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OTOH, the kid in the car seat probably isn't opening the door. It's older (but not too much older) kids who tend to open the door with too much enthusiasm.
Disposable sticky rubber strips that you can apply to all protruding points or the door edge of adjoining cars.
Does anyone remember that back in the 70s or so cars had rubber strips along the sides? They were right at door-contact height, and served to protect against the Dreaded Ding. But like all good ideas, they went the way of the dinosaurs.
I wonder whether the state of the interior of the car is a better indicator of whether the driver is likely to ding his neighbor...a neat freak probably wouldn't but if it's messy, watch out.
Have you seen the new 6.3L AMG V8? 510hp and like 464lb-ft of torque, naturally aspirated. I'm reading on other boards where the supercharger on the current V8 is too tall for future MB's to pass Euro pedestrian safety regs. The hardest point of the engine must be a certain distance from the hood to allow for more crush space if a pedestrian dents the hood. That and it is lot to keep it up to date emission wise from 2007 onwards in Europe. The specs on the new V8 read like a racing engine, and its probably no coincidence that its tech-heavy like the new V10 from BMW.
M
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8840360/
I knew Mercedes was having some problems, but not this many.
No, but the parent who is unfastening and lifting the kid is bent down and his/her hinee may slam the door into your precious ride ;<( .
Exactly. Once you've been initiated, subsequent dings sting less.
But (and let's not get technical here ), some areas make a bigger deal out of carpooling than others, and if you live in one of them, those passenger doors will get a workout too.
What's not a luxury car? All the cars on this board, because one is putting $50,000 down on the street every day and worried to death about all the damage that can be done to it. That is no luxury!
I buy my cars & keep them for 4 - 10 years. Dings happen. I drive a lot, too. That's why I enjoy cars that can do it well.
I'll not say more. I put a whole paragraph in here about getting a life and such, but it's gone now.
Would you rather look at the car, or drive it? That's the question that I've caused more than a few discussions asking, in several boards. Is it an art object (see, I left out the French equivalent), or a device to help you get somewhere and/or have have a lot of fun doing it?
Yeah, it ought to look good, but. . . The reality is that if you use a car every day & drive it 15 - 20K per year. . .it'll get dinged. Duh.
Do you drive it the way it was meant to be used, or do you park it, hoping for an appropriately appreciative response from some third party?
If I saw an M3 or M5 that was dinged all over, complete with bugs aplenty on the forward surfaces, I'd want to sit with the driver and discuss where they'd been, and how they liked it, and a (possibly) better route the next time. Drivers enjoy comparing notes. The folks who appreciate art probably look at it differently.
Note that I said if, not when.
At the moment (before I drop $50,000 on one of these cars), I have a '97 Maxima with 91,000 miles, and have the luxury of parking it in the closest space to wherever I'm going, without checking out the cars on either side, doing some demographic analysis on the driver, hypothetizing about whether there's a passenger, checking out the interior of the other cars looking for car seats, taking pictures of the license plates of the adjoining cars, doing DNA screening of the drivers adjacent, etc. Frankly, I don't care who's parking next to me. That's luxury. Of course, when I succumb to the big $50,000 temptation, like the rest of you, I'll be parking a half mile away from my destination, and staying home when it acid rains or hails (God forbid).
By the way, how can I do the DNA screening? Walmart has a kit for that?
Sometimes the photos don't come out because I gotta snap the plate while facing the sun.
I think that adding the E only as the AMG would make sense for the 'performance' nature of the forum. The E350 which accounts for 80% of MB's E class sales, is NOT a 'performance' sedan, though it might drive 'nice' by some folk's standards.
My wife DOES think I'm nuts, though.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8840360/
I knew Mercedes was having some problems, but not this many."
Great article - and I just took the S-Class off my list of possible Sedans to buy. :sick:
The car is simply gawjis!
You have a great outlook cdn. Cars are made to drive and be driven. It should be about function. However, I must admit - I get my bugs washed off quickly and a lot - and I fix dings. BUT, I do drive the cars, and park anywhere and take my chances. Generally, I do ok.
U.S. year-to-date sales data indicate that the market here has finally figured out that the MB isn't such a smart buy (or lease) these days. Can you imagine going to a cocktail party in the Hamptons and bragging about your new MB? I can just see the polite smiles and hear the quick "excuse-me's".
Finally, the caché has crashé.
