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

What is this discussion about? Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ-Series, Lexus LS 460, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Volkswagen Phaeton, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz CL-Class, Sedan

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.

Outline

Messages Page 2468 of 2471: 1; ...; 2465; 2466; 2467; 2468; 2469; 2470; 2471; Prev; Next; Last

#24667 of 24700 Re: Mercede Benz and all the others [bob204] by stkntraffic Aug 21, 2009 (2:45 pm)
Replying to: bob204 (Aug 21, 2009 11:09 am) However, that same review ranked the Audi in first place, and I have not yet met an Audi owner who would ever buy another one. I know a number of people that took meticulous care of their Audi, and had premature transmission failure, electrical problems, etc. And most repairs are $1K +. The point being, I take all the car reviews with a grain of salt. The reviewer generally looks at how well-engineered the car is. But good engineering does not always equal reliability. Replies to this message: carnaught (Aug 22, 2009 9:20 am) jimbres (Aug 22, 2009 1:11 pm) stkntraffic (Aug 22, 2009 3:36 pm) trekrider (Aug 26, 2009 11:22 am)
#24668 of 24700 Re: LS vs. E350 [benznessman] by sanjaysdca Aug 21, 2009 (2:58 pm)
Replying to: benznessman (Aug 21, 2009 10:26 am) I was just stating facts.. I had a 1995 infiniti...lasted 14 years/140000 miles. All I did was regular maintainence and finally sold it last year only because I got bored of it.... My wifes 2000 infiniti has 9 years/85000 miles no problems at all....so my experience with infiniti has been good. Last year I test drove (extensively) bunch of cars including (MB E class) and was underwhelmed by it...In fact to me (for the money) Genesis felt a better deal.
#24670 of 24700 Re: Mercede Benz and all the others [stkntraffic] by carnaught Aug 22, 2009 (9:20 am)
Replying to: stkntraffic (Aug 21, 2009 2:45 pm) "...that same review ranked the Audi in first place, and I have not yet met an Audi owner who would ever buy another one." Well, talk to i.d., Markcinncinnati on these boards (usually an Audi board) who's on his 30-some+ Audi. I've had three of them and would not hesitate to buy another; it's only a question of when. Replies to this message: jimbres (Aug 22, 2009 1:11 pm) stkntraffic (Aug 22, 2009 3:36 pm)
#24671 of 24700 Re: Mercede Benz and all the others [carnaught] by jimbres Aug 22, 2009 (1:11 pm)
Replying to: carnaught (Aug 22, 2009 9:20 am) Keep in mind that Mark leases his cars. I've read hundreds of his posts & I'm pretty sure that he's never purchased an Audi. And that's also true of every Audi driver among my friends & coworkers. They all lease. I had an absolutely horrific Audi ownership experience back in the 1980s. Still, I'd give the brand another chance - if I could meet a couple of long-term owners. I won't buy a car unless I can be reasonably confident that I'll get 8 years of service from it. My BMW 330i turned 8 a couple of months ago. It looks & runs like new, so I'll probably hang onto it for another 2 years. What will I buy next? Don't know yet. I'd like to put Audi on my short list - they're making some very attractive cars these days - but before I do that, I'll have to know more about how well the brand ages.
#24672 of 24700 Re: Mercede Benz and all the others [carnaught] by stkntraffic Aug 22, 2009 (3:36 pm)
Replying to: carnaught (Aug 22, 2009 9:20 am) Fair enough. I'm sure there are some happy Audi owners out there. The key word is owners, not leasers. There are many cars I'd take a chance with on a lease, because in a couple years you can walk away from it. Buying is another story.
#24673 of 24700 Re: LS vs. E350 [stkntraffic] by tayl0rd Aug 26, 2009 (10:13 am)
Replying to: stkntraffic (Aug 20, 2009 12:46 pm) Seems to me they're a better deal used... Any luxury/high price car is a better deal used. Replies to this message: bob204 (Aug 26, 2009 12:11 pm)
#24674 of 24700 Re: Mercede Benz and all the others [stkntraffic] by trekrider Aug 26, 2009 (11:22 am)
Replying to: stkntraffic (Aug 21, 2009 2:45 pm) The transmission in my 03 Audi A4 1.8T failed on the road yesterday. Mileage 62,400 - maintained regularly. Has anyone had a similar problem with the Audi?
#24675 of 24700 Re: LS vs. E350 [tayl0rd] by bob204 Aug 26, 2009 (12:11 pm)
Replying to: tayl0rd (Aug 26, 2009 10:13 am) Though we can all agree that used is cheaper then new we probably can also agree that if comparisons were made, using all factors, minus price the LS would come out ahead. Owning a Mercedes is akin to owning a boat. The best time was buying and the best time was selling. Should I choose ego over quality I still might purchase a used LS. If the ego satisfaction comes from the 3 pointed star buy one and keep it on your desk. Hoorays for the Lexus brand.
#24676 of 24700 A different view of the HELC by blckislandguy Sep 12, 2009 (6:08 pm)
Replying to: sanjaysdca (Aug 20, 2009 8:17 am) Here is another take on the whole HELC thing. 1) Clearly there is no relatonship between purchase price and ownership satisfaction. In fact, for some people the more they pay for a car, the crazier they get if they have a problem. Take a look at the posts on the MB S Class site by a guy who paid 140K for an S63, had his air conditioner compressor fail, and it will take MB a month to get him one. In the interim they will "only" give him an E Class to drive. This guy is almost beside himself with anger. 2) Moreover, not only is there no relationship between purchase price and customer satisfaction, there is no relationship between purchase price and reliability/longevity of the vehicle. A BMW 7 Series or an S Class will not last any longer than a Chevy Malibu. In fact, given the complex electronics, a 12 year old 7 Series or S Class may be at the end of its economic life. The idea of buying an S Class as you hit 60 and driving off into the sunset with it is outmoded. If you agree with me on a lack of a relationship between purchase price and happiness and purchase price and reliability/longevity, what are we left with? Probably the "sweet spot" is on that CD list of the five best cars for 50K!, On a personal note, we recently added a new 2009 Volvo XC to our fleet (Porsche Cayenne, 2001 XC, 2008 Silverado, 1987 Grand Cherokee Wagoneer, etc) and love it. We paid 35K for it, got 5 years of free maintenance and factory warranty and couldn't be happier.