[joomongj]

I'm in for an entry-level luxury vehicle. There were a bunch of recommendations on the other place, so after weeks of reading and test-driving a few, I narrowed down to these last 5 finalists. My preference is given to sedans and crossovers over coupes, convertibles and trucks, so:
 
1, Cadillac CTS -  decent handling, relatively quiet interior and has the best angularity design by far out of all the contenders. But not so convinced of their longevity and reliability imposed on by GM engines over BMW or Mercedes. My top pick atm.
2. BMW 323i/328i - interior design is definitely not up to par with CTS but I'm told their cars are one of the best road vehicles.
3. Mercedes GLK - pretty decent, luxurious design inside and out. Especially the dead quiet interior and the smoothness were some of its finest fortes. My 2nd top pick.
4. Acura RDX - have yet to test-drive this. Supposedly a very good brand since Honda made it.
5. Volvo XC60/70 - I have heard some good praises about their brand including from my parents. Supposedly their vehicles will last a very long time.
 
Other vehicles I've considered:
 
Infiniti G37
BMW X3 - plastic bumpers, a big minus for me
Caddy SRX
Audi Q5 - not a fan of their headlight design
Lexus ES/RX
 
 
I'm not too familiar w/ cars as I've been learning about them recently but from what I've read:
 
GM vehicles -> they usually break down after 200k km? Certainly not known for longevity I reckon.
Mercedes & BMW -> will last a long time as well.
 
So my questions: Is it a wise decision to get a Caddy if I were to drive it for say 5-7 years min? Good maintenance is assumed, so w/ that in mind I wanna hear some head-fi feedback on their reliability and durability in the long run & likelihood of running into minor/major vehicle defects immediately or shortly after factory pickup compared to BMW/Mercedes counterparts. If you own one or more of specific aforementioned models, share your experience as well.

 

[SP Wild]

 
Quote:

2. BMW 323i/328i - interior design is definitely not up to par with CTS but I'm told their cars are one of the best road vehicles.

If you're talking about the E46 platform starting from 1998 - 2005, the E46 platform in general is very good and very reliable
 
BMW X3 - plastic bumpers, a big minus for me

Once again this 4wd is built upon the E46 platform sharing time proven electronics.  Inherited DNA means good reliability.

Mercedes & BMW -> will last a long time as well.
 
I have found this statement to be false.  These brands are always flirting with state of the art - and unproven technologies.  Their technological breakthroughs are detrimental to their reliability.  If you want a German engineered car with reliability, you buy Japanese.
 
That is all I have to say about that.  Cheers.
 
 

 

[hahahigh]

No consideration for the Lexus IS series? I absolutely adored my IS250 - fine, smooth ride that was a pleasure to experience. Go for the IS350 if you need more horsepower.

 

[sebastian589]

A second for the IS series, may not be quite your style but a good car. Not a big believer in German luxury cars when it comes to reliability, I'm one person with limited experience but seems they often require expensive repairs, but I'll take the performance of a German car over the Japanese competitors.

 

[Omega]

You are shopping very different cars...how do you want to drive?  I can't imagine you will drive the Volvo and the BMW without realizing a clear preference for one or the other.
 
I recommend settling on a driving preference.  That narrows your options considerably.  Then weigh cost, reliability/repair cost, resale, etc and you will probably have yourself an obvious choice.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Are you sure you want one of the German cars? They're frighteningly expensive. My cousin bought a used Mercedes and spent something like $4,000 on an extended warranty because replacing the transmission is close to $14,000. I think an engine replacement is in the same ballpark.

I also read some horrifying stuff about BMW... in a BMW enthusiast's magazine, believe it or not. It seems that the new ones have the fuel pump and fuel filter sealed into the gas tank. It cannot be opened. Now, if you need to replace a fuel filter (normally a $10-$20 item you should be able to do yourself in 15 minutes) you have to replace the entire gas tank. Which is $3,000 plus labor. And a fuel filter is an ordinary wear item, I change mine out around 50,000 miles. For me, I pay about $12 at Pep Boys and do it in the driveway.

Similarly, BMW uses proprietary batteries that have to be "introduced" to the car to get them to work right and must be done at the dealer. The proprietary batteries are about three times the cost of a normal battery and, again, you have to pay the dealer to do it. That's not all - you even have to buy proprietary wiper blades. So if one flies off on the interstate at 2AM, you're screwed.

And there's a lot more. They have the cars pretty well locked down so you can't wrench on them yourself or get aftermarket parts. I don't mind manufacturers selling OEM parts and making a bit of profit, but the fuel filter thing just makes me angry. The engineers *know* that the filter is a wear item and has to be replaced.

I think part of the sales strategy is to present these whopping repair bills after a few years so you'll be eager to sign the papers for a new one when you bring it back to the dealer.

The Japanese and American brands aren't quite as evil. I'd go with Acura or Lexus for reliability. Still, I'm not crazy about cars loaded with lots of electronic gizmos. The more things that can go wrong, the more things that will go wrong.

I've thought about the "entry" luxury stuff, as well, but will likely go after a classic instead. I just don't like cars that cannot be worked on. My regular drive (tC) is actually laid out to be wrenched on and I've found it very easy to deal with, like the old car and bike I also have. Part prices are comparable to US manufacturers - a new clutch is $500. And it has a Camry drivetrain, so I can get parts pretty much forever.

