E55 vs. Q45 Been a while....

[ddrumman]

Fellow Q45ers,

I haven’t been here in a whole year +…Aug of 2006 I think. Just lurking every now and then. I know of something very sad that happened a couple of months ago which I addressed in another post. Last time I was here I was studying for the state exam. Now I’m a Realtor as well as a musician. Both are going quite well. How bout that?

My Q now has 145K and I’m torn as to what I should do. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a Mercedes W210 E55 AMG 2000, 01 or 02. They can be had for a little over $20K with about 50,000K miles, if you do your due diligence. I mean ……..350 horsepower 390 Pound feet of torque…..One of the newer Mercedes with relatively fewer problems. A lot of car for the $. I don’t need to do anything to a car like that, performance wise. It’s exactly what I like, a very understated and stealthy performer.

I love my Q which still runs like a Swiss watch, but the front seats are completely shot and there are a few electrical gremlins that have not been resolved. For the longest time I’ve been without cruise, auto entry, and the off position when the steering wheel goes up and the driver’s seat goes back. And more recently the antenna mechanism along with the airbag red light, blinking, followed suite. I purchased a new BCM (body control module) and a new “key fob receiver”. I left it at Jerry’s for a little over 3 weeks –the last time I left it there for a couple of days which was not enough time- so they would find the problem areas and correct them. He was able to repair the cruise control mechanism which I was very thankful for and that was it.

So I still have a car with a horrid looking front pair of seats and a few electrical gremlins that are very irritating. I can’t take clients out with this type of interior. What would you guys do?

[1990QOwner]

Is what I would do is put 2k worth of overdue maint. into it and keep it. A Mercedes is a big time status symbol and a Q is not, is that the real reason you want the Sadies?

[brymax]

I don't know man.

E55 AMG? That's a bad-*** car. The body style changed in '03 to the more sleek lower slanted front end with slanted headlights. Plus I think the motor changed with that body style change in '03.

Anyway, the '03 is the better of those E series IMO, but I don't know if your going to get an E55 for under $30K. Of course, I'm speaking of a Certified Pre-Owned Benz. And honestly, I wouldn't buy a Benz any other way.

I have an '03 ML350 and already had I not gotten the Certified Pre-Owned one with the great warranty that comes with them, I'd be out $1000's.Plus they give you the loaner every time you come in, even for minor service.

I love my Q more, but if I have to visit the dealer, I'd rather go to Mercedes.

I say ya gotta go with the Benz. It's at the very least gonna be a hell of a lot less headaches than what you currently have. If you had a newer Q, that would be a different story. I was faced with the same dilemma. Buy a 2nd Benz or a Q. But I happen to find an '02 Q with low-low miles for way less than prices I was seeing on the E series cars I was looking at.

Good luck.

[elwesso]

Personally I would go with an M5 over an E55... I believe tech has a C43 and the trans are apparently weak... I can only imagine the E55 being worse. I personally like BMW better than MB across the board.

M5s are arguably a better car and can be had for the same-ish price.

Anyone who thinks an M5 or E55 is going to be less headache than an old Q45 is crazy! C R A Z Y !!!!

Of course 02 Q45s can be had for pennies compared to AMG and M

[AlabamaDan]

I've gone round and round over the last year...keep the Q or sell the Q. I decided to invest some $$ and keep it. At least I know what is wrong with the Q and I have NICO to help me fix it!

[elwesso]

I've gone round and round over the last year...keep the Q or sell the Q. I decided to invest some $$ and keep it. At least I know what is wrong with the Q and I have NICO to help me fix it!

me too, then I decided that I couldnt live without the Q so I bought a non running BMW. The Q was working too well so I decided the BMW would take up my spare time.

[brymax]

Personally I would go with an M5 over an E55... I believe tech has a C43 and the trans are apparently weak... I can only imagine the E55 being worse. I personally like BMW better than MB across the board.

M5s are arguably a better car and can be had for the same-ish price.

Anyone who thinks an M5 or E55 is going to be less headache than an old Q45 is crazy! C R A Z Y !!!!

Of course 02 Q45s can be had for pennies compared to AMG and M

M5? PLEASE!

B4 I bought, I looked at E's, M's & 740's, Lexus, SAAB, Volvo, blah, blah....

1 thing I can tell you is that out of all the used cars I looked at and drove, and it was a lot, ALL the BMW's for some reason seemed to show more wear than ALL the others.

I don't know what it is, but the beemers all seemed to have everything on the inside always kinda beaten up and rickity. All the cars I drove were used 30K - 75K miles, $15 - $30K, and the beemers were in the worst condition.

The other thing I did was go to Edmunds.com and read all the consumer reviews of the various cars I was considering. BMW's had some of the worst comments about maintenance.

