once you go merc you never go back

[japimport]

just got my c2000 sport back from a full service the mechanic commented on ho well the car drives being it so old (its a 95) 118,000 on the clock so im happy and its condition is great so it just goes to show that if you look after your car it will look after you,so the morale of the story is look after your car and it wll look after you im so happy the car runs great i love mercs now ill never go back you know the saying once you go merc you never go back and its true in my case anyway next on my lst is a c36 amg

 

[jberks]

i know what you mean. I'm on my 3rd, the old man is on his 6th. Often look at other cars but a test drive or 2 later and I'm back at the merc dealership.
Yours was one of the best cars merc ever made imo - I had a C220 - when it was 5 years old, I went with a friend to test drive the, then new, 330i BM, Faster, newer, better handling etc A great car the 330i. I should have come out of that test drive ready to sell granny to get one. For some inexplicable reason, I sat back in the C in the car park and said, no I'm quite happy where I am.

 

[silverhorse]

I agree. I was sold on Jags for years . Had them all But since I have owned two Merc E types I would not go back to Jags any more. The ride and performance are similar but the build quality of Merc is far better and they are much more reliable.

 

[Juddian]

I'm in a quandary at the mo, and very undecided which way to go.

Very few MB's i would want to own to replace the 124 coupe. The only 2 contenders have been the W215 cl500, which has been ruled out due to body corrosion, and the W211 E500/320diesel which i'm very tempted by, but my jury is still out as regards long term reliability. If i get a 211 it will have to be a later, galvanized model obviously, and these despite assurances are still too new to be showing weaknesses, apart from the reported problems with the 7 speed box, so thats out for a kick off.
The rest of the MB offerings do nothing for me.

A 211 is a large saloon, so is a 5 series, so is a S type, so are the multitude of other large saloons, i truly believe MB have lost their individuality, i know one mans meat etc, but these are my own feelings. No reflection on how others feel about their fine vehicles.

So i am deciding whether to go for a Legacy 3.0R instead, the badge is of no interest whatsoever to me, so the bland styling is no problem either, as every saloon seems to be bland now, i will not have a 215 for the reason stated, so to me the legacy is no more bland than the alternative MB's.

I don't really need a car as large as the 211, and MB offer nothing smaller that i find in the least attractive, in fact i find many of the smaller models more mainstream than many unusual Japanese models, and the frontal aspect of the latest MB's look downright ugly to me, and have been copied by Honda with the new accord (another fine looking vehicle spoiled).

I've been juggling all the reasons and realised during my deliberations that two of the many good points about owning a MB apart from the lovely drive is that there is such a good spread of quality indy's (i would be lost without mine), and a good range of high quality parts available from the likes of GSF and Europarts.

Now there is no GSF for Subaru, so in the event of failures, the main dealer will probably be the only place to go for a quality exhaust for example, obviously brake pads and consumables are freely available elsewhere.

I can't come up with the 30 to 40K for a new or nearly new 211, so as my budget would be around 20 maybe 25K, a 211 would be under the roof of my indy within 12 months.

I'm probably going to leave the decision till next year now, to see what happens to the car market and to see what Dick Turpin does in the Autumn.

But i may well be one who goes away from MB.

 

[Blobcat]

I can't come up with the 30 to 40K for a new or nearly new 211, so as my budget would be around 20 maybe 25K, a 211 would be under the roof of my indy within 12 months.

I'm probably going to leave the decision till next year now, to see what happens to the car market and to see what Dick Turpin does in the Autumn.

But i may well be one who goes away from MB.

Considering you can get a pre-reg W211 320CDI 7 Seater estate for just less than £30K you should be able to get a very late face lift 320CDI saloon for not a great deal indeed. I've had my just over a year and absolutely love it. I feel guilty about it at times as it is so good and I'm not supposed to have so much fun these days.
I seriously considered a W220 S320CDI or a W209 CLK320CDI before going back to another E. The CLK would have been nice however I didn't like the interior as much as the E and I would have had to get the power upped to the same as the E.
I've tried the 5 Series and my father has run Jags for years (currently in an S) I just couldn't see myself driving >100K miles in either one and enjoying it as much as my E. As my father says "your a long time dead"

 

[smiffy1951]

Unlucky one?

Maybe I'm the unlucky one but with my CLK auto box dying at 50,000 (with full Merc service history...see post "auto box dies") I do feel that way.

That said, just went some 200 miles yesterday in the car (with new gearbox) and it is just superb.

