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High End Luxury Cars

24723 messages,  Last post on Jan 28, 2013 at 6:55 PM

You are in the Sedans Forum.

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.

Messages Page 849 of 2473

#8478 of 24723 Re: CR and the X5 [syswei] by hpowders

Mar 10, 2005 (9:10 pm)

Replying to: syswei (Mar 10, 2005 8:51 pm)
All well and good, but what about the 2005 BMW 5 series? 13 full or half red circles indicating above average reliability and 1 clear circle indicating average reliability. So no below average ratings out of 14 possible trouble spots for 2004-the first year for the new model. A very impressive showing! From this, CR gives this car a much worse than average projection for 2005?
I believe CR has some 'splainin' to do!
I wrote them about this specific example and hope they respond.

#8479 of 24723 Re: [jovialanus] by rgsw

Mar 10, 2005 (10:35 pm)

Replying to: jovialanus (Feb 24, 2005 1:46 am)
I copied the following from the Lexus.com safety features for the LS430. If I read it correctly, the LS430 does have "side-curtain airbags" on all LS430s. I know you said "read side airbags", does the "side-curtain airbags" suffice?
Quote: "For added protection, side-curtain airbags [1] run from the front to the rear, across the side windows. We've also equipped the LS with driver's- and passenger's-side knee airbags [1]." end Quote.
Maybe Lexus waites a while to see if the new technology is really going to work before adobting it, thus a better quality rating.

#8480 of 24723 Lexus' 18 months Roadmap by oac

Mar 10, 2005 (10:44 pm)

Can be found posted at this link
 
oac, "The Next Lexus IS!" #1317, 11 Mar 2005 12:37 am
 
If this roadmap holds true, coupled with MB and BMW releases to come, buyers should have plenty to choose from. And maybe provide even more debating issues for die-hard fans on all sides over the coming years....
 

#8484 of 24723 Re: Edmund's Poll on Luxury Car Makers in the US [oac] by merc1

Mar 10, 2005 (11:18 pm)

Replying to: oac (Mar 10, 2005 7:04 pm)
That poll just goes to show how much people really know because Lexus and Mercedes sell more high dollar cars than Acura.
 
M

#8485 of 24723 Re: Lexus' 18 months Roadmap [oac] by merc1

Mar 10, 2005 (11:38 pm)

Replying to: oac (Mar 10, 2005 10:44 pm)
Yep they all have a lot on the way, but I think Lexus and Mercedes might have more product on the way than BMW does.
 
Mercedes' roadmap for 2006 and 2007:
  
2006 E350 (on sale now, 268hp V6)
2006 E55 Wagon (special order only)
  
2006 S65 AMG (On sale next month)
  
2006 CLS500 and CLS55 AMG (on sale now!)
  
2006 C350 (268hp V6)
2006 C280 (227hp V6)
2006 C230 (200hp V6)
All on sale in June of 2005.
  
SLK280 (227hp V6) On sale this summer.
  
ML350 (268hp V6)
ML500 (302hp V8)
Both on sale last week of April 2005
  
CLK - facelifted model range, including new CLK350. On sale this fall.
  
R-Class - debuts at New York Autoshow and goes on sale late fall/early winter 2005.
  
S-Class - debuts at the IAA (Frankfurt Auto Show) in Sept 2005, debuts here at Detroit 2006, goes on sale first quarter of 2006.
  
2007 and beyond: E, SL facelift w/new V8s for MY2007. Entirely new C-Class for MY2008. New CLK in 2008.
 
M

#8486 of 24723 merc1 by syswei

Mar 11, 2005 (6:19 am)

What about the G? Also I heard that its going to be just slightly shorter than a Suburban...what do you hear? IMHO that might be a little too big for the luxury market.

#8487 of 24723 Mercedes Safety by designman

Mar 11, 2005 (6:22 am)

Regarding the Princess Diana tragedy I would like to point out that the driver wasn’t fatally cue-balled by the unrestrained back-seat passengers who were probably projectiles in that crash. This could be testament to the integrity of the front head restraints and seats which I have no doubt is designed into the S. The again, I don't know, was there a privacy partition in that vehicle? That alone could have done them in. Also, it is hard to know what the dynamics were in that incident—the direction of the forces and level of impact—it is virtually impossible to speculate unless it has undergone a thorough engineering analysis which is also speculation, similar to being unable to calculate where pool balls will be positioned after a break. My engineering intuition tells me that because the driver survived there was mostly frontal impact. Surviving lateral forces in a car going that speed is a tough proposition.
 
The important thing to remember in this safety debate is the original point made when it was started a couple of days ago. With all of MB’s reliability problems, it is very reasonable for a buyer to speculate whether safety components are included within their realm of problems. I can easily see how someone focused on safety would raise an eyebrow and say "later for Mercedes"—regardless of the truth. That said, I personally believe the safety integrity of the Mercedes helped save the driver in the Princess tragedy and to suggest anything regarding Lexus here is indeed ridiculous.

Messages Page 849 of 2473

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