Good-bye to my R129

[LostKiwi]

now that I DO like. a LOT.

Of course you do... It's one of your beloved Fords....

 

[turbopete]

Of course you do... It's one of your beloved Fords....

sorry to burst your bubble, but the brand has nothing to do with it. ive ALWAYS liked the look of the Mustang (except a few of the ones in the 90s). I always hoped they would make a RHD version to replace the Capri. unfortunately they aren't building them in Capri numbers so prices are remaining high. great for current owners, not so good for someone that WANTS one.

 

[LostKiwi]

sorry to burst your bubble, but the brand has nothing to do with it. ive ALWAYS liked the look of the Mustang (except a few of the ones in the 90s). I always hoped they would make a RHD version to replace the Capri. unfortunately they aren't building them in Capri numbers so prices are remaining high. great for current owners, not so good for someone that WANTS one.

It just the way you always espouse the benefits of Fords over MBs....

 

[turbopete]

It just the way you always espouse the benefits of Fords over MBs....

not at all. but since I went back to Fords, I'm actually starting to see how much better the new ones are built and how much poorer (in comparison) MBs are built. I mean looking at it objectively as in taking a car as nothing more than a tool to get to work and transport the family etc, is there any real life benefit (ignoring badge snobbery) to, say, an E class over something like a Mondeo? except the Ford is almost HALF the price? ive seen plenty of both with ridiculous mileages on them so longevity isn't an issue, Fords seem to rust less than MBs, as a recent post mentioning wheel nuts points out, comfort is VERY subjective as seats can affect people different ways (I could never get on with Renault seats as they were too soft, Citroens and Peugeots in the 90s had the same issues, never been in a newer one) but for me, I had no issues driving either the MB or Ford for long distances so no benefit in comfort, equipment for standard models is probably not far off on a par between both. and in all honesty, if someone needs a vehicle for whatever purpose, I would find it hard to recommend a vehicle to someone with a limited budget and bank balance for repairs on the basis of purely because 'its a Merc'
buying vehicles isn't the only expense. maintenance, insurance, tax, running costs (tyres, fuel, servicing, repairs etc). now if you are in a position to afford to own multiple vehicles (and ive been there myself so I know the difference) such costs are less of a problem. the best thing with Fords or any other mainstream brand (Vauxhall etc) is pretty much ANYWHERE can repair them. using specialist Indies is great, if you have them nearby. not so great if you are stuck in a small town miles from anywhere with just the local spanner spinner to get you going again.

something I'm beginning to notice in recent months is the increasing amount of 'elitism' on the forum. remarks such as yours proves my point. its as though because I don't own a MB I should no longer be allowed to use the forums, and its one of the reasons (apart from it often being painfully slow at times) I spend less and less time on here. I also remember the days when the forum actually went some way towards HELPING people with issues. now its increasingly becoming like any other online forum where the answer is almost inevitably 'take to a garage with STAR' which, to be honest, doesn't help much if you have no way of getting the car to a garage in the first place.

 

[LostKiwi]

And that's exactly what I meant regarding you're continuous praise of Ford vehicles and what gave rise to my slightly tongue in cheek remark. I have no issues with non-MB owners coming on here (I'm admin for a Land Rover forum and don't own one) but I don't expect them to slag off the brand the rest of us (as enthusiasts) love to own. In some circles such behaviour would be seen as trolling and far from 'elitism' you'd be told where to go in no uncertain terms (try going to Landyzone and telling them Land Rovers are carp).
As for references to Star in many cases the faults we see on here are so obscure anything else is just expensive guess work. Inthe interests of saving the OP expense and obtaining a quicker diagnosis sometimes it's the best advice. I'm pretty sure the Indy's don't just jump in and guess what to replace.
There are cases where members have offered to travel to other members to use their own diagnostic kit to help find faults (I did this last week for a new member for example).
I personally think this is one of the friendliest and most helpful forums I've found and it rarely takes long for someone to respond to a cry for help, even if only to bump the thread.

 

[turbopete]

And that's exactly what I meant.

you seem to be missing the point. yes its a MB forum BUT there are other brands out there. equally (if not more so) reliable and robust. why would anyone recommend, say, a rotbox 210 estate (and theres plenty of them around) as a load lugger when there are plenty of Mondeos, Vectras, Passats etc for the same money in much better condition, equally up to the job and easier repaired when something goes wrong? it seems that whatever requirement someone has, there are certain parties here that are UNWILLING to look PAST MB.

