I'm sure it has escaped the notice of most, but over the past few years, posts have come up involving the entire Mercedes\BMW\Lexus debates, and being a VERY happy Lexus owner, I have said some rather disparaging things about Mercedes. Both Z-man and Island911 have endured my tirades.
Now, in my own defense, I own a 2004 Lexus, and bought it at a time when Mercedes quality (by their own admission) had issues. And I think MBs attack on Consumer Reports was rather poor form. But I'm not some blind brand loyalist, and if a brand is 'walking the walk', I won't hesitate to switch brands.
This morning I traded in my Boxster for a 2006 Mercedes E350. I have decided that the next step in my Porsche ownership will be to own a track car, and I needed a daily driver. I looked at a number of options, but it really just came down to buying a BMW 530, or an E series Mercedes. I doubt you care to hear my rather long winded reasoning, so I will make it quick:
1) WTF is Chris Bangle going for? I just don't get it. I think Mercedes styling will age better than BMWs styling if I decide to drive the car for the next 15 years.
2) Mercedes quality has risen dramatically since the 06 model year.
3) Lexus simply does not have a comparable offering. The ES350? Oh please....
So there it is. Despite my railing against Mercedes, here we are. Its a beautiful car. The 3.5 engine lays on power in a buttery smooth band through the 7 speed. The shifting is almost imperceptible.
There you have it. Z-man, I ask only that you remove the beaks from my crow pie!
On to finding that track weapon (I'm thinking an SC......).
