Look into the features carefully. I don't know about the wall ovens but I pretty sure the ranges differ in that Viking is not as computerized and therefore does not have things like "time delay".

Read deeper into this forum. You will find that Viking products generally suck. Having had both Viking and Wolf, Wolf is far superior and dependable.

I've seen all the poor reviews on Viking, so I'll probably just go with all Wolf. Just wanted to see if there were specific experiences with the Viking wall ovens. I've had a good experience with my Wolf wall oven so far.

I will end up with a Viking dishwasher, though!

You did good,faith 2009, cept for the SZ. Did you do much research before you chose that one. It still is rated as the most repair prone brand. Yea I know, there are many that will say CR is "Biased"--alto were SZ highly rated by CR, I'm sure these same folks would be "Espousing the virtues of CR" (LOL).So we looked at many other sources, Epinions, Retrevo, On-line sites that sell appliances and have feedback pages where buyers comment on their purchases.All these sites backup the info and data that CR
states. Yes there will be folks that have SZ and love them and have had no problems---but if you look at the data on some of the sources I mention, You will see that there are many, Many that have had just the opposite experience.
We hope you will be grouped with the former and not the latter!!!!Good luck with your decisions.

Gary

I disagree with Dodge1959, and yes, there is a reason we've had so many posts here disagreeing with CR's findings. For one thing, CR surveys include vast numbers of Whirpool, Amanas, etc. but only a tiny tiny percentage of SZ fridges. So if one SZ has a problem, out of that small percentage, the numbers look like SZ has much higher repairs. This is just simple math, and again, has been discussed at length on this Forum. You will love your SZ fridge.

As to the Viking DW, I think that is made by Bosch, and rebadged to Viking. Bosch makes good DWs. Just make sure when they install the DW, they use a "high loop" installation. That is very simple and standard, and yet sometimes we see reported that it wasn't done. A "high loop" is a loop in the hose which is higher than the point where the hose connects to the sink drain. It is to prevent waste water from flowing back into the dishwasher. People with Bosch DWs in particular report DW odor when there was no high loop installation. If you peer over your contractor's shoulder while he's installing the DW, and ask sweetly whether there is a high loop installation, he'll be impressed you know what that is!

I knew what the response would be to "CR" findings. That is why I chose other sources as I mentioned in my Post.
Check out a few of those Yourself, You will see a "Few" 4 or 5 out of 5 ratings for SZ, but you will see many many more 1 to 2 out of 5 ratings than the higher ratings.
Just do a search for "Sub Zero Refrigerator reliability" Not "Rocket Science" The info is there for the searching!

Gary

ItÂs natural for anyone who gets a sub-par rating to challenge the validity of the survey. So I was not surprised when Paul Leuthe, corporate marketing manager for Sub-Zero, told me, "The numbers are not accurate."

Sub-Zero is the only built-in refrigerator on the survey. "So it has a lot more potential for problems than a free-standing refrigerator that is just plugged in," Leuthe says. "Someone who buys a $5,000 to $8,000 refrigerator is less tolerant than other customers," he adds.

But Leuthe admits there could be another reason why this top-of-the-line brand rated at the bottom of the reliability survey. He says about four years ago they got a bad batch of copper tubing. It was used in the evaporators for models made from 2003 to 2006.

That tubing is now rusting and causing leaks. "These evaporator problems could be skewing the ratings," Leuthe says. He points out with some pride that Sub-Zero is making free repairs with no questions asked.

What other refrigerator would you recommend if not the SZ?
Someone on this forum suggested getting the dual compressors which all I can find that has that is the SZ.
The new Viking ref has the filter but in the past a lot of problems. I did have a SZ before and the condenser went out at just over the 5 yr mark due to faulty tubing. It was an expensive repair. They said they had had problems but no one offered to fix for free. I need a 48" built in.

Do a search for 48" built in Fridges (add dual compressor), if you like. We bought the Jenn-air 48" back in 2006--it has a single (variable speed compressor) and has been completely trouble free and quiet and back in 2006 offerred features SZ did not--for example 3 independent settings in fridge are, each "Chrisper could be set to a different temp as could the main part of the fridge"--the only thing I would say about the fridge is it doesnt set the world "afire" making ice cubes, maybe makes a couple trays a day, but I dont know if any of the others do any better??? We have yet to taste "Funny tasting" ice cubes due to only having one compressor, I mean Sheeshhhsss Live all our life with a single compressor but if that is "Your Thing" I think Liebher, Miele and some others do offer that.
Good luck on your hunt, I hope you are as fortunate as we were/are.

Gary

Ya know, were it me, I would get with SZ and say, "Here is a chance to correct your previous error (Billing you for that repair). I mean even their "Big Shot", "He points out with some pride that Sub-Zero is making free repairs with no questions asked." I believe some folks try to claim SZ has a 12 yr warranty?--so how come you were billed for only a 5 year old fridge?
Anyway would like to see the US company get the sale, but only if they "Treat You right"
It would also be nice if they had a little more respect for your hard earned money(instead of running rediculous prices up a pole in the hopes "Some" (I'm being nice) will salute it!
So Here's their chance, tell them to put up or shut up or your next stop will be Leibher!
PS Hopefully you have records for those repair charges.

