aceman

OK Folks,

First Post for me - this forums great! I'm a big gadget freak, and really like the gadgets you get w/ the new M45 (blue tooth, nav, rear cam, heated/cooled seats, tire pressure mon, etc. etc). Now, i've driven both cars, and obviously the 500 has a couple of advantages as well (4matic, its a merc, rock solid feel). My quandry is that i can get a loaded M45 for 51K. I can get an 05 5004matic for 56200 (with pan roof, htd seats, 6cd). i can get a fairly well equipped e500 w/ nav, app pkg, pan roof, vented seats, light pkg for 59500. I put 20-25K per year on my cars and usually get tired of them between 3-4 years. any opinions on my situation? I realize that you guys are just alittle biased here! I really had set a 50K target for the purchase and now that i'm even entertaining 60K its starting to scare the crap our of my wallet!

thx in advance. btw - i'm looking at brilliant silver & ash. I've checked the used car market as well but most people want 50K (+/-) for a 04 5004matic w/ 10-15K miles which i refused to pay when i can get a new one for 56.

Aceman

Omegaonne

I like them both. I considered the G35 before I jumped to the E500, given that these are two totally different cars. However, I love my E. I considered trading it in for a GS430, or the M45, but in the end I would rather keep my E

krispykrme

I replaced my E500 with M45 last week.

If you are looking for a much better driving experience, M45 wins this easily.

In fact, the M45 ride is not that bad either. Perfectly balanced.

The brakes, and steering response is way better than E500. The interior on the M45 is also better.

In fact, there really isn't anything that E500 is better than M45 other than the badge.

aceman

i know i've seen your name on another board.
we have a 05 sienna ltd maybe their...

either case - thanks for your feedback folks.

aceman

Brav

I tested the M45 for the hell of it. I would not say it wins easily. Its a different feel. the M was pretty nice, but the interior was a bit awkward. Sometimes it looked good, othertimes it looked cheesy. The profile of the car is nice. The rear is awefull, the tail lights kill it for me. Gigantic japanese tail lights.

Its all gonna come down to your priorities. Value and gadgets vs a better looking car, and nicer interior IMO, plus benz factor if thats a concern. You may or may not have problems, as its the first MY for that car. Its a 50 50 shot with a new E. You will most likely experience some minor annoyances that are correctable, except the pull to the right.

You will probably be able to get a bigger discount on an E over the M. You need a few more options on the E like navi, drive dynamic seats, heated and active ventilated seats, keyless go and youd be set

JimPurdy

The brakes are the real difference. The MB brakes are somewhat sensitive to the person with little feeling in their foot. If you just cruise around on the boulevard, the M45 may feel better to you. If you drive the car a little harder and depend on having excellent brakes, the E may be a better choice.

krispykrme

I will disagree with you.

The E's brake response has never been know to be linear. You called it sensitive, I call is unlinear. Prior to introduction of SBC in MB cars, Mercedes brakes response feels great.

Drving the car harder, M45's brake with its more linear response wins easily. This is not an advantage in favor of mercedes.

I will agree that M45's interior at times is awkward. But it's quality is much better than base E500. I also liked infiniti's navi better.

M45 sport comes with rear steer, and body roll is less pronounced than E500.

At 55k large loaded, it's better buy than a fully loaded E500 4 matic. Currently both W211 and M's resale vaule are spotty. So don't expect either one to hold value.

Aceman,

i would suggest you to look at GS430 as well. Unlike the GS300, Gs430 steering wheel provided better steering response. Handles quiet well. Interior is not as good as previous generation, but it's not as bad as W211.

there are a lot of choices in this segment. You may aslo take a look at 545i (since there is huge incentive right now).

aceman

Krispy -

I didn't know there's a huge incentive going on right now for the 545 - do you know what it is?

I've never had this tough a time w/ any car decision. Being from NJ, the luxury of having AWD is nice (E500), but the styling of hte M45 just really appeals to me.

decisions decisions!

