Keeping it short... I owned a 07 LS460 and loved it except the ride was a bit too soft. Test drove BMW 535 (not impressed); Lexus GS350 F-Sport (felt too young); Infiniti M56 (felt cheap), Mercedes S550 (worried about cost of maintenance). Then I finally settled on the Audi A6 which was a huge mistake for me. Love the brakes, quattro, and the compliments, but I can't stand another year with it. Any suggestions out there?

I only buy pre-owned and don't like the idea of leasing. Would love to keep 35K and under, but would consider a couple thousand more for the right vehicle. I like interior room, wide seats, rwd or awd, 6 cyl. or larger. Benz sounds good, but the planned obsolescence and cost of maintenance ticks me off.

Thanks in advance.

 

Genesis G80 might be the best of all worlds. The Stinger GT or Q50 could also be rewarding could be rewarding

 

 

Warranty is nice. But the G80 also gives you the RWD/AWD he's looking for, choice of V6, 3.3T V6 in the Sport, and optional 5.0 V8. Decent pricing, (good looks IMO), lots of available technology.

 

 

Thanks for helping me think about other brands; never even considered the Genesis. i'll check it out.

 

For RWD or AWD, I totally agree with the Genesis G80 suggestions, though you might (?) have to hunt a little to find one on the used car market. Also might want to look at the Chrysler 300...its fit/finish and interior materials have improved enormously in the last several years, though its warranty and overall build-solidness probably won't match that of the Genesis.

 

MB S550 CPO plus everything covered extended warranty if OP is worried about service cost. Personally we have two BMW, two MB in the family.
No extra surprise on maintenance other than regular scheduled service. One BMW just had recall work done, at the same time had the brake fluid
flushed for 100.00 (is it too expensive?, Other one out of factory warranty needed one new ignition coil. Bought a kit containing 6 spark plugs. 6 coils for 200.00.
Took me little over two hours to replace them all and at the same time cabin air filter which cost 40.00. Total 240.00 is not outrageous IMO.
Some German cars have so many engine options and extra options one test drive won't tell the whole story.
IT all depends how long your typical ownership is. If a car logs 100K miles that is the time for another one for me.

 

If cost is a concern, avoid the BMW and Mercedes! Spare parts prices are very high and they break often. Electronics on both BMW and Mercedes seem to be the big source of the problems. The Genesis so far seems to be very reliable and simple to maintain. I recently had a Chrysler 300 rental car and it was quite nice. Any reliability issues with the 300 should be less expensive to correct than with the German cars.

 

If one's main consideration in getting a new car is a reliability number of choices are not that many. My priority is I want to drive what I want. If you replace car every 4 years or so all is covered by factory warranty.
Many services can be DIY item. Think how many German engineers are working at KIA? Money talks. On a beer budget trying to drive a car needing champagne budget?

 

I can vouch for it. Very comfy seats, perfect driving position, buttery smooth V-8... And IMO it's a good-looking car. I haven't driven the V-6 versions, but I think even in those I'd be happy with how quiet and smooth it drives. Infotainment might be seen as a weak point for some people, but at least it's pretty user-friendly and has a touchscreen.

 

I say Genesis G80 or G90 sounds like what you want.

 

What about a cpo A8L? Seemed like you liked the A6 at least a little, and didn't say why you can't stand it anymore. I think the A8 gets floating calipers in the rear which is a little annoying on a car that level, but other than that personally I really like it.

 

 

G80 is a solid choice but I doubt the OP will like the G90 as he found the LS to be too soft, and I understand they ride quite similarly.