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Sedans High End Luxury Cars
24700 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 12:24 PM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
Let's try to define this forum as being limited to luxury performance vehicles where the mainstream version in a typical configuration has an MSRP of at least $60k.
A luxury vehicle with a base price of $59k qualifies because it would typically be bought with some additional equipment, bringing the MSRP over $60k.
Vehicles like the E, 5, A6, M, or GS, even if available in certain versions over $60k, don't qualify because they are cars from companies that have higher end cars in their lineups.
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My theory has always been that they're purchasing a lot of things from the same suppliers that do business with Ford, GM and Chrysler. I've read where a lot of German suppliers opened up shop here back in 1998, but my nose told me otherwise when I sat in the first ML. The same smell and feel you get in a German made Benz simply wasn't there. Now the new generation Bama vehicles seem to be a mix of American and German suppliers by my nose. On thing I truly hate is that steering wheel. It screams cheap when you order it with wood and only one half of it is made of wood in contrast to every other Benz. I couldn't care two lugnuts about a wooden steering wheel in general, but if they're going to do one they could at least do it right. That 1/2 wood stuff was for Cadillacs and the like. Then there are the huge gaps between the buttons and the steering wheel hub, it reeks of American supplierism. See the gaps in this photo:  M |
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Replying to: merc1 (Nov 13, 2006 9:06 pm) |
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Replying to: merc1 (Nov 13, 2006 9:37 pm) We've all seen this before, when the steering wheel's hub uses the center axis as a pivot point, and therefore needs the "space" to move (push on side to side) the hub in order to honk the horn. The gap is by design, but there are alternatives that other manufacturers have clearly proven are less unsightly. TagMan
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Replying to: merc1 (Nov 13, 2006 9:37 pm)
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Replying to: merc1 (Nov 13, 2006 9:37 pm) It just doesn't belong in a vehicle starting slightly south of $60k. It's hard to say this, but the Escalade's(altho tilt only-MANUAL AT THAT!!) is more nicely wrought out. The whole IP is a bit uninspired to my eyes, but the use of materials and assembly are first rate. But as Tag eluded to, the steering wheel gaps are part of the function of the wheel, not a design flaw. But it is a cheapened way to get a better wheel to fully integrate the wheel controls and hub, like on most other high end cars. |
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Replying to: anthonyp (Nov 14, 2006 12:31 pm)
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Replying to: tagman (Nov 14, 2006 10:14 am) Well I think it is just plain poor (i.e. cheap) design. Mercedes does much better on their other models so there is no excuse for the R/M/GL steering wheel to look that way. M |
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Replying to: blkhemi (Nov 13, 2006 3:10 pm) I myself have shared your positive experiences with German cars for more than two decades. And I can assure you that JD or CR will not sway me to purchase or not purchase a car. The non-existence of JD or CR stats on BMW twin turbos did not prevent me from buying one. Having said that I think you and I can agree upon the importance of JD and CR stats for the automobilie buying public. The weakness of all German luxury cars is that there is not a single model that has consistently earned red dots for more than a few years as an overall score from CR or has ranked as best in class by JD on a consistent basis. Lexus has achieved that with many of its models on a consistent basis throughout the years. Is that important? I dont think so! But from a strictly marketing perspective it certainly does help Lexus.
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