guys my dad's getting rid of the jaguar and we are in the market for a sedan which will be my dad's daily driver ray catena has a 2002 MB S500 for about 60k which is looking good.. we have a QP spot which is due for speccing in 2 weeks but I'm not sure I want it being the first year of the car and stuff, not a big fan of the 7 series styling and the M5 is too far away.. gonna try to get him to test the S55, i heard that car is amazing any recommendations for a good reliable and fast sedan?
Mercedes is always a good choice but keep in mind that the knew shape of the S-CLass is due in a year. If you are only buying a car for daily driver i recommend the S500 4-Matic because of the weather we have in the North East. My mom has an S600 now and it is horrible in the snow and the S55 would be even worse, she is trading it in for an S500 4-Matic. The 7-Series is a great drivers car but the LOOKS are hard to get over but that leads to some nice discounts on the car. You should also look at the Audi A8 as it is a beautiful car and also comes in all-wheel drive. I know quite a few people at BMW and Mercedes so if you need an introduction let me know. Rehan
its a beautiful car but no loaner car when car needs to be serviced and a big hassle just like any italian car to get fixed just not reasonble option for an everyday car.
you'd be surprised how many peopel dont know what a sedan is! the only reason i dont want MB is cause they are a dime a dozen! every alternate car in fort lee is a MB!
I agree about BMW styling - gross. The Merc is a great car, but, I agree, it will look dated as soon as the new one comes out. How about a Lexus LS430? I've heard nothing but good things, but, IMO, it's pretty boring, and isn't what you'd call fast. So, I think that leave the QP and the A8. Is this for here or India? (i.e. is AWD a factor?) If it's going to be a 4 season car, I would seriously consider the A8. But, that too is getting a bit of a facelift - I think they are all going to get styling similar to the W12. The Audi has a GREAT interior, best of the German trio by far. And the exterior styling is, for a sedan, also quite attractive. But, the A8 is second in looks to the Maserati. I've sat in this car a bunch of times now, and it really is something. Style, style, style. Everyone says the automatic sucks - fine, just use the paddles, then. I wouldn't worry about 1st year of production. As computer upgrades come out on the car (to the transmission, for instance), you can just get those upgrades fitted to your car. I think the car is a definite winner. I also think you'll be able to pick one up with 5K miles for about 75%-80% of MSRP in a year, but that's kind of true with all of the other sedans aside from the A8, which seems to hold its value, and the E55. The smart buy is the Audi. The emotional buy is the Maserati. That car is awesome.
the disappointing thing is FLI still havent got one in for a test drive yet! zach, good recommendations, this is for the tristate area in anycase
Hey U. As you know I'm an Audi guy and would recommend the A8 over the 7 and S class as well. You may also want to look into an RS6...450HP and in a nice stealth package...the car is a real beauty and AWD to boot. I have the A6 4.2 (with Mods) as my daily driver and it is really just perfect for me. AWD, powerful and reliable no matter what the weather conditions. I can hook you up with any Audi you're looking for at either Town Motors or Jack Daniels. As with the CS that I hooked Bobafett up with, I can get some SERIOUS discounts on the RS6 and have hooked up a number of guys on AudiWorld and RS6.com. Let me know and I'll be happy to hook you up for a test run in any of these. BTW, with some minor mods to the RS6 you'll be running 500+ HP and will have no problem keeping up and even passing some of our F-car buddies! ;-) Eric
It can, but it isn't as big as the A8 or S class, but it sure is one hell of a car my friend. I use it for business and everyone who sits in the back seems to be very happy with the space...and I'm 6'2"! Not to mentioned the fact that if you buy the RS6 at the right price and decide to move to the QP once the production cycle starts, you won't lose too much $$ in resale. I may actually buy it from ya! ;-) Let me know... Eric
It can, but it isn't as big as the A8 or S class, but it sure is one hell of a car my friend. I use it for business and everyone who sits in the back seems to be very happy with the space...and I'm 6'2"! Not to mentioned the fact that if you buy the RS6 at the right price and decide to move to the QP once the production cycle starts, you won't lose too much $$ in resale. I may actually buy it from ya! ;-) Let me know...here are a few sites to check out. www.rs6.com www.audiworld.com Eric
Eli I already have a deposit with FLI with my car due to be specced in a few weeks.. dont know if i want to go ahead with it though
The A6 is small (in my opinion). The full size sedans, QP, A8, S class, will have much more room in the back. On that note, I have to say I am absolutely amazed by the lack of space in the rear of these sedans. I sat in the back of whatever the top of the line Volvo sedan is last week for a half hour trip. I'm tiny, and my legs were still up against the seats in front of me. I've gone through 4 Subarus now that are just as big as an A6 wagon, but I can sit in the back and stretch my legs out straight in front of me. The small ones are even worse - an A4 might as well be a two-seater. You have to wedge your feet down underneath the front seats. No thanks. These "mid-size" sedans are pretty big, but I just can't figure out where all the space goes...
That is true. The best "investment" if that is a concern, would be the RS6 or the E55. Those cars just seem to hold their value because their production isn't that high. The OLD model E55s are still hovering around $45-50K
The RS6 is the baddest sedan out there right now. We had one at Test Day at Pocono last September. It smoked everything else with 4 doors on the North & South combined course. Just smoked it. Also, the A8L is a great ride. Conservative styling. Excellent power. Fantastic interior. Damn, did I just recommend 2 Audis?
ok pretty much decided against the quattroporte.. the audis are tempting! how much do those rs6's go for? how are they comfortwise compared to the E55?
The RS6 starts at about $85K list...but I have been know to get them at closer to $70-75K depending on options (Brand new...but they are in very limited supply at this point). They're very comfortable cars and you really have to drive one in order to get the "feel" to understand why they are such wonderful machines. As for the E55, that is one hell of a machine as well. It has more HP and thrust than the RS6, but is a little less aggressive (aka MB floater) than the RS6 and you can forget about driving it in the winter months. 500+ lbs torque on slick road = Bad news. That's the great thing about the RS6...AWD! Then we can discuss doing some very slight mods to bring it above 500Hp!! ;-)
I would think long and hard about getting an Audi, their dealership service really has something to be desired, and it has only marginally improved in the last couple years or so... I had an A6 and been to several dealerships around the NY metro area, Zumbach, eastchester, mohegan lake, etc... They all stunk... I also still frequent Audiworld off-topic forum and they'll tell you the same thing... For $85k, the RS6 is not worth it IMO.. They are also not the most reliable cars, and have BS issues you will not find on a Benz or BMW, like constantly prematurely warping brake rotors...
Kenny, I will have to disagree with you on this topic. I currently have 3 Audis in my family and until recently had 5. I've also had modern Bimmers and Benz's and can say that they are actually more troublesome than the Audis. Especially with the electronics that are now in the Bimmer and Benzes. If you take a look at the most recent ownership studies you will also find this to be true. Both MB and BMW have fallen precipitously in the past 5 years to very low levels of satisfaction. As for the RS6 not being worth the money, I think you first need to drive the car to make that assessment, and then consider what you actually buy the car for vs. resale value. If you are to buy a new RS6 at $10-12K below list and then decide to part with it in a year or two, your downside is much reduced. These are special cars that were built with limited production numbers. We won't be seeing the next RS6 for a couuple of years and as a result the resale will remain relatively high on these machines. I have quite a few friends with RS6's both stock and modified and they have been for the most part extremely happy with them. These are guys with Gallardos, F-cars and P-cars as well. It is truly one of the best all around performance daily drivers on the market. "All around" are the key words in that sentence. Just my .02... E
