[JamieA]

Take this a tongue in cheek please...

Take a look at this link to see an embarrasing moment for Mercedes with their distronic plus system crashing on a TV demonstration (video link at the end of the text of the article).


Seriously though, I hope it gets better because this technology will be amazing once the bugs are ironed out of it.

[645 KID]

Their engines are high displacement and twin supercharged,there is'nt anything special about them. I have driven many of them,and believe me they are pretty boring to drive,other than good acceleration. I'll stick with what I've got.

[NaTuReB0Y]

Lotus Elise = Toyota Corolla 1.8L Engine

[E90RWC]

Originally Posted by Papa13

hahaha sorry but...

MB = Chrysler

There you go.. this pointless thread summed up in a couple words...

And BTW the only reason the SLR is good is becuase its a MACLAREN...

Benzes blow fat Lexington Steele cock. They are so unreliable and expensive. Chrysler and Benz = CRAP.

Please don't make me compare C230 resale value vs e46 325i resale value.

BENZ IS WORTH ISH AFTER 2 years.

[ABR]

I agree Benz is on downturn along with Honda. On other hand Chrysler is going up up with all those 300c, charger .... And Toyota seems just outpacing everybody in every segment.

[KUweatherman]

Mercedes ahead of BMW? Hahahahaha *breath* hahahahha

[cntlaw]

Recent years, MB loses a lot of scores on reliability, however, it is a brand that still offer great inovations and a wide spectrum on models variants.
.
Yes. Buying a MB, it is a chance we have to take , or get a "non-stop" Lexus / Honda if you don't think you can afford the downtimes and service bills. The ultimate is a Porsche, if that is affordable.

Read JD Power Survey:
JD Power Survey

[cntlaw]

Another article:


By MARK LANDLER New York Times, Published: September 13, 2005

FRANKFURT, Sept. 12 - The incoming chairman of DaimlerChrysler signaled on
Monday that he would impose a stringent cost-cutting regimen on the
company's flagship Mercedes division, which has had a collapse in profit
amid evidence that its quality standards have deteriorated.

Speaking at the Frankfurt international auto show, the executive, Dieter
Zetsche, said in an interview with reporters, "We have to learn to do the
same with less, or even more with less."

Mr. Zetsche, who will succeed Jürgen E. Schrempp in January, did not
specify how much he was seeking to save, or whether DaimlerChrysler would
eliminate jobs to do so. German companies typically negotiate with their
unions before announcing staff reductions.

In his last post at DaimlerChrysler, Mr. Zetsche turned around the American
Chrysler unit, which was hemorrhaging money, in part by laying off 26,000
workers. Such wholesale cuts are all but inconceivable in Germany, where
the unions and job-protection laws are much stronger.

Mr. Zetsche said he would not use Chrysler as a model for Mercedes, noting
that a "comparison would be misleading."

But as German carmakers struggle with global competition, they are being
forced to contemplate American-style cost-cutting. Volkswagen recently
warned that its German factories would require deep job cuts to stay
competitive with plants in Portugal and elsewhere.

Volkswagen "is a company in crisis," Wolfgang Bernhard, its No. 2
executive, said here. "People need to understand that. They have to
change."

Mr. Bernhard and Mr. Zetsche, who worked together at Chrysler, are perhaps
the two most closely watched auto executives in Germany these days -
returning home after years in Detroit to revive two troubled industrial
icons.

Mr. Zetsche, in particular, dominated the first day of this trade show. At
a news conference for Mercedes-Benz, he was driven onto the stage in a new
Jeep Commander. Exchanging a baseball cap and leather jacket for a suit
jacket, Mr. Zetsche pronounced himself right at home.

He then introduced several new Mercedes models, including a redesigned
S-class sedan, the top of the line. The S-class will be critical to
restoring Mercedes's operating profit, which fell 98 percent in the second
quarter, largely because of losses at the Smart minicar unit.

Some analysts have called on Mr. Zetsche to shut down Smart. But on Monday,
he said it was "only fair" to give the unit's new management time to stanch
the losses.

