What got you into a Mercedes Benz?

[Cosmin_M]

So it was April 2018. I have taken a new role and I needed another public transportation card in order to get to work. In total we were spending about 160 pcm on public transportation. Since we both have valid driving licences we decided to get a car. Since we had 0 NCB, we needed something cheap to insure. We left home decided to purchase an i10. Once we got next to the car we understood that despite the low insurance group and road tax we need something bigger. We quickly found a suitable A150 W169 and while we had several issues with the car so far it never left us stranded and if I need to take a 2000 miles trip tomorrow I would not have any reliability concerns. It is not the most refined car I owned but it is quite good value and most probably it will be with us until it will no longer pass the MOT due to rust.

 

[Jasons76]

i used to work for mercedes in a commercial vehicle dealership many moons ago and used to work on the managers w202 and loved it so much we used it as our wedding car,and i remember going to training courses at milton keynes right when the 'oh lord wont you buy me a mercedes benz' advert was about and the song played throughout the dining room and the head of mercedes uk gave a rousing speech saying everybody should aspire to owning a mercedes benz and i was hooked although it has taken me until now to own one.

 

[ajlsl600]

Wanted something comfortable and with some build quality. W208 delivered, R230 vdoz delivered. But realised I was writing an open cheque for yrs to come. W168 AClass .a great shopping car. Then ml250 , superficially very nice,but dont look to deep. I have come to understand in most areas little if at all better than kia sportage or ford kuga. In between W208 and Ml250 I have become a bit
disillusioned with the brand the operating ideals changed. 20 yr old clk still a nice ,comfortable,reliable place to be. Design to fail will see ml has no chance of achieving the same.
I just dont see dtf in the W208,W168.

 

[Capra]

I was also a company car driver, and had the misfortune to drive some of the most underpowered and boring cars out there. I had been contemplating taking the allowance instead for many years. The last insult was a BMW 116d, managed to get out of that after 4 months and took the cash.
I've always like the look of the W204, it was always the centre grill star that caught my eye. That's when I joined here and everyone raved about the C350, to cut a long story short John Laidlaw found my current MB. Best car I had ever driven.

 

[SL63 Mark]

My first drive in a Mercedes was a 2003 C220 CDI company car owned by my girlfriend. I was very impressed with how it drove for a 2.2 diesel, it was smooth, refined comfortable and yes, surprisingly fast.

So move forward 3 years when it was time to pick the next company car, we chose a CLK 320 CDI, which was fantastic, smooth power, really a brutal machine. We kept that for 4 years, and again I was very impressed.

So all this time I had owned Porsche 911s for years, and finally I fell out of love with them. My 993 felt small, wobbly and dangerous to drive at motorway speeds and in the wet, plus the inevitable oil leaks and terrifying spare parts prices, my love affair with 911s ended. It felt downright dangerous at motorway speeds or on uneven roads, despite spending thousands on renewing suspension parts.

So what could I get that exeeded the speed of the 911, but drove like a Merc, solid, secure and safe at speed, with the trick folding steel roof. I came on here in 2012 to research the 230 SL55 AMG, because I had always liked the look of them, and was blown away after the first couple of test drives.

I have always been delighted with it, and as it becomes a classic, will probably hang on to it now. People have asked me if I would sell it to them, but the answer is always "no".

 

[marleyfan]

I have always liked Mercedes car. Never had one though! Had lots of Rovers, X Type, B.M.Ws etc... I recently retired at age 60...I was "thinking"! about getting an S.L.K. I thought though, at my age, it may be a hassle getting in and out of it! Then I thought Id get a C Class... decided against it though...so I got a B.M.W. 3 Series M.Sport, I got it in a manual..I didnt have that long, just a few months...then around about Christmas time...I realised I really wanted an auto, and a more "comfy"! car...hence me getting my lovely petrol C200 Sport (automatic of course!).

If Id have bought this in the first place, (in the summer I mean when I got the B.M.W.)! I would of course!, have not lost money on the B.M.W....but? hey ho! At least Ive got the car I SHOULD! have got now!

 

[A.J.]

I have always liked Mercedes car. Never had one though! Had lots of Rovers, X Type, B.M.Ws etc... I recently retired at age 60...I was "thinking"! about getting an S.L.K. I thought though, at my age, it may be a hassle getting in and out of it! Then I thought Id get a C Class... decided against it though...so I got a B.M.W. 3 Series M.Sport, I got it in a manual..I didnt have that long, just a few months...then around about Christmas time...I realised I really wanted an auto, and a more "comfy"! car...hence me getting my lovely petrol C200 Sport (automatic of course!).

If Id have bought this in the first place, (in the summer I mean when I got the B.M.W.)! I would of course!, have not lost money on the B.M.W....but? hey ho! At least Ive got the car I SHOULD! have got now!

You chose well, I am a bit biased though

 

[oigle]

Easy to be wise after the event. We all do it at some time or another....

