Older better than new Mercedes?

[PaulG]

Just thought I would start a discussion to see what preferences people have.

I do like the ornament on the bonnet of Mercedes but I do hope that mine stays intact and doesn't have someone decided that they would like to remove it. I don't own an AMG Mercedes but it would appear that the name has started to be watered down over the years. In favour of the new Mercedes I would say that the new technology that they are putting in C and E classes is fantastic. Parking the car with your phone was a thing of science fiction just a short while ago.

Anyway it will be interesting to hear what thoughts on the old v new debate people have.

 

[PaulG]

Oh and it would be good to see a modern Mercedes with the round headlights that you get on the W210/W211 E classes. I like them.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Oh and it would be good to see a modern Mercedes with the round headlights that you get on the W210/W211 E classes. I like them.

The styling feature was started in the 210, then around 1999/2000 the front end styling policy was twin oval lamps for coupe/ tourers and single large lamps for sedans, exception either the 211 for some reason. This styling then eventually carried over to the twin front lamps being delineated by the daytime running lamp light guides inside the main headlamp.

 

[A.J.]

I have had a few C Class MB’s now but I still think that the 190E that I had back in 1993 was the better build quality. However modern technology leaves the old 190E standing. So, difficult question to ask, which is better, build quality or technology, I would probably go for technology

 

[Blobcat]

You need to define what “better” is before you can answer

If it’s technology than modern every time - modern drivers want the toys - the fact that they’re style over substance in a lot of cases is completely lost on them

If it’s maintainability and repairability then older every time - modern cars need to be plugged in, interrogated and understood. They also have lots of assemblies that don’t break into components so whole (expensive) units need to be replaced rather than just the failed item

If it’s style and looks then in most cases older wins - Cross over SUV vs Ponton Mercedes? No question Ponton wins (Especially in 300C Adenauer form…)

If it’s safety then modern, the modern systems do a great job in preventing accidents in the first place. Making them more survivable if you do end up in one, from a driver, passenger or pedestrian position

If it’s longevity then it’s probably older (if you can get past rust). Modern become economically unrepairable due to the assemblies above and the number of expensive bits the cars are jammed with - £1,000+ headlight unit as you can’t buy a bulb…

 

[ajlsl600]

Just thought I would start a discussion to see what preferences people have.

I do like the ornament on the bonnet of Mercedes but I do hope that mine stays intact and doesn't have someone decided that they would like to remove it. I don't own an AMG Mercedes but it would appear that the name has started to be watered down over the years. In favour of the new Mercedes I would say that the new technology that they are putting in C and E classes is fantastic. Parking the car with your phone was a thing of science fiction just a short while ago.

Anyway it will be interesting to hear what thoughts on the old v new debate people have.

Give me older any day. Built properly with eye on quality and durability. Often not the case today. More of dazzle u in car cockpit and hit u hard everywhere else. Least u can DIY the older motors.
But then I getting on too.

 

[ajlsl600]

I agree with vid. Clk320 had star on bonnet and better for it

 

[horatio]

If it’s technology than modern every time - modern drivers want the toys - the fact that they’re style over substance in a lot of cases is completely lost on them

If it’s maintainability and repairability then older every time - modern cars need to be plugged in, interrogated and understood. They also have lots of assemblies that don’t break into components so whole (expensive) units need to be replaced rather than just the failed item

I think in general the late nineties to mid noughties was a sweet spot. By this time most cars had the kit you genuinely need and the annoyances of older cars had been ironed out - galvanised panels, electronic injection & ignition etc. After this we started moving towards small DI turbo engines, diesels started becoming unreliable due to emission regulations, as you say £1000 headlight units, coded parts and such like.

Unfortunately this period wasn’t exactly Mercedes finest hour!

 

[Not_Anumber]

I preferred the interior and exterior of the S210 E320cdi I had compared to the S212 E350cdi have now, The older car with its more upright stance, soulful looking twin round headlights, seemed that much more substantial. It had a higher bonnet line so the star was that much more visible whilst driving. The rear seat was proper full width and folded double whilst the S212's is inset by a good couple of inches from the sides for no readily apparent.
For both performance and handling the S212 is noticeably better though slightly worse on economy.

 

[rifiki]

Newer is usually better than old, it's material used appears to be of lower quality.
Artico crap compared with indestructible MBTex
Modern MBs don't corrode like old ones.

 

[A.J.]

You would have thought that the build quality would just get better and better over time. Nothing I have had compares with the build quality of the 190E I had back in '93

 

[LostKiwi]

Older for me.
Had 2 W202s and they felt pretty bombproof and were a delight to drive. Only issue being rust.
Had a 203 and whilst better than expected not the same build quality as the 202.
I currently have a 129 and 230 and prefer the 129. It has a hewn from rock quality missing from the 230. Likewise the 251 doesn't have the hewn from granite feel I always associated with MB.

