So I am thinking of selling my M35x in a couple of months after we move into our new house and I have narrowed down the possibilities to these cars. I am looking for feedback from owners mostly in terms of reliability but also what do you like / dislike about these vehicles.
I would consider the newer 2012+ Infiniti M56 but the back end looks like a buick and the interior would be identical to my QX60 - so not much of a change - plus I hate how only now Infiniti's are getting LED signals.. my 2014 QX60 still has halogen turn signals.
I do love my current M35 but its getting old and has 160k kms on it now - so looking to get something newer with low kms. (under 50k kms preferably) and not looking to spend over $40k ish
I am a bit worried about maintenance costs - My M hasn't given me too much trouble - never spent over $1k when something broke (yet) so I'm a little hesitant when it comes to something older than 2011 and more than 60k kms. I would probably put about 12 - 15k kms on the 'new' car that I end up getting.
1. 2010 - 2012 Mercedes E550 4Matic
I test drove a 2011 the other day and really liked how it drives - really comfortable but has power (obviously). It also had active side bolsters that made sure I didn't slide off the seats during a corner - I loved that feature!
However, not a big fan of how the interior controls are laid out - especially the heated steering control - who thought putting it there was a good idea?? And it took me a good 2 minutes to figure out how to put the damn thing in reverse
I would consider the E550 coupe as well but the wife doesn't want me to get a 2 door
I know there are a few owners on here - whats your experience / opinion?
2. 2012+ Jaguar XF
I like the redesign Jaguar did in 2012 (all LED's on the outside with HID headlights) - I drove one this past weekend and really liked it as well. It only comes in 5.0 V8 I believe from 2012 on with about 385 hp (unless you get the XFR or the supercharged).
It came closest to my M35 in terms of how it drives because it was comfortable over bumps (not as comfortable as the Merc) but still had the sporty feel and plenty of power for sure.
I am not in love with the interior but its not bad - I do worry about those automatic vents that close and open when you turn on climate control - just seems like something that WILL break soon. And the touch-screen - wtf - so noticeably slow!
Any owners on here with experience?
3. 2011+ BMW 550xi
I haven't driven one yet but love the look of it. When they first came out 5 years ago I knew I wanted one - however, I am worried about maintenance costs - should I expect random shit / electronics / sensors to start breaking now that it will be 4 years old when I buy it?
It is on my list to go test drive soon - I'm told its got a good mix between the Merc and the Audi in terms of sport vs luxury?
4. 2012+ Audi A6
I test drove a 2011 A6 last weekend and didn't like the interior at all. I know the 2012 interior is much better but haven't had a chance to sit in one yet.
I wasn't a big fan of how the Audi drove however - it didn't seem comfortable and its sportiness was a bit brash I thought - good power for sure but it shifts too hard imo.
I like the hidden touchscreen in the 2012 + A6's though. What should I expect in terms of reliability?
I'm told oil consumption is a problem with the turbos?
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I'm not a big fan of going the turbo route - prefer naturally aspirated.
I spent a good amount of time looking before buying my M35x (which I have now had for over 4 years - longest car ownership ever for me ) but I spent less than a week deciding on the QX60 lol
I am not in a rush to sell and upgrade so want to take my time and be sure I want to go with one of the above - especially because I plan on keeping whatever I get for at least 3 - 4 years.