chassis

And with pre-owned 911s holding and gaining value, this car seems to be heading the way of Ferrari in terms of the difficult-to-acquire factor.

hyperion667

Best fawking avatar ever
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nc211

If you’re into the cutting edges of tech, and/or spent your career in the tech world, then I can totally see the appeal of current trends! When we were kids (i’m 50), you guys were mastering your Commador64 and I was ruining the carpet in my room with gear grease for my Tamiya Frog RC car! Ha!!

i don't mind tech, I just don’t want to spend a lot of time on its learning curve all the time, and I absolutely hate having to fix it. I used like tinkering with it, was always a Microsoft / Windows fan. Built a few computers over the years. But when I hit 40, it was just one too many updates for me and I switch everything over to Apple instead. Same for mowing my lawn about a month ago when my $600 Honda mower broke halfway thru. I said “f’it, 40 years is long enough, this stays here”, and I rolled that mower to the curb and called the landscaper for $200 a month. I turned 50 last week, and my mowing days are behind me.

when I sat in the EQ’s at the dealership a few days ago, yes I was wowed by all of the things that lit up and dinged and chimed. But to me, it just screamed “I will own you”. Perhaps if the burl walnut were there, and some of the older school design elements were present, it would not have turned me off so badly. But nothing can make up the snug fit and skinny seats. I need more spread out room. Especially at that price.

Granted, I’m grouchy right now in general. My career is in Commercial Real Estate, and my days are not very fun right now.

superswiss

Funny you say all that. I use technology exactly to do things for me that I don't wanna do myself anymore. For example I have a smart home now, so instead of carrying keys around and wondering if I locked my doors I tell Siri that I'm leaving and it locks the house, makes sure the garage is closed and arms the alarm system and I have a bunch of other stuff monitored and automated so I don't have to attend to them.

I don't have a lawn, but I used to mow my parents lawn when I was a kid and swore I'll never do that anymore. My parents now have a robotic lawn mower which autonomously mows parts of the lawn everyday. They've become very popular in Europe. Pretty much everybody has one.

You bring up memories, I used to do RC cars, too in my childhood.

W205C43PFL

Remember they don't have a luxury brand and they are generally more expensive than mainstream brands, but the fit and finish and materials used easily beat entry level luxury cars. I mean, it makes sense, they only have one brand, Mazda so they put whatever the best they have in.

W205C43PFL

That is sad, it seems that manufacturers are doing this because they need to secure funds for EV R&D.

W205C43PFL

Interesting, especially the more comfortable part, so much for all those years of advancement, MB!... : (

chassis

Yes. And another Porsche-unique factor is they need to push Cayenne and Macan downmarket to create space above Cayenne and below Bentayga for the new "large SUV". This will sell against GLS and X7, and will likely carry the most luxurious interior of any Porsche. So they are de-contenting the Cayenne interior to create product differentiation.

Bentayga will get pushed upmarket towards Cullinan where price is generally of no consideration.

MB has trouble coming on the horizon with the Porsche large SUV.

RR, large Porsche SUV, LX, and X7 are going to make life difficult for GLS. Even Expedition and Escalade are legitimate GLS alternatives when it comes to interior space and towing capability. This is a crowded segment with many good choices.

js_cls

GLS will be fine, its still in high demand even with the increased competition after all these years and printing money for MB.

wildta

It'll be good to have some real competition in this space. GLS needs it because really it's just a GLE with a proper 3rd row (at least for teenagers and younger seated back there). It's not S class that's for sure so it needs to get to that level at the very least.

js_cls

It never will be. The "S-Class of SUV's" is purely a marketing thing. The GLS is almost $30k cheaper afterall. The only reason for the S in the name is because of the naming restructure, the GL(S) was never designed to be an S-Class SUV, and if anything it sells better because of that.

W205C43PFL

Will be interesting how it all plays out given how Porsche is more sport than luxury for the longest time, Panamera for example although much more luxurious than other Porsches still way too sporty.

js_cls

I find the Panamera to be a confused car. The last one I drove was fitted with every option and still the drive felt very clinical and lacked the feel that even one can get behind the wheel of a Macan. On the other hand, the low driving position and tighter cabin scream more sport than luxury. It kind of reminds me of a SWB 7er but without the feel they once had. The first gen Panny while ugly as sin (the new one isn't very pretty either unless its a Sport Turismo imo) was much more engaging behind the wheel.

To me the 7-Seater Porsche SUV is a smart idea in printing money and sales, but I have a feeling like the Panny it will be a confusing (not to mention overly-expensive) product.