Bill from my body shop: $1,100.
I told my insurance agent that this must be the first with something like this, and he said, "Are you kidding? This happens every day."
My advice: never park downhill in a supermarket parking lot.
I also shop when most folks aren't there-very early in the morning.
That's what the force field is for. (May the Force be with you??? :P )
Well I've read all that before, its pretty much more of the same. I think the union will survive and prosper after 2005, just my opinion. Provided they get the right folks in place to run things. Mercedes for one has already stopped the quarterly losses by posting the thinnest of profits last quarter. The real problem on the Benz side of the house is Smart, which should be dumped or partnered up with someone. I don't think the latter will happen and former should, but won't either.
Where I don't agree with the article is where they're saying there is no synergy between the two companies. Chrylser has the hottest cars they've had in the last 20+ years because of Mercedes. That simply can't be overlooked imo.
M
Not really. What they suggest is that the E-Class just got a whole lot of new competition (even some internal competition in the form of the CLS) and the S-Class is in its last model year. If there was this big downturn against Mercedes in general, the M, SLK, and CLS wouldn't be selling as good as they are. They're way up over last year (M,SLK) and/or are within a few hundred units of the yearly goal (10K) in just 7 months, the CLS.
The E-Class seems to be bouncing back. I think for the E to have kept a first or second place spot in sales with a half-dozen newer cars having hit the market in a year's time is very impressive. Is some of that status? Most definitely but status alone can't alone stem the tide against so many newer cars. The next big thing is the new S-Class. If it doesn't go over well then MB does indeed have a problem because a lot is riding on it. I don't think the R-Class is going to set any sales records though. Lets see what that facelift brings the E for 2007.
M
I watched this guy use a special tool (a long rod with a L-shaped tip) to access my quarterpanel through the rear tail lens assembly, and literally push the dent out on my A4. You can't even tell there was ding there. Same thing with a dent I had on my fender on my Civic Si. He went through the wheel well.
Body shops have to be a bit concerned, since this takes business away from them. But anytime you don't have to repaint a body panel, all the better. And all the cheaper.
Good luck with your new GS. My wife's RL also has a Diamond Pearl (white) exterior and a parchment leather interior. A friend's wife also had a previous generation GS in this same combination. And another friend has a girlfriend who drives a GX470 with the same combo. At the risk of stereotyping, seems women prefer that color combination over men???? Sure is easier to keep clean, that's for sure.
I'm not sure if there's much of a market for the R-class or not, but BMW seems to think so, as they are hard at work on a competitor.
No problem with stereotyping. With our politically correct culture, people fear making any comments like this. But I believe it is true: white cars with light interiors are more of a woman thing. It's not that a man can't buy them, drive them, enjoy them, and look good in them; it's just that more women buy them than one would predict by chance. I agree. My last four coupes or sedans have been white exteriors. My last two SUVs have been green.
I actually started out wanting a kind of sand color exterior with black interior, but the GS didn't come in this color combo.
I found it very interesting that the GS doesn't use the champagne color over the whole interior. It's on the seats, the carpet, and much of the trim, but the top trim under the windshield is a very dark brown or dark ash color. I like it, since it breaks things up a bit and helps alleviate sun glare. It is a bit unusual though.
I decided to narrow my search to AWD LPS. I live at the end of a long driveway that is tough to get in and out of in the winter even here in Cincinnati. I bought a Yukon Denali last year in order to deal with that issue and still be able to keep my beloved BMW.
In my search for a new car I have test driven:
BMW 530xi twice
Mercedes E320 4matic with a sport package
Lexus GS 300 AWD three times
Infiniti M350 AWD or whatever they call it
Audi A6 with the small engine once and with the 4.2 twice
Acura RL twice
For comparison I also drove the Audi A8, and S4.
I do not consider myself especially knowledgeable. I tend to be up to date on the latest major car magazine articles, and think they do provide a nice source of reference information that makes me a better consumer. Of course I read Edmunds.
So far these are my impressions. They are worth what you are paying for them.
BMW -- Nothing drives like the BMW. The steering gives you a feel of the road unmatched by any other car in the above grouping. That being said the price they want you to pay for that road feel is steep. I wanted and priced a manual transmission. It appears the only way to get it is to order the car. My 4 years experience with the dealership here was, in general good.
