we all love bimmers. that is why we are here (on this site) but i have to respectfully disagree with those who cannot see that other brands have their merits. after just returning from a 3 week trip to europe i can say that i would definetly consider mercedes and audi next time. the idea that audi has a vw stigma is absurd. these cars are every bit as good as bimmers imo. i saw many a3s, a4s and some a6s. the new audi styling is very distinctive, very european and cool. the quality problems (primarily electrical) that have plagued mercdes over the pas few years are well known. i doubt daimler willl just stay the same on this front. my own prediction is that quality improves markedly in the mercedes brand over the next few years. i recently read about the new ml350 which appears to set a new standard in the suv category. i would not count mercedes out nor would i just assume the bmw is the best always, in every category.