Changing an E Class to.........?

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adam1

Active Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Messages
291
Location
Yorks
Car
E220CDI avantgarde-tansanite blue with sand-cream leather .Honda Civic, Honda Stream SESport( 160bhp
Ok so this has been my 64000 dollar question for a while.

Have loved the car during the last 2 years and still do. Had niggles with it like SRS in the past even today for 30mins...just one of those things with this car.

Then the 4 wheel aligment which is a bit better now...ie its goes straight to some extent. The worst part was the alloys at the dealership but I've learned not to trust some dealerships...however Harrogate are excellent in every way.

So warranty time is here so me thinks i need something a little smaller now that the 4.85m car is little tight in the integral garage...wife still thinks the utilities have to share the space with my CAR....huh.

So rather than renew warranty...I;ve been looking around. The choice is between..waitfor it...........................................................................
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The new BMW 320d/325i.....the DARK SIDE....or the boring Audi A4..with the long brace Jaw....or the new Lexus IS 250/ 220d avail Nov 05.

Seen the beemer in the flesh and several have driven past can't see it makes you glance twice.....the BMW 530d sport(e60) is a diff story.

The Lexus IS250 is an attractive car. Pics at

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/articles/publish/geneva_lexus_is.shtml

The precrash is like the Mbz S class presafe which is a freebie on a car in this class. It use radar to monitor obstacles ahead and primes the brake assist if you need to stop quicker.....

It has keyless go as std and button start ignition.

I haven't decided yet but the dealer has offered me book value for my car and has asked me to leave a non=returnable deposit of £1000.

Not sure what to do..but he will give me about 20K in cash..which i will bank and then come November 05 or Feb(for diesel) i will put that towards the new car....which makes sense since i have a 2nd car anyway.

Bye the way my wife likes the Civic..and can't wait i get rid of the mbz ....She even has suggested i go for the new Civic in jan06......what do ladies know about cars.....well mine anyway......

What do u think of the new lexus, 3 series, new Civic?
 
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"Changing an E Class to.........?"

..."now that the 4.85m car is little tight"...

= C-Class.

Problem solved.
 
After 3 MB's (A170cdi, C220cdi & dissapointing E320cdi estate with all the toys) (dissapointing due to rust/bodywork problems & main dealers inability to sort them out) I switched to an Audi A6 avant 1.9tdi multitronic with a few toys.

I am not fully happy with the switch - difficult to put a finger on it. The Audi is a perfectly good car but the feelgood factor is missing.

Think carefully before you make the change!

Having spent the budget for a couple of years I've got to live with the Audi but I will return to MB in the future
 
Thats exactly how I feel when i drive the Honda Piff....the feel good factor is not there.
"Changing an E Class to.........?"

..."now that the 4.85m car is little tight"...

= C-Class.

Problem solved.

Well Walling...not sure about the C Class...its a bit dated and has been around 2000...5 years old look. Newer model is out 07 so...will not be right to change now to brand new C class..for me anyway....If i buy new i will keep it at least 3-4 years as i do very low mileage.

Rather than 2 cars i need one that has the luxury but is family friendly....i guess the B class would be about right.....but then the Lexus is better looking and you get more std spec and better technology.....and more importantly a better drive...comes close to the 325 and has a good reputation for service, quality. I've read the pre-release leaflet...so seem excited...but if only it had the star on the bonnet.
 
I think your mind is set on the Lexus, and I can see why when I look at the pictures - good looking car and a (feel good) brand. Between the cars listed thats the one I would choose.

I plan on keeping my E for a couple of years yet, simply to justify having bought it brand new. Its first 2-3 years are when it gets hit with the depreciation stick .... you're lucky being able to make the change ... although I know if I changed it would definately be to something else (MB or otherwise) simply because it would have to be different. It would be boring to simply upgrade to another E.........unless of course it changed model like my move from W210 to W211 or it was an E55 with a petrol allowance !

Good luck with the choice ... this is the fun part too. :D

Marc
 
Lexus is a decent car but the centre dash does look a bit on the garish side for my taste

Considered what I would have should the E class go and ran into the same problem: there is not really that much choice. So now toying with the concept of a medium spec nearly new Focus Estate (or similar for boring stuff and for use by No.1 son who will be driving soon) and a second hand Porsche 911 for ME.

Job done.
 
I think the E Class mid update is due next year no harm in looking at the new additions. Do not buy that ugly BMW 3 series(saw my first one in the flesh yesterday), the 5 is bad enough, the inside is worse than the outside, think of the residuals, all of my beemers were awful on exchanging. Lexus is a quality car with lots of gismo,s. Audis are all boring (apart from the S4)

gary
 
Your right Satch the centre dash isn't as nice as the E Class but then mine doesn't have Sat nav or command so having touch-DVD sat nav will be a plus. You also get i-Pod connection and MP3 device. Hopefully most of electronics will work first time.