Hands down, the one car that did not seem to have any negative comments?..... Infiniti M45! Couldn't find one person with something negative to say.

Then Q45's.Then Mercedes E series.

In that order.

BMW's? 50% at least, of the people commenting, had something bad to say.

I bought a Q.

But hey, do your research.

[AlabamaDan]

NICO has people who eliminate negative comments. I once had a problem where ...

[* * C E N S O R E D * * ]

lol

[StarPD]

I'm with Brymax.Look for a clean low mileage 2nd gen M45 or a 2004 or '05 Q45.Earlier F50 Q45s had some issues, and so did 1st gen M45s, if reliability and durability are important to you. If you look carefully, you can find some smoking deals on either one of these, and have a car that equals the Benz or 540 (not the M5, but maintenance is iffy on them), is more reliable and less expensive to maintain, and will make you smile every time you get into it.

Test drive one of each before you decide.And be careful of "Katrina cars". Buy from a dealer and get the extended warranty. Yes, I know some don't like extended warranties, but they can be a Godsend if you do have a problem.

I got a low mileage '05 Q45 (with extended warranty) last January, and love it.

Let us know what you finally decide.

[3Q Jay]

hey D- long time no hear!when did you get the G?i've added another active since the last time we talked.....

i think your benz will be a blazt, and less maitenance for 2-3 years. but then watch out.otoh, with some newish front seats from a part-out, your G50 will still be looking good with just 'normal' NICO level maint.oh, and hey if you decide to sell, let's talk--i want a '94 rear seat and pristine door panels in trade for great condition, but cheaper materials '95 parts. plus i want your rims for my fy33.


Modified by 3Q Jay at 8:38 PM 11/19/2007

[Jesda]

Modern day BMWs wear far better than their MB competitors. Fifteen years ago this wasn't true.

[xerexabante]

I 2nd this. I just got an SLK230 1998 with 47k miles for $7k. Searched for a forum and found SLKworld.com. No one really gets help. Post are old and people ask questions and no relpy or no one gets answers to thier questions. Sad to say there are folks all over the world on this forum. I love NICO's environment people helping people with their questions. If you think BMW is better you might think again. I have owned a binch of Benz and BMW's, Japanese is a whole lot better. IMO

[Jesda]

Fortunately, a few American cars are catching up in sophistication, design, and dependability, eliminating the need to choose between a bland Japanese appliance or an unreliable European nightmare. I [heart] my Land Rover and the throaty BMW V8 that propels it. I also [heart] my extended warranty.

As far as maintenance costs, luxury cars are all expensive, some more than others. The joy is sometimes worth the pain. Its worth it with the Q.

[brymax]

Fortunately, a few American cars are catching up in sophistication, design, and dependability, eliminating the need to choose between a bland Japanese appliance or an unreliable European nightmare. I [heart] my Land Rover and the throaty BMW V8 that propels it. I also [heart] my extended warranty.

As far as maintenance costs, luxury cars are all expensive, some more than others. The joy is sometimes worth the pain. Its worth it with the Q.

That's right. Jesda, you got the Range Rover!

Dude, I ALMOST bought that car. ALMOST!

Unfortunately I was going on and on a bit too mush one night about how cool the Edmunds.com - consumer review section was in front of my wife while sitting at the computer. I was showing her how you could read what everyday commoners such as us were saying about cars we were looking to buy.

My wife is one o dem, College Edumacated girls and quickly did the math and determined that the Range Rovers and Beemers had a lot of bad things said about them. And although she didn't like the look of the M's & Q's she pointed out that NOBODY had anything bad to say about those cars.

Damn-it! My chance to buy the Range Rover was blown!

I want the '03 HSE Sport.

What are those things like to drive and maintain, seriously?

[Q45tech]

As long as you buy a wrecked same color year and model for spare parts almost any import vehicle can be kept functional.

[maxnix]

Personally, I think the MB SOHC 3 valve engine is a big step back in elegance and efficiency to the VH45DE. Basically, what you have is a Furd V8 with a supercharger strapped on so it can get enough air through to perform.

Notice that in their new V8, MB has returned to 4 valves per cylinder and continulusly variable DOHC.

Have a neighbor with a 2004 CLS55 AMG I will watch. He is totally not a DIY guy, so we'll see what is done by the dealer or the shop and how it goes.

[Jesda]

My wife is one o dem, College Edumacated girls and quickly did the math and determined that the Range Rovers and Beemers had a lot of bad things said about them. And although she didn't like the look of the M's & Q's she pointed out that NOBODY had anything bad to say about those cars.

Damn-it! My chance to buy the Range Rover was blown!

I want the '03 HSE Sport.

What are those things like to drive and maintain, seriously?

The RR is a decadent indulgence.