Fixing Mercedes will occupy most of Mr. Zetsche's time, even after he
becomes chairman of DaimlerChrysler. A few weeks after being named to
succeed Mr. Schrempp, he was given responsibility for the Mercedes-Benz car
group, after its chief, Eckhard Cordes, resigned. On Monday, he said he
viewed the Mercedes assignment as open-ended.

That could put pressure on Mr. Zetsche, who will also face demands to
increase DaimlerChrysler's share price. Hedge funds have added to their
Daimler stakes since the announcement of Mr. Schrempp's departure, and
analysts said they might press for deeper changes.

Mr. Zetsche said the company had not yet determined whether its shareholder
base had been significantly altered by hedge funds. But he added, "The more
parties that are interested, the better for us."

DaimlerChrysler will also have to deal with the impact of higher oil
prices. Mr. Zetsche said consumers had been resilient during previous oil
shocks, though he conceded the one now would have a dampening effect.

Despite the variety of challenges facing Mr. Zetsche, analysts said he was
right to focus on rebuilding Mercedes. "It's the underperformance of
Mercedes that is holding the whole empire back," said Garel Rhys, director
of the Center for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff University in
Wales. "If you get Mercedes right, you go a long way toward getting all of
DaimlerChrysler right."

Mercedes ranked 27th of 37 brands in the 2005 vehicle dependability survey conducted by J. D. Power & Associates, behind Mitsubishi. The survey
measures reliability after three years of ownership. It ranked fifth in the
initial quality test, which measures reliability after 90 days.

"Clearly, it's our objective to be No. 1," Mr. Zetsche said. Asked whether
he had a deadline for reaching that, he demurred, saying, "We will be in
the very top ranks in the next three years."

[cntlaw]

Originally Posted by lux.sh

omg. that car on the right is my girl's favorite car. and my favorite.
After we saw one on the road... they are just plain beautiful.

lux,
So far, I have not met one female she does not fall in love with the CLS and a hell lot more luxury and cheaper than the 645i.
A little extra $ over 645i , you can get a CLS55 AMG 476hp.

cnt
p.s. photos of a CLS 55 IWC Special Ed.

[NaTuReB0Y]

You want a luxury car with class and style....buy a Mercedes......

otherwise.....be happy with your BMW....

[lux.sh]

Originally Posted by cntlaw

lux,
So far, I have not met one female she does not fall in love with the CLS and a hell lot more luxury and cheaper than the 645i.
A little extra $ over 645i , you can get a CLS55 AMG 476hp.

cnt
p.s. photos of a CLS 55 IWC Special Ed.

wow. thanks for the pics man. I saved all of them. I need to show these to my girl. she'll love it.

wow... looking at that pic.. makes my 330i look like crap. lol.
oh well, I still love e90.

[cntlaw]

Originally Posted by lux.sh

wow. thanks for the pics man. I saved all of them. I need to show these to my girl. she'll love it.

wow... looking at that pic.. makes my 330i look like crap. lol.
oh well, I still love e90.

Glad you love them. Pls tell your girl , the IWC Edition price is doubled the standard CLS55 price though and is limited edition.
And , take this as a joke, we bimmers all look like crap in eyes of MB owners. and, in bimmer eyes, they think all Mb guys dont know how to drive a sports car.
lucky I am a Bi

[cosmosblau]

Where are the MB forums for MB enthusiasts? I'm sure there are a few, but not in such volume as BMW.

The reason is simple: Why would you need a forum about a car which you only bought to impress your neighbors?

(But I must admit- as a big fan of IWC watches, that CLS is sweeeet!)

[cntlaw]

Originally Posted by cosmosblau

Where are the MB forums for MB enthusiasts? I'm sure there are a few, but not in such volume as BMW.

The reason is simple: Why would you need a forum about a car which you only bought to impress your neighbors?

(But I must admit- as a big fan of IWC watches, that CLS is sweeeet!)

