TeutonicCarFan

P.S. is that pic of the blue A8 W12 from the NAIAS two years ago, because i remember that car

rkao

Might not be so odd: if C&D used an '07 Audi A8, it did get an updated engine in the form of an FSI V8 plus other updates in equipment and technology, so that may explain the change in the order over the 7-series.

Speaking as a fan of BMW, I have been sorely disappointed with its products lately. I've really tried considering the 750Li for my next car but after test driving it for an extended period of time (my folks got an '06 in August), I just cannot warm up to the interior and exterior aesthetics, not to mention the iDrive.

I've now test driven an S550 twice and spent much time at the dealer playing with the new Comand, I must say that it's closest to Audi's MMI in terms of a great execution of the user interface and is at least intuitive for most of its functions - judging that I figured most of it out without the need of a user's manual.

I'm about to order my car for March delivery and it is down to the S550 and the Audi S8 - the numbers will play a role in my decision, and I'll get them tomorrow.

Braheem

According to the results the LS460 is not as good as the LS430 considering it beat the BMW as well as others last year, yet somehow with no improvements to the competition the LS460 dropped 3 spots

According to a CNN.com survey last month 92% of people prefer reliability over excitement in a car, maybe someone should mention to the author losing touch with your readers may be the reason behind your decline in magazine sales.

Cant sell magazines without sensationalism, so hype up the excitement factor to get a few more 16 year old subscribers to line your pockets.

ProV1

link to the original article?

Braheem

rkao

I think you'll agree the competition in this test did improve when compared to the previous test.

The BMW 7-series now has a bigger engine than the 745i, along with a redesigned exterior and some detail improvements, including to the iDrive.

The Jaguar Super V8 now employs the supercharged engine as found in the XJ-R, and it has a longer wheelbase and body length than the 'normal' XJ, plus a higher level of equipment.

The Audi has a redesigned exterior plus a bump in power thanks for the FSI V8 now powering the car.

And the winning S-class is a new generation W221 with the new 4-valve 5.5 litre V8 powerplant compared to the W220 S430 previously tested in the last comparison.

In fact, all these cars, the Lexus included, are either improved or brand new iterations. So the yardstick has moved on, some further than the others in this case...at least according to the editors of C&D.

Oh, and if I was 16 again and had $80,000+ to spend on a car, I really don't think any of these saloons would make it near the top of my list!

dunderhi

The Audi lost by only one point? It's the 2006 A8L, not the 2007 model.

MB Fanatic

Even then, the the only major difference between the 06 and 07 A8 is the engine, and the HP difference is not that great, only about 15bhp or so.

dunderhi

There's more than just 15hp - there's also improved EPA numbers 18/25. Nothing like more power and better economy at the same time.

I'd pick the S550 4m over the A8L, but the S8 makes for a much more difficult decision. Then again, the SL550 is sweet alternative to either sedan. Decisions, decisions.

Germancar1

The fact that Audi is even discussed here is a huge improvement for them. The previous A8 models never got this kinda of attention. This current A8 though deserves it, it really is a fabulous car inside and out. The S8 is a just hot.

M

phonetics

completely agreed.... the exterior is just so plain that it looks like any car drawn by a 5-year-old... no design whatsoever... it does not look different from any japanese USD20K sedan...

and they dare to launch it as competitor to S-class..... are they trying to embarrasse themselves or what? such a shame....

phonetics

if u guys remember street fighter 2 arcade video game back in 15 years ago... doesn't the lexus look like the car in the bonus stage where u have 30 something seconds to waste a car? i think they look exactly the same...

by the way... if i remember correctly, the exterior of the jaguar is pretty much the same as the model I saw 15 years ago... ?

EKaru

I wouldn't have expected the Lexus to be the heaviest of the lot...It's interesting how all cars managed an identical 13 mpg on the 475 mile trip... It's also interesting how slow the Jag was given that it has the highest hp/torque figures and weighed the least by a large margin... (600 lbs less than the Benz)....
Eric...

NeverColdCall

I don't think the issue is so much the 460 being not as good as the 430, as it is the 460 being the *same* as the 430 - in fact someone on here posted side-by-side interior photos and the two cars are nearly identical inside. Of course releasing a "new" car that's just a repackaging of the old one will get you last place.

On the reliability issue, the JD Power report itself says that MB has only 15% more reported problems than Lexus. That's a tiny difference. It seems to me that Lexus takes that 15% and through marketing hype convinces everyone that it's more like 150%.

Braheem

I dont base my reliability stats on magazine info, I base it on used car auction experience.I did find this on CNN.com today though.
http://money.cnn.com/popups/2006/autos/reliable/4.html

Jayhawk

Lexus owner perhaps? I've never seen CR ever say anything good about MB. They have a real anti-MB bias in all of their published remarks...

Nevada Jack

Again the problem is that the stats that they are using for the '06 S Class are gathered from the earlier models, not the actual '06. This is the problem with all JD Powers reliability data...it is not current!

rkao

Except for the GL450 - CR rated it very highly and I'm seriously considering replacing my wife's LX 470 with the GL when the Lexus' lease ends - the fact that the GL450 tows 7,500 lbs compared to the LX's 6,500 lbs. capacity is just icing on the cake.

Of course, there is a rumoured Land Cruiser/LX replacement due out soon to consider too...

rkao

Not to pick a fight, but isn't historical data the best indicator of reliability?

Of course, if I can figure out a way to predict reliability using future data...uh, well, I would put CR out of business for good!

Nevada Jack

Good point but they should specify the time frame of the data and not let future buyers assume that the '06 S was burdened with the same problems as the earlier models. I know since I owned an '06 S 430 and the fit/finish and mechanical operation was flawless. The poor reliability rating was not based on the '06 S which when published as such is false and misleading to the ones using the data to make a major purchase.

BTW...let's work together on putting JD Powers out of business...but then how would the public know what toaster to buy...

ProV1

i like how all 5 cars averaged 13 MPG during the testing!!

Nevada Jack

I don't know how they drive but I average about 16/17 city and averaged over 25mpg on a cross country 5000 mile trip...????

Jayhawk

Stay away from that stuff! Stay w/ MBs!!

Jayhawk

Or how would the public "know how bad MBs are!?"

Jayhawk

I average 15.5-16.5 in almost total in town driving. If that doesn't tell you something, I don't know what will...