If the Spurs were a vehicle...

[ElNono]

Lexus = Toyota luxury line... That was the big difference for me going from the Merc to the Lexus. Brake pads? Exact same model pads as the Highlander. Even Lexus specific parts like the brake rotors are much cheaper than German parts and readily available. I've got a guy that does the work on the car for me, only go to the dealership if there's some service bulletin. Every dealership rips you off for labor cost anyways, tbh

[ElNono]

I've just had an awful experience with Mercedes so I'm probably biased. We purchased a brand new 1995 E320 back in '95 and it gave is nothing but trouble. $900 here. $1200 there. We paid several thousand for non-maintenance electrical issues over 11 years of ownership which is unacceptable in my opinion. I have heard that Mercedes nowadays are relatively reliable.

In hindsight I learned that the '95 E320 was notorious for unreliability which seems quite odd to me. 1995 was the last year of that particular E series model before the refresh to the "rounded"-style headlights. You'd think the '95 E series would be more reliable than the '94, '93, etc. E series.

My previous car was a '93 300E and it was rock solid. It was a heavy car, not the aluminum you get these days. Put over 200k miles on it, never had a problem starting it, even in the cold NE... dunno what happened with Mercedes. I heard about the reliability issues on the later E series. It's a shame really, those were great cars.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

My previous car was a '93 300E and it was rock solid. It was a heavy car, not the aluminum you get these days. Put over 200k miles on it, never had a problem starting it, even in the cold NE... dunno what happened with Mercedes. I heard about the reliability issues on the later E series. It's a shame really, those were great cars.

We have a pretty similar car history. I also went from Mercedes to Lexus. We have a 2007 LS 460. We've only put 45,000 miles on it over the course of 8 years of ownership so I'm thinking it will last until I'm well into old age. I'm not sure if I should be elated or disappointed

Our 1995 E320 hit 90k miles before we called it quits in 2006. We replaced that one with a 2006 Honda Pilot.

The Pilot and LS 460 have been pretty good to us. The 2007 LS 460 was a first year model, but in light of that it's been pretty good to us. We've had 2 non-maintenance problems over the course of ownership. The driver side and passenger side rear view mirrors wouldn't "fold in" properly after parking and locking the car. That cost $700 to fix. And then we had uneven brake pad wear, but that's our fault for not breaking them in properly to begin with.

[ElNono]

We have a pretty similar car history. I also went from Mercedes to Lexus. We have a 2007 LS 460. We've only put 45,000 miles on it over the course of 8 years of ownership so I'm thinking it will last until I'm well into old age. I'm not sure if I should be elated or disappointed

Our 1995 E320 hit 90k miles before we called it quits in 2006. We replaced that one with a 2006 Honda Pilot.

The Pilot and LS 460 have been pretty good to us. The 2007 LS 460 was a first year model, but in light of that it's been pretty good to us. We've had 2 non-maintenance problems over the course of ownership. The driver side and passenger side rear view mirrors wouldn't "fold in" properly after parking and locking the car. That cost $700 to fix. And then we had uneven brake pad wear, but that's our fault for not breaking them in properly to begin with.

I bought the Lexus used from a single owner, lady friend of ours, only had 44K miles on it and loaded. Has all the optional packages except for the infrared auto-distance cruise control. We've had the car for 5 years now and still love it. Just replaced the front rotors and brake pads. Also just got a letter from Toyota to take it into the dealership at some point to change the front lights due to condensation free of charge (I actually don't have much of a problem with that, but heck, why not). Easily the best car I've owned when you factor in comfort, reliability and parts pricing.

[EVAY]

I had a '95 Lexus that I drove for 10 years and hated giving it up. My husband told me I had to do it because people wouldn't buy a car over 10 years old. So then I got a Mercedes E series. It was okay - never had a problem with it and it drove well but I was just never comfortable with it. Sold it at a sub-par price to a friend several years ago. Has done well for them, too.

My husband got the big Lexus sedan in '09 and we both loved it forever. I bought an Audi Q5 because we needed an all-wheel drive car in Colorado, where we spend half the year. I now have it down here and I LOVE it - no problems and easy to drive. My husband traded in the Lexus for the huge 2015 Mercedes sedan and he has not been all that thrilled with it, or with the new MB dealership's service. Bad news. I think whenever he gets rid of the Mercedes he will go back to Lexus. When the time comes, I will replace my Audi with another Audi. I love it.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

I had a '95 Lexus that I drove for 10 years and hated giving it up. My husband told me I had to do it because people wouldn't buy a car over 10 years old. So then I got a Mercedes E series. It was okay - never had a problem with it and it drove well but I was just never comfortable with it. Sold it at a sub-par price to a friend several years ago. Has done well for them, too.

My husband got the big Lexus sedan in '09 and we both loved it forever. I bought an Audi Q5 because we needed an all-wheel drive car in Colorado, where we spend half the year. I now have it down here and I LOVE it - no problems and easy to drive. My husband traded in the Lexus for the huge 2015 Mercedes sedan and he has not been all that thrilled with it, or with the new MB dealership's service. Bad news. I think whenever he gets rid of the Mercedes he will go back to Lexus. When the time comes, I will replace my Audi with another Audi. I love it.

Lexus' dealership experience is truly phenomenal, at least down here in Austin. The other luxury brand dealerships don't really compare. Our dealership has a nice lounge with massage chairs, internet access (desktops and free wifi), and free food and drink (muffins, cookies, fruits, and the standard beverage fare).

Audi has always caught my eye with their elegant and timeless designs, but I don't want to take the risk with their questionable reliability. But the Q5 is definitely a sharp looking SUV.