Hey, good man. I am a big fan of IWC watches too! And, I was actually invited to the IWC AMG show in H.K. where I was able to see the new IWC AMG watches plus a real CLS55 AMG IWC Edition. It was unforgettable.
cnt
p.s. My favourite forum for MB cars fanatics is mbworld.org
And, no, I did not buy my MBs to impress my neighbours, I have always been a M3 fan except that it hasn't been quite the right time to pay fortune for an aging E46 M3 which in a year or so , the M3 E46 gonna flood the preowned market and likely my delivery boy will be driving one. Just wanna be a wise consumer. I think I am at the right timing to pick up a 3-series (again) after 11 years.

[voltron1011]

Here is Jeremy Clarkson's opinion on Merc CLS AMG

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...q=top+gear+cls

[cntlaw]

Originally Posted by voltron1011

Here is Jeremy Clarkson's opinion on Merc CLS AMG

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...q=top+gear+cls

Thanks , I enjoyed it.
It is the first time I noticed MB's Parameter Steering being so effective for high speed cornering ! I wish my coming 330i's AS will serve as good as.

[Garrett]

Originally Posted by spitfire6000

This is one thing that i never really understood.

Benz easily mass produces silky smooth cars like the CL55 and 65 which have over 500 horses and over 520 torque and over 700 torque on the 65 model and all of that coming from supercharged V8s.

With bmw, the best they can do with a V10 is a little over 500hp and torque numbers in the 300s.

Not only that, but despite the benzes weighing tons more than any bmws in production, they accelerate FAR FAR quicker than anything bmw can throw out...and all of that from what are called the best standard 7 speed automatic trannys in the world.

MB makes extensive use of varying suspensions on their cars. Unlike bmw which only tailors stiff sporty suspensions in any kind of driving, the benzes drive like lexuses on strait roads, but when twisties come up, the suspensions stiffen themselves and do not permit any body roll. Thus, the car handles almost as well as a sports car. In fact, if anyone has ever had any experience with these cars, they would know that all benzes handle like they weigh over 1000 pounds lighter.

Point is...how come BMW doesnt analyze their competition and take tricks they use and incorporate them into their own cars? I think if bmw utilized the best things from all of their competitors, they would be completely untouchable in this business.

MB's are paper tigers ...!!

Your looking soley at stats and specs and not how they all work together. Your assuming because on paper they have performance that once your behind the wheel they achieve it. MB's are well build LUXURY cars. BMW's are machines.

You tout the performance and HP/TQ figures from the CL55 AMG ($121,000) and the CL65 AMG($180,000) cars then ask a mudane question of why...?

BMW knows how to put their HP to the ground and the result is a silky smooth effortless Bimmer !! The ///M5 will easily out handle and perform the CL55 AMG. And you can't dismiss the $40,000 difference in price. Plus, the M5 has more horsepower !!!

I fail to see your point...!

Secondly, if you look at MB's sedans compaired to BMW's at the same price range, BMW gives your a driving enthusiast experience... not a cushy quite executive feel. Your comparisons are severly skewed because you don't compair cars based on Class/Price.

Mercedes has nothing over BMW, their a different market and a different crowd.


-Garrett


(PS: Explain to me again why Mercedes weigh so much...?)

[Garrett]

Originally Posted by cntlaw

lux,
So far, I have not met one female she does not fall in love with the CLS and a hell lot more luxury and cheaper than the 645i.
A little extra $ over 645i , you can get a CLS55 AMG 476hp.

cnt
p.s. photos of a CLS 55 IWC Special Ed.

The CLS55 AMG cost $87,000, the BMW 650i cost $71,000. Thats a $16,000 difference. The //M6 will be about $85,000 and 500+ HP. Can't imagine how some people reason or compair.


-Garrett

[ward]

the CLS has a hate it or love it rear end


I hate it

[lux.sh]

Originally Posted by ward

the CLS has a hate it or love it rear end


I hate it

this is true. Except, I love it.

[xsb00st]

Originally Posted by ward

the CLS has a hate it or love it rear end


I hate it

I certainly do love it!

[ben1364]

Can someone please aprise me of the point of this thread? Benz'z CSI scores are down, for goodness sake!