What Was I Thinking? - 550 vs 500 vs 430
03-26-06, 01:59 PM
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What Was I Thinking? - 550 vs 500 vs 430
That's BMW 550 vs CLS 500 vs GS 430. Yesterday morning I purchased one of these.
Hey everyone - first time poster. I've been researching the aforementioned 3 cars and was in a major conundrum about the choice and was being pulled in a bunch of different directions, mostly by myself.
BMW 550: I loved the ride and handling but could never find BMW's secret option code for the bag I would have to wear over my head. The only interior/exterior color color combo I found appealing is black. That speaks volumes IMO not of my taste but of the cacophony of design it covers up. Despite this bashing, yesterday when I woke up this was my first choice. Why? Most likely the ride.
CLS 500: to me the car is stunningly beautiful but it reeks of "I'm so filthy better than you". I, of course, know the notorious reliability issues with Merc. On my way to my first dealer stop, I believe this became my top choice over BMW. Why? Maybe the prurient factor.
GS 430: this was my first stop of dealers yesterday. Long story short, I did not have to stop at the Merc or BMW dealership!!!! This may seem irrational given my handle, but it was really the rational thing to do once I put all the pro's/con's in my head and jumbled them around. I'll save these for another thread.
Honestly, I will probably be chided by my motorhead friends who proclaim Teutonic superiority but I suppose they are really...how shall I say....wrong!! When all was said and done, the GS was the no-brainer of all time for me. Again, I'll post again regarding my thoughts of my purchase.
Anyone else with a similar scenario?
I'm glad to be a new member of the family!
Hey everyone - first time poster. I've been researching the aforementioned 3 cars and was in a major conundrum about the choice and was being pulled in a bunch of different directions, mostly by myself.
BMW 550: I loved the ride and handling but could never find BMW's secret option code for the bag I would have to wear over my head. The only interior/exterior color color combo I found appealing is black. That speaks volumes IMO not of my taste but of the cacophony of design it covers up. Despite this bashing, yesterday when I woke up this was my first choice. Why? Most likely the ride.
CLS 500: to me the car is stunningly beautiful but it reeks of "I'm so filthy better than you". I, of course, know the notorious reliability issues with Merc. On my way to my first dealer stop, I believe this became my top choice over BMW. Why? Maybe the prurient factor.
GS 430: this was my first stop of dealers yesterday. Long story short, I did not have to stop at the Merc or BMW dealership!!!! This may seem irrational given my handle, but it was really the rational thing to do once I put all the pro's/con's in my head and jumbled them around. I'll save these for another thread.
Honestly, I will probably be chided by my motorhead friends who proclaim Teutonic superiority but I suppose they are really...how shall I say....wrong!! When all was said and done, the GS was the no-brainer of all time for me. Again, I'll post again regarding my thoughts of my purchase.
Anyone else with a similar scenario?
I'm glad to be a new member of the family!
03-26-06, 02:27 PM
#2
Congrats and welcome to CL!
I agree with you on the 5. It's just too ugly to put up with no matter how
well it performs.
The CLS is gorgeous, but Merc's reliability issues and huge price tag
for what is in essence an E class is a bad value.
I agree with you on the 5. It's just too ugly to put up with no matter how
well it performs.
The CLS is gorgeous, but Merc's reliability issues and huge price tag
for what is in essence an E class is a bad value.
03-26-06, 08:51 PM
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I noticed that the last car you drove was always your new first choice. Good thing you didn't drive an A6 last 
Seriously, congrats - post pics.
PS - Teutonic superiority? Honestly, there is nothing wrong with picking the car you liked best. Anyone can say "you should have bought X" but the fact is, it is your money!
Seriously, congrats - post pics.
PS - Teutonic superiority? Honestly, there is nothing wrong with picking the car you liked best. Anyone can say "you should have bought X" but the fact is, it is your money!
03-26-06, 09:01 PM
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I was about to order the 550i, but my wife reminded me how great Lexus' are. Now if I could afford the CLS, that may have been a different story. The GS430 is a great car. So many more features and great reliability.
