Noubs

phantomias33

You mean you didn't have $100k to spend on a car at 19? You just started work late. Now if you had started working for Nike at 6 and worked your way to floor manager by 9, then you'd have been in a position to leverage your job title and become assembly plant manger at Diahatsu by 12 at the latest.

I'm not sure how anyone earns $100k at 19 other than choosing your birth parents wisely. No...wait, I take that back. LeBron James, Britney Spears and the like...they did I suppose.

Budget M3

Here's how my response would have looked:

I am 21 but I only have $600 to spend (poor starving college student with large beverage budget)...You may want to consider the 71 Chevy Vega--front engine, no ignition upon rear impact, and uses only two quarts of oil every tankful of gas!

Targa Tim

Matt is right on the money.

The SMG III failure problem is not a joke. Spend some time on the M5Board and you know what we meant.

SCOTITUDE

I'm still waiting for an answer to the "How does a 19 yr old have 100k to spend on a car?" question.

At 19 , i wouldn't have picked either of these cars. They are for old people. Before you complain to me, I am 40 and do own a CS (wifes car) and I still think they are for old people. Where is the desire for the vette, ferrari or Porsche or some other adolescent hot rod? There will be plenty of time later in life to own a souped up people mover. Instead he is looking for a CTT (station wagon on steroids) or a 4 dr sedan (M5) that you would find a middle aged father of 2 driving. Makes me question his choices in the first place. Rant over.

Rider1

Buy/lease the ML63 from Mercedes. I did after owning 2 CTT's. What a pleasure to drive, the ML63!!!

And you'll save a few thousand...

Dave

MadFox

Good or bad technically with so few dealers in any given metro market.. it is all about the dealership.. the ONE MB here doesn't enjoy a good reputation.. also in this area all of the initial few years of SUV's had so many problems that many won't give them another chance..

In our Porsche Cayenne world.. my first Porsche.. and with a beta model.. I wouldn't have purchased another one had it not been for an outstanding dealer service dept. and GM.

Rider1

I agree with your dealership comments. The ONE PORSCHE dealer here couldn't be any worse and since I went there quite a few times because of the CTT problems I was not a happy camper. I could have lived with the CTT nuances if the dealer was customer friendly. And then one day I decided to drive to California (I live in Las Vegas) just to "see what the ML63 was like" and I couldn't believe how nice it drove and the instant power and WOW the transmission was so responsive. I traded the CTT on the spot and I now have about 4,400 miles of absolutely trouble free driving. The one time I went to the MB dealer for the first service was a very pleasant and quick experience.

If you ever get a chance, take a test drive in the ML63 and you'll see what I mean: no tire vibration, no slight pull to the right (Porsche reps told me that Porsche designed the vehicle that way so that if the driver falls asleep at the wheel the car will not drift into oncoming traffic !) , terrible transmission lag...well you know all the "characteristics" of the CTT's. And what really irked me was Porsche's holier than thou attitude.

Enjoy your Cayenne.

Dave