sklasse

I was not happy to see that the w211 only got a 4th place rating in this comparo...??.. , new 5 series got a worser ranking in the comparo 6th..

and the winner was an Infiniti ? is C&D smoking some heavy japanease crack or what ..

just curious what you'll think is the best ..

do you think that c&d only consider performance in this article..?

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....rticle_id=9391

btw, I owned two mercedes , but this article makes me want to look at acuras and infinitis offering, any body else...

DWP

The "comparison" rankings of car magazines are mainly influenced by two things:

1. The particular criteria and weighting the editors use for their comparison, which may have no relation to what's important to you in a car.

2. The amount spent by the car's maker to advertise in the magazine. Nissan probably spends a lot more on Car & Driver ads than does DCX.

Also, other things being equal, the newer model will get a higher rating in these writups, just because it's newer.

I don't have any particular opinion of this (nearly) year-old magazine article because it's meaningless. Try not to worry about it too much.

MB Fanatic

Stick with the MBZ lineup. I have 2 Honda/Acura products and was considering purchasing an M at one point and an RL as well and needless to say both are cramped, and just too cheap inside, with the RL being the best out of those two.

Plus the safety and engineering of MBZ products is top notch and I don't think anyone will refute that statement.

slk55lvr

That infiniti m45 happens to be a fantastic car, but all the points made by dwp are absolutely true. The newest model year usually wins and the car in it's 4th model year usually loses, as is the case in this comparison. A lot changes in a short period of time in the car industry. Drive the finest car built in 1996 and you'll notice immediately that mid level luxury cars built today are better ( performance wise).

Y2KE320

worser? I never heard that one....do your homework before you trash another car because of it's origin. Yes, the M45 is a great car for the money, it's a technology marvel and with 345 HP has great power, but it doesn't have the same ride and handling of a BMW or Mercedes.

sklasse

as the other posters said : the newest cars wins. In this case, it was the Infiniti , followed by the acura. I've driven a 2006 accord, after 90 , I felt I had no control in the steering. Same thing with Camry. My '90 w124 , could hit 100 and I still fell so much in control that splitting lanes is fun. I just happen to believe, that Japanese can not built best handling cars, because of their belief in front wheel drives, and light-weight cars. Thats what mercedes does best, the best autobahn cars, and thats why they should have won this comparo hands down.

lkchris

Guess they left off resale value as a criteria!

BudC

They are as naive as the normal car buyer who never seems to consider what it costs to OWN a car. They only consider what it costs to buy it.

In my case, I keep a car so long it's resale value is immaterial. I buy Mercedes because they can be kept running for a long time with a little TLC. In other words, I'm not forced to buy a new car before I want to.

I'm not so sure about the W211 though. This is the first time in more than 20 years where I'm not thinking decades of ownership.

SAguirre

Bud, I seriously doubt that either your or my W211 are problem children. I personally got the extended warranty because I have always owned a relatively new car and a car that was at least 10 years old. My 1995.5 Audi S6 is supposed to be a relatively problematic car, but it has been excellent and has only had typical maintenance costs and the $100.00 electrical switch or something.

Seeing how you take care of cars, I am certain that you will have great luck with your W211. You need to remember that the 3.2 V6 3-valve and the 5.0 V8 3-Valve engines are totally proven and reliable (especially a 2004 model). Also, the 5-speed transmission has also proven to be excellent (except for the coolant issues that show up before the warranty should expire).

I am just starting to wonder if Mercedes is starting to suffer from the same ailments that BMW has suffered in their front suspension parts. The thinner and lighter control arms make the bushings wear prematurely. The W124 generation cars were tanks, but handled like them as well. This W211 is much more nimble, but I think that the control arm bushings will be a wear item. I am starting to think that it is a great thing that I bought a 4-Matic since they don't have the McPherson strut design. The 4-Matics have a stiffer front end suspension and have a modified W124/W210 front suspension that is significantly stronger.

I guess that I am simply lucky that my W211 only has had the driver's door lock kind of fail so far. I have, however, had every bulleting except the new SBC ground wire which I will do in a couple of months.

So anyway, unless I total this E like my beloved 1991 300E, I am planning to keep this one for a very long time. Also, since we have free service, that is some saved money that can easily be applied to repair future electrical demons.

Steve

BudC

Yup, you're right Steve. The W211 is a really great road car and the best I've ever had for Interstate travel.

I agree about the maturity of the M112/M113 engines and the 5G transmission. That along with the fact that mine is a 2004 with some free maintenance and with some amenities that have been removed in later models makes me hope that I can keep it for a long time.

BTW, I saw the twin of my Teal 300E today. It looked as nice as mine.

