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Comments
I know it's a poor cousin, but does anyone where the C43 bd. went? Couldn't find it in Search.
Thanks.
Good luck
- mclaus
And the Jag's stereo is actually quite phenomenal. Alpine is known for very good car stereo systems. You sure you are testing an up-to-date XJR?
http://www.imprezawrx.com/wrx.htm
And for only $23,995? Hmm...
I had an order for an E55 in the May 2000 but still would not have gotten it until late this fall. The Mercedes dealer was charging MSRP.
GaryD
GaryD
The designo and expresso special order series however, are different. If you are looking at the beige or green two tone seats, they are the designo and expresso series with the napa seats.
Hope this helps.
The price is also a big difference.
I have 2 questions.
1. Did anyone test drive the 540ia and compared it to the E55
2. Is everyone paying MSRP for the car ?
I drove both cars and the BMW was nice. The pickup was very quick. I felt the E55 was a little slow to take off.
I would like to get the M5 but the wait is long and my wife can't drive a manual.
thanks
1. E55 is significantly faster (you probably had the car in the winter mode starting in 2nd gear).
2. E55 as a limited production car holds its value much better than the mass produced 540iA.
3. E55 has far more leg room in the back, important in my case, also a bigger trunk.
4. I felt that the E55 corners and brakes much better than the 540iA, although it tends to follow road imperfection more.
5. I worry about all the small problems with BMWs, door seal squeaks, door rattles, etc.
6. Believe it or not, the E55 has better gas mileage than the 540iA.
7. To be fair, I prefer the interior layout of the 540iA more than the E55.
Overall, I think the E55 is a more fun car and a better buy, if you consider the long term cost of ownership.
They are very different cars, and thus one must wonder what you're looking for. The fact you want automatic indicates you want everyday practicality. Everybody that owns the E55 says the car combines amazing everyday practicality (bar the somewhat harsher ride) with super-sportcar performance.
If you can consider the 2, you probably should pick the E55, I think. really, it is *much* faster than the normal 540.
...pablo
I will hopefully make a decision by this weekend and I will post on the good or bad news.
Thanks
Most people around here seem to have paid MSRP, but that also often means a wait. Although the situation might have changed a little as of the last 2 months (for the better).
Go for the E55!
thanks
You have narrowed it down to cars that are all very competent, even if they scale differently on the fire and passion scale. Personally, I find the normal E-class very corporate-PC-correct, and somewhat dull. But there is no doubt it is a great car, and probably you can spice it up some with Merc special parts and accs.
Buy what's right for you!
The E-55 has incredible performance, much more than an E-430 and the trade off is that the ride can be stiff. My wife never complained about this, but I feel it is noticeably stiffer than a BMW 540 (I also have a 540 touring and I love the ride quality).
Thanks for the reply back. I am really itching for the E55. I didn't like the way the E430 was very easy to move around with a less than stiff steering. My wife like it. I think we will make our final decision by Friday. So I hope to be a part of the Elite E55 AMG group.
To be continued...
Thanks again
However, you'll probably have to concentrate more when driving the E55 as it tends to follow the road imperfections (more than the E430) as the car has rather stiff suspension and low profile tires.
Good luck.
I just have a few more questions. I live in NJ and I was wondering can the E55 drive OK in a few inches of snow ? This will be my main car because my second car is a Supra TT and they can't can not be driven in anything but Sunny weather.
Next Question, when I test drove the E55 and I thought it rode very well. But what I've been reading everyone is saying it's a hard ride. Right now I have a Maxima SE and I find the ride ok. I know I am not comparing apples to apples but how hard is the ride. If I drove it 3 hours would my arms be stiff and my rear sore. I don't want my wife to complain. She has sat in my Supra for about 2 hours and no complaints except getting out of the car
thanks everyone again.
To be continued again...
The M5 on the other hand seems to have quite a lot of tiny problems which you can read about on www.bmwm5.com. Some mentioned about the rear deck rattling and some warned us not to order the rear fold-down seats as they tend to squeak.
However, either car will be very comfortable for your wife. The M5 may have a superior seat for the passenger if you can get the comfort seats with the adjustable seat back, however, the E55's seats will hold you better as they have inflatable side bolsters holding you tightly as you corner.
The benefit of the automatic transmission is that if you are just an average driver, with the E55 in the winter mode, you should have less problem controlling the car in the snow compared to the M5. However, I would not like to take any car with summer tires in the snow at all, including the E430. With winter tires on, the E55, E430, M5 would both do really well but those performance summer tires, while good in the wet, would not be very safe in the snow (and I wonder if your insurance will cover you if you get into an accident?)
Happy shopping!