 

[Blobcat]

I have always liked Mercedes car. Never had one though! Had lots of Rovers, X Type, B.M.Ws etc... I recently retired at age 60...I was "thinking"! about getting an S.L.K. I thought though, at my age, it may be a hassle getting in and out of it! Then I thought Id get a C Class... decided against it though...so I got a B.M.W. 3 Series M.Sport, I got it in a manual..I didnt have that long, just a few months...then around about Christmas time...I realised I really wanted an auto, and a more "comfy"! car...hence me getting my lovely petrol C200 Sport (automatic of course!).

If Id have bought this in the first place, (in the summer I mean when I got the B.M.W.)! I would of course!, have not lost money on the B.M.W....but? hey ho! At least Ive got the car I SHOULD! have got now!

Should have bought the SLK...

 

[Adamki83]

When my dad brought home a brand new W210 E320 CDI Avantgarde in that strange purple colour which we use to call the slip monster as it was terrible in any kind of bad weather and once tried to park at hollowell steam rally in a field and it just slid to the bottom of the hill which then required 2 tractors to pull it up again because 1 got stuck.
Also we do quite a lot of work for AMG HPP in Brixton Northampton.

 

[Blobcat]

When my dad brought home a brand new W210 E320 CDI Avantgarde in that strange purple colour which we use to call the slip monster as it was terrible in any kind of bad weather and once tried to park at hollowell steam rally in a field and it just slid to the bottom of the hill which then required 2 tractors to pull it up again because 1 got stuck.
Also we do quite a lot of work for AMG HPP in Brixton Northampton.

"Violane" was the purple, my W210 E320CDI AG was that colour, loved it

 

[Steve Paul Thompson]

Ater owning 5 imprezas and getting on a bit now, I wanted a car with comfort and decent power. My 10 plate C350Cdi ticks all these boxes especially since the remap. Steve.

 

[RhodieBill]

I went to work for a new company that had been after me for about a year to which I finally relented in 1995.

The boss said I would need a car so gave me a signed blank Company cheque, (yes, literally) and said go get yourself anything you wanted with a limit of Z$70,000.00 (About US$14,000.00).

I had a customer that I knew from the company I worked for previously, (Dulux - Glasurit) who had a beautiful white 1985 w123/200. So I hightailed over there and asked him what he wanted for it - it was his personal car - Z$60,000.00 I filled out the amount straight away before he changed his mind and drove away as happy as Larry!! He threw in the Sheepskin Seat Covers.

I left after a couple of years after I had succeeded in doing what he had hired me for - he said I could keep the car. As well of a bit of a golden handshake!

That is how I got into Mercs.... Now on my 13th. Or 14th....

Here it is just after I bought it home with my lovely wife adorning the bonnet!

 

[Alex-]

Family and job thankfully!

 

[Ceetee]

I always hankered after a mercedes because im not a BMW fan, my brother has them and i didnt like them, so on my way to work every morning, I saw a nice black c180 auto in a second hand dealers for quite a while, took me a bit of hard thinking as I was driving a 2.0l rover 800 hatchback which was as fast as you know, called in to the garage and talked to the man about finances and in the end bought it and used my partners knackered ford escort as a deposit and gave her my rover instead as it was better than her escort which was worth nothing, any way, had this merc for a few years and took some mickey taking from my mates being a truck driver with a merc had all the comments of being paid too much, so one frosty morning I was lazy and only cleared a bit of the front screen, a little just enough to see out of as I was going to be late for work, 3am start, I hit a parked vauxhall frontera and my from nearside was wiped out, never mind being late for work I never made it in obviously.
Insurance company wrote it off because of an uneconical repair, paid me far less than it was worth as they do, but a few months of searching and I replaced it with anothe merc, an E 200 was in white and super car but a bit under powered for such a small engine in a heavy car, but i ran this car for a few years with all the usual problems the main one being engine loom, removed and rewraped it myself, brakes and discs, a bit of welding on jacking points, a lot of work to keep an old car like this going and at my age was getting a bit of a chore, kept getting picked up for rusted inner wings and fix properly need to get the engine out and that was beyond me, so I ended up scrapping it and it broke my heart as i loved that car, starting to show it's age though.
My replacement car was a vauxhall 1.4 sastra h sport, nice car and fast but a bit small, had to wait untill my finace was finished, over 4 years, before i could get another Mercedes, i missed the comfort, but wanted a bigger engine preferably a V8, but a bit out of my price range being nearly retired, fell in love with the CLK 320, after a lot of serching and being let down by a guy in Liverpool and another in Stockport, I found one in London, bit high milage at 133.000 miles but didnt let it put me off, showrom pics were in a very good condition and a rag top roof was fine and all in working order, rang the guy up and asked if would take half the money over the phone as a deposit and I would bring the balance in cash when I went to pick it up, Yes was the answer, a train ticket to london from Chester was nearly a £160.00 one way, (no wonder people dont use public transport) so I got a national bus ticket at £15.50 one way and a cab at the other end to the garage, the cab was £40.00 back to the garage from the bus station.
Over the moon when I picked it up after a test drive to the local garage to fill up for my return drive home, paid balance and set off home about 4.30pm, got wrapped up a bit of London traffic and got home about 11.30 that night with a massive big grin.