My horn doesn't work and my wiper fluid reservoir is leaking. Neither are covered under the aftermarket warranty, and neither is very serious unless you're driving in NYC. On rare occasions the nav system will 'reboot' on a long trip (turns off and on once) but it goes back to where it left off. That doesn't affect 05 and later, I believe. Build quality is outstanding and the drive is simply amazing for an SUV.

This past weekend I drove a friend's 2003 Lincoln Navigator and really enjoyed it. The materials and quality were a good step down, but the luxury accessories, comfort (wide seats, wide cabin), and steering were excellent. While it did everything wonderfully on paper, it didn't offer the intangible "oooh, ahhh" that the Rover does.

2003-2005 BMW 4.4 Rovers suffer from front propeller shaft failures every 40-120k. My $1099 150k five year warranty (addition to current mileage) covers that, among other basics. In fact, thats the primary reason I bought coverage. The front diff and prop shaft assembly are $1600 installed. Buying the warranty was like buying a discounted front differential that came with free repairs cou.

06+ seem to have the bugs worked out. Ford added a CV to the front prop shaft which took care of that problem, and some of the features found in the Navigator (power running boards and such) were finally made available.

Parts often have to be ordered from England and can take forever to arrive. The dealer network is mixed. I suspect that if there were better trained dealer service departments, there would be far fewer dissatisfied owners.

There's two kinds of Range Rovers: The ones that run forever without serious issues and the ones that visit the dealer every week. I can't explain why this is. Fortunately, mine seems to be among the former. Its like marrying a supermodel and finding out she can cook, clean, and loves the way my farts smell. I'm a very satisfied Land Rover owner.

[brymax]

My luck, I'd get the one that's always in the shop.

I'm sticking with the Q for now, but I've been eyeballin the new Mercedes GL450.

Unfortunately, I just bought an 03 ML350 not even a year ago. And the Q was purchased 4 or 5 months ago.

So, my hall pass for major purchases has been revoked by the bouse for a while, even if I do use the "It's for you and the kids" excuse / reasoning.

[1990QOwner]

So, my hall pass for major purchases has been revoked by the bouse for a while, even if I do use the "It's for you and the kids" excuse / reasoning.

LOL, I am buying another sports car for you and the kids

[AlabamaDan]

Stop drinking the Range Rover Cool-Aid guys!

[ddrumman]

Thanks for all the replies.

I TOO prefer the BMWs over the MBs almost all across the board. The “545i sport” which is my favorite car, shape wise and handling wise is in the mid $30s for a 04 model. However the Bimmers that can be had for low 20s are nowhere near as much car for the buck as the 210 E55. And as far as the M5….forget it… I love it but it’s a stick and I live in LA plus the money is a big factor.

Jay, I got the G for my wife in May of 07. It’s an amazing rocket of a car. Tight and very confident. The reason I’m looking into the E55 is because I think that all things considered it’s a very smart buy. It’s good for the Real Estate business and I can still fit all my gear in the trunk. Also, I’ve got a Mercedes tech friend that works at Keys Mercedes and he tells me that the 210 chassis is probably the most reliable repair wise. According to all the MB owners around the web there is a place that services MBs called “Mr MB Motors” maybe 8 miles away from me (Reseda CA) that’s equivalent to T3 for Qs. It is owned and operated by Enrique who used to be the chief guy for 28 years in Beverly Hills Mercedes and then Stiegler. He’s painfully honest and really KNOWS Mercedes. Brian’s comment is food for thought though.

Also, M45s and 02 to 05 Qs are MORE expensive than what I’m looking to spend believe it or not. Low 20s is about it for my budget.


Modified by ddrumman at 8:07 PM 11/21/2007

[Peterofdevon]

Before you buy the MB..just drive a 01-03 540i 6 spped sport. I found one-- a one owner garaged under 50K one last year...the interior smells SR new, no chips...perfect.

Lots out there...drive one.....

Peter

[Haitian_King]

Personally, I hate the E-Class Benz. The older ones. The newer ones aren't too bad. A neighbor of mine has one, and it looks nice in black. I'm a big fan of the S-Class. 94 to present day.

I also love BMW's. Mostly the 95-01 (E38?). The 8-Series is nice as well. Beemer's are notorious for frequent maintenance and the cost of their replacement/repair parts.

My uncle traded his 3-Series in for an MDX, bought another 3-Series from an auction, had it rebuilt and came out of pocket for $8000 for the car.

He traded in the first one because there was a $2000 transmission problem that he was reluctant to fix.

[Jesda]

I used to really admire the E-class, until W210 came around. What a hunk of trash that car was. Exception: AMG

I was planning a road trip with a friend this summer and we ended up renting a Galant because the 2000 E-class we were going to take had a failing transmission and a bunch of electrical glitches. I did get the AC to finally work. I went into the on board computer and had to do some addition and subtraction to set some number to get the damn compressor to come on.