I have to assume that the E55 would be basically the same - maybe worse since I think the weight distribution is even more forward in the E55 than my car. The M5 might be better - since I think the weight distribution is closer to equal in the BMW
- mclaus
The XJR is my first car ever with traction control. I had powerful cars before, and I very much remember a few scares in the rain, and a pretty scary (albeit funny) snow experience. The XJR, despite the 370HP, is an utter darling to drive in the rain. You can try to get it to do mischief, and it'll go "Sir, I would love to comply, and yet I am not entirely convinced you truly intended us to drive off the road." while seemingly thinking "Phht. Stupid lead-footed sucidal fool. I'll show you how this is done."
Is there anything I can do about both items ?
Also, if I don't get the Command Center can I still get the Voice package ? Can I upgrade later when they finally get DVD GPS system ? Or I was thinking about getting the Alpine GPS System. Any comments on that ?
Thanks again
Kenny
Personally, I'm waiting to see what Alpine comes up with..
I paid sticker for an '01 E55. Put $2,000 down November 8th (ordered it 2 weeks previous), and will be picking it up at Sindelfingen on May 2nd. Included in the price is 15 days insurance for driving in Europe, and 2 nights at one of the hotels chosen for the European Delivery (or two different hotels)
Anyone on the board here done the Euro Delivery deal? Would love to hear about it. Mac
I bet it will be tough waiting for the car to arrive at my dealer. 2 months? Seriously?
Discount? The only thing I save was the $645 destination charge.
Thanks for your reply, Mac
M
M
Essentially, I am looking to get the car from 370 HP to ~425 HP. I have contacted an outfit in Bronxville, NY called Eurotek Designs (http://www.eurotekdesigns.com) who indicate that the following things must be done to acheive such a goal:
1. Under drive pulley and exhaust: ~ $5000. This will get the car to about 450BHp w/ 423lb/ft. torque
Additional modifications:
2. Brakes (Brembo): ~ $3,500
3. Suspension: ~ $900
4. Gear ratio: $2,300
These are parts prices, not installed prices. It was explained to me that a reputable Jaguar dealer (Seattle has no such thing) would likely charge $1,200 for installation of the exhaust, underdrive pully and maybe brakes. The suspension and gear ratio are not factored into the costs.
The brakes, suspension and gear ratio are not necessary for the Horsepower gains but brakes and suspension are recommended.
The modifications can be done at Eurotek (if you want to pay to ship the car) or at an approved local Jaguar dealer who is willing to do the work (Eurotek will ship the parts). I live in the Seattle area so I would probably find a dealer in California since the Jaguar establishments in my area are such avaricious swine!
So basically it is possible to add an additional 50-60 HP to the vehicle for under $10,000. If the brakes weren't included it would be around $7,000.
My question is for the 'real' user community out there to determine if this is realistic and/or recommended activity. Your perspective on this is appreciated...
Regarding the warranty, that is a question that I asked Eurotek. Based on their explanation, the changes do not void or otherwise compromise existing warranty on the car. I will be hooking up with a local Jaguar dealer to flat out ask the question. I will post the answer I get. Exhaust modifications would be the most obvious change, doing so does not invalidate warranty. The only other mechanical change is the underdrive pulley which would be undetectable unless a mechanic were looking specifically at or for it.
Visual modifications - I don't know. I am interested in making changes for a reason. In other words what benefit will I derive if I make this change. Horsepower improvements are clear, suspension makes sense, brakes make sense. But just asthetic changes. I am concerned that it will make the car look too 'pimpy' or 'high school'. The car has such an elegant and understated look to it deserves to be preserved. The only change that I am planning in this regard may be wheel/tire change. Perhaps a 19" Arden/Oz 2-piece wheel. No body modifications are necessary to compensate for this larger wheel. This would be visually striking yet subtle enough to maintain the original character of the car.
Good observations, thanks for you input...
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Both Paramount Performance (http://www.paramount-performance.com) and Arden (http://www.arden.de) have wheel/tire packages that include 19” wheels with 255/40 – ZR 19 tires and maintain the 8J wheel width that do not require any body modifications on the XJR. While the Arden/Oz Opera 2-piece wheels are striking, Phil suggested HRE wheels due to their strength and light weight. However, these wheels are pricey at ~$1,200/ea.
Bhill2 – Thanks for the referral to Silver Star Motors in Thousand Oaks. I gave Ray Marcuse a call yesterday but was only able to leave a message. Hopefully I will hear from him today and can discuss his experience with doing aftermarket modifications to Jaguars to see if the things that I want to do are reasonable or if I am insane. I know that I am not the first to pursue Jaguar tuning (just looking at Arden and Paramount proves this). If the modifications are AMG or Dinan quality I will do them. By the way, what do you mean by "the first one got stuffed" when referring to one of the Jaguars you purchased at Silver Star?
Warranty issues are still a minor concern and I asked the Jaguar dealer to confirm/deny any issues with this. The service manager wasn’t around to talk to but they suggested that they would find out for certain. I guess what I really want to know is if I do these changes and the engine or tranny explode, am I out of pocket because I put a new exhaust or gear ratio in. Hmmm.... Stand by for an answer.