Anyhow, I'll probably take a contrarian view and go with an old Packard - I like their models from the early 50s. Prices are fair, the straight 8 engines are good, any part you need is still available, full service manuals are around, you can diagnose any problem without a computer and do all the maintenance in your driveway.

The best part is that they don't depreciate.

 

[joomongj]

^ what you wrote pretty much parallels what I've been reading pretty much; the repair costs for BMW and MB vehicles are next to staggering especially once the warranty is out. Also as someone pointed out, Japanese vehicles are most reliable, Toyota and Honda in particular, according to jdpower. So naturally Lexus and Acura don't seem as distant as before. If the maintenance costs reach a crescendo, I will think about drivin' 'em on a lease basis.

 

[Anaxilus]

If you lease, get anything you want.  If you buy, don't go German unless its a Porsche, Audi is iffy, BMW and MB vastly more so.  There's a reason why in SoCal you rarely see a BMW or Merc that somebody actually owns.
 
You really need to tell us your budget and needs.  Sports sedans v. Xovers/SUVs?  I wouldn't plop down 40-70k on a vehicle w/o knowing what class of car I'm looking for.  Btw, if you ever plan on driving on anything non asphalt, cross-off all the BMW SUVs/SAVs or whatever ridiculous acronym BMW invented to compensate for not being able to deal w/ offroad conditions as trecherous as grass.

 

[mralexosborn]

If you plan on people sitting in the rear seat, then no to the GLK. 

 

[marvin]

Get an online subscription to Consumer Reports. Their car reviews are a bit idiosyncratic, but they're still tops in long term vehicle reliability surveys. It's a very minor expense compared to the cost of a vehicle. And really, brand reliability doesn't mean much these days since every maker has their stinkers. Platform and model specific reliability ratings are far more important.

 

[rhythmdevils]

Japanese!  I love Subarus.  Except I hate their new 2010 models, which go against everything Subaru is/was about.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Japanese!  I love Subarus.  Except I hate their new 2010 models, which go against everything Subaru is/was about.

x2!  I have an 05 Legacy GT and hate Subaru pandering to the Camry crowd w/ their latest offerings.  You sell Rally cars and offroad wagons dammit!!  Don't change!  Once you go Turbo'd Boxer w/ AWD and LSDs its hard to look back.  

 

[hahahigh]

Quote:

If you plan on people sitting in the rear seat, then no to the GLK. 

Oh yeah. IS series also. It's like they were designing a coupe but decided at the very last moment to throw in a backseat. Looks sleek as hell due to the compactness, but you'd only appreciate that if you weren't driving it, were driving it alone, or were driving it with one passenger.

 

[NorthWolfeCND]

I own a 2009 Cadillac CTS-V and must give it a 5/5. Mind, the cockpit - and interior - materials used are still not on par with Merc, BMW and AUDI; but the differences are hardly discernable, and the money you save goes a long way. In terms of performance it has no rivals...
I love it so much I have already placed an order for the new 2010/11 Cadillac CTS-V Coupé.
 
BMW - My partner/wife has an M5 Touring » Does the job well, reliable, good performance...look vulgar like all BMW's. She has to leave it in her garage - I wouldn't have it ruining mine
 
Mercedes - Own an AMG G55 (2008). Built like a tank, good on-road, unbelievable off-road. Only Merc I'd buy...don't want my mechanics to become my best friends. Frankly, the build quality of Mercedes (with the exception of the G series) is appalling - as for the dealer bills and assistance » be prepared to see your bank account rapidly disappearing and you blood-pressure shooting thru the roof (if you still have one)

 
Acura/Volvo - Can't go wrong with these two. Reliable, very good at maintaining resale value (Acura).
 
As a great all-rounder, without any compromises, I would suggest AUDI. Even though I don't own any (yet), many of my friends do. True, the looks aren't for everybody (you did mention BMW, Mercedes - how ugly and more obnoxious could you go), but AUDI make that up with everything else (build quality, reliability, reasonable maintenance prices, customer-friendly staff, very good resale value, great performance...)
 
My main suggestion would be Cadillac - best value for money (remember they do depreciate fast) » very good for a buyer looking into a service car, or a low-mileage second-handed car...you will get one very cheaply...
 
Other Suggestion - An AUDI, any AUDI...
 
Compromising solution - The Acura. Unbreakable, virtually no maintenance needed, economical to run. You will compromise on performance, looks, social-life...
 
Final thought - JAGUAR » Performance, head-turner, once you own one you will want to own them all, a SWAT team will have to force you out of the car (that's how pleasurable the interiors are...) Can think of only ONE thing better then owning a JAG; but only when I was in my teens

 
Hope this helped to further confuse....eeeerrrrrr make up your mind.

 
Cars are a bit like "Cans" - You can't just own one, everyone feels different, your bank-balance always suffers, you can never quite decide which to buy...

 

[Anaxilus]

I would have said CTS-V also but didn't know what budget hes looking at.  I'm not a fan of the regular CTS.
 
I love my Jag too and only one thing can pull me out of that.  An Aston.  

  Although I might settle for the new Bentley Continental GT if I have to.