Calcio

Having recently shopped most of these cars, and bought one of them, I would agree with the comment (below) in the article at the end of the A6 review as it applies not just to the A6, but to pretty much all of the vehicles in the test (well, maybe with the exception of the Jag ).

"Nonetheless, with so few critical flaws apparent in this car, it's hard to see how you'd ever regret buying one".

F_Porsche

For me the three big germans can't seriously be compared to the
asian side. After I am driving in American and Japanese cars now
for half a year I really enjoyed to sit in a proper car like an e class
again. The feeling and the ambiance is just on a different level.

lig

"worser"

ruykava

heh, well the article was titled Spoilsport Sedans, so no surprise that the "sportier" cars won. as it noted at the end of the E-class review, "It's a mature car for a mature owner. So grow up."

what i was surprised with is that it actually placed higher than the 5 in a sports sedan contest. that's a new one!

personally, i read mags for the pictures. in the end as calcio said, you really can't go wrong with buying what you really want. and mag writers are humans with their own prejudices and likings, just like you and me. i personally would never touch the Infiniti with a 10 foot pole - never be caught dead with something with such huge rear lamps! :p

alewifebp

C&D usually has a BMW bias, so the ranking was surprising, but in general, the M45 has been getting good reviews. I went to the opening event sometime earlier last year, and I was pretty impressed by the car, although I can not comment completely because I have not driven it. Technology wise, it was excellent. The stereo was miles better than HK in the E, the Nav was better, Bluetooth, and with the proper options you can play DVD's, and with a wink, the person I spoke to certainly said DVD in motion would be possible, all much less than a Euro COMAND retrofit. The interior was pleasant, and the rims on the sport model were nice. I have to drive it, but that, along with the A6 and an ML500 are part of my short list for my next car.

What we do need to remember about this comparo is that the comparison was between a pretty beefy V8 engine in the M45 compared to the V6 in the E, because they go on price and not absolute similiarity. This certainly skewed the results somewhat.

But I'm sure we had these same points way back when this issue first came out.

krispykrme

That is correct.

Except M45 has better ride and handling than W211. Owned two W211. Neither are that impressive in terms of getting a good balance of good ride and handling.

M45 handling is on par with E60, except steering feel is just a step behind.

M45 is a much better car than W211.

ultraseven

this is old news, and why is it so hard to accept that your E class didn't finish #1? It's not the E500, and it's not the sportiest to drive. It's been pretty predictable that BMWs always finish ahead of MB and Lexus in C and D's book, except the 530i is just overpriced, and underperformed. Plain and simple, n'est pas?

don't be MB's b&tch boy.

luxury1

I thought the article was pretty good and 4th isn't bad at all for the company it runs with. At the end of the day all cars will get better on an annual basis but our E is a great car today and will be a great car tomorrow..

MB Fanatic

While the E may not be the sportiest, it is still the safest. At the end of the day, Safety in my book takes precedent over speed, handling, and looks.

CALBenzo

Not surprised nor disappointed. It is common knowledge that the electronics of the elite japanese cars are far superior to any auto manufacuturer. It is also common knowledge that the W211 does not handle very well, although it is a great grand touring vehicle. C&D appears to place these qualities higher on their list.

That said, in my opinion, our W211s are far and away the best looking cars of these in the comparison. This car shape will be classic, whereas the others will date in time. That coupled with the nice motor is what sold me. Just my opinion of course.

MB Fanatic

Ehh I wouldnt say that the electronics on the Japanese brands are far superior. Many Acura RL owners are having major problems with the Nav systems, TPMS, wireless key systems, and audio functions. My TL has been through a bit as well, a new nav system, replaced entire DVD-A system, and ECU problems, luckily, they bought the car back and replaced it with a 2005 model instead and I got a great deal on it.

CALBenzo

Perhaps you are right in that context. I was speaking more on execution than reliability. Our NAV in the MDX is much better than the one in the W211, as are many of the stereo systems I have heard.

Boost&Cubes

Could you explain what you mean by the coolant issues in relation to the 5G transmission ?
I just wanted to know and understand what gremlins to be on the lookout for.
Or perhaps a pointer to a previous post or thread that discusses this.

Thanks.

MB Fanatic

There is a coolant line that runs to the transmission in order to help it keep cool, I think it was a faulty gasket or seal that fails and causes the coolant to leak into the transmission. I think the dealers are performing full flushes of the coolant and transmissions, repairing the seal and hose as a solution to the problem.

Boost&Cubes

So how does an owner know if the coolant is leaking into the ATF ?
I am not aware of any 5G transmission related recall and the MB factory "claims" that the ATF is good for the life of the car as I recall.
I would need to double check the recommended service intervals for the ATF.
Also, I don't believe the 5G has an old style dipstick to check the fluid.
So what is a worried owner to do ?
Preemptively change the seal and hose at our own cost ?

Thanks Again.