Gary

The SZ 12 year warranty is on the sealed system, the full warranty on the sealed system is 5 years parts and labor and all other parts are either 1 or 2 years. The high rate of repair on the SZ is misleading due most of it was ice maker related. Sub is okay but not the pricing

To help the Op out here, guadalupe, what would you recommend for her? I don't claim to be an expert, I just did a lot of studying before I bought mine and am happy with the decision, but I'm sure you are much more involved in fridge selection than I am (Hopefully I made the last one I will ever need to)
Gary

I'm probably set on the 42" Subzero. I have the SZ glass door 36" now and have had only one small problem -- a door squeak, which was quickly fixed. Add to that Viking's earlier refrigerator problems and I'm unlikely to go with Viking.

Nice to know about Bosch making the Viking dishwasher. I currently have an Asko, which is ok, but a bit noisy.

My favorite refrigerator is the 36" bottom fz sub zero the 700 series, I hate the price but love the unit, if I were to do a 42 or 48 sxs in stainless non-dispensor I would again go sub, but if I am covering it with wood and can put my own handle choice on the unit I would go Kitchenaid with sub handles

"Add to that Viking's earlier refrigerator problems and I'm unlikely to go with Viking"

Those problems are still here as they haven't really changed their line line of built-ins since they acquired the division from Amana.

Ella- who said Bosch was making a dishwasher for Viking? It's my understanding that they are now making their top unit in house. Their older versions were made for them by Asko Aesa out of Sweden.

Dodge - ePinions is hardly a qualified 2nd source. It's mostly a Bi*&$^h site. I checked on this one, in the $5k and up catagory in which 48" built -ins reside they only have 305 listings. A lot of those are non built in commercial models. Of the ones that really do qualify , even fewer have any kind of review at all. Every maker of fridge has problems. Why is Viking's fride not on CR's list? Their built ins are widely regarded as the worst in reliability by industry folks with no adgenda.

Here is a nice little chart, put out by an Appliance Repair center near Chicago. Since it says "copyright 2009" I "assume" this is fairly recent data (but make your own assumptions).
Now Aim carefully with that "Shotgun" antss, only blow holes thru that chart and not any of the Good folks here!!!!

Click below where it says "Here is a link that may be helpful" to view this chart.

Gary

Here is a link that might be useful: Chart

antss: shannonplus2 said earlier in the thread that she thought the Viking dishwashers were made by Bosch. I was hoping it was true. I do have the choice to go with the Asko again.

guadalupe: I really like my 36" SZ, but the bottom freezer is too small for me. Plus, I miss not having a dispenser in the fridge. I hooked up a water filter & chiller with a fancy Perrin & Rowe filter faucet at the sink, but, honestly I'd rather have and ice/water dispenser in the fridge again.

Dodge - I try not to make assumptions, or broadly criticize. I try to call a spade a spade.

Like the good folks that complied that chart I base most of my advice on experience and my own collected historical data. After 15 years of nothing but high end kitchens that is now considerable for high line gear. Not so much on the mass market stuff. In addition I actually own or have owned and used a lot of these units that are kicked around here.

Their chart is nice, but you can clearly see that they concentrate on the mass market and lower price stuff. Nothing wrong with that. There are some nice units. At my playground up the ladder a ways things are different, prices are higher and so are expectations. Folks around GW tend not to over analyze a $1200 Kenmore fridge purchace. They do often fret over a built in one costing 5 to 6 times that. So accuracy is key (in my view) when playing there.

So, what's wrong with their chart?

1. Thermador- some of their units are made by Bosch, their parent but others are are are the same basic box from Whirlpool that these guys tout as a best buy. Someone reading this in ignorant bliss would likely conclude that Thermador was a no no. Parts are also not hard to come buy unless you are not an authorized service center. Then they are a available as anyone elses subject to the normal supply chain logistics that affect all large manufacturers.

2. Viking - their fake built ins are indeed built by Whirlpool and look nice too. Can't be a really good unit AND a clunker just because of a better paint job. Viking's built in line , generally regarded as bad news is made by Viking themselves on tooling and dies bought from Amana - which they gave good marks to.

3. Marvel - if they were being consistent it would list the manuf. as Northland, which was left off the list, OR AGA which bought both of them a few years ago in the boom time.

4. Left off the list were Miele and Gaggenau which represent SZ's largest competitor today. Also missing is JennAir which has mid range boxes and a built in line that is well built if not sexy. They were the first to pioneer the variable speed compressor you mentioned, which is the future. Liebherr is also not represented, another GW darling.

Their Dishwasher chart and advice is also inaccurate when assessing the high end models.

"They do often fret over a built in one costing 5 to 6 times that. So accuracy is key (in my view) when playing there."
We agree 100% here. I dont get all that concerned about the well healed folks that go out and buy one of these expensive units, chances are they have a backup in the garage or maybe even 2 fridges in the kitchen.
My concern is for those who have really "Stretched their budget" to buy one of these, thinking it is better built, offers more features, keeps food longer etc etc (all the advertised claims)---Then the succer breaks on them in a couple years.
Why am I concerned? I was almost one of them and in fact was , on the fancy cooktop I bought.
If you go back and read about the bad batch of copper that was in the expensive fridges from about 2003-2006---that was right about the time I was about ready to buy an SZ, There's probably a good chance that thing would be giving me trouble now? It really would be great to know the % of those built with the bad Evaporators between 2003-2006 seems like a bunch?
Anyway, with you expert help, and my experience with the Jenn-air and all the research I did , before buying it, We have Hopefully showed folks Where, Why and how to access
valuable info on their pending purchases!

Gary