I'm a member on various Ford forums and they USED to be just like this one is becoming. when anyone needs help they were pointed to their local dealer or specialist. thankfully those forums are becoming more like this one used to be when I joined. this used to be a fun forum to be on. now it seems to have become a place where you are fine being here as long as you 'tow the company line' and money for repairs/garage bills isn't an issue.

 

[LostKiwi]

why would anyone recommend, say, a rotbox 210 estate (and theres plenty of them around) as a load lugger when there are plenty of Mondeos, Vectras, Passats etc for the same money in much better condition

Because the rotbox 210 has more load capacity than any of them and rust aside the 210 is a very reliable vehicle.
That's why we bought our rotbox 210. We also considered a Volvo V70 and 4x4 (waits for anti 4x4 rant now). The simple thing is the 210 was by far the best value for money and most refined for that money and best fit our need. Fords were not even considered as my past experiences have left me vowing never to get another Ford product.

 

[sl500amgsport]

My daughter bought a Ford Fiesta Titanium, lovely car loaded with gadgets for the money.
She had it for 1 year and then said she wanted something a little more powerful that would be more exciting to drive and she could be proud of so I found her an SLK, she has owned that for 2 years and she still loves and cherishes it.

My 83 year old mother said she always admired my daughter's Fiesta, so much so she bought it off her and is very happy with it. I guess that sums up Ford



Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[peterws1957]

And that's exactly what I meant regarding you're continuous praise of Ford vehicles and what gave rise to my slightly tongue in cheek remark. I have no issues with non-MB owners coming on here (I'm admin for a Land Rover forum and don't own one) but I don't expect them to slag off the brand the rest of us (as enthusiasts) love to own. In some circles such behaviour would be seen as trolling and far from 'elitism' you'd be told where to go in no uncertain terms (try going to Landyzone and telling them Land Rovers are carp).
As for references to Star in many cases the faults we see on here are so obscure anything else is just expensive guess work. Inthe interests of saving the OP expense and obtaining a quicker diagnosis sometimes it's the best advice. I'm pretty sure the Indy's don't just jump in and guess what to replace.
There are cases where members have offered to travel to other members to use their own diagnostic kit to help find faults (I did this last week for a new member for example).
I personally think this is one of the friendliest and most helpful forums I've found and it rarely takes long for someone to respond to a cry for help, even if only to bump the thread.

Couldn't agree more. This place is something of a haven from some "other" car forums. When I first started with MB forums I too was a bit put off with the "get it on Star" responses, but I quickly realised that this is the best and cheapest solution in a lot of cases. You see it on Mb forums where owners have thrown £100's at a problem and still not resolved it, simply because a Star diagnosis was not done.
I see no evidence of anyone being forced to tow the company line or elitism. (perhaps reading too much into posts) It's an Mb forum but even so this thread proves that other makes get discussed. Seems very rare that other makes are slagged off as opposed to none or new owners who criticise Mb continually.(and that is not aimed at you Turbopete) . And yes I really like Mondeos.

 

[gramey]

Ok so as a now ex Mercedes owner, although that was the 3rd one I'd had, who was on a budget which my own stupidity and want of things being right spiralled beyond what it should have, I'll put 2p worth in.

Unfortunately to some such as myself who have loved cars all their lives but who have not been financially successful it still gives us pleasure to own what is considered a 'prestige' car. Sadly those comments you do get of "if you have to think of the running costs you shouldn't own one" or words to that effect do come across as elitist. I have no problem with those who chose a financially rewarding career path and have the finer things in life. Intended or not, I don't need reminding that I'm not in the same position, like many others I was just wanting to enjoy what I could afford. Perhaps it's the case that I should never have bought my SL as common sense told there were cheaper cars to run out there but it was a heart rather than a head decision.

As for knocking other marques I do think some owners on here need to be aware that there are Mercedes out there that were not of the quality they should have been. The volume and far eastern manufacturers have raised their build quality and equipment levels considerably in recent years to the point where the prestige manufacturers need to produce cars that justify that prestige tag and price.

All cars have their merits and there aren't the absolute howlers there once was, Lada's, Wartburgs, Allegros, Metro's etc., and most modern cars are reliable so it's hard to knock what anyone chooses to buy.