[ajmat]

Having used the G in Ladakh, let me warn you it is fun but scary, it is ok for cruising in a straight line with some fun acceleration. it understeers badly and its older underpinnings get exposed on the limit. You might tire of it in the long term, oh and the ride is stiff.

You need a good tourer. CLS 55 AMG or the BMW 6 Gran Turismo come to mind

[46TheDoctor]

Since you already have one perfect chauffeur driven sedan (s500), one excellent self driven sedan (xf), one perfect suv(rrs), you should buy one gt/sports car preferably with v12/w12 engine to complete your garage. My suggestions will be ( in order of preferance):
1. Sl 65 amg if budget permits, otherwise sl63amg for mainly the convertible hard top, good ride quality, dealer network.
2. Continental gt/gtc
3. AM vantage v12/v8 or DB9
4. 911 carrera/ 911 turbo if u want a sports car.
5. Pre owned F430 maybe.

[pganapathy]

If you find a good Mitsubishi dealer in Bombay, then the car I would suggest is the Evo X FQ 400. Accept that it does not look like a supercar (Ferrari/Porsche/Lambo etc.) but will destroy most of them round a track. I don't think they are for sale normally but I guess Mitsu can import them for you on request.

[Saarth]

Hey guys I have some new updates.

I've been considering either the E350 Coupe, the Z4 or the SLK. I know these are major downgrades from what we've previously been discussing, but at the same time it gives me room to get another tourer like a CLS in the near future.

The three cars I mentioned are roughly in around the same price range of 60-65lc ex-showroom Mumbai. But I want to hear from you guys what you think about these.

Personally I'm leaning towards the E350 Coupe, the reason being the SLK is still slightly feminine in my eyes. Also I have a 2007 C200K to sell, on the basis of which Mercedes might offer me a good deal. Anyone have any experience or knowledge on Mercedes trade-ins?

And the Z4 again, I like, but I'm guessing I could get a better deal on the Merc because of the trade in, and the E350 Coupe is more exclusive.

Thoughts?

[dipen]

Saarth,

I dont think you should worry too much about the trade-in value given that a 2007 petrol C will fetch you anywhere between 8-9 lakhs approx. Neither BMW or Mercedes is going to offer you too much of a loyalty reward to make a consideration.

Go what what you like. All 3 cars are very different in their character. Test drive all and see which suits you the best. You could add 330d convertible to your list if this is going to be a daily drive.

[neo007]

I agree with dipen. also look at the long term joy off owning a car that you like rather than just a better deal. you've already own a merc & also looking at getting a CLS in the future, would you be happy with one more Mercedes.
I guess if take a test drive you will know your answers

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by Saarth

And the Z4 again, I like, but I'm guessing I could get a better deal on the Merc because of the trade in, and the E350 Coupe is more exclusive.

This trade-in value is a big misconception, your MB dealer is not going to offer you anything better than another dealer, worse if at all. If you want a good resale value you are better of posting it in the classified section of Tbhp itself or other online forum's such as carwale where you save on the middle man aspect.

The E350 coupe is not exclusive, it's the hardest product to get off the showroom floor hence you do not see it on roads much. It really does not have much to offer besides being a sexier version of the E-class. Performance is not up to the mark for the price and it does not bring much bragging rights over the E sedan due to it's striking resemblance.

The best replacement for your C-class would be another C-class but with an ///AMG 63 badge

[Saarth]

So I am going to book a car this month, hence I'm reviving this topic as I'm still not sure what to go for. However, there have been some recent developments.

We have a BMW 730Ld on order which should be arriving some time next week (hopefully). And I have made up my mind against sports cars.

Therefore, the list has been heavily narrowed down to the Porsche Cayenne. However the trouble here is the variant I should go for. I could either go for a Fully Loaded to the gills (50lakh worth of options) 3.0lt V6 Diesel, or a 4.2lt V8 Cayenne GTS with about 15lakh worth of options.

Also how would these hold up against say a RR Sport Supercharged or the new RR Vogue TDV8 (yet to be launched in India).

[Anand123]

Why don't you wait for the Cayenne 4.2 TDI V8? That'd be more sensible option than the GTS and you won't miss the sportscar performance too.

[dipen]

Do check the ride quality of a GTS before putting the money. It is sporty and very stiff. You may not get the comport that you may be expecting.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Saarth

Therefore, the list has been heavily narrowed down to the Porsche Cayenne. However the trouble here is the variant I should go for. I could either go for a Fully Loaded to the gills (50lakh worth of options) 3.0lt V6 Diesel, or a 4.2lt V8 Cayenne GTS with about 15lakh worth of options.