The earlier cars are also significantly easier to work on with most things being relatively accessible, unlike the nightmare that is the 251.

 

[00slk]

Older for me.
Had 2 W202s and they felt pretty bombproof and were a delight to drive. Only issue being rust.
Had a 203 and whilst better than expected not the same build quality as the 202.
I currently have a 129 and 230 and prefer the 129. It has a hewn from rock quality missing from the 230. Likewise the 251 doesn't have the hewn from granite feel I always associated with MB.

The earlier cars are also significantly easier to work on with most things being relatively accessible, unlike the nightmare that is the 251.

Me too Kiwi, I had a 1960 220se and w114's and plenty of '70's Mercedes to which I would work on any day over the newer stuff and we didn't need a laptop to tell us what was wrong or how to repair it
What tools that were specialists tools we made, I still have some of those home made ones now

 

[davemercedes]

It's probably due to my age, but as mentioned in the first OP post, I still definitely prefer the gunsight bonnet star. The technology on my '07 S203 Estate wasn't really remarkable for the times the but I'm very happy that on a 13-year old car the gadgets like cruise and AC/Climate were well designed and they still work - correctly!

 

[s5tuart]

I like the gunsight too!
But I do like the way my 2016 car looks after me as my abilities decline.
Distronic, autonomous braking, Lane keeping, clever LED lights....
I know repairs can be eye watering but I don't do anything myself to be able to warrant a "home repairable" car.

 

[robbomerc]

Love the old but trying to get parts for older cars is a nightmare
Took all night to find a part for a pierburg carb for my W124 . Sold a W212 last year and should have kept it , lovely car quite Modern but with elements from the older cars

 

[horatio]

Love the old but trying to get parts for older cars is a nightmare
Took all night to find a part for a pierburg carb for my W124 . Sold a W212 last year and should have kept it , lovely car quite Modern but with elements from the older cars

Some parts for newish cars are on back order too. Parts supply in general is hit and miss right now.

*touch wood* I haven’t run into any parts I can’t find for my 190 yet. Hardest to find thus far has been a/c seals I had to order from Latvia on eBay. I even managed to buy obscure 80’s fabric to retrim the seat bolster!

Something I’ve noticed with MD parts is they say a part is out of stock until supplied with a part number - then it miraculously appears.

Lubricating the wiper mech, window regulators, sunroof etc etc will prevent most awkward repairs and searching for parts.

 

[DSK]

I like to see the advances in tech and some of its good and useful and some needless. Amazing what the super saloons and hot hatches are capable of today. Amazing how well modern cars stand up in crashes and bumps too in terms of occupant protection plus all the other good stuff. Fast gearboxes are purposeful. Fake trim, same parts across makes and models, cabin noise, so called premium materials, ****** screens and menus rather than buttons, no dip sticks, plastic lenses instead of glass, impossibility to change bulbs as DIY, reduced visibility due to styling sake (if you can even call modern cars generally being styled), with massive pillars (I know this is a by product for strength but seriously!). The back seats on most modern cars are awful! However I’ve never been wowed by tech or silly nonsense and being in a position to spend nothing this side of hyper cars is of interest.

Modern stuff I’ve driven is ‘generally’ soulless, fragile and feels like much of a muchness. There’s enough evidence to backup that engines are not built to the tight tolerances they once were to help lower friction etc, more plastics used where it’s plain daft to do so etc. Im not being suckered in by stuff that will break and need constant attention when, it should be able to just work reliably in the first place, or as I call it, “keep them poor strategy”. Repairs also being hideously expensive only because that’s the nature of the design and even the best will struggle to fix the things, let alone most of the clueless idiots in overalls. I’m always gazing over older stuff like lotus Carlton’s, 3dr cosworths, SEL/SEC, CE etc. Fondest memories are of the 190 cosworth, SEL’s, 400e and 500e. Awesome quality, design and maintainable too.

Is older better? in some ways yes and in others no. It also depends on the exact makes and models too. For me personally, generally speaking, I prefer the individuality, uniqueness, driving experience and maintainability of well maintained, well designed and well built decent older cars.

As for MBs, again for me, yep the older ones generally <1995 are generally my favourites. Picture an SEL with S65 running gear…..that may just be my retirement project.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk my

 

[Mark Q]

Did you see Chris Harris's R 129 SL

 

[ajlsl600]

S

Newer is usually better than old, it's material used appears to be of lower quality.
Artico crap compared with indestructible MBTex
Modern MBs don't corrode like old ones.

So now we have older cars that often rot. Tho after 20+yrs I don't worry too much.
And newer cars that look great but with shxxe electronics and subframe that fall to bits thru tin worm in very short order and rubbish qlty.