fq1

My superficial/subjective (just looks/styling/proportions, cabin design/style, room, quality/feel, does it feel right to sit in) impression/comparison of the new cars available in this class:

Looks/styling/proportions: The A6 followed by the E60, then a big gap to Acura, CLS, M45, GS. The A6 just looks right and the E60 has near-perfect proportions. The rest are just a mish mash of conflicting/contrived design. The M45 looks exactly like a Maxima and when you look at it in profile you wonder what were they thinking! The GS is typical Lexus NON-design that makes you wonder how the heck can they sell this crap (albeit only to us gullible Americans) and how the heck can rank their designs on par with cars that truly HAVE been designed. And the CLS... unbelievable that M-B is now being forced to produce such crap to increase sales -- the E is a much better/elegant solution -- Schremp should be fired before he completely ruins that company.

Cabin: A6, Acura, E60, CLS, GS, M45. The A6 seems to be asking BMW why did you decide to move away from the best cabin architecture in the world. Too bad the E46 is the last of the great BMW car cabins. Don't get me wrong, I do like the cabin of the E60, it's just that it is not the best cabin in the world as its predecessors' used to be. Acura's looked good but I am wondering if it might be like an initial eye candy that does not age well. The M45's is pure crap and the others are just unremarkable.

Quality/feel: A6, E60, CLS, Acura, GS, M45. Again the A6 just looked/felt right followed very closely by the E60.

Room: They are all pretty close except for the CLS, which is actually a class and a half smaller. Even though room with the doors closed on the others appears pretty similar but the M45 and the GS are poorly designed, with the relationship of the rear door apperture to the seat along with the B and C pillars not right. Getting in and out was very difficult -- again poor design and WHAT WERE THEY THINKING.

Overall does it feel right: E60 by far -- and to me that is the most important category. The others are way behind but are led by the Audi, Acura, CLS, GS and M45.

So why am I going ahead with the purchase of the 545 and not the A6? First, because the E60 wins the category that is modt important to me. Second, the only other one that is worth considering is the A6, and I know that Audi has not yet got the hang of perfecting chassis dynamics, nor is it yet good at optimizing and producing efficient drivetrains (engine, transmission and diffs).

My only regret is that I can not get the SMG (because of the wife) and will miss that absolutely perfect and meaty feel of that wheel. Can someone here let me know if the not-sport package wheel is just as thick.

One last note: If I had the wherewithal, I would get the Maserati Quatroporte -- the best sedan in the show -- those Italians really know how to do real design!

sg530

Get the heated wheel to fatten it up.

fq1

Actually getting the CWP. But does that fatten it up to the sport wheel level?

my530i

fp1,

If you have pic, please post them. We love pics.

Thanks

Guest

I agree with the post. The A6 has a great interior and is the least contrived in terms of design. Its a clean overall design, but just doesn't grab me as I hoped it might. The whole package of 5er just tops everything else, but the car must be driven to be appreciated. I'm curious about your comments on the M45's interior being crap. It looks good in the photos, but Nissans have never impressed me with the interiors. I must get to the auto show myself.

CVT Benhogan

speedracerF4i

Did anyone notice that the lower front bumper of a M45/M35 looks exactly like E60?
Imitation is the sincerest form of compliment.

Sans

Actually getting the CWP. But does that fatten it up to the sport wheel level?
[/quote]

It's not exatcly the same but it looks very close. Neither the heated wheel nor the SMG wheel have the bumps at 10 and 2 that the sport wheel has....which I really like.

BurgessMW

Yep. That topic even came up on an Infiniti board that I sometimes post to...

Aaron

The GS quality/feel was next to last on your list...that's surprising. Can you give a little more detail on what was lacking from the GS. Nice write up by the way. So far, nothing tickles my fancy like the E60.

fq1

Since I qualified my post as being purely subjective, I have never really been able to put my finger on how to exactly term Lexus interiors. I come up with terms like inert, cold, artificial, contrived, robotic, uninviting, lacking passion, but none of them by themselves describe the feeling. I think if you put them all together, then it might describe how I feel about them. A couple of rather loose analogies might be getting a finely hand-tailored Italian suit vs. a machine cut one made in China, or a Michelangelo sculputure vs. a replica made by a CAD/CAM machine. I do not know if that explains my point.