03-27-06, 04:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Analyzer
CLS 500: to me the car is stunningly beautiful but it reeks of "I'm so filthy better than you". I, of course, know the notorious reliability issues with Merc. On my way to my first dealer stop, I believe this became my top choice over BMW. Why? Maybe the prurient factor.
GS 430: this was my first stop of dealers yesterday. Long story short, I did not have to stop at the Merc or BMW dealership!!!! This may seem irrational given my handle, but it was really the rational thing to do once I put all the pro's/con's in my head and jumbled them around. I'll save these for another thread.
GS 430: this was my first stop of dealers yesterday. Long story short, I did not have to stop at the Merc or BMW dealership!!!! This may seem irrational given my handle, but it was really the rational thing to do once I put all the pro's/con's in my head and jumbled them around. I'll save these for another thread.
As you said, the CLS is "stunningly beautiful," and everytime I see one drive by, I take notice. The only thing keeping me from trading up to the CLS is the cost.
03-27-06, 06:59 AM
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Originally Posted by Analyzer
That's BMW 550 vs CLS 500 vs GS 430. Yesterday morning I purchased one of these.
Hey everyone - first time poster. I've been researching the aforementioned 3 cars and was in a major conundrum about the choice and was being pulled in a bunch of different directions, mostly by myself.
BMW 550: I loved the ride and handling but could never find BMW's secret option code for the bag I would have to wear over my head. The only interior/exterior color color combo I found appealing is black. That speaks volumes IMO not of my taste but of the cacophony of design it covers up. Despite this bashing, yesterday when I woke up this was my first choice. Why? Most likely the ride.
CLS 500: to me the car is stunningly beautiful but it reeks of "I'm so filthy better than you". I, of course, know the notorious reliability issues with Merc. On my way to my first dealer stop, I believe this became my top choice over BMW. Why? Maybe the prurient factor.
GS 430: this was my first stop of dealers yesterday. Long story short, I did not have to stop at the Merc or BMW dealership!!!! This may seem irrational given my handle, but it was really the rational thing to do once I put all the pro's/con's in my head and jumbled them around. I'll save these for another thread.
Honestly, I will probably be chided by my motorhead friends who proclaim Teutonic superiority but I suppose they are really...how shall I say....wrong!! When all was said and done, the GS was the no-brainer of all time for me. Again, I'll post again regarding my thoughts of my purchase.
Anyone else with a similar scenario?
I'm glad to be a new member of the family!
Hey everyone - first time poster. I've been researching the aforementioned 3 cars and was in a major conundrum about the choice and was being pulled in a bunch of different directions, mostly by myself.
BMW 550: I loved the ride and handling but could never find BMW's secret option code for the bag I would have to wear over my head. The only interior/exterior color color combo I found appealing is black. That speaks volumes IMO not of my taste but of the cacophony of design it covers up. Despite this bashing, yesterday when I woke up this was my first choice. Why? Most likely the ride.
CLS 500: to me the car is stunningly beautiful but it reeks of "I'm so filthy better than you". I, of course, know the notorious reliability issues with Merc. On my way to my first dealer stop, I believe this became my top choice over BMW. Why? Maybe the prurient factor.
GS 430: this was my first stop of dealers yesterday. Long story short, I did not have to stop at the Merc or BMW dealership!!!! This may seem irrational given my handle, but it was really the rational thing to do once I put all the pro's/con's in my head and jumbled them around. I'll save these for another thread.
Honestly, I will probably be chided by my motorhead friends who proclaim Teutonic superiority but I suppose they are really...how shall I say....wrong!! When all was said and done, the GS was the no-brainer of all time for me. Again, I'll post again regarding my thoughts of my purchase.
Anyone else with a similar scenario?
I'm glad to be a new member of the family!
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03-27-06, 02:12 PM
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I'm totally with you on these choices.
BMW 5 - very common, have to get an M5 to stand out but then you get 10mpg
CLS 500 - the closest thing to a work of art, yes electrical gremlins but you should know that Mercedes now has two electrical subsystems. So a problem with the stereo won't prevent the car from starting so you can take it to the dealer. this is the clear emotional choice
GS430/450h/460/350 - this is the logical choice, but it's a bit of a sleeper
For me it's for my 40th birthday/mid life crisis present to myself so I may end up going with emotion.