Mercedes -- It is a nice car. The E350 is probably much better. I haven't given it a lot of consideration due to quality issues. I do own a 2000 E320 4matic wagon, and can attest to the problems with the electronics in those cars. Added to that is what in my opinion is a poor dealership here in Cincinnati.
Lexus -- The GS 300AWD is a pretty darn good car. I drove it a few times to find a fatal flaw and couldn't. It is somewhat underpowered, but it still has some spunk. The steering is very much like the Mercedes, which is good if not as engaging as the BMW. The ergonomics of the drivers seat are terrific. The touch screen interface is a great help, as are the seats that blow air up your ... All in all it is a very good Mercedes replacement. I worried about the reported the computers having a heavy hand. When this car gets a bigger engine it might be something.
Infiniti -- I am not a great fan of the manager of the local dealership, who is more of a self promoter than a dealership promoter. That being said the car is an excellent car. It is a little too much boy racer for my taste, but again it is an excellent car.
Audi -- The Audis have a V-8 option, and that is a great thing. That engine makes the car a good choice. I thought the A-6 with the 3.2 was underpowered. The A-6 with the 4.2 and a 6 speed automatic is a wonderful choice. The engine winds out well. The sounds coming from the engine compartment reminds me of a formula 1 racer. The A-8 is a great car, but I am not sure if the price premium is worth it. The S-4 beat the heck out of me.
Acura -- This is a tough call. I could get one for $45K and change. The car drives well, but you know you are in a really nice Honda. The question between this and an Audi is whether you want to pay the price premium for what you get. From my standpoint the jury is still out.
I have submitted this as an aide for discussion. I would appreciate any comments on the relative strengths or weaknesses of any of the above cars. I am in no rush to buy. I still have the Denali to run around in.
The E350 got some fresh ponies this year like the BMW, but otherwise not much has changed. Theres not enough data on MB to know if they really have the problems under control or not, though they did reasonably well on IQS this year. The E has no bluetooth system, and to do hands-free stuff you must use the MB phone, which is lame. I'll stick with my Treo 650, thanks.
I like the GS300 a lot more than I like the 430. The GS300 doesnt have the ultra agressive VDIM stability system as in the 430, or the variable ratio (AS) steering, which makes it a much less annoying car. The electronics are also the easiest to use in the class, though I didnt really have any trouble with the Infiniti system, which I think is designed better than the RL's. Like the RL, the GS is on the small side in terms of interior volume, and the trunk design is poor. CR said the driving position was "flawed" in their report, but I was able to get comfortable. It sounds like you didnt have a problem there either. The GS300 could use more horses, unfortunately it wont get them for at least a year.
The A6 is very nice, and its interior (IMO) is much nicer than the Benz and the BMW. I also like MMI better than iDrive and COMAND. If I were gonna go German, I'd go with an A6. The lower price compared to the E and 5 also makes a V8 an option, and unlike Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, and BMW, you can get the V8 and AWD together. Reliability is again unknown at this point, but Audi has been doing much better with that than either MB or BMW lately.
The Acura (again IMO) is just an OK car. Its a good value at $45K, but I wouldn't pay any more for it than that. Acura set the MSRP a bit too high. For 2006 Acura is adding a "Technology package" that adds Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), basically the same as MB's PreSafe and Lexus' PCS systems. The radar also allows for auto cruise controll. The car will also come with Michelin PAX Run-Flat tires. The Acura can offer you almost everything that anyone else can in terms of technology, but as you said, you're driving basically a big Honda.
The Infiniti is my favorite car in the segment. The M35 can make short work of the GS and RL in terms of acceleration thanks to short gearing, but at the same time that means higher revs (and more engine noise) at highway speeds. The Infiniti is the closest to the BMW in terms of driving dynamics, at a much better price. The interior space feels much bigger than GS or RL.
I love to drive.
I'd rather do it in something that does it well, but I enjoy thousands of miles a year in rental appliances for business. OTOH, I've blasted through the Canadian Rockies in the middle of the night in my own very capable vehicle with the aurora on display and no traffic anywhere around, and touched the face. . . (oh wait, that's for those who fly).
In my world, the journey is the important thing. The car (or truck) is. . . the vehicle.
" I'm not gonna spend that money on an overpriced accord" is rubbish. And don't tell me money isn't a factor, cause if it wasn't a lot of y'all would be over on the Bently- Rolls Royce thread.
Just feal the need to stick up for a fabulous car