DNC

I agree with everything but the more you pay the better you got. The 1991-1995 S-Class diesel was junk. My best friend had a 1991 S-Class diesel that had the engine replaced twice; once a broken timing chain, once a cracked crankshaft. This all happened before 25,000 miles. Both engine replacements were complete replacements. I saw the engine in the crates before being installed by the dealer.
The timing chain breaking on the 1991-1995 S-Class diesel was very common. It happen to two other friends of mine in the MB club.
Like you I find the A8 to be a steal.

The G Man

Tom, sounds like you are a diehard MB fan, which is good, MB have a loyal following. It has a very recognizable brand name in the US.
You said you look at the Audis last week end. Let’s take the A6 for example compare to the E-class at the price range of around $55000. The Audi at that price will have HID headlights and leather seat, the MB will still have halogen bulbs and plastic seats at that price range. The Audi handles better than the MB and the interior material is also superior. At that price range, the Audi will also have smart keys, back up camera and much much more options. Bottom line is that, not only is the A6 more fun to drive than the E-class, its interior materials are better, it is better equipped and better engineered. After leaving the MB show room, a few months ago, I would not find one reason to buy a E-class over the A6, although the power head rest on the seats was pretty nice The MB dealer offer me $6000 off as soon as I walk into the showroom, by the time I left, he was down to about $10000 off.

RXSF

the E class is old though, in its last year or production, it wont be able to compete with the somewhat newer A6. mercedes cars that were designed between 1994 and 2006 arent true mercedes benzes. those designed after are starting to if not already are close to the best.

truth of the matter is that MB can charge a premium because its an MB. Audi cant.

The G Man

The A6 design is 5 years old, how old is the E-class design?
The newer MB have improve in quality, but the biggest improvement in recent years have been in their higher end models. The improve quality is starting to trickle down to the lower end models now. Dollar for dollar, MB is still not the best IMO. They can still improve in many areas, the C class is better than the last one, but not as nice as the 3 series and the A4. The Jury is still out on the new E-class. The S-class is very nice but over price compare to the A8 and the 7 series.

rxets

Thanks for the link. I should take a look at this.

CDNROCKIES

I'll keep you posted on any reliability issues.

Had management at our local dealership dealt with my caliper issues on my F, we would have already been in a new '10 RX with little discussion on competitors. I still strongly believe it is an outstanding SUV. I couldn't roll the dice on a dealership that has caused me this much grief already (no...there isn't another option within several hundred miles).

We chose diesel over hybrid because of the number of highway miles we do versus city. Both the RX and ML have positive attributes over the other. For us, at this time, this was the right fit.

rxets

This permanent all wheel drive vehicle seems to be the good fit for you! Enjoy!

There was a point that I was facing the dilemma of getting ML or RX... Except Navi, it seems pretty good to me.

CDNROCKIES

Thanks!

Remote touch is light years ahead of COMMAND and one of the positives for Lexus and negatives for MB (although you can use the nav while in motion with MB).

RXSF

agreed. that ML still uses the old Command version and that small joystick thing.

tomd

Yes, you can guess by the cars I own that I like MB vehicles. Funny that you compare the A6 to the E Class. Both the wife and I recently test drove the A6. We both chuckled that Audi dared to charge the same as the E. To us, the MB was the better car in every way. The A6 was more of a $30,000 car; a wannabe.

I guess we are going to have to agree to disagree.

The G Man

Tom, just which part of the E-class did you think was better than the A6. Frankly, I could not find one thing I like about the E-class better. The A6 looks better inside and out, use better material all around, the A6 handles better and its $10000 cheaper.
Audi sells more A6 worldwide than the E-class. It is only in the US where the loyal MB owners stick with the E-class.

tomd

By all means. If someone can convince themselves that the A6 is the better car, than that's the car they ought to buy.

We've owned 4 E class MBs. ( 14 MBs in 25 years). We like the way the car is built, the way it rides, the way it handles. It is built like a bank vault. Every control feels expensive. Like a Patek vs a Timex. You don't have to look far to see the VW roots in the Audi; a bit frail.

And the VW golf outsells both the E and the A6, as you would expect a cheaper car would.

Just my HO.

The G Man

I sure would expect a loyal MB owner to point out Audi's VW roots, I am sure you have notice that Lexus is made by Toyota, but did you know that in Europe, MB are use for taxi cabs.
I sure would not want to pay $10000 more for a taxi cab and that 3 point star in the hood. Lets see what $10000 paying more gets me in a E-class: Plastic seats, no HID lights, no smart key, no back up camera and handling. If it make you feeling any better, I heard the new E-class is much better than the current A6 and the BMW 5-series.

tomd

......................... Whatever

RXSF

i think we can all agree that Tom, when you bought your first MB 14 years ago, MB was in a slump, as daimler chrysler. honestly, the cars were not great quality wise. that doesnt mean they werent built like a tank, just means they werent great in reliability. i dont think anyone can side with that brand during those 10 years of horrible car making.

now I am also a big MB fan, so i will say that its all turning around. I notice that you own recent MBs, and higher end models at that, which shows exactly why you think they are built like tanks. for 1) MB really straightened things out, so if your car was redesigned after 2007, you're good to go. and 2) you have the most expensive models, which would probably have the better materials.

as for the E class specifically, you have to agree with me that the interior is really dated, which would be why we have a new model coming along. the command nav system is useless, and there is no tech options that stand out against competitors. And while it still looks good, that car was nonetheless designed in an era which really hurt their reputation, and for that, I cant say its a better car than the A6