Aceman

Rudegar

Although a short drive in an M45 might feel great, you may find over time that the E500 drives much better. I first drove my wife’s 2001 Volvo S60 2.4T and thought its was a great ride. At the time my ride was a 2000 BMW 540iA Sport. After some length of time of driving both, I came to realize the ENORMOUS difference in driving these two cars (BMW rocks). My wife now has a 2004 S60 2.5T and I have the 2004 E500. Again, the same experience. The E500 shows over time and experiential driving in different situations that it is SO far superior that they are not comparable. So while the M45 gadgets might be nice, the overall experience may not approach the E500 over time, though I admit that the M45 is far more car than a Volvo S60. BTW, I am encouraging my business partner that he get an M45 to replace his 1997 540iA – he won’t again pay the premium for a German car. Also, I have read in the reviews that the Sport package makes the ride of the M45 a bit jangly. Good luck. I don’t really think you can make a mistake if the M45 is as good as its early reviews. (I think the E500 is MUCH better than its reviews!)

Dema

What about ageing? I heard that Infiniti cars age quite fast, and feel of a car will be not so great after a year or two. Benz cars age quite slow, so after 5 years car will still have feeling of new. I am also not sure that you can get M in lease with good rates. I did play with carsdirect and found that equal equipped M and E have price difference just $3K. If you are gadget man, then certainly MB integration with iPod should be in your consideration.

luxury1

Like many of you I am a car nut. I constantly am reading, watching or looking at cars. This weekend I looked at the Acura RL and read an article and watched a TV show on the M45 but I simply do it for fun. While these cars are nice, I would never own one. A major part of the car experience for me is owning a car with a prestigious reputation. The semi-ordinary cars that fit into the prestige category are Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Porsche, etc. The only Japanese car I would ever even consider would be Lexus. The rest just lack that certain something that hints elegance.

I know your original issue was price but consider that you are already spending $50. To me it sounds like you want the Benz more because if you really wanted the M45 then we would not be having this conversation. Spend the extra little bit and get the Benz. Trust me, you will love the car and will find it to fully meet your expectations. By the way, on the used car market, if someone is asking $50 for a car then you could probably knock that down a few thousand after negotiations...

Just my 2 pennies...

weinschela

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<thx in advance. btw - i'm looking at brilliant silver & ash. I've checked the used car market as well but most people want 50K (+/-) for a 04 5004matic w/ 10-15K miles which i refused to pay when i can get a new one for 56.
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This might tell you something about retention of value for resale. I suspect that the MB will retain more of its value in comparison to the M45 and at the end the difference will be narrowed. Of course, new MB's no longer come with free maintenance, so you would have to factor that in to a total cost of ownership calculation too.

edspider

I was in the same boat. I got the M35x. Thought it was a better deal. After 6 months, I traded it for a new E. Yes, it had some neat features, but I found it to be to loud on the highway. The gas mileage was just awful. And the sporty ride grew uncomfortable real quick. The interior was neat initially, but after a while, it seemed cheesy.

Anyway, I love the E and don't miss anything from my M.

NCE500

I had an 05 G35 before my E. G35 is not an M45, but the M is built on an "enhanced" G platform. Infiniti quality of parts is not the same, and dealer service, in the Wash DC suburbs, was indifferent at best.

I found the paint, and interior component quality to be less than expected. Also, steering feel, and road feel, especially at higher speeds, was artificial. Do a 30 minute highway test drive before you buy an Infiniti.

I traded the G for my E500 after 9 months, and have never looked back. The E is superior in every way, but is more relaxed in character, particularly cornering. Yes it costs more, but you pretty much get what you pay for.

Lastly, I think you can do better on the prices you are being quoted, particularly with the '07 E models just around the corner. I also think the E will do better on resale over time, look at what a few year old Q45 brings in the market.

Let us know what you end up doing, good luck.

knifegun

I am sorry but I have to pipe in here. A true car nut does not buy a car because of prestige. That sounds like an image nut to me.

A car nut buys a car because of function and form. It is a delicate balance. Some prefer more form and some prefer more function. But you can't call yourself a car nut if your criteria behind purchasing a brand is based on what other people think.

I had a BMW previous to my E. The most annoying thing about having a BMW is having people assume I bought it because of the name. The fact is the BMW was far superior to everything I was looking at. The fact that BMW was a prestigious brand did not play into the equation.

