I agree with all that except the new Bengle BMW's being stunning. I've owned a couple of BMWs and recently moved to Audi because BMWs strange new look. The first one that threw me off was the BMW 5 series with those eagle eye headlights and strange interior. In fact I heard of many BMW enthusiasts and journalists who thought the new designs were odd at best. The good new is they were less Bengalized as the newer models arrived. The new 3 isn't so bad.

Acura? Inthamix you know that I am ever so slightly biased towards Acura/Honda sports cars (as are you) BUT personally speaking I think the Beamers are eclipsing us and Mr. Honda is not stepping up to the plate. Or maybe I am just being a bitter cry baby cuz there is no V8 NSX........ wow I think i am a little off topic.

Yeh M3's are really nice... I like em too.... oh and the Mercedes.... SL 55 AMG's nice too :)

The new wave of redeaux BMW models all are stunning...

Alot of other makers will be emulating their design for years to come, just you watch!

BMW's are lookers, performers, and hold their value. Scheduled maint/service is included for 3yrs/36k miles, and warranty can be extended to 7yrs/100k ("certification" process).

If I was in the market for a new premium car, I'd either go BMW or Acura.

{In regards to Mercedes, the E55 is an awesome car}

I am a used car dealer / autorepair shop owner and i just wanna say that as soon as i get a merc pullin up to my shop i have a smile from ear to ear, why? nothing on that caris cheap! or even slightly affordable! that car is good for mechanics and dealers cause thats where it spends most of its time and garbage for clients. in the past cars that i have sold only 2 s500's both of which i had to send to the dealer for electircal problems with navigation system erros which are only dealer diagnose-able!

i have sold BMW's/Audi and all those japanese luxury cars and never had problem.

audi is an okay brond not that great at high mileage but okay.. BMW is good all around especially because it has the perfect combination of smooth but firm suspension with engines that never leave u embarrased on the road.

I totally agree. For that kind of money there are so many other cars I would buy before a merc. Bang for the Buck, I think there is no car like an M3!!! Yeah, I would love to take a look at an M6 as well....

well I agree about he price of SLs and CLs they are overpriced! well if I were to buy something around that price I would go for a bently GT, Aston Martin vanquish, or Ferrari

To the point: If you like driving then BMWs are the way to go. If you have a driver then Mercedes is your car. Personally I'd pick an Audi or Infiniti over a Mercedes. Most of them atleast. Mercs drive like a Cadillacs. Oh, and the SLR is more McLaren then Mercedes. The ONLY mercedes I like are the SLs but those cars are way overpriced. You can get a nice Ferrari or Lamborghini Gallardo for the price of an SL65. Give me a break!

well from my experience with mercedes, I think their CL's, SL's, SLk, and SLR are very smooth and beautifully designed. The other day I took a look at an SLR and I almost cried because I thought it was so sweet. however, the MLs from experience caused my anger level to increase by 3 folds. they had a window mechanism issue for a while but they say they fixed that problem with the new ones. I do not know if they resolved it completely. as for BMWs well the 7 series drives like a dream but it is too big for my taste I like the sports cars mostly. In general, BMWs drive like a dream. What I really want to try is the M6.

Smoother in what way? Which models? If you were asking for general opinions of the manufacturers, I have a personal preference for beamers. I think their build quality is among the best in the world (this is coming from a huge Jap car fan so if anything I am biased towards Hondas and Toyotas). The build quality of Mercs has gone down-hill - as to why - who knows? Possibly being part of Daimler-Chrysler rubbed off on them....
I think the M3 is one of the best cars ever built in terms of versatility, performance. Overall package type of deal. Merc has yet to create such a car that is also such a practical daily driver.
But its all relative, personal preferences and all that. I like sporty cars with speed and handling and looks. Mercs are more dignified and refined, the ride isolates you from the road, they don't make manual cars - with just about any beamer you feel like the car is an extension of you. The mercs that I am talking about are more "run of the mill" C-class, E-class, even the CLK. Also, I have to say I am not impressed with any of Merc's styling lately. Of course then there is the SLR, SL-55, SL-600, SL-65. These are in a league of their own and wouldn't compare to the average Mercs.