Well...After 5 BMWs I'm trying a Mercedes.
 

The X5 saved my life after I hit a cement barrier on the freeway at around 70mph and was totaled. After years of BMW I'm going to give a Mercedes a try for a couple of years. My job changed and I'm going to be commuting more so gas mileage and comfort became more important than sporty, style and fun. The main reason I moved in to a Mercedes and not an economical 3 series was the fact that my Brother in-law is the service manager at our local Mercedes dealer and I can get parts at cost and most service for free. That adds up to some serious savings and I'm going to be driving a lot in a 4 hour commute for the next 6 months. I purchased a C230 with a V6 that gets 30mpg on the freeway and still feels solid and roomy. No guts and kind of soft as I would expect coming from a BMW but the Sport package tightens up things just enough to be decent. The car has massive slotted rotors up front as well which really brings to car to a stop in a hurry so 60-0 will need to replace 0-60 for a thrill.

Congrats :) Hard to go wrong with a C class.

congarts !! any pics ?!

Let us know how the C230 works out for you.

Congrats and good luck with your new ride :)

I was considering purchase a C-class to replace our 2003 MDX. But my wife was saying that the interior is too small. Ended up, we purchased a 2009 LEXUS ES 350 instead.

Congrat on your new MB. That is a great looking car!!!

I hope your BIL can ensure good service for you. The service dept at my local MB dealer has declined over the past 5 years worse than the quality of the MB vehicles themselve. To the point I won't buy another. I owned several MB's over the years, and loved them all before now. We are looking to replace my wife's E320 soon, and she is less than thrilled with the BMW 5 series at the moment (not sporty-looking enough). So, we are looking at a variety of vehicles for her.

Get her to drive either a 535i sport or 550i sport and she may just change her mind. ;)

You're wife is right when it comes to the back seat. My son's car-seat takes up the whole rear seating area and his feet practically reach the front seating area. The front is very comfortable and roomy enough though I'm only 5'10" It would be tight for someone 6' + but then again most compacts are.

Some peeves with the MB

Why do these cars come with the Car-Phone controls on the head unit and steering wheel when nobody uses a dedicated car phone anymore?

Bluetooth should be standard along with an Aux input. Also...The cup-holder is pretty strange but then again the German cars these tend to be an afterthought. I understand American's demand cup-holders and Domestic Vehicles tend to have two for every person but there should be a happy medium with at least one functional cup-holder for each front occupant.

Congrats on the acqusition. Best of luck with the Merc and let us know how it is (along with some pics). It'll be good to hear if Merc has improved its quality.