Funny thing is that the reason Chevy can sell a rebadged SUV as a Cadillac and charge a hefty premium is because of the image conscience. Even if the underpinnings of the Cadillac are identical to the Chevy SUV. It is an interesting marketing study.

luxury1

Your apology is accepted Knifegun and next time you should read the post. Did you happen to see the line right after the first sentence? "I constantly am reading, watching or looking at cars." I guess you are right, this shows no real interest in cars... Also, I typically would say that someone who responds to a post a year and three days later can probably refrain from "Piping In."

Anyway, car nuts take interest in cars for whatever reason they want. Some care about performance, some care about luxury, some just find them interesting, etc. I did not state that I am a car nut because I like the prestige. Your reasons may be different than mine (if you are a car nut) but by no means can you argue that I am not a car nut.

We can talk about this more when you respond in 368 days.

luxury1

By the way knifegun, I am going to blow your cover:

Turns out you just need comcast high speed

knifegun

Luxury1, I apologize if you took the post sounded directed at your (which after reading it sounds like it). In either case, you are right. Definitions aside, I guess what really matters is that you enjoy your purchase regardless of underlying reasons. I am guess I am just too much of a purist. I would purchase a Yugo if it was the best car around.

luxury1

No problem. I am just passionate about this stuff so I quickly take offense. Agreed, to each their own!

Flash Gordon

My daily drive is 2004 G35X. I drive the E500 in the weekends. The M, as stated earlier by someone, is built on the G chassis. My G is terrible in mileage, worse than my E around town!!! I like the quiete ride of the E and overall feeling of luxury. Nobody looks at my G, but people sure look at my E. I understand the M is not the same as G, but the M looks very similar to G and the tail of the M looks worse than the G. Appearance wise, the E is, argubly, the best looking sedan in the market, bar none

Y2KE320

[OK guys, I bought an M45 Sport last summer and came out of an 02 540i BMW. I bought the M because of all the great technology, performance and yes price/value. It's a nice car, but it isn't German in the sense of ride, handling, stability, etc. I think the NAV, back up camera, heated and cooled seats, voice activation, etc is great. But at the end of the day it's all about how the car drives and I've been spoiled by Mercedes and BMW. In fact, I'm selling it so I can go back to a w210 that I have my eye on. I also have a 997so performance isn't the priority for me. If anyone is interested, I'm asking 44k.

edspider

You don't know how glad I was to read your post. That is exactly what happened to me. I got sucked in by the advanced features and value proposition of the M. Loved it for about a month. Started to hate it. At 6 months, I walked into the MB showroom and ordered my current 06 E350.

I thought the backup camera would be missed the most and I was worried about the nav system. Turns out, the E is so easy to drive and park that I don't miss the camera. With the silly shape of the M, you do need a camera to back it up.

And it turns out I like the NAV better in the E. I don't have to press ENTER to a stupid legal screen everytime I start the car. I can set a destination while driving and it's faster than using speech. It is easy to cancel guidance and it shows me what road I'm on right in the speedo.

It cost me $13K to switch over. I'm so glad I didn't lease the M.

knifegun

Here is a funny story. I remember when I was in high school, I used to love muscle cars, especially the Mustang 5.0. I used to think "Why would anyone pay so much money for a Merc or BMW? Most of them are not that fast and they cost more than double!"

Then my dad got a 300E. No major features and the brown/tan color with a tan interior. Pretty bland looking especially through the eyes of a high schooler. Then I drove the thing. I instantly knew why the cars were worth so much more. The more I drove it, the more I forgot about the Mustang.

I got my first BMW 4 years after college owning an Acura Integra and Honda Prelude before. When I drove the BMW home, I could not believe how great the car drove, how it handled and how well though out everything appeared.

Now I got my E and I love it. I am hooked on these cars. Next up (if things go well of course) will be to finally get my hands on a 997 or later (depending on when I can actually afford one :-) ).

aceman

I can't believe this thread still has life!!! I just hit 25K on my E500 4matic (which will be 1 year old in 2 weeks) and i've never looked back. I too was keen on the gadgets of the M but at the end of the day, its the driving dynamics/experience that keep me in a benz. Now my only problem is i can't stand driving in anything that's not as quite/tank like!

Aceman

Y2KE320

Wow, I didn't realize this was May of LAST YEAR. Oh well, the comments are still up to date. Glad you're enjoying your E