I will miss the E Class but was just gauging opinions on Lexus brand...doesn't seem to have the same Kudos but as you all know that isn't me....I'm happy driving a Civic, Toyota...whatever as long as its a good quality car.

I will try to trade it in either PX or just sell it to the trade....privately is too risky and hassle....seen similar cars with high mileage below trade value...at this time with 3 year warranty coming up many cars saturate market...so i will take the loss.....

gary...I do like the Beemers handling but the new look doesn't do it for me...its just too similar to the old 3er. The new IS is a diff looking car with the same values... quality, looks, high tech. etc...

I'm just concerned about residuals which is why if the new C class was around now i would go for that....

Marc....i agree it is a good looking car and some features resemble the new S class in terms of technology and looks...just look at the front headlights and fog lights....they are an enlarged version...quite like both designs...but 50K is out of budget and outsized.

Geoff.....can't extend garage...as its integral and cost would be more than the car itself....new E Class is has had a number of std features dropped..like puddle lights..centre armrest materail being changed..etc... so wouldn't gain any new features..... Could get rid of washing machine, double fridge, tumble dryer, and spin dryer which would give me at least 6m of space.. but then I'd have to re-marry...and maybe find another house too...so Thats def out.

The Lex is 4.5m....one foot shorter...
 
Get the Lexus, nothing will go wrong with it and it will last for a long long time.


Zishan
 
I would also say go with the new IS. Cheaper than the beermer and lots of standard equipment that would be optional on the beemer. Great reliability which would be a great plus after ur E class (Although ours has been totally trouble free) and this time round the new IS is a great all round car so yes, I would definately go for the lexus IS but after 3/4 years or when its time to change cars again make sure there's a 3 pointed star on the bonnet ;)

Oh its soo fun when it comes to buying a new car :bannana:
 
lexus Is

not wishing to blow a ill wind over this thread and its personal choice,when I see a Lexus Is I always think of Alan partridge,and look what he started with Rover.... :devil: oh and when you open your garage to get in make sure you don't try to drive off in the washing machine i'm told a very easy mistake to make with lexus

some people have mentioned the feel good factor when driving a merc,18 months down the line and it feels as good to drive today as it did the first time, I have never experienced this with any other car hope you make the right choice..... :cool:
 
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The interior of the Lexus looks OK - but I don't think they've got a clue with their exterior - they just don't seem to be able to define their look. It looks like they've taken bits from the Pug's, Saab, Mazda and mushed them all together and taken what was spat out - sorry but that's what it says to me. I don't think Lexus' age gracefully either, so it depends how long you plan to keep it - but to me they look very dated very quickly.

I've been in a couple of C's and had one for a couple of days as a hire car and was very pleasantly surprised. They may be a tad smaller than the E and not quite have as many toys as standard but the ride, drive and overall feel was terrific. But if you no longer want a MB then it's academic.

Haven't a clue about the BM but was looking at Z4s yesterday just for fun and the residuals are awful.
 
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For me the feel good factor of an MB is _ALWAYS_ ruined whenever it needs to go near a dealership :( I just don't have the confidence that if I bought a new one and it had faults, the dealers here could fix it. As it is, with my current car I can get away with using good non franchise mechanics, that can service and look after it. This single point turned out to be the deal breaker on a new SL.
 
Rear wheel-arch area is possibly the most sensitive area of design for things to look heavy etc - and from what I can remember of the noo Lexi (?!) they all are far too visually imbalanced round this area.
 
Hi,

My next car will be a Lexus. My whole family used to drive MB. I am the last one to switch completely. If you're used to the quality of MB of yesteryear, living with a modern MB has become a nightmare. I am afraid that I see the Lexus as the new MB as far as quality goes.

Interestingly, a local chaufeur company is switching their w220s to Lexus LS430s. The last MB they bought were 2 fully loaded Vianos last April and their experience has not been very good.......

Is MB trading on their past glory and quality?

Regards,

Job
 
Is MB trading on their past glory and quality?

I think they probably have been, but have now realised that they are heading for big trouble unless they sort things out rapidly. It will be interesting to see how the brand new A and B class models launched recently and the new S class fare in the quality ratings over the next couple of years. Hopefully there will be a big improvement.
 
For me the biggest mistake is the super size dealers...

At the very point that you should be getting an elite service you are reduced to being pushed through as quick as possible because the service department are trying to meet high throughput targets. I have had quality issues twice at bristol and both times have been down to lack of attention to detail because staff are too busy :(
 
 
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