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Comments
I couldn't adjust the driver's seat to my satisfaction when I drove the GS300/GS430.
CR seems to say the same thing. That should be worth a renewal to CR right there!
Many of the RL's body panels are made of aluminum, so I'm not sure if it will work on those. Interesting experience the other day when my son wanted to stick one of the (annoying) magnetic yellow ribbons on her mother's RL. Well, they don't stick because many of the RL panels are not made of sheet metal! Took me a second before I was able to intelligently explain to my son why the magnets wouldn't stick.
Who's making the money on those magnets anyway? I keep visualizing some slimeball making millions and tanning himself on the beach, thanks to selling "Support Our Troops" yellow ribbon magnets. Surely the money goes to a good cause, but I somehow doubt it.
What a letdown!
For the very first time I drove a 2006 E350 4-matic and a 2005 E500 4-matic. MB's recent reliabilty problems were on my mind, but the moment I sat in these vehicles I was very impressed and one ten mile drive sold me. The E500 was my initial choice, but a second drive in the E350 convinced me it was adequate for my needs.
Bottom line, to my surprise I purchased an E350 4 Matic and am so far very happy with the vehicle.Therefore, my question is how come this vehicle has been virtually ignored in this discussion?
It's interesting that the perennial sales leader in this class is virtually ignored in this thread. I'm not sure why E class owners don't chime in more. In fact, it got so little mention that the moderator took this thread off the E class forum.
Maybe with the new V6 and all, people are more excited about this car, and will get more mention if this thread is put back in the E class forum.
And the corollary to that is if you park next to another LPS you are less likely to get Dinged.
I try to park away from the madding crowds (the Great Unwashed?), and whenever possible I park at the end of a row so there is only one car next to me. I also park next to bimmers or MBs when I can find them. On a really good day, I'll find two shiny new LPSs with a space between.
True the E doesn't have as many toys as some of the newer entries.
I disagree about AWD and a Mercedes being an afterthought. Mercedes is only one of 2 makes that offers the option on both their V6 and V8 models, them and Audi. Mercedes' 4Matics are very popular in certain areas of the country. If you visit a state like Minnesota every E and S-Class you see are of the 4Matic variety.
The only reason Acura and Audi market agressively is because that is the only way their cars come in this class.
I suspect things will pick up on the mesg board when the E500 gets the new 5.5L 382hp V8 from the 2007 S500, along with a facelift.
M
Now, if they were heavily discounting, I may be interested, but the last time I went to a M-B dealership, they weren't giving them away.
It's a lot like picking six different kinds of apples and then declaring one of them to be the "Most Tasty Fruit in the Universe".
(Just kidding, Merc1)
Maybe Pat should remove one of the GS models and replace it with the E (only one of the M versions is listed).
If you are willing to head north a good ways you should look at a MB dealership with very large inventory.
The main one in Boston is Herb Chambers. They show 105 E-350's and E500's (a few) in stock on lilne today, ranging from around $53K to $68K. You can ping the ISDs for a deal, follow up with a call.
They have to sell MB's with heavy discounting to turn over that much inventory. Nobody with their brains in gear pays list for any car on the lot unless they just like to send the sales guy's kids to college.
Totally agree: Look for 2 LPS to park between. If I can't do that, I try to find an island to park next to. At least my odds for dings go down 50%.
Granted this is year 25 for Audi, but Mercedes could hardly be called for having a casual affair with AWD.
However, even with Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes, VW and Volvo offering some to wide availability of AWD -- the company that seems to be synonymous with AWD is, sadly, Subaru.
Ask the "person on the street" and they will probably be able to note the SAV from BMW and Mercedes, Subaru and finally Audi.
The real loser here, once again thank you Audi of America marketing, is Audi.
Audi squandered its "lead," its secret weapon, for almost 25 years. Now, although Audi cars are the best ever, they are not synonymous with quattro and AWD like they perhaps could have been and some (me) would argue should have been. :confuse:
However in safety and solid driving "feel" (admitedly subjective) the E class is second to none. Finally, the new E V6 is an excellent engine and dramatically changes, in my view, the E350's competitiveness with other V6 competitors.
When MB brings the diesel E class with 4-matic here, I believe AWD buyers will have a unique choice with that engines tremendous tourque.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Additionally, I try to park next to 4 door, rather than 2-door cars. Less travel/smaller doors.
You're welcome.
BTW, I had a horrible dream last night, thanks to reading these posts, my car had somehow morphed into this cool-looking convertible sports car, but had been absolutely trashed in a parking lot. As I looked at the damage, it got worse and worse before my eyes.
Yoiks!
