Forrest Gump 9

I know this is a Mercedes board, but hopefully you guys can help me out. I am in the market for a "family car". I am torn between an '05 E55 AMG and an '03 RS6. At the moment I am leaning toward the RS6 just because the AWD (I live in a place that you actually need awd about a month out of the year). Also in far distance is a Infiniti M35X. Thanks in advance.

gikser

factor in about $3000 give or take every 35,000 miles for a timing belt replacement,as well as $1200 give or take for pads and rotors quite often i should say basically if its not cpo dont get an rs6 unless your willing to donate vital organs for repair costs.i know nothing about the e55 but this is my take after a 2yr stint at paul miller audi as a tech.

Blownbenz

allthough the e55 is not perfect it is much more reliable than an audi rs6. Plus any rs6 you find will be out of warranty and i wouldnt buy either car with no warranty.

gikser

03 and 04 audis are not able to be cpo'd anymore

Carl Lassiter

03 RS6 has a lot of issues with it's suspension (DRC- dynamic ride control). This is expensive and troublesome when it fails with a lot of downtime due to the difficulty in fixing such a complex set up that's encountered by techs improperly taught its intricacies.

Also, the C5 body does not hold up too well to front impact crashes- 3stars if I remember correctly. Certainly the W211 E is safer as regards passive safety.

E55 is far, far quicker in all dry conditions. As regards that one month a year, just put the AMGs tranny in Comfort mode for 2nd gear starts and tread gingerly. Perhaps get some snow chains.

Don't know if it's big enough for you but the 07 RS4 is a fabulous little car, though it's stick shift only.

blackbenzz

E55 has less maintenance issues and has more aftermarket availability. That being said I drove my friends RS6 (modified) and loved it. It was great being able to put the pedla to the floor and not have to worry about the rear end coming loose. And the sound of a turbo V8 made me smile

W211 BEAST

I am still in love with the 03 RS6, it is a really gorgeous car, but as others have said, either car wouldnt be wise without a warranty.

And the E55 is so much more fun

And its safer too, my friend was in an E-class that flipped over twice and slid along the top of the car for about 15 feet and both of my friends came out with scratches.

Ol'School

I don't have much input for you, but regarding yer coment, don't worry about these comments being biased coz it's an MB forum an all .. I'm new here as well and I found out these guys are brilliant ! the majority would give you very "informative" feed back/review/info about any car even though sometimes it's thier own car and it's negative feed back .. seen it alot .. plus most of those guys have BMWs and Audis besides thier MBs .. and finally - it must be something about owning an MB - these guys know what they're talking about !

I'd go with the E55

Marcus Frost

I had an '03 RS6, plagued with DRC problems which started at 3000 miles. I really loved the car - great looks, power, sound, ameneties - I enjoyed it as much as I could, but the problems wound up leaving a sour taste in my mouth. Sold it and went to the '05 E55 I have now.

-m

emoving

I wouldnt touch a RS6 over an E55 for anything. RS6 is a service nightmare! That's from experience. My 06 55 has been flawless!

HYEPWR

Sorry...I have to agree as well....Service is a nightmare. It just seems to want to goto the service center every 4-6 weeks. Its just a hassle...drop it off....arrange for another car..pick it up...pay $1000. Just a recurring cycle with the Rs6.

That said....what a BEAUTIFUL car!! My fav sedan by far. Very "mod-able", and that AWD handling is just awsome. I use to say ....owning it is similar to having an INCREDIBLY HOT girlfriend that has hepatitis. People envy you when u goto a club and shes lookin all good....but they dont realize all the doctor and hospital visits ect ect..

E55_GT3wheels

i strongly considered the RS6 prior to buying the E55 a little over a year ago now. Didnt do it due to the reported cost of ownership. very happy with the E55.

prodigymb

i have driven an rs6 with an APR tune and exhaust and the car is INSANE. i can't give you reliability advice as i only tuned one and it doesnt get serviced here.....it was a sweet car, cf interior is cool too.

i kinda thought about the RS6 when i was getting an E55 as the price is identical, but the E55 chose me.....