milkboneeee

just curious..

got bored today and went online trying to see what kinda car is out there...
only one that i can consider replacing my e55 is the e60 m5, but you all know they have a tons of issue..

so, what will you choose if you have 20-25k laying around..
*to replace your w211 amg, not getting another toy*

my list:
e60 m5
EVO
R32 GTR

M5 LOL

replace it in what sense, speed or luxury?

996 911. coyote mustang. R32/3 GTR a lot options really.

cfmistry

E63 or 911

GM_Lover

A well sorted W220 S65. MAYBE a W221, but man are they hideous...

tw2

E63..

Hotsauce55

EVO/R32 are tuners cars not in same category as a Merc. Plenty potential to go fast but garbage interiors etc..

Maybe an N/A Porsche but i'd feel ripped off knowing the turbo version was out there. Truthfully its tough to find a suitable replacement that hits the luxury, build quality & performance factors.

I would say a B8 S4, 4 dr V8 M3 or CTS-V but not sure about quality on that one.

Strigoi

I'd say E63 since what I paid for mine is in that range. Can't really think of any other car I want that would cost that much.

M5 LOL

S4 timing belt issues
E92 M3 rod bearing issues
CTSV junk

94jedi

No votes for the w204 c63?

The Fly 1

Spend a little more and get a S63 or Porsche panorama
thats what i would do

Hotsauce55

let's be clear, every car has it's issues whether timing tensioners, rod bearings, electronics, sbc, airmatic etc...

- wrong generation s4 - b6 and b7 had those problems widespread. It was a timing chain not a belt and tensioners were the biggest problem. Plastic and brittle.
- rod bearing replacement isn't tough or that costly diy especially when considering an airmatic strut replacement cost
- quality of the ctsv interior and electronics I have read, is a bit behind but the motor is an allstar. Junk is taking it a bit far imo.

GM_Lover

The 2nd gen CTS-V has far more potential than our E55's. It's not even close. There's a reason why a number of the regulars from this forum have moved on to that platform. On top of that, a brand new LSA crate engine from the supercharger lid down to the oil pan only costs around $10k, so total catastrophic engine failure is relatively no big deal. The CTS-V's older generation mag-ride suspension also puts our (or any air or hydro) suspension to absolute shame. They're decent for performance but where they really shine is everyday driving where they soak up bad bumps and potholes like you're driving on a newly paved road. The interior and fit and finish in the 2nd gen CTS-V might be worse but it offers a much, much smoother ride than the E55.

Kalashnikov

Mitsubishi Mirage ES with 5 speed manual. Super simple, super fun to drive, gets 45+ MPG, can be fixed with a brick and a shoe string, easy to park, super practical, takes regular gasoline...$100/year all-in for maintenance costs, cheap to insure.

fergsc32

porsche panorama..is that a new model ?? or is that the replacement for my porsche panamera

tw2

Convertible version.

M5 LOL

did you just compare replacing rod bearings to replacing a $400 air strut?

Tavs

That's actually a funny analogy as I would rather do rod bearings then replace an air strut. (Cost wise) Sure it is like 15 hours of work vs 1, but that is just a late Friday and all day saturday. A remain Arnott strut is like $550 (675 new). Bearings would be 420, add a fresh tube of sealant and a new gallon of coolant and it is just a couple bolts.

M5 LOL

the lunacy of this post is nothing short of impressive.

tw2

+1, I rather replace all four struts and the compressor before pulling the engine out. I'll have fries and a new crankshaft with that

M5 LOL

you can do rod bearings with the motor in the chassis in most cars, including the E92. but its a not a walk in the park. my point is simple, replacing a strut is a gravy job, done in an hour with hand tools, and less with a lift and air tools.

having to replace rod bearing as a wear item at low miles is stupid. the class action lawsuit over the v8 in those m3s is proof enough. the E60 M5s suffer from this as well which is not too surprising as the S85 is the same motor with two bores cut off in the M3.

DVC

On the flip side, I know several who've switched to the Gen 2 V and then came back to the E55.

I love the LS motor and have built a Porsche LS2 swap, but the GM build quality with the rest of the car is not comparable to the W211. The higher mileage CTS-V specimens are showing as much. The potential for power and tuning is superior with the V, no doubt. But, sometimes there's more than that when living with a car.

Just IMHO though.

Rallyboy383

I had a very good chuckle reading the above statements. I lol'd so hard!!

GM_Lover

Couldn't agree with this more! There's literally no GM, including current gen Cadillacs, that can match the fit-finish and material quality of even a 15-YO W211. Not hyperbole. Heck, my $19k msrp 2000 VW's fit/finish and material quality was on a much, much higher level than my $48k msrp Chevy SS. Again, not hyperbole. But I'm a big GM (and really, all domestic brand) fan because overall, they offer a lot of car for the money compared to other manufacturers. I think owning any domestic will always be a compromise though if performance and standard features aren't the only things that matter to you.

Having said that, one thing that drives me absolutely nuts about Mercedes is how they strip down a car (even to the hids on some models) just so they can meet some target price of entry. Then they offer literally 3 dozen mind-numbing options, so that when equipped with reasonable features that you'd get standard on many $25k cars nowadays, the price of the Merc is suddenly 35% more than what you started with. I cross shopped a GLA45 with my Chevy SS since their msrp's were pretty much the same. But equipping the AMG to similar specs as the SS brought the AMG to over $65k. Anyway I digress...

Hotsauce55

i compared the diy cost plz read.

Dublinoh

I've owned every German brand, and I don't believe anything equals the quality and durability of Mercedes. I think the answer is found somewhere in their line up. But you will trade "newer" for "less performance" in that price range.