W205C43PFL

It indeed is, it was Porsche's attempt of trying to be luxurious and sporty at the same time but ended up being neither. Good idea but poor execution but glad it still came out because otherwise CLS wouldn't had existed as if I recalled correctly Panamera came out before first gen CLS?

Well be interesting if the new 7-seater Porsche SUV will get closer to XM in terms of overpriced, but if it is, it might be a bad idea on their part.

js_cls

No, the CLS is the original 4-Door Coupe and inspiration. CLS was produced in 2004, Panamera was 2009.

W205C43PFL

Thank you for confirming, I stand corrected. So what was the reason for Panamera's existence? To compete with the CLS? Or is it because they think buyers want a family (performance?) sedan with four doors yet still sporty coupe looking?

js_cls

I believe there was a story on Top Gear or somewhere that the Porsche CEO wanted to have an executive sedan that he could sit in the back of and he also happens to be over 6ft tall which is why the first generation has some a hunched roofline. Of course there was also likely enough demand for a Porsche sedan to join the lineup at the time too, but I distinctly remember hearing that story about the CEO. There was actually supposed to be a smaller Panamera join the lineup in the 2010's called the Pajun which would more so rival the 5er/E-Class but Dieselgate cancelled those plans and created the Taycan instead.

W205C43PFL

Thanks for sharing, it all makes sense now.

BenjaminKohl

Lol the new gen lexus LX is a joke

MDMercedesGuy

While I'm not a Honda fan, they are on par with Honda, perhaps beat Toyota in the interior materials - but they are a mainstream brand and are nothing special. Not coming from armchair reviewing, unfortunately I had quite a few of them pass through my driveway as my ex was obsessed with the brand. They are not on the same playing field as entry level luxury brands...

Reliability was also a disappointment on every single one of them I was saddled with having to look at in my driveway.

js_cls

Mazda’s are much more reliable now than ever since they left Ford.

SW20S

Having a 2020 S560 and being in the process of trying to replace it I have driven a lot of cars. This is at current an issue with MB, but not as much with other manufacturers. The 223 S Class feels like a step down in quality from mine for sure, its well documented here and many people have commented on it. Its still an incredible car, it just doesn't feel the same. BUT, the new 7 Series has an incredible interior and feels incredible to drive. You may or may not like the looks of it, but you can't fault the quality and it feels higher quality than the 223 S Class for sure. So, quality still exists out there. The S Class has had foibles before, think of the 220 S Class and they came back super strong with the 221 and 222...MB will find their way.

The new Range Rovers are also incredibly high quality feeling, quality is out there.

We also just replaced my wife's 2020 Pacifica with a new 2023 Pacifica Pinnacle, and it is surprisingly nice inside and improved from the pre-refresh van.

I will likely either get a new 7 Series when the time comes (6 months or so) or I will keep my S560 and wait and see the mid cycle refresh S580.

I'll never buy another car without it. I hate that the 2023 Pacifica we just got doesn't have lane centering or any self driving technology.

What you experienced was lane keep assist which I always turn off. Lane centering though when its activated holds the car in the center of the lane and coupled with radar cruise control it does 90% of the driving for you. You don't realize how much strain on a long trip that system relieves you of. Now that I am accustomed to it in the S560, I REALLY miss it when I drive the Pacifica on a trip. They don't take control away from you, if I pull the wheel left, it goes left.

I have also been saved numerous times by the automatic braking, backing out of a space and the car slammed the brakes on because it saw a pedestrian or a cross traffic car or something and I didn't see them.

I would be more open minded about this tech, it really does help.

UrBusted

I find that common interesting, the finish of my Taycan surpasses either of my W222s, I had 1 nappa and 1 mbtex. I've ripped apart all of the above cars for custom audio installs, obviously I'm not saying the Taycan is more comfortable than the S Class but it's definitely not EV cheap like the Teslas. I was a bit disappointed when I first opened my 222 in 2014; the Taycan's full leathers attracts particles so much easier though, it needs a frequent interior clean. Also I remember we spoke a bit about the Cayenne, I had my nephews Cayenne Turbo GT yesterday, he lowered it, tuned it and I believe did backbox delete, that car is INSANE. He replaced his Urus with it and I don't think he made the wrong decision.

W205C43PFL

Hmmm, any chance the facelift W222 is much better in use of material inside the cabin?

W205C43PFL

I guess customers who decide between Toyota and Honda is reliability vs reliability + hint of sportiness. I am not sure if any other than GR Toyotas are fun to drive. I did hear that Toyota and Honda both reliability dropped lately, not sure if that is accurate. I am still biased on Mazda, for non luxury cars, it will be my first pick.