g4benz

Hello all,

This is my goodbye and thanks message to you all. I sold my Mercedes. I loved the car but I came to realize in my 2 years and 6,000 miles of ownership that it wasn't for me, especially the amount of "attention" it required.

I am now car-less and looking.

I wish you guys the best and thanks for any assistance that was provided.

Airmousam

Sorry to hear. I have the same car and have put 58k trouble free miles on her. Hope you find what makes you happy. Cheers

eLs13

Try out an Lexus GS or LS if you want a trouble free luxury sedan. I came from that car background and never had issues. Bought a Merc due to price of E550 was close to GS350 AWD but with more power and possible modding potential.

Before coming here I felt like I wanted to take a risk and try out the Mercedes brand.

Love the 2014 E series so far but if I get constant issues that I was afraid then it is back to Lexus for me.

Good luck and let us know what you are getting.

The G Man

Who would by a car with a blown engine? Are they parting out the car?

The G Man

I had a 2008 Lexus GS350 which was more problematic than any of my German cars. That GS was in the shop 6 times and about 6 weeks in the first year. One of the problems was that the dashboard was rattling on every turn, it was taken apart and modified three times to no avail. The engine sometimes would not start and the check engine lights came on twice. There is no Guarantee that buying a Japanese car will be more reliable, the odds are a bit better but reliability is certainly not a good enough reason for me to buy a Japanese car over a German car. The auto industry as a whole is making cars that are more reliable. If you look at the reliability ratings, the gap between Japanese cars and German cars are closing fast. Here is the latest JD power 3 year reliability survey, Lexus and Porsche is number 1 with 110 problems per 100 cars in 3 years and Mercedes is number 4 with only 131 problems.


https://www.boston.com/cars/cars/201...dability-study

El Cid

I still like the looks of my 2010 E, but considering possibly replacing it. Had several problems that were fixed under warranty and in really good shape. Recently had an issue with the auto HVAC develop and dealership is reluctant to even test it. They did do one test and it was normal, but not interested in going further. While Lexus is reliable, I cannot get past that really, really ugly front end.
If I had to choose right now, would probably strongly consider the 2017 Genesis G80. Previously known as the Hyundai Genesis, but they did do some changes for new model.
For reliability ratings, might review Consumer Reports and truedelta.com. While CR has some "reliability" problems of its own in rating cars, the reliability data is based on how subscribers responded to the surveys.
Good luck.

LILBENZ230

Do you have him confused with the other guy on here with the 2010 E550 that threw 2 rods? Not the same guy.

KEY08

Bummer. Well, the best of luck to you and your next move. We are all looking for that elusive perfect car that does everything, but sadly none exists. Every car brand has its issues and thus why these forums exist for all of us to help and commiserate.

g4benz

Thanks all. It was not necessarily just the "issues" but also the cost to maintain. It was both. I will miss the car though.

I am back and forth on what I want, but currently I am looking at Acura.

And yes, I'm not the same guy with the engine failure. Poor guy. There was nothing "wrong" with my car when I sold it.

thefisch

Was the airmatic dropping the final straw? How did you do on the sale?

Best of luck to you.

belarus27

I FEEL HEARTBROKEN
lol

new MDX's are sick though. the only acura id get at this point.
good luck man , u gonna miss your 550

g4benz

I realized the airmatic was fine. It was just an issue the week I did not drive it and it freaked me out. I did make out well compared to what I spent on the car, but if you take into account how much money I put into the car after the purchase, I did take a hit. It's all good.

g4benz

Yes, I will miss it. The guy who bought it was so happy and thanked me many times for selling him the car. He was in love. I'm glad I sold it to someone like that.

belarus27

maybe we will see it on these forums lol

g4benz

Lol possibly!

PLINYELDER

Sorry to see you go! I have a 2015 explorer sport (twin turbo) if you want it!

g4benz

I was actually interested in that truck a few months ago but I have lowered my budget for the next vehicle now.

PLINYELDER

Send me a pm, you may be pleasantly surprised.

g4benz

Not sure how to do that, can u send me one?

PLINYELDER

Click on my name and choose private message. Then we can communicate outside the thread, I'll give you a deal on the truck.

thephantom

I traded my 14 E350 for a 14 A6 Prestige a few days ago and am very happy so far. The A6 is roomier; seats are 100x more comfortable; supercharged engine doesn't suck.

Good luck!

Johnny Rad

You describe my experience and state of mind to an absolute "T." I still consider myself a Lexus homer, but their product offering remains uninspiring to me. In the meantime, I'm loving my time behind the wheel of a '12 W212 E550.

My previous '02 Lexus GS430 was incredibly reliable to the point of unbelievable. Yes, unreliable Lexus cars exist but the evidence supports the conclusion they're more reliable than most. So, what'd I do? Got tired of it after ~10yrs of nearly trouble-free motoring and sold it. I waited and waited for Lexus to do a hi-po awd GS until I could wait no more.

I was seduced (and remain smitten) by the biturbo in the W212. It means that my next car will have big shoes to fill. A current-gen GS350 awd has a very nice fit / finish / int design / features, but its perf is woefully lacking by comparison. The LS460 awd (F-Sport lipstick pkg or not) is pig slow, but a big step up in terms of fit / finish over both the W212 and GS. That's my ongoing complaint with Lexus - lack of awd perf.

OP - Do tell us what you replace your Merc with ... it'll be interesting to hear how it compares. Good luck!

g4benz

I have set my budget at around 20k max. I will be going pre-owned. Infiniti, Lexus, Honda, Nissan, Toyota its all up for grabs.

I want a reliable car with some oomph, at least with a v6. I will probably need to increase my budget, but let's see. Another issue is the amount of "by owner" pre-owned vehicles around me is scarce. If I go dealer, a 15k car becomes 18k plus if I don't finance and with their lovely "fees".

I just sold a 425-450 HP car. This will take some time to do...

mellonc

JD Power numbers are a marketing gimmick at best. These guys do paid marketing study and let's people pay to use their name. Many times the whole survey is done at the request of the car company that wants a good rating. And the statisticians work around the clock to somehow fudge the numbers to "satisfy" their client. If you don't believe me read the fine prints published with all the rankings. You ll know that it's pretty much an exercise in licensing fee revenue. (I speak from experience in dealing with that company). The consumers are not their clients.

On the other hand I believe Consumer Union, the people who publish the Consumer Reports, tell you like it is and have no conflicts of interest.

Besides, pretty much much all cars are OK in the first 3 years. Try keeping a car like 2001 Lexus RX 300 with 252k miles. (My car). I highly doubt an MB would last that long. Even if it did, I'd probably mortgage my house to pay for the repairs.

g4benz

So what's a good "used" Lexus sedan to buy? I don't need an 8 cyl like an LS. I used to have a 92 SC 400 in white diamond pearl with only 60k miles as a second car. It was a beauty.