So currently a 2005 CLK320 convertable in silver with a nice black roof.

 

[Carabosse]

What got you into a Mercedes Benz?​

Owning BMWs for 11 years!

 

[Srdl]

Owning BMWs for 11 years!

For me it was only 10 years!

 

[RhodieBill]

I always hankered after a mercedes because im not a BMW fan, my brother has them and i didnt like them, so on my way to work every morning, I saw a nice black c180 auto in a second hand dealers for quite a while, took me a bit of hard thinking as I was driving a 2.0l rover 800 hatchback which was as fast as you know, called in to the garage and talked to the man about finances and in the end bought it and used my partners knackered ford escort as a deposit and gave her my rover instead as it was better than her escort which was worth nothing, any way, had this merc for a few years and took some mickey taking from my mates being a truck driver with a merc had all the comments of being paid too much, so one frosty morning I was lazy and only cleared a bit of the front screen, a little just enough to see out of as I was going to be late for work, 3am start, I hit a parked vauxhall frontera and my from nearside was wiped out, never mind being late for work I never made it in obviously.
Insurance company wrote it off because of an uneconical repair, paid me far less than it was worth as they do, but a few months of searching and I replaced it with anothe merc, an E 200 was in white and super car but a bit under powered for such a small engine in a heavy car, but i ran this car for a few years with all the usual problems the main one being engine loom, removed and rewraped it myself, brakes and discs, a bit of welding on jacking points, a lot of work to keep an old car like this going and at my age was getting a bit of a chore, kept getting picked up for rusted inner wings and fix properly need to get the engine out and that was beyond me, so I ended up scrapping it and it broke my heart as i loved that car, starting to show it's age though.
My replacement car was a vauxhall 1.4 sastra h sport, nice car and fast but a bit small, had to wait untill my finace was finished, over 4 years, before i could get another Mercedes, i missed the comfort, but wanted a bigger engine preferably a V8, but a bit out of my price range being nearly retired, fell in love with the CLK 320, after a lot of serching and being let down by a guy in Liverpool and another in Stockport, I found one in London, bit high milage at 133.000 miles but didnt let it put me off, showrom pics were in a very good condition and a rag top roof was fine and all in working order, rang the guy up and asked if would take half the money over the phone as a deposit and I would bring the balance in cash when I went to pick it up, Yes was the answer, a train ticket to london from Chester was nearly a £160.00 one way, (no wonder people dont use public transport) so I got a national bus ticket at £15.50 one way and a cab at the other end to the garage, the cab was £40.00 back to the garage from the bus station.
Over the moon when I picked it up after a test drive to the local garage to fill up for my return drive home, paid balance and set off home about 4.30pm, got wrapped up a bit of London traffic and got home about 11.30 that night with a massive big grin.

So currently a 2005 CLK320 convertable in silver with a nice black roof.

Yep. Personally I think the CLK, especially the 320 is generally a very underrated car. Yes, they do suffer from rust, but other than that they are damn fine cars!
I do prefer the w208. I did try a few w209's, and some really nice ones. But although they are both, (w208/w209) based on the C Class, when I look at a w209 all I see is a step up from facelift w203 Coupe whereas the w208 I see a 2 door E Class.
Look, I'm not slagging off the w209, it's a fine car. But for me the w208 just has that, "Je ne sais quoi"........ Like the "likeable scoundrel" - a bit "Edgy"......

 

[Srdl]

Yep. Personally I think the CLK, especially the 320 is generally a very underrated car. Yes, they do suffer from rust, but other than that they are damn fine cars!
I do prefer the w208. I did try a few w209's, and some really nice ones. But although they are both, (w208/w209) based on the C Class, when I look at a w209 all I see is a step up from facelift w203 Coupe whereas the w208 I see a 2 door E Class.
Look, I'm not slagging off the w209, it's a fine car. But for me the w208 just has that, "Je ne sais quoi"........ Like the "likeable scoundrel" - a bit "Edgy"......

I know what you mean Bill. There are a lot of 209s around but I still get that “feeling” when I see a well looked after 208.

 

[hopeful]

been a volvo 240 series fan throught child rearing years , then back to xj's fell hard for 190e in NZ and have had many since various form ,my fav 89 , 2.0 auto 122bhp astral silver firm black leather owned 11 years took to 198 k never had a miss as such in all that time . wish i never got rid, now running 05 2.7 cdi 230k ,still quick and no trouble , we are happy