in the same situation gasoline prices are gonna keep climbing. $5/gal is inevitable, $6-7 more than likely in the near future. Buy a Prius (plug-in available soon) or take that money and invest in something that'll give it some protection.
But if you really need a guzzler, just wait until gas costs $6/gal and pick one up for a steal!! Then park it in the garage and catch the bus. LOL, if this happens, I might be sitting in the bus next to you and I have a hybrid.
But if you really need a guzzler, just wait until gas costs $6/gal and pick one up for a steal!! Then park it in the garage and catch the bus. LOL, if this happens, I might be sitting in the bus next to you and I have a hybrid.
08-04-11, 05:58 PM
#22
Lexus Test Driver
With the US economy in deep ***** and the american dollar in the same situation gasoline prices are gonna keep climbing. $5/gal is inevitable, $6-7 more than likely in the near future. Buy a Prius (plug-in available soon) or take that money and invest in something that'll give it some protection.
But if you really need a guzzler, just wait until gas costs $6/gal and pick one up for a steal!! Then park it in the garage and catch the bus. LOL, if this happens, I might be sitting in the bus next to you and I have a hybrid.
But if you really need a guzzler, just wait until gas costs $6/gal and pick one up for a steal!! Then park it in the garage and catch the bus. LOL, if this happens, I might be sitting in the bus next to you and I have a hybrid.
And yeah it will go up at some point, everything does for the most part.
08-04-11, 06:05 PM
#23
08-04-11, 06:11 PM
#25
With the US economy in deep ***** and the american dollar in the same situation gasoline prices are gonna keep climbing. $5/gal is inevitable, $6-7 more than likely in the near future. Buy a Prius (plug-in available soon) or take that money and invest in something that'll give it some protection.
But if you really need a guzzler, just wait until gas costs $6/gal and pick one up for a steal!! Then park it in the garage and catch the bus. LOL, if this happens, I might be sitting in the bus next to you and I have a hybrid.
But if you really need a guzzler, just wait until gas costs $6/gal and pick one up for a steal!! Then park it in the garage and catch the bus. LOL, if this happens, I might be sitting in the bus next to you and I have a hybrid.
Gas prices are all artificial anyway, they are just control by those oil owning A-holes, now that the entire world is so gas conscious those folks will lower their prices to try to slow down the progress in fuel efficiency improvement study. They don't want us to reduce our gas consumption by a lot, they are getting scare.
My prediction is the rate of gas prices increase won't change any time soon, it is just inflation.
08-04-11, 06:34 PM
#26
So it's that time of the year again that I am considering changing car. But problem is I am not sure what out there to consider.
Here's the situation. We will likely have a SUV in house mainly for the baby, so that's somewhat taken care of. And we are thinking about selling the GS350 for something else.
The something else is of course the problem. Obviously I want a Ferrari but that doesn't work out yet
I am thinking about spending around 35-40k, probably used. No 2 seater, still want to somewhat OK for kids if necessary.
Thought about used E60 M5 and E55, but in some way that's like roll of dice. Dunno what else to consider?
Here's the situation. We will likely have a SUV in house mainly for the baby, so that's somewhat taken care of. And we are thinking about selling the GS350 for something else.
The something else is of course the problem. Obviously I want a Ferrari but that doesn't work out yet
I am thinking about spending around 35-40k, probably used. No 2 seater, still want to somewhat OK for kids if necessary. Thought about used E60 M5 and E55, but in some way that's like roll of dice. Dunno what else to consider?
My dream would be a CTS-V wagon. Since it's relatively new, I don't think you could get one for much less than $50-55k, so a bit out of budget.
This thread caught my eye because you mentioned E55. For $35-40k, you'd be buying the W211 generation of the E-Class AMG. I owned a 2003 E55 AMG prior to my current IS350. I bought it at 60k miles, for around $25k. It was a beautiful, amazing performer for an unbelievable price. I shortly found out that was for a reason.
The E55 sold new for around $90-100k. Only 60k miles later, they're down to $25-30k. That's because they're built to last through the warranty period, then fall apart. Only a few thousand miles after I bought it, everything went wrong. Suspension components (bushings, tie rods) failed to the tune of $2,000. Those types of parts aren't really easy to predict failure, and usually do at some point, so I wasn't that upset. Then the idler pulley, intercooler pump, engine thermostat, keyless door handles, steering angle sensor, and AUTOMATIC CLUTCH all failed. All of these parts failed at 60k miles - only 10k out of the warranty period. I only paid to repair the parts that were necessary (pump, thermostat, pulley) and it came to close to $5,000. The other parts all repaired would have added another $5,000. These were not wear and tear parts; they were failures of parts that were poorly designed and chosen by MB.
Furthermore, the entire W211 E-Class (not just the AMGs) were affected by a recall for the fuel sending units (there's one under each rear passenger seat) and the fuel pump, all because they used a faulty gasket which failed easily and let gasoline flow out and into the cabin, causing a fire hazard. Despite the recall being performed, people had this issue recur enough times until MB bought back their cars. This issue also happened to me, even though the recall had already been performed, and I had to fight with MB corporate to get them to cover it. The repair would have been $2,500.
This $100k E55 required almost $14,500 in repairs at only 60k miles. And I was all over the MB forums about these issues, and found that all owners were experiencing them, not just me.
