"I see your schwartz is bigger than mine"

Very true and I would rather buy an MB but co-workers think differently.

aye, sir. i think they're tunneling in from all those discounts...

Then why are you reading it. Because this also part of the purpose of a forum. To brag about our cars! MB is better then Lexus, BMW, Audi, Hyundia, Cadillac, and even KIA. (Till you have to go to my local MB service center)

Td - I hate to say it is that brand superiority concept that helps to sell all luxury brands.

Not for me of course cause I'm different.

Why worry about what anyone thinks, we are all entitled to our own opinions. BMW, MB, or Audi are the top tier that all manufacturers try to beat. Infiniti & Lexus are very close behind in many ways, but the safety king is MB (although Volvo keeps trying).

I can't agree more. Buy what you like and like what you drive. It doesn't matter if it's a Mercedes or a Fiat. If you spend your life worrying about what others think of your choices, then you are setting yourself up for a life of misery.

There are about as many different reasons to purchase a specific car as there are car owners. On the whole, an entry level Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, etc. is a "better" buy than any luxury car. However, most people want more than that.
I cross shopped MB, Lexus, Lincoln, Genesis, Acura, Infiniti and Audi for a year before I decided on an MB. For ME, it was the best compromise of "luxury," comfort, performance, cost to own and status.
However, I recognize that the Asian makes have higher reliability than European makes, much higher in most cases. After warranty, this will factor directly into cost to own. Of course maintenance on all "luxury" makes is higher than on standard makes. Ex: Annual service on Toyota, Hyundai, etc. is about $100. On MB, it is $200 first year and $400 second.
I negotiated for a Lexus LS with usual premium package and they came down a whopping $1,500 on $65,000 car. MB dealer came down $8,000 on $56,000 E350 I ordered from Germany.
Bottom line is what you want on the car and how you feel about it when you drive it (and other people see you in it).
BTW, anyone who says the badge/name does not figure into the decision is deceiving themselves.
Happy Motoring!

Currently own Lexus and MB. They are both nice vehicles, but there is something about the MB that I enjoy driving more. On my second Lexus and currently own two Benz which are my third and fourth MBs. My maintenance costs on the Lexus were nothing more than oil changes, tires, and routine maintenance. Toyota builds a quality product, no doubt about it. Personally, I've never seen a Nissan that I liked other than RTX and that really isn't a great looking car IMHO.

Rule of thumb: A cheap Mercedes Benz is the most expensive car you can buy.

That something that makes you want to drive the MB more might be that one of these car makers copied most of the car technology and looks from the other one and it was not Mercedes-Benz who did that.

You might want to check on that "safety king" as it might be opposite than what you say between MB and Volvo. Believe or not but the safety king used to be SAAB long time ago already and because of them Volvo had to become as good to be able to sell cars in Sweden.

I too own both a Lexus and a Mercedes; I've owned various model years of the GS and E class throughout the years. Currently a 2009 GS460 and a 2010 E550 4matic.

I love both for different reasons.
Maintenance wise, my Lexus wins hands down - 160k miles and drives like it just came off the lot. Not one single issue with it, ever. The e550 has not been as forgiven. It's been to the service center on numerous occasions and only has 45k miles.

Design and build wise, the E550 wins. It's just a gorgeous car, inside and out. Feels like it was built with solid materials. Get in the car, close the door, and hearing the way the door closes, feels like some sort of vacuum suction action and I'm now in my own world. Safe from the elements and noise of the external world. Ride quality is superior as well, once you go airmatic - you'll never go back. The GS lacks that "refined" touch and feel.

I can see how some people can say the MBs are over priced and not worth the money. Especially if they own a Lexus. I feel that way sometimes too. But when I'm in my E550 and in my own little world, it's worth it. Getting extra attention from the persona and prestige of a Benz doesn't hurt either.

If I had to only pick one, it would be a tough decision but the E550 would win. This decision would be made with 0% of how I'm perceived by driving a Benz...

Ok, maybe 10%

I guess I am a true luxury car buyer....I don't give a rat's behind what anyone else thinks or drives. I buy for myself not for my co-workers. The OP really must have self-esteem issues.