German Car Forum

Yeah the star..

questioning? no.. curiosity,debate and discussion? yes.

Umm

Mercedes Benz:

Reason (notice i only need 1)


Rest of the car world is here by owned.. forever

And at no 2..
Pagani
For the sole reason of ****** up the establishment with their FIRST and ONLY car..

Sorry gang, went offline before seeing the curiosity around my obvious omission of Mercedes Benz. Y'see, had this thread been titled, "What, in your opinion, are the 10 best brands and why?", my answer would've been rather different.

I have the utmost technical appreciation and brand admiration for Mercedes Benz; I rarely hesitate to recommend (certain) MB models to friends and peers. I think the new SLS halo car is going to inject a huge wallop of pizzazz into the brand and I much prefer the honest versatility and genuine utility afforded by the GLK, ML and GL prestige SUV's vs their BMW counterparts.

But this is a discussion on favourites - it's about what gets the blood boiling and the juices flowing. And at this personally subjective level, it's Mercedes Benz that leaves me cold. Everyone has their own vision-of-self and it's simply that I can't yet see myself buying a Mercedes Benz.

I might change my mind when that new C250 turbo petrol (with a manual 'box) comes out...

It's the same thing for Lamborghini. Admiration? Absolutely. Given the money would I buy one over a Ferrari or a Porsche? Not a hope in hell. It's just not my style.

Same goes for Aston; gorgeous to look at and more than I could ever hope for in a drive but truthfully, I'd rather have an M3 than a 4.7 Vantage. It's the M3 that has the truly special engine and in terms of value for money (something I accutely factor into the decision) the M3 is a bargain.

Again, it's about favourites and the level of personal subjectivity and sentimentalism that goes into the choice. It's like footwear, for tennis I only wear Nike shoes and I only ever will. But for fashion, a good ol' pair of Adidas Stan Smith replicas are more my style.

Mercedes image is associated with old, fat, ugly, poor (while always thinking they are rich and have made it because they drive a Merc) and golden Rolex driving a-social men who work with their hands and not with their brains.

FUN GAME, generalising!!!

1- Mercedes-Benz : It was my entry for loving cars ever since my uncle got a mercedes 420 SEL, i used to visit his house every single day just to get a ride, and since then ive become more and more in love with mercedes....

2-Audi : i guess everyone knows my story here, i was never into audi's until i saw the audi S5 in person, a week later i got it with no second thoughts, and thats how much i fell in love with it.. then i started studying more and more about their history and designs, i cant imagine myself in another car...

3- Pagani : ofcourse, the pagani zonda is my dream car....

4- Lamborghini : the name just says it all....

5- porsche : classic, is and will always be a supercar killer...

6- Aston Martin : no doubt the most beautifull cars out there!!!!

7- BMW : 5 years ago BMW was my second favorite, but after that god knows happenned to them, i fell in love with bmw ever since the 8-series, and no matter what happens u cant ignore the ultimate driving machine....

and the rest are all the same to me

No.1 Volkswagen
Good quality brand that crosses all cultures and boundaries with innovation, design, power and prestige for the masses.

The following in no particular order.........

Mercedes-Benz
Much the same as VW but for the rich

Love the Big Mercs aka ML, GL, G, S & SL for design and technology.

Hyundai
I hate to say it but they have come along way in a very short time once they have FWD drivers cars there will be no stopping them.

Annoyed that they are embracing RWD (Genesis)for the masses while VWAG is sittting back.

Nissan and Mitsubishi and Isuzu
For the Triton and Navara and DMax man I love these trucks.

Audi would be on my list but I hate the generic design as of late; saying that I love the TT, R8, S4 and RS series for being real Audis.

