Considering purchase of 2011-2012 M56x

[zitsky]

My cars have been a 1996 Saturn SL2, 2001 Mercedes Benz C240 and now a 2004 Mercedes Benz S500 4Matic. I like the S500 but it seems there is always something to repair. And the technology is really old. No Bluetooth audio for example.

I have a friend with an M37. I like the interior of the car but so far I have not done a test drive. I plan to do a test drive locally before seriously bidding on a car I find online.

I am currently looking at two M56x cars. One is a late 2010 model year 2011. It has more Carfax history but has items like "electrical system checked" which kind of worries me. I can try to post the Carfax. The second car is an early 2012 model, sold as "corporate fleet". However it has no maintenance history at all. Could that be hiding problems?

I read a thread about cars zapping iPods or other electronics connected to the car. Is that a common problem?

I plan to have any car inspected by a good mechanic. I also plan to buy a wrap warranty. I'm just worried about the type of problems I would run into after driving off the lot.

Thanks for any advice.

[mazz]

Your problems with European brands to not general occur with Japanese brands in my opinion. you may not get the status but buy an Infiniti Lexus Acura etc you will have a car without the Audi BMW Mercedes issues and without the status of those brands.
I purchased a corporate fleet 2002 q45 had 90 thousand trouble free miles , I have owned 1990 1994 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2013 Infiniti never bought a warranty never had a serious problem drove them to 80 or 100k before trade. Both cars you are looking at are in warranty buy them and a dealer will fix them free worry about features mileage or price don't worry about making them work.
Mazz

[Larz]

I completely agree with mazz. Nobody beats the Germans for body design - they are incapable of building an ugly car and nobody beats them for paint jobs and finish - but reliablility? .... not so much.
Infiniti comes VERY close to German cars for fit/finish and paint quality and they far exceed German cars for reliability and maintenance. My M has hit 80k miles with no reliability issues, no repairs, and much lower cost for maintenance. I am convinced that with proper maintenance, my M will go forever.
As for status? That has always confused me. I see a BMW or Merc and think "what a brilliant looking car - I'd fancy owning one when they make make it reliable".

[pedsemdoc]

I see a BMW or Merc and think "what a brilliant looking car - I'd fancy owning one when they make make it reliable".

Eggzacktly!!! A good friend of mine got a great deal on a 2011 Merc AMG S63, incredible looking, unbelievable tech, and GOBS of power, but it's basically been rebuilt: new motor and new transmission, and a whole host of other things, because he's had soooo many problems with it. They know him on a first name basis at the dealership...
luckily he got an extended warranty that has covered EVERYTHING, otherwise he would have sold it a long time ago.

My car has only gone to the dealership for routine maintenance stuff I don't feel like taking care of...incredibly rock solid!! 85k miles

[RiffRaff]

My wife and I each bought the M37X. They are both 3 years old, and both of us drive a lot (I have 110K miles on mine). I have had several problems with my car that luckily were fixed under warranty including the entire stereo needing to be replaced (it would've been about a $5000 repair if I had to pay for it) and some other strange electrical problems that required the dealer keep it for over a week to fix. My wife's car has not had these problems however, so some of it is luck (I guess).

The M37X has a lot of power, I'm sure the M56 is a beast!