BMW 5 - very common, have to get an M5 to stand out but then you get 10mpg
CLS 500 - the closest thing to a work of art, yes electrical gremlins but you should know that Mercedes now has two electrical subsystems. So a problem with the stereo won't prevent the car from starting so you can take it to the dealer. this is the clear emotional choice
GS430/450h/460/350 - this is the logical choice, but it's a bit of a sleeper
For me it's for my 40th birthday/mid life crisis present to myself so I may end up going with emotion.
03-27-06, 03:20 PM
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Interesting post and analysis. I'm probably going to play with my S4 for at least another year, probably more, but that doesn't keep the wheels from constantly turning in my head. To me it comes down to the 550i 6MT, GS4x0, and M45 Sport:
550i - By far the sportiest of the bunch with a manual tranny, real sport seats, incredibly tuned suspension, etc. The exterior has actually grown on me (like a fungus?), but I still have a hard time swallowing the interior, and of course that's where you spend all of your time. The gadget factor is also very low to me relative to the Japanese counterparts.
GS4x0 - I *love* the Lexus interior, ownership experience, etc., but frankly the driving experience of the GS430 didn't do it for me. After driving an L-Tuned GS430 for five years, the suspension on the 3rd-gen was way too soft even in sport mode, and the acceleration lag was very high off the line. I'm sure I could add aftermarket suspension, but part of the attraction to me is the adjustable suspension for fun (just me) vs. comfort (road trips and/or passengers), and perhaps resetting the ECU and punching it for a while would lessen the lag. Anyway, I'm hoping the GS460 resolves some of these issues, perhaps adding a sport package.
M45 Sport - Pretty much between the two in sportiness with a great suspension and engine but still an automatic tranny (albeit MUCH more responsive than the GS's). The interior space is great and the copious gadgets work well, but I really preferred the GS's interior to the M45's. On the exterior, there are times I like the GS better and times I like the M45 better. I think if I were buying a car in this segment today, it would be the M45 Sport, but I have to say that it's not a slam dunk winner.
So it's interesting. The 550i wins in terms of fun factor, the GS in terms of comfort, ownership experience, and overall appearance (interior and exterior), and the M45 Sport in terms of having 90%+ of it in all categories, but as I said, for me there's no clear winner. Perhaps by the time I'm ready for a new car Lexus will have introduced a GS460 Sport, or Infiniti will have added a real manual, or BMW will have overhauled their interior...all unlikely...
Oh, and congrats on the new GS!
550i - By far the sportiest of the bunch with a manual tranny, real sport seats, incredibly tuned suspension, etc. The exterior has actually grown on me (like a fungus?), but I still have a hard time swallowing the interior, and of course that's where you spend all of your time. The gadget factor is also very low to me relative to the Japanese counterparts.
GS4x0 - I *love* the Lexus interior, ownership experience, etc., but frankly the driving experience of the GS430 didn't do it for me. After driving an L-Tuned GS430 for five years, the suspension on the 3rd-gen was way too soft even in sport mode, and the acceleration lag was very high off the line. I'm sure I could add aftermarket suspension, but part of the attraction to me is the adjustable suspension for fun (just me) vs. comfort (road trips and/or passengers), and perhaps resetting the ECU and punching it for a while would lessen the lag. Anyway, I'm hoping the GS460 resolves some of these issues, perhaps adding a sport package.
M45 Sport - Pretty much between the two in sportiness with a great suspension and engine but still an automatic tranny (albeit MUCH more responsive than the GS's). The interior space is great and the copious gadgets work well, but I really preferred the GS's interior to the M45's. On the exterior, there are times I like the GS better and times I like the M45 better. I think if I were buying a car in this segment today, it would be the M45 Sport, but I have to say that it's not a slam dunk winner.
So it's interesting. The 550i wins in terms of fun factor, the GS in terms of comfort, ownership experience, and overall appearance (interior and exterior), and the M45 Sport in terms of having 90%+ of it in all categories, but as I said, for me there's no clear winner. Perhaps by the time I'm ready for a new car Lexus will have introduced a GS460 Sport, or Infiniti will have added a real manual, or BMW will have overhauled their interior...all unlikely...