1. BMW - fall in love sins 2002csi, M1, 850 etc. Always driven end enjoy.
2. RR – most beautiful luxury brand.
3. Aston Martin – 007, always great design and performance.
4. Porsche – great performance.
5. Audi – fastest advancing of technology, conservative look.
6. Mercedes – very luxurious and beautiful interiors. Exteriors only AMG.
7. Wiesmann – classic look and engine.
8. Pagani – exotic exteriors, engines.
9. Lamborghini – same.
10. Vw – reliability, every day great performance.
11. Maseratti – great Italian product, always great looking.

I think my reasons are basic on a confluence of factors:practicality, affordability, trendiness(trend setting, design), technical strength(engineering, efficiency,innovation,fuel efficiency, chassis design, engine performance). Essentially it is based on a dynamic balance of these factors. None of the exotic brands(RR,Ferrari,Lambo,Bentley, Maserati,Aston etc) are excluded.

1. BMW: Taking all the factors mentioned above, I think they offer the most optimal balance in my convulted equation. I think they offer a combination of practicality, and affordatibility: performance in some cases that are comparable to Ferrari or Porsche at an affordable price and more practical. In the technical strengths, they always seem to extract more HP/litre than most of their peers, I think Ferrari seems to the only manufacturer that out-do BMW in the HP/litre department-of course this is based on NA engines. In terms of fuel efficiency, they either lead the field in their respective segments or are in the top 3. Design wise, I like the trend-setting philosophy. To sum it up, I believe it is the most dynamic brand of all the German manufacturers.
My problem with BMW is that they do need a system integration engineering department in several sub-systems, and they also need improvement in the software department.

2. Mercedes Benz: What can I say, it is my childhood brand. I grew up dreaming about owning a Merc untill I became an engineer. Elegant, and well engineered but sometimes too conservative. I still love Benz, but sometimes wonder at their approach to some problems. I have to admit, the newer MB are quite promising.

3. Jag: Like MB, another brand that I do like because of its dynamism.

4. VW : Makers of the very good, reliable and affordable quality vehicles. The CC is definitely a wonderful ride.

5.Audi: Another brand that I think is exceptional but the problem imho are the following:
a. VW- a VW makes a compelling case
b. LED overload- enough with the LED.
c. Relatively expensive compared to peers

6.Porsche: Engineering wise, an exceptional brand. The only snag is the design department, it needs an overhaul. Everything seems to built around the 911 architecture.

7. Nissan: Certainly a company that seems to adopt the BMW philosophy. Great engineering works.

HighestOfHigh's Top Brands

1. Mercedes-Benz -

Car of Choice:



Why: The design, technology, ability, sophistication, brand identity and legacy of Mercedes-Benz makes me appreciate this company more so that any other car company out their. Everytime they present a car it sets benchmark for the entire industry. The S-class alone is the star that always shines bright. Everything about Mercedes-Benz represents the what every car should be.

2. Rolls-Royce-

Car of Choice:



Why: The rich history and it's ability to be recognized around the world. Presence alone of their cars has me sold.

3. Bentley-

Car of Choice:



Why: Mind blowing looks and old world taste make this car outstanding. Bentley has created such a dedication for their cars based on the high quality looks and fantastic looks. Still is an untouchable car.

4. Bugatti-

Car of Choice:



Why: The POWER....No company on earth can touch it's performance.

5. Infiniti-

Car of Choice:



Why: The brand gives great luxury at bargin prices compared to the Germans. The performance of their models are outstanding.

6. Audi-

Car of Choice:



Why: Over the pass couple of years I have developed a soft spot for Audi. Their designs are always on point and interiors are soft and elegant...just like I like them to be.

7. Lincoln-

Car of Choice:



Why: On of the first cars I've ever owned...so I will always be loyal to Lincoln. They have just enough luxury to keep you comfortable.

8. Jaguar-

Car of Choice:



Why: Well they brought Sexy back! Lol

9. Ferrari-

Car of Choice:



Why: My appreciation for their ability to build some of the finest sport cars on earth.

10. Land Rover/Acura (they tie)-

Car of Choice:




Why: Land Rover have some of the most luxurious and capable SUVs on the road and I respect them for that. Acura does the same just for cars.