I agree...Never, never, never park next to a two-door/coupe.
My luck is that I will park between two LPS vehicles when I go into a store, but when I come out, the only remaining driveable gremlins/pacers/Yugos in the state are parked beside me (1/2 mile from the store) and encroaching, once again, on MY space.
Thank you!
PS-One flaw in parking between passenger doors is that the driver is more likely to be careful in opening his/her door than a potential passenger. But, as you say, many times there is no passenger.
I like the child seat thing very much.
How about we start a company with products for people like us:
1. A small canister that you can insert into the lock of the doors nearest your car, that temporarily disables that lock from being used.
2. A radar or laser detector that activates a voice warning when an object gets too close to our cars.
3. Disposable sticky rubber strips that you can apply to all protruding points or the door edge of adjoining cars.
Or maybe we can work out an arrangement with Targets/ Macys/Walmarts to have courtesy 'pens' that people will park in with their nice cars. If JUST Target has these, they will get all those affluent people who can afford vehicles like these (of course, no one will tell them that after buying one and paying for its maintenance/gas we have no money left)
This will sound funny, but a couple of times, when I absolutely had no other place to park than next to somebody crowding my space, I took a snapshot of their car over the line with my cell phone, including license plate. What would I have done if they had caused some damage...? Who knows.
Might cause me to take a car with said alloy out of the garage and make him/her millions and millions of $$$.
Quite frankly and honestly, we don't have a hope or a prayer of keeping our new luxury vehicles dingless and scratch-free so long as we park in shopping malls, shopping centers, etc. And what about those SOB's who purposely key your car because they are jealous over the fact that you can drive a new MB, Bimmer, or Lexus and they can't?
So...I just drive it, pray it won't happen, and when it does, I just get "sick!"
The company is Roche and they manufacture Valium!
But there is no defense against being "keyed" by the jealously insane.
Unless a metal alloy can be blended that is both ding-proof and scratch-proof.
This will only happen if some genius metallurgist has his/her LPS dinged and keyed.
I hope I live to see such an innovation.
I once parked inbetween a CL600 and what appeared to be a just-off-the-lot 645Ci. Both 2-door coupes. No problems Change them to say, a Celica and a Mustang, and yeah, bad idea.
I noticed it will be equipped with two sets of tires - front and rear, so rotating tires would not be an option on the vehicle. But if I had one, I'd probably run the tires through the tread before I could rotate them anyway.
Definitely going to make the headlines for performance and handling, but where I live on the southeast coast of Florida, unless it came with pontoons, exceeding 75 mph on any roads down here would be like committing suicide. And I now worry about dings and my car being keyed by jealous wannabees, I wonder how I would ever get the courage to pull into a shopping mall.
On the other hand, if BMW would like a south Floridian to demo the car for a few months, I would not have any difficulty volunteering.
Come to think of it, wouldn't that be a great invention where one could make millions. Just set your "deflectors to the on position" and no one could come within 3 feet of your car without being jolted. Then, when you want to access your new luxury vehicle, press the "deflectors off" button on your remote, and voila, you have access. Hmmmm...not a bad solution if I say so myself.
Any problems, the sitter writes down the plate number of the person from the other vehicle.
I'm just pulling your chain a little...
Enjoy your BMW's guys - I sure do!!!
So, 70 hp for free!!!!
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As for 70hp for "free", for some reason, I don't think one could consider anything on a BMW, or for that matter, any luxury car in this class, "free!" - EXCEPT THE DINGS, AS MENTIONED ABOVE. But if you fix the dings, then you "pay!"
Enjoy guys!!!
What are the 2006 530's leasing for?
The reason I didn't lease this time was because I got my 06 530i for about 1250.00 over invoice and an interest rate from Wachovia on a 15,000 balance at 3.99% for 60 months. I just like low monthly payments on my vehicles - 278 per month for 60 months is something I can manage considering I am fast approaching 61 years old and have retirement coming up fast, if you know what I mean.
You were right about the gas mileage. OUCH!
I will probably return to my beloved 3 series after I get this 5 series out of my system.(Translation: I sold my soul for 3 years and I gotta wait!!)
You think BMW will have the Comfort Access push button starting system by then?
MORE HORSEPOWER seems to be the direction Lexus is taking which has to translate to their other models.
Good things come to those who wait ... patiently. Right? :P
But when I bought my new GS300 AWD, I got a dent repair contract with it. Does anybody have any experience with this? It's a thrid party, but they camp out in my dealer's service department, so they can de-ding your car every time you bring it in for an oil change. I figured I could rest easier knowing I'd already got it covered without having to treat every ding like a collision.