Not sure you will be happy with the Cayenne GTS. Drove it a couple of weeks ago as I am in the market and was at the dealership having a car serviced. I am not a big fan of the Cayenne styling but the GTS is the best looking Cayenne in my opinion – Aero package, 21 inch rims, nice sport seats, etc. I have driven the ML63, X5, and Cayenne turbo. The GTS is the best handling SUV I have driven. Unfortunately the GTS only has 405 HP. It has the Turbo front and rear but not the turbo engine. The 0-60 time with the tiptronic is 6.1 vs. the X5 V8 of 6.4. The interior is also a generation behind the X5. In addition, the price is $85 to $90K with just basic options. The one I drove was almost $100K. With the ML63 about $90K and a loaded X5 around $70K, the GTS did not make much sense to me unless you HAD to have a Porsche.

On a different note -I assume Mercedes has fixed the quality issues with the ML?

SCH, good points and thanks for the feedback on the GTS. I have not seen it or driven it in person yet. I don't have to have a Porsche. I would really like the X5 with more power. That will solve it all for me. I personally think the X5 looks the best, followed closely by the ML63 (and only the ML63... no other ML anything). I didn't realize the GTS would come in so expensive. Oh well lets see what BMW does with the X5 in 2009 as far as power is concerned.

Curtis

As has been pointed out in this forum and the MBWorld.org forum that I also am a member of, the overall build, (fit and finish) quality of all Mercedes-Benz models has definately improved from the 1999 - 2002 period models. During that period, M-B made the disastorous decision to try to save money by having some parts made in the former Eastern Bloc countries. The results were constant failures of those parts and a major black-eye to M-B's reputation for high quality. Since the '04 model year, M-B has made major improvements to their overall vehicle quality, using better suppliers and having instituted a more successful quality control program in their German, Austrian and US factories. The AMG models have some added quality areas, other than obviously the engines..., specifically the brakes, suspension and seats.

BTW, I wonder if BMW will perform some type of minor face-lift to the front end of the X5 (E70) for the 2010 model year, addressing what many of us think is one of the weakest design aspects of the current design, of what otherwise is quite solid and a real improvement over the earlier E53 models? If they do that and make the twin turbo V8 engine an option, and possibly add some other M-level trim options, then I think a fully-equiped version of that X5 would be a contender for the new "King of the Hill" of SAV's

AVB-AMG
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