After all this, I had to dump the car before it sucked any more money out of me. I never got to enjoy the car - it seemed like every single morning I came out to the car there was a new malfunction light. This is just taken to be commonplace among German luxury cars - this wasn't just a Mercedes thing, BMW and Audi suffer from similar reliability issues.
I won't be buying another German car ever again after this experience. That's exactly why I went to Lexus and will likely be staying, if they offer some sportier models outside the IS (a GS-F, for example).
08-04-11, 06:38 PM
#27
I wasn't trying to hijack the op's thread so I'll refrain from further discussion on the high cost of gas.
As far as suggesting a "fuel sipper", sometimes a different view of things is important in making a decision.
As far as suggesting a "fuel sipper", sometimes a different view of things is important in making a decision.
08-04-11, 06:45 PM
#28
Interesting question, I foresee my next car purchase being something similar to this (looking for powerful sedan as my car vs. SUV/van for the wife, around $35-40k budget, used), so I've pondered this quite a bit.
My dream would be a CTS-V wagon. Since it's relatively new, I don't think you could get one for much less than $50-55k, so a bit out of budget.
This thread caught my eye because you mentioned E55. For $35-40k, you'd be buying the W211 generation of the E-Class AMG. I owned a 2003 E55 AMG prior to my current IS350. I bought it at 60k miles, for around $25k. It was a beautiful, amazing performer for an unbelievable price. I shortly found out that was for a reason.
The E55 sold new for around $90-100k. Only 60k miles later, they're down to $25-30k. That's because they're built to last through the warranty period, then fall apart. Only a few thousand miles after I bought it, everything went wrong. Suspension components (bushings, tie rods) failed to the tune of $2,000. Those types of parts aren't really easy to predict failure, and usually do at some point, so I wasn't that upset. Then the idler pulley, intercooler pump, engine thermostat, keyless door handles, steering angle sensor, and AUTOMATIC CLUTCH all failed. All of these parts failed at 60k miles - only 10k out of the warranty period. I only paid to repair the parts that were necessary (pump, thermostat, pulley) and it came to close to $5,000. The other parts all repaired would have added another $5,000. These were not wear and tear parts; they were failures of parts that were poorly designed and chosen by MB.
Furthermore, the entire W211 E-Class (not just the AMGs) were affected by a recall for the fuel sending units (there's one under each rear passenger seat) and the fuel pump, all because they used a faulty gasket which failed easily and let gasoline flow out and into the cabin, causing a fire hazard. Despite the recall being performed, people had this issue recur enough times until MB bought back their cars. This issue also happened to me, even though the recall had already been performed, and I had to fight with MB corporate to get them to cover it. The repair would have been $2,500.
This $100k E55 required almost $14,500 in repairs at only 60k miles. And I was all over the MB forums about these issues, and found that all owners were experiencing them, not just me.
After all this, I had to dump the car before it sucked any more money out of me. I never got to enjoy the car - it seemed like every single morning I came out to the car there was a new malfunction light. This is just taken to be commonplace among German luxury cars - this wasn't just a Mercedes thing, BMW and Audi suffer from similar reliability issues.
I won't be buying another German car ever again after this experience. That's exactly why I went to Lexus and will likely be staying, if they offer some sportier models outside the IS (a GS-F, for example).
My dream would be a CTS-V wagon. Since it's relatively new, I don't think you could get one for much less than $50-55k, so a bit out of budget.
This thread caught my eye because you mentioned E55. For $35-40k, you'd be buying the W211 generation of the E-Class AMG. I owned a 2003 E55 AMG prior to my current IS350. I bought it at 60k miles, for around $25k. It was a beautiful, amazing performer for an unbelievable price. I shortly found out that was for a reason.
The E55 sold new for around $90-100k. Only 60k miles later, they're down to $25-30k. That's because they're built to last through the warranty period, then fall apart. Only a few thousand miles after I bought it, everything went wrong. Suspension components (bushings, tie rods) failed to the tune of $2,000. Those types of parts aren't really easy to predict failure, and usually do at some point, so I wasn't that upset. Then the idler pulley, intercooler pump, engine thermostat, keyless door handles, steering angle sensor, and AUTOMATIC CLUTCH all failed. All of these parts failed at 60k miles - only 10k out of the warranty period. I only paid to repair the parts that were necessary (pump, thermostat, pulley) and it came to close to $5,000. The other parts all repaired would have added another $5,000. These were not wear and tear parts; they were failures of parts that were poorly designed and chosen by MB.
Furthermore, the entire W211 E-Class (not just the AMGs) were affected by a recall for the fuel sending units (there's one under each rear passenger seat) and the fuel pump, all because they used a faulty gasket which failed easily and let gasoline flow out and into the cabin, causing a fire hazard. Despite the recall being performed, people had this issue recur enough times until MB bought back their cars. This issue also happened to me, even though the recall had already been performed, and I had to fight with MB corporate to get them to cover it. The repair would have been $2,500.
This $100k E55 required almost $14,500 in repairs at only 60k miles. And I was all over the MB forums about these issues, and found that all owners were experiencing them, not just me.
After all this, I had to dump the car before it sucked any more money out of me. I never got to enjoy the car - it seemed like every single morning I came out to the car there was a new malfunction light. This is just taken to be commonplace among German luxury cars - this wasn't just a Mercedes thing, BMW and Audi suffer from similar reliability issues.
I won't be buying another German car ever again after this experience. That's exactly why I went to Lexus and will likely be staying, if they offer some sportier models outside the IS (a GS-F, for example).