Maybe I'll just forgive and forget

 

[jberks]

Maybe I'll just forgive and forget

I would precicely because, as Blobcats father says

your a long time dead

Juddian, I'd suggest you try to decide what you want a car for. For reliability, yes all mercs took a knock a few years but I can't help feeling that a lot of people are tarring modern mercs with the 1998-2004 brush. Yes there could be trouble but no more that anything else and most are terrific. A Subaru is a nice car tehcnically, it may be cheaper, it may be more reliable (possibly) but to sit in and drive it just isn't close. Sorry but the interior, trim and long term longevity - no eastern built car can come close. Look at a 7 year old any thing japanese and compare to the supposedly poorly built worst of the worst 210 (ok - not the really badly rust hit one - just a normal average one) and you'll have your answer in one.

 

[Juddian]

Jberks,i never for a moment tried to say that the Subaru would be anywhere as near as well made inside, though to say that no Eastern built car can come close would be stretching the point.
Lexus being the obvious contender here.
Subaru will obviously not be in the same league as they are just over half the price for a kick off, i suppose its more comparable to a C class, and no offence to those who own them, the C class does nothing for me at all, and they had their own rust situation too.

I understand that the post 04 MB's are supposed to be the bees knees, and they jolly well ought to be at a cost of 30K and above. 04 onwards are supposed to be back to the best days of MB, and i truly hope they are and when they're 5 or 6 years old and still trouble free with totally reliable electrics and gearboxes and no signs of rust then i shall too be convinced, especially when they are still making the opposition look poor when they're 12 and still rust free, and still going well.

It will be a start when MB put the 7 year bumper to bumper warranty on them, or even 5 year unlimited mileage like the other Korean maker.

What i don't want to hear is future discussions on this and other forums saying how the new ones made in 2011 are fantastic with all new processes, and the lessons learned from 1996 to 2010 are now history and should be referred to as just a glitch, and spoken of in the past tense.

I do know what i want in a car, and way up the scale of requirements are total reliability and durability. If i go Subaru i know i'll get the main 2, however it won't be as nicely appointed as a MB, it won't ride as well, and the interior won't stand the test of time in the same way either, but the chances are that it won't be riddled with rust at 6 or more years old and will be reliable.
It won't be as comfortable, it will handle and perform just as well.

I don't know which way i'll go yet, but it will be with my eyes open, and not being swayed by hype.

Blobcat, had a quick look at the trader, seems nearly all of the E500's had the 7 speed auto, and i don't want one of those.
I'll have to look see if the 320 diesels are available with the 5 speed box.

 

[silverhorse]

I am considering getting an S class 1998 upwards model with low mileage probably a 320.and keeping it for some time. Got to be diesel though. This may put me on until the 2004 onward cars become available at lower prices

 

[jberks]

Jberks,i never for a moment tried to say that the Subaru would be anywhere as near as well made inside, though to say that no Eastern built car can come close would be stretching the point.
Lexus being the obvious contender here.

They are closer than most and I must admit I haven't sat in one for 3 years now so maybe things are better, but I did sit in the IS200 and the big one (LS400?) and whilst closer, the IS was a mile away and the LS still couldn't hold a candle to the S I'd been playing with a few mins earlier. (dealerships were next door).

It will be a start when MB put the 7 year bumper to bumper warranty on them, or even 5 year unlimited mileage like the other Korean maker.

Couldn't agree more. With their great claims regarding better quality they should have the confidence to do this. What I hear from dealerships, plus personal experience does back up the post 04 claims but I suspect the accountants are scared to put their money where their mouths are. They could do the marque a lot of good by going to 5 yrs.

I do know what i want in a car, and way up the scale of requirements are total reliability and durability. If i go Subaru i know i'll get the main 2, however it won't be as nicely appointed as a MB, it won't ride as well, and the interior won't stand the test of time in the same way either, but the chances are that it won't be riddled with rust at 6 or more years old and will be reliable.
It won't be as comfortable, it will handle and perform just as well.

To be fair, I am pretty certain now that a post 04/5 model won't be riddled with rust. Having had a 2000 E class, I had lots evidence of the issues by yr3 and the paint quality was clearly not as good as it should have been. At yr 4 now with my current E and she's spotless, even around the odd stone chip. Washed her at the weekend and checked the wheelarches for traces of wear. There are certainly spots that have taken some stick, but no traces of corrosion.
It will take a while to filter down though, saw an 03 C with untreated bonnet chips yesterday, what a rusty mess.

You are clearly going in with your eyes open. Personally the interior is one of the major buying points for me. After all, its where I spend my time. Hence I couldn't do what you're considering. But each to their own and if you're happy with those compromises, I can't argue that you'll save a considerable amount of money and get a very reliable (dare I say more reliable) car.
What ever you decide to do, good luck to you.

 

[Blobcat]

Blobcat, had a quick look at the trader, seems nearly all of the E500's had the 7 speed auto, and i don't want one of those.
I'll have to look see if the 320 diesels are available with the 5 speed box.

