[Gary7]

I picked up a 2008 STS 3.6 (Sunset Blue) a few weeks ago as a second car. My primary car is an Audi A4. When I test drove the STS, what impressed me most was the chassis and stiff platform. When you've owned various foreign brands over the last thirty years (Mercedes, Volvo, VW, Audi), you sort of get a feel when a car has an inherently stiff platform, and the STS is right up there with the best of 'em. This made me do some research on the GM Sigma platform, and it appears this is one case where the engineers won out over the bean counters.

For those who catch the metaphor, I'd say that Sigma is GM's W140. :yup: Agree?

Here's a pic of my STS:

 

[Aoyagi]

Yeah, I'm looking for one of those as well. So the STS will be a secondary car? It kinda outclasses the A4.

Edit: Oh, by "second car" you mean a successor rather than a backup, don't you. Heh.

 

[STSV8]

For those who catch the metaphor, I'd say that Sigma is GM's W140. :yup: Agree?

Yep, I agree!

 

[Gary7]

So the STS will be a secondary car? It kinda outclasses the A4.

You and I will just have to agree to disagree about that.

 

[Aoyagi]

No I mean it literally outclasses it. A4 is a compact, STS is mid-size

I have no idea what's the driving of A4 like.

 

[turnne]

For those who catch the metaphor, I'd say that Sigma is GM's W140. :yup: Agree?

are you saying this because you think the Sigma platform is the best GM has ever done...as many think the 140 is the best built Mercedes?

if you are saying the Sigma is the equivalent of the 140...we would have to agree to disagree

I dont think any of the cars you mentioned come close to the build quality of the 140....not even the newer Mercedes Benz products

Warren

 

[Gary7]

are you saying this because you think the Sigma platform is the best GM has ever done...as many think the 140 is the best built Mercedes?

if you are saying the Sigma is the equivalent of the 140...we would have to agree to disagree

I dont think any of the cars you mentioned come close to the build quality of the 140....not even the newer Mercedes Benz products

Warren

You and I are on the same page.

Mercedes has arguably produced four platforms from a "cost no object" directive: The W100, the W201, and the W140 (and later the W240 Maybach platform based on the W140). Mercedes lost money on every 600 Grosser (W100) they made, and reportedly never came close to recouping the development costs of the W201, W140, or W240.


What I meant when I said the Sigma is GM's W140 is that this platform is the closest thing GM has ever produced to a "cost no object" platform like the W140 (and it shows). In no way do I think it's the equivalent to the W140.

 

[turnne]

You and I are on the same page.

Mercedes has arguably produced four platforms from a "cost no object" directive: The W100, the W201, and the W140 (and later the W240 Maybach platform based on the W140). Mercedes lost money on every 600 Grosser (W100) they made, and reportedly never came close to recouping the development costs of the W201, W140, or W240.


What I meant when I said the Sigma is GM's W140 is that this platform is the closest thing GM has ever produced to a "cost no object" platform like the W140 (and it shows). In no way do I think it's the equivalent to the W140.

interesting...I would not have considered the W201 on the list
I would add the W124 and W126 to the list
I would also say that the prior body style STS/Seville had better finishes than the later model

and I have owned the older body style STS as as well as the last iteration...I have also owned a W124, W126 and W140 Mercedes benz

IMO...Mercedes has some magic coming back in the latest S class after building at least one generation to a price point

Warren

 

[Gary7]

interesting...I would not have considered the W201 on the list
I would add the W124 and W126 to the list
I would also say that the prior body style STS/Seville had better finishes than the later model

and I have owned the older body style STS as as well as the last iteration...I have also owned a W124, W126 and W140 Mercedes benz

IMO...Mercedes has some magic coming back in the latest S class after building at least one generation to a price point

Warren

Benz has stated that the W201 was way over-engineered. They spent over $1 billion in its development and never came close to recouping that through sales of the "Baby Benz" in its various iterations. The W126, while a fine platform, was still based on the W116 it replaced. The W124 was groundbreaking in many ways, but the four platforms (really three, since the W240 is so heavily based on the W140) I mentioned have all been confirmed by Benz insiders as "cost no object" platforms.