Hit the nail on the head.

I've been saying this exact thing for years. I've also been saying that every year BMW is becoming more and more like Mercedes. That is, BMW is taking the path that Mercedes took after Mercedes left the DTM in the early '90s.

Yeah, BMW might have just gotten back into the DTM, but that doesn't mean anything. DTM today is not comparable to the DTM of yesteryear. Today's DTM is quite nearly like Formula 1 with enclosed wheels and an enclosed monocoque.

As for me, I've never really been a fan of the Mercs post mid-'90s. My mother had a W220 (2003 S-Class) and it was by father worst car my parents ever bought. The interior quality was trash (all the plastics and adhesives disintegrated) and the electronics/mechanicals were trash. Aside from the engine, transmission, differential, and brakes, everything else broke down consistently.

Now, the pre-mid-'90s Mercs were somethin' else. Especially the ones with a "Cozie" and/or dog-leg manual transmission. Oh, those were the days :wahwah:

A few years back a buddy of mine went to a local dealership to look at a beautiful black sleek Mercedes. I couldn't understand how such an incredible car was so cheap. It was amazing looking. Apparently upwards of 80k new and was for sale for 13.5 with 65k miles on it. Turns out after he researched it, it was one of the worst cars Mercedes ever put out and had so many electrical and mechanical issues the value of it was nothing. Amazing.

About the X's. Now i definitely am more open to the SUV but like anything it has to grow on you when it is now. BMW will always first be a sedan company to me. But that is my view. I think the X line gets better looking every year. Especially the M's.

A BMW is any vehicle that will leak power steering fluid, transmission fluid, engine oil or coolant at 30,000miles, needs a transmission at 50,001 miles, or right after the warranty ends and needs suspension work every 30K miles.

My mother bought her S-Class new - she paid well over $80. It's a 2003 M-Y. We went to trade it in for a new car...trade in price was $9,600.

That's not a typo. Nine Thousand Six Hundred Dollars.

Needless to say, my mother lives in a town where she doesn't necessarily need a car at all, much less an ultra-reliable car, so she just kept it and has it sit in the parking garage 360 days per year.

Wow to buy a car for $80 and trade it in and get back $9,600 that's pretty good. :rofl:

I think the typo was the $80. :rofl:

You couldn't get your head around it then or now? These are two very different points in time.

Then. Now they are a tried and tested part of the BMW fleet.