 The Mercedes E Class 4Matic AWD sedan is a personal luxury touring car. This is still a rather large car, (112.4" wheelbase) and is powered by the 268hp 3.5 liter aluminum V6 motor. For 2008, the E class also offers 4Matic on the E350 Wagon as well as the enthusiast oriented E550, with its 382 ponies pushing a modest (by Mercedes standards) 3,885 lbs. This allows the E550 4Matic to rocket to 60mph in only 5.4 seconds. The more sedate E350 4Matic starts at
$52,700. |
Standard Features:
- 268hp 3.5L 24-valve V-6 engine
- 5-Speed Automatic w/ Touch Shift
- 4MATIC™ all-wheel drive with 4-wheel Electronic Traction System
- Acceleration: 0 60 mph: 6.5 sec.
- Glass Sunroof w/ Tilt & One Touch Open/Close
- Harmon/kardon LOGIC7 Digital Surround System
6-Disc CD Changer
Auxiliary Input in Glove Box (MP3, iPod Devices)
- 10-Way Power Adjustable Front Seats w/ Position Memory for Seats, Steering Column & Exterior Mirrors
- Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control
- Electronic Cruise Control
- Power Windows w/ Express Up & Down
- Electric Adjustable Tilt and Telescoping Steering Column
- Wheels: 17" 7-spoke Alloy with 245/45 R17 95H All Season tires
- 4-Wheel Disc Brakes w/ Anti-Lock & Brake Assist
- Electronic Stability Program
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System
- Fuel Usage: 91 Octane, yielding 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway
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 The awd BMW 535xi Sport Wagon offers no powerplant option. An auto-levelling rear suspension is standard on this 300hp sport wagon, as is the 6 speed manual transmission from the sedan. Oddly, the BM web site says the wagon has slightly LESS cargo capacity compared to the 528xi. Huh? Running your pack to the vet in style will set you back $54,000 |
Standard Features:
- 300hp 3.0-liter dual overhead cam (DOHC), 24-valve inline 6-cylinder engine
- 6-speed manual transmission
- xDrive, all-wheel-drive system on a 113.6 inch wheelbase
- Front and rear anti-roll (stabilizer) bars
- 4-wheel ventilated anti-lock disc brakes (ABS) with Dynamic Brake Control
- Dynamic Stability Control, including Comfort Stop, Brake Fade Compensation, Start-off Assistant, Brake Drying, and Brake Stand-by features, with Dynamic Traction Control
- 17x 7.5 Star Spoke cast alloy wheels, 225/50R-17 all-season tires
- Halogen free-form foglights
- 10-way power front seats with power head restraints
- 2-setting memory system for driver's seat, side-view mirrors, and steering wheel position
- Automatic climate control w/separate left/right controls
- Micro-filter ventilation system w/active-charcoal filters
- Anti-theft AM/FM stereo/CD audio system with 10 speakers, and MP3 capabilities
- Fuel Usage: Premium only; 24 mpg highway
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 The powerful Mercedes GL Class SUV is the only full-sized luxury SUV with a uni-body platform. That makes it a crossover. So it rides less like a truck and more like a car, despite its size. The GL can be had with a turbo diesel V6; the GL320 CDI, a 335hp 4.6 liter V8; the GL450 or the anti-social 382hp 5.5 liter V8. The 2008 GL320 CDI SUV does not meet the emissions requirements of California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, or Vermont and is not available in these states. The GL320 CDI Diesel will set you back
$53,400, while the GL450 gas engined version goes for $55,900. |
Standard Features:
- 215hp, turbocharged DOHC 24-valve Aluminum V-6 making 398 lb/ft of torque at only 1600 rpm
- 7 speed automatic transmission
- 5,313 lbs on a big 121.1 inch wheelbase
- 4MATIC™ all-wheel drive with 4-wheel Electronic Traction System
- Driver activated Downhill Speed Regulation
- Four-wheel air suspension with spring-struts.
- Vehicle level raised by up to 3" via a button on the dashboard.
- Electronic Stability Program
- 18 x 8 Aluminum wheels, 265/60 R18, all-season tires
- Dual-circuit power-assist 4-wheel disc brakes w/ABS
- Rear-window wiper with washer.
- Electrically heated rear window w/auto-shutoff based on time, speed, and outside temperature.
- Black protective-coated roof rails (with 220-lb roof load capacity).
- Halogen headlamps and front foglamps. Single red rear foglamp in lefttaillamp.
- Cruise Control
- Dual Zone Climate Control
- 8-way power-adjustable heated front seats. Driver-adjustable lumbar support.
- 2nd-row 60/40-split-folding rear seatbacks, 3rd-row split-folding power seatbacks.
- Brown Birdseye Maple wood trim.
- 8 speaker audio system
- Fuel Usage: Ultra low sulphur diesel yielding 18 mpg city/24 mpg highway
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 The AudiS4 Cabriolet has the same drive train the other S4 models have, plus the wind in your hair sense of freedom. There are very few AWD convertibles on the market, so if a ragtop with power to spare on all 4's is your style, you must talk to your local Audi dealer. MSRP for the S4 Cabriolet is
$56,775 |
Standard Features:
- 340 hp 4.2 V8 with quattro all-wheel drive
- 4211 lbs on a
- Power adjustable sports seats with leather upholstery
- Electric roof w/Reinforced A-posts by means of high-strength tubes
- Strengthened cross-member below the rear seat
- Special impact absorbing beams in the doors w/Structurally reinforced sills
- Roll-over protection system in the double rear bulkhead controlled by sensors, triggered behind the rear passengers within milliseconds. Together with the extremely rigid windscreen frame, they help to preserve survival space for all occupants if the car turns over.
- 18 inch alloy wheels with 235/40 R18 tires
- Cruise control
- 9-speaker audio system
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Electronic stabilization program
- Fuel Usage: Premium only, yielding 15 mpg city/21 mpg highway
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 The Mercedes E350 4Matic Wagon is only available with the 3.5 liter, 268 horse engine. It can hold 7, with the third row seating, comes equipped with a with a 7.1-channel amplifier and is priced from
$55,700 after backing out the destination charges. |
Standard Features:
- 268hp 3.5L 24-valve V-6 engine
- 4MATIC™ all-wheel drive with 4-wheel Electronic Traction System
- 5-speed automatic transmission
- Hand-polished Burl Walnut wood accents
- Electronic Stability Program
- 17 x 8 7-spoke wheels, 245/45 R17, all-season performance tires
- Dual-circuit power-assist 4-wheel disc brakes w/ABS
- Dual power mirrors, linked to driver's seat memory; heated
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Electrostatic dust and pollen filter
- Electronic cruise control
- 10-way power front seats, each with 3-position memory. Driver's and passenger's adjustable lumbar support. Driver's seat memory includes steering column and outside mirror positions
- harman/kardon® LOGIC7® digital surround-sound system with 12 speakers, 420 watts
- Fuel Usage: 91 Octane, yielding 16 mpg city/21 mpg highway
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