Also how would these hold up against say a RR Sport Supercharged or the new RR Vogue TDV8 (yet to be launched in India).

The 730 is a great car, and you must've got a really good price too considering the facelift is just around the corner.

While the options on the 3.0tdi will be good, none of them can make up for the better driving experience the GTS will offer. The V8 sounds brilliant, and I'm sure a couple of things which are options on the diesel will be standard on the GTS. What colour is the GTS btw?

The RR Sport Supercharged is a tad bit quicker to the ton, but it can't match up to the Cayenne in dynamics. Even the Vogue TDV8 will be .2 seconds quicker to the ton if I remember correctly.

[bharatbs]

Originally Posted by 7447

My two main criteria are:

1. Great after-sales service and maintenance back up from the dealer

2. Little/ No compromise on "sportiness" and drive; suiting a mid-20s male.

Adding context to my criteria:

When I initially decided to acquire a car in this segment there was no doubt in my mind on what I wanted - a cream Porsche 911 Carrera with red interiors. After speaking with a few informed colleagues I realized that the after-sales service/ experience is a little more than just off the mark.

Considering your budget and your key decision criteria you should look no further than the Nissan Skyline GT-R 2013 Model.

Further the Skyline GT-R is a better/equal performing car compared to your shortlist (Porsche 911), but at a much lower price point.

Motortrend has done a review of this car where it beats its the cream of the super cars (Bentley Continental Supersports, Lamborghini Aventador, McLaren MP4-12C, and Ferrari 458 Italia) on several parameters.

And the icing on the cake is that several after market accessories are available that can take this car's performance to even Buggatti Veyron Super Sport levels. Just review youtube.

Lastly, everyone knows why Sachin decided to buy a Nissan over a Ferrari.

[Saarth]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

The 730 is a great car, and you must've got a really good price too considering the facelift is just around the corner.

While the options on the 3.0tdi will be good, none of them can make up for the better driving experience the GTS will offer. The V8 sounds brilliant, and I'm sure a couple of things which are options on the diesel will be standard on the GTS. What colour is the GTS btw?

The RR Sport Supercharged is a tad bit quicker to the ton, but it can't match up to the Cayenne in dynamics. Even the Vogue TDV8 will be .2 seconds quicker to the ton if I remember correctly.

Yeah got a really good deal on the 730, it was hard to resist.

The GTS isn't with the dealer yet, but they are offering me a silver with black interior/alcantara inserts. I'm not too sure about the silver though, I really dislike silver cars hence I'm not too sure. If it was black on black I wouldn't even have thought about it. The V6 Diesel is a Navy Blue Metallic with beige interiors. Its a pretty good car especially with the kind of options it has on it, it was a cancelled order from a client who decided to go for a scantily optioned Cayenne S half way through. But again, the plain beige interiors are too vanilla marshmallows for me, on a car like this.

I will check with the dealer about the Diesel V8 S, however something tells me it is quite a while away and there will be only a couple of allocations for India this year.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Saarth

Yeah got a really good deal on the 730, it was hard to resist.

The GTS isn't with the dealer yet, but they are offering me a silver with black interior/alcantara inserts. I'm not too sure about the silver though, I really dislike silver cars hence I'm not too sure. If it was black on black I wouldn't even have thought about it. The V6 Diesel is a Navy Blue Metallic with beige interiors.

I will check with the dealer about the Diesel V8 S, however something tells me it is quite a while away and there will be only a couple of allocations for India this year.

The GTS will look quite nice in silver with the bodykit and the large rims. It will definitely be better than navy blue which is the colour of most of the Cayennes on the road. IMO take this any day over the Cayenne D. The diesel S will be a beast but I look at that if you are ready to wait a couple of months.

[Saarth]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

The GTS will look quite nice in silver with the bodykit and the large rims. It will definitely be better than navy blue which is the colour of most of the Cayennes on the road. IMO take this any day over the Cayenne D. The diesel S will be a beast but I look at that if you are ready to wait a couple of months.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Plus depending on the lead time I might look at just custom ordering one in a different colour. And its way more exclusive. I can't think of paying that much for a Cayenne Diesel V6. I guess I'll only wait till JLR gets some info on what they are going to price the new Range Rover Vogue at, and then pull the trigger. If the Vogue comes in at around the same price bracket, then its a whole new dilemma. Lol.