The 500 was the first engine that they used the 7 speed box on, as far as I'm aware all of the V6 320CDI's have the 7 speed box and all of the IL6 320CDI's have the 5 speed box.

The 7 speed box is good, it is just a little clunky changing down occasionally. I will ask them to do a software upgrade on it when I next have it serviced.

 

[psmart]

Very interesting thread and gets to the point. We always hear that 'todays 2005-2008' cars are better than 'yesterdays 1998-2004', but when 'todays' cars become 'yesterdays', would the goal post for shoddy products just not have moved forward in time?

I must admit, our cars are all 2000-2004, all new and all had problems, (ML270 - Turbo, SRS, rust, manifold, autobox etc, A140 - Gearbox replaced, steering column, SRS etc), so cannot comment on newer cars.

I drive numerous hire cars in Germany and on reflection, only German cars cut the mustard in the way they drive, feel, handle and safety. If a car has been engineered to sit on an autobahn, hour on hour, at speeds way above 100mph, feels solid and stable, brakes immediately, accelerates swiftly, handles bends without flying off (German autobahns are not straight like our M-ways), alpine hills and bends as well and does this in a quiet, relaxed composure and you get to journeys end relaxed, safe and happy, then why consider anything else?

Mercs are unreliable from my experience, very reliable for the next man, just the way life deals your dice. For all their shoddy build quality and faults, Id still rather be in one and hope our 'todays' crowd are correct and that the cars are getting more reliable.

 

[stumpy]

My 2p's worth - I have owned 4 Legacies and they were in no way reliable like people assume, and the cost of servicing / parts was frightening. That said, the new ones can be had with big incentives like money off or free servicing etc. And the fact you can get a diesel or LPG model from the factory does add to their appeal. The interiors on the new ones are also quite stylish and solidly built, with all the gismos you need

 

[psmart]

Good place to talk about Mercedes Reliability, hawk never visits this section

 

[jberks]

Trying to think about reliability on the mercs I have experience of.
The general rule goes - always bullet proof until 1998 then dodgy and improving slowly.
ok- 1980 250 (W123 class) from new - new head gasket and 2 timing chains. rusty as hell by 1987 (120k) and running rough.
1984 380SE - had from 1986-1989 - nothing major - occasional momentary misfire - fab car
1984 280E - 1989 - 1997 new gearbox reqd by 80k - always idled roughly
1995 C220 - 1999-2007 - new water pump 1999 - other than that - nothing -
2000 E240 - 2001-2006 - new steering rack (slight squeak), rust, plug leads, MAS and O2 sensor .
2004 E270 - 2005 -now - Wheel angle sensor.

Based on that the 2000 wasn't much different from the 1980 model and the 2004 is vastly better than the equivalent 1984.
We have a new freelander2 - great car, but its given more trouble than the merc by a long way.
Sometimes rosetinted specs seem to be involved in these discussions.

 

[Lordjellybelly]

I`ve had two BMWs, a 3.00CSA and a first series 735i separated by ten years, two Volvos, a 760 and a 960 separated by fourteen years; two Triumphs, a Spitfire and a TR6 separated by thirty five years and everything in between; all great cars in their own way but never had two consecutive of the same marque until I sold my W202 C240 Elegance and went straight on to current Merc; W124 E320 cab and I have to agree: I can`t see myself leaving Mercs for another marque but who knows???????

 

[dolmen]

I eventually arrived at a Mercedes in 1999, being a working class sorta guy with expensive tastes I had my eye on a merc for a long time. Now I've had fairly major repairs to do (at indies), and just chalk it up to the fact that its a car and sometimes it happens.

In my opinion there's still something special about a Mercedes, I think its like good breeding, it shines through no matter. Like others I've test driven new cars and they just don't come close, even my old run around 1997 C250td puts many new cars in the shade.

The power units may change, be it electric, hydrogen or what ever, but Mercedes will be there and offer a top end, quality mode of transport, for those that want it.

Cheers

 

[The Rock]

I bought my first Mercedes (C250TD) in 1996 and since then my wife has bought 3 SLKs and I've moved up to the E300TD.

The reason I love Mercs (and I'm always comparing the ownership experience to BMW - I'm sure we all do that to some extent even though I personally have never owned a Beemer) is that no matter how new or old they are, they all have something unique. The owner of even the most basic 12 year old C180 classic is usually as content as someone with a brand spanking new E55 on the driveway.

I don't believe that to be the case with other marques.

I can look at a 20 year old W124 coupe worth £2500 and think "I want it" in just the same way as I'd drool over a new shape S320CDI in the showroom.

They affect me like that, and I'm sure there are many people like me.
That's why I'll always own a Merc. When I'm down on my luck and can only afford to spend £1000, I'll buy a 12 year old C180.

Rock