Anonymous wrote:Depends on current car. Entry level luxury is a more comfortable ride than a civic. The high end Ford's are nicer than a 3 series in my opinion, but there is little to no difference in a 40k car and 80k car.

You can easily buy a 3 year old 60k car for 20k and low miles still under warranty.

I agree with this very much. You don't have to buy a Mercedes to get a very comfortable ride. Check out the Toyota Avalon.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love my mercedes. Can't go back to a car without heated front seats, bluetooth, rear view camera, automatic wipers, etc. Yes, the back seat has no leg room. So consider that. But I drive 1 hour each way (and I am in a close in suburb just 9 miles away) but I have to drop off DS first and then 45 minutes to Capitol Hill with traffic. A nice car makes it much more comfortable. I can afford it though. If you are debating between a $15k car and a $40k car, consider a VW with nice options.

You can get all of these things on a car that costs WAY less than a Mercedes and with none of the maintenance costs. Largely, you're paying for the fancy hood ornament.

+1000

I have all those things + more on my subaru...and love my ride and wallet.

And I have all of them in my '13 Ford Escape. Buy American!

Yes.

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry but you are complaining about 40-80 minutes a day? Really?

nowhere in my OP was I complaining. just stating my factual situation and asking a question.

some people might think 40-80 minutes is a lot, some might think it is nothing. the question essentially is: given that I spend 40-80 minutes in a car, should I buy a luxury car?

If I spent hours and hours in a car, I'd probably want a luxury comfortable car that had great gas mileage, like a Mercedes E Class diesel. But I don't.

I'm sorry but you are complaining about 40-80 minutes a day? Really?

luxury cars should be built just as well or better than any other car. some of the electronics can be expensive to fix.

I love my Mazda and the repair costs are way less than a luxury car. It's 9 years old and nearly 120k miles and still runs like a charm. No major mechanical issues so far. *knock on wood*

Cars are built well.

We have a Lexus, a Mercedes and a Honda. I have true love for the Honda and the Lexus. Lexus so comfortable and fun. Honda so reliable and safe. Mercedes -- not so comfortable for me (woman) but we have NEVER had repairs on any of them. The Honda and Mercedes are 10 years old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When i switched from a honda to an entry level mercedes i starte d telling friends i was driving around in a library. Much much nicer experience. Mercedes or lexus. Repairs arent cheap but you wont need many the first years .....

Yeah, best to build up a ~$10-20k repair fund during your 4 yr. warranty, you may need most of it after the warranty expires.

I lease my mercedes for $345/month with zero down. It includes maintenance and of course the warranty since it is for 3 years. You can't beat that price for a luxury car and never have to worry about repairs. Even the best Honda doesn't drive the same as a Mercedes or Lexus and the Accord touring is $35k, the same as a basic C class. Not to mention, the service experience when you take your car in for maintenance. Completely different from a Honda or Toyota dealership. I was never one to keep my car for more than 5-7 years and when I did the math, it was much more economic to lease.

This is the OP. My commute is not bad. 20 - 30 minutes each way is fine. Rarely, 40. Plus more time for errands as applicable. I don't liver or work or drive in the city.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love my mercedes. Can't go back to a car without heated front seats, bluetooth, rear view camera, automatic wipers, etc. Yes, the back seat has no leg room. So consider that. But I drive 1 hour each way (and I am in a close in suburb just 9 miles away) but I have to drop off DS first and then 45 minutes to Capitol Hill with traffic. A nice car makes it much more comfortable. I can afford it though. If you are debating between a $15k car and a $40k car, consider a VW with nice options.

You can get all of these things on a car that costs WAY less than a Mercedes and with none of the maintenance costs. Largely, you're paying for the fancy hood ornament.

+1000

I have all those things + more on my subaru...and love my ride and wallet.

I love my cheap Mazda. Then again, the school is 1,5 blocks away and my work is 5 blocks away.I would hate to commute daily like you.But do get the Mercedes if changing jobs or moving closer to work are not options, and if you think it will make a difference.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When i switched from a honda to an entry level mercedes i starte d telling friends i was driving around in a library. Much much nicer experience. Mercedes or lexus. Repairs arent cheap but you wont need many the first years .....

Yeah, best to build up a ~$10-20k repair fund during your 4 yr. warranty, you may need most of it after the warranty expires.

Indeed. I ditched my last BMW after I realized that I was averaging $3,500 a year in repairs over a 5 year period. Great car, but EGADS.

Anonymous wrote:When i switched from a honda to an entry level mercedes i starte d telling friends i was driving around in a library. Much much nicer experience. Mercedes or lexus. Repairs arent cheap but you wont need many the first years .....

Yeah, best to build up a ~$10-20k repair fund during your 4 yr. warranty, you may need most of it after the warranty expires.