Oh, and congrats on the new GS!
03-27-06, 03:40 PM
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I'm such a big fan of the CLS...i love that car....i probably will do it, just a matter of when. Things are however getting very exciting with the GS in terms of MODs finally starting to come out and stuff...the lexus is practically mine...i owe less then $5000 on it....maybe i'll venture into a second car soon....then i'll really be able to compare the two.
03-27-06, 04:56 PM
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Originally Posted by GS4fun
I'm such a big fan of the CLS...i love that car....i probably will do it, just a matter of when. Things are however getting very exciting with the GS in terms of MODs finally starting to come out and stuff...the lexus is practically mine...i owe less then $5000 on it....maybe i'll venture into a second car soon....then i'll really be able to compare the two.
The new CLS 63 AMG is an exceptional automobile offering impressive performance, dynamic styling and an exclusive interior. The four-door Coupé is powered by a 6.3-litre V8 AMG engine, which was developed entirely by Mercedes-AMG. The new 378 kW/514 hp AMG power plant has the highest specific power and torque of any naturally aspirated eight-cylinder production engine in the world. The refined Coupé has a 0 - 100 km/h time of just 4.5 seconds, on its way to a governed top speed of 250 km/h.
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03-27-06, 06:06 PM
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We have a CLS 500 here at the office (black/black/AMG appearance package), and while it's a beautiful car, it's been in the shop five times in the three weeks we've had it.
The AirMatic suspension does strange stuff sometimes (sometimes it looks okay; sometimes it sits quite high... twice I have come out of the office only to see it leaning to the left about 1/2") and it has a persistent steering wheel shake that occurs at about 70-80 mph. The dealer has tried re-balancing the tires and playing with the steering rack pre-tensioner which has improved things, but it still shakes. Mercedes USA is in the mix now... may have to Lemon Law the car.
One of my best friends has a 545i. The iDrive took a dump, leaving him with no A/C, heat, radio, or Nav. It was fixed under warranty... he got to drive a spiffy 325i for ten days, though.
The Lex is always a good bet. Some people don't care about reliability since the cars are typically leased; if this was my situation, I'd probably get the CLS... in fairness the CLS is about $20K more than the GS430.
Scratch all that... I'd wait for the LS460
The AirMatic suspension does strange stuff sometimes (sometimes it looks okay; sometimes it sits quite high... twice I have come out of the office only to see it leaning to the left about 1/2") and it has a persistent steering wheel shake that occurs at about 70-80 mph. The dealer has tried re-balancing the tires and playing with the steering rack pre-tensioner which has improved things, but it still shakes. Mercedes USA is in the mix now... may have to Lemon Law the car.
One of my best friends has a 545i. The iDrive took a dump, leaving him with no A/C, heat, radio, or Nav. It was fixed under warranty... he got to drive a spiffy 325i for ten days, though.
The Lex is always a good bet. Some people don't care about reliability since the cars are typically leased; if this was my situation, I'd probably get the CLS... in fairness the CLS is about $20K more than the GS430.
Scratch all that... I'd wait for the LS460
03-27-06, 06:52 PM
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My parents are so anti-Mercedes Benz after all the problems that my cousin had with his MB CL600. My dad was going to buy the new 2007 MB S550, but I convinced him to wait for the 2007 Lexus LS 460L. He currently drives a 2006 BMW 750Li and my mom ( who the new 2007 LS 460L would be for ) drives a 2005 BMW X5 4.8is. Maybe I can convince my mom to keep her X5 and give me her 2007 LS 460L when she gets it. 
03-27-06, 09:33 PM
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Originally Posted by SCWells72
550i - By far the sportiest of the bunch with a manual tranny, real sport seats, incredibly tuned suspension, etc. The exterior has actually grown on me (like a fungus?), but I still have a hard time swallowing the interior, and of course that's where you spend all of your time. The gadget factor is also very low to me relative to the Japanese counterparts.