7/24    Looking to buy a new car.  I'm going to buy a luxury car this time
        to replace my 10 year old Toyota Camry.  Thinking of spending around
        40-50K.  I'm looking at Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, and Acura.  I know the
        reliability and quality of Lexus and Acura cars, but I don't have much
        info on Mercedes or BMW.  Have their quality improved in the past
        10 years?  I keep hearing about problems with the lower end MB or
        BMW cars like the C class or the 3 series.  What about the MB E series
        or the BMW 5 series?  Also I've been reading the discussion forum
        messages on Lexus RX and GS series.  A lot of people have problems
        with rattle noises or other small problems.  How much should one
        believe those stories?  Can one dismiss those messages as coming from
        vocal minorities?  I really liked the GS series but some of the
        messages I read are worrisome.  Thanks.
        \_ Get a Lexus SC430. Why? Because if you're looking for a luxury
           car and have had your oh-so-boring family car for a while,
           chances are, you've been married for a while, had kid(s), and
           stopped having sex. You're looking for a luxury car to spice up
           your life, ya? Get a SC430, you're guaranteed to get attention
           from mature women (late 20s) and upwards.
        \_ They should all be ok. I think safety, handling, looks, resale
           value all outweigh reliability concerns with these cars. I would
           expect MB to have more problems related to electronic doodads
           (based on hearsay).
        \_ Fuck Lexus.  get this
           http://www.dovebid.com/assets/display.asp?ItemID=xjd3207
        \_ Which luxury car model has the best gas mileage?
        \_ I have a 2006 Lexus IS350 and a 2000 BMW 3 series. The Lexus needed
           a new transmission after just 3 months of driving. It had 2800 miles
           on it. It's a nice car that gets good mileage, but it's
           worrisome to have such a major problem so soon. The BMW hasn't
           had such a major problem, but it has had a litany of small
           problems like window regulators. I have put 100K miles on it.
           Stay away from Audi and MB. That leaves Acura. Only problem with
           Acura is that it's a rather boring car. Is this a car you are going
           to keep another 10 years or a car you will get rid of once the
           warranty expires?
        \_ Just stay away from MB.  I know a foreman who runs a dealership
           repair shop and according to him, they're crap.  They have too
           many electrical problems.
           \_ They were the best cars made 15-20 years ago, but not anymore.
              My mother-in-law has an S-class and my sister's bf has a CLS
              and they constantly have problems. Latest is that the air
              conditioning stopped working. In a 2004 car! It was fixed
              under warranty, but what a PITA. What happens when the
              warranty runs out?!
              \_ Then you pay $2k to fix it just like any other car.
                 \_ Hah! Dude, you pay $2K to fix something small and like
                    $6K to fix a real problem - and there are going to be
                    more of them than for the average car. I once took my
                    Accord in and had everything done to it - water pump,
                    radiator, CV boot, plugs, brakes, timing belt, etc. It
                    cost $1K. For a BMW you will spend $450 just to fix a
                    window regulator. I am sure Mercedes is the same. A
                    typical car is not $1-2K every time you bring it in,
                    but a BMW or Mercedes sure is.
        \_ In the last few years, MB has been battling it out with Volkswagen
           for the very lowest spot in the Consumer Reports Reliabilty survey.
           BMW is better.  My 2000 MB E320 has been uber reliable (now at
           84,000 miles) but I treat my cars very gently.  Note that 2000 was
           the one of the last years MB had good reliability.  Both BMW and
           Lexus are going to get clobbered by Acura and Lexus in reliability.
           BMW has the "iDrive" system which is universally loathed.
        \_ Have you looked at Infinity G and M series?