Mercedes Benz Owners

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I owned 2 Audis and they were good cars, I have driven some BMW's, also good. My question is about the Benz, do they drive better, perform better and are they a better
all around value than the same in their class? I am concerned about maintenance as I
am buying used. Thanks guys
 
I think a lot of it depends on the year and the model you're interested in. During their Chrysler days they weren't that good, but got better afterwards. You should also go check out the forums that are specific to the model you're interested in, that would give you a better idea of what goes wrong. I think in general you should be prepared to pay 2x-3x what everything normally costs on a regular car for maintenance.
 
Older BMW's fall apart and need lots of work to keep going. Older Mercedes are rock sold and just keep going. I don't know about the modern stuff...it hasn't got to the unreliable stage yet.

I like BMW motorcycles, they are more like Mercedes than the BMW cars - solid and reliable.
 
Originally Posted By: bobbob
My question is about the Benz, do they drive better, perform better and are they a better
all around value than the same in their class?

Too generic of a question. You need to be comparing specific models. But if you do want to keep it so generic, then I'd say MB is about on par with Audi and BMW, at least in my experience.

Also, what does "drive better" mean to you? To some, it means "more comfortable." To others it may mean "more sporty." And MB can do both - just depends which model and which suspension option you choose.

Quote:

I am concerned about maintenance as I
am buying used. Thanks guys

Maintenance isn't too bad as long as you can DIY.

Repairs/reliability is where it can get you. Our C300 was bought used in 2010. It has not been very reliable. Quite a few big ticket items needed replacing, including transmission at 60K miles. All I can say is: thank god for extended warranty.

But, ours is the first year model - that's typically the least reliable.

It may be helpful to state which model/year you're planning to buy, and then research that specific model for any typical issues.
 
For a used Mercedes, you've got two viable options: known history (all the records, original, meticulous owners) or CPO. In either case, you get a car that is correctly maintained and a much better bet than one sitting used somewhere. A neglected Mercedes will be very expensive to own. A good one is a joy to own.
 
It depends on the model.
With all these cars the higher up the food chain you go the more expensive they are to fix and anything but the most basic maintenance is beyond most DIY.
 
Agree with Trav...for example, a clean, low mileage W-124 is still DIY...and will run forever...get into the realm of twin-turbo V-12s, active suspension, and computers networked on a fiber optic LAN and it gets pretty hard to DIY...

Who's going to take care of this prospective car?
 
Prior to 2012 or so:

- If you want to relax when you drive and get where you're going with minimal fatigue, but still want good performance, you probably want the Mercedes.
- If you want something sporty and involving to drive, but you don't want it to tire you out, you probably want the BMW.
- Audi falls somewhere in the middle.

From 2012 on, and with VERY few exceptions, Mercedes clearly has the best lineup overall. BMW has been getting more comfortable but less sporty/involving; meanwhile, Mercedes has just upped its game overall. Audi's main selling point is that they are less expensive.

As for "performance," none of the brands makes a poorly performing car any more, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

If you're buying used, no matter what brand, I heartily second Astro14's comments. Look for CPO first and foremost; if you can't find that, look for very thorough original service records.
 
Originally Posted By: Silk

I like BMW motorcycles, they are more like Mercedes than the BMW cars - solid and reliable.


BMW motorcycles top the list for most mechanical problems.
smirk.gif
 
They are better built and age better, also simpler to fix.

However like any late model high end car regardless of manufacture be careful when they are out of warranty.

If you stick to a basic E class or C class you should be OK if you get a good example and maintain it. Start moving up the food chain and they get complicated.

A base E350 2wd would be my ideal long term ownership Mercedes, or a G wagon.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: bobbob
I owned 2 Audis and they were good cars, I have driven some BMW's, also good. My question is about the Benz, do they drive better, perform better and are they a better
all around value than the same in their class? I am concerned about maintenance as I
am buying used. Thanks guys



Other than wear and tear items, most of the car that makes up my 91 318i has been super reliable. It is consuming some oil and has a ticking lifter, but it also has 165k miles. The suspension, interior, other electronics, etc. have all been great.

Ditto for my old w123 cars, which probably are the best cars ever built. Other than some silly age related issues like vacuum couplings getting old and leaky, there really hasnt been anything.

These cars ALL even have their full original radiators and hoses.

Fixed this quote a bit but I agree:

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
They are better built and age better, also simpler to fix.

However like any late model high end car regardless of manufacture be careful when they are out of warranty.

If you stick to a basic E class or C class you should be OK if you get a good example and maintain it. .


MB has been the epitome of engineering, but as they move their cars to lower price points or with more fancy doodads with the intent of being excessively fancy rather than excessively engineered, then you lose confidence. When you start selling cars at a lease price point to the masses, then some elements may be compromised.
 
Ain't nothin' more reliable than a 318i, except maybe a 123 diesel.
Mine is not as old as JHZR2's nor does it have as many miles, but in the four years and 41K I've used my 318i, it's been as reliable as a hammer.
Older Mercedes cars?
We've had a 115 gas, two 123 diesels and a four cylinder gas 201.
These cars needed nothing over the time that we had them and all were bought well used.
I'm lying, since I did replace the starter on one of the diesels.
Not hard to do and the part was not expensive.
Any Mercedes dealer can source any part for any Mercedes ever built at reasonable prices, certainly no worse than what dealer parts for an older Honda would cost.
So, it depends upon what model you're looking at.
In a BMW, the e36 or e30 is a sporty car to drive and is also reasonably comfortable.
The Mercedes 123 handles bad pavement like no other car and can be cornered quite hard with little driver effort. The 115 is the same, although I know you're not looking for anything as old as a 115 or a 123.
The 201 rides really well for such a small car and has traditional Mercedes manners, as does the 124.
Both the 201 and the larger 124 proved to be very reliable and durable cars in daily use.
In general, Mercedes cars were the best built, with the BMWs a close second, while the Audis were no more than tarted up VWs, although still decently built.
Stick to a basic model of any of the three and you'll likely enjoy many miles of happy and reliable motoring.
Buy one of any of the three with all the toys and you'll get to try to keep all of those toys working.
 
Originally Posted By: bobbob
I owned 2 Audis and they were good cars, I have driven some BMW's, also good. My question is about the Benz, do they drive better, perform better and are they a better
all around value than the same in their class? I am concerned about maintenance as I
am buying used. Thanks guys


My wife currently drives a SLK, has had 2 CLK's, and another SLK before that. These were low tech cars and all were more reliable than any of my BMW's. Her last CLK ('08) had three annoying build quality issues and 1 recall for a noisy pulley. Her CLK prior to that had one recall, and her SLK ('99?) before that had numerous interior trim panel failures.

The OCI for them has never been as high as BMW. My only concern would be ATF changes. Benz has a 40k interval and it doesn't come up on the service indicator so an owner may not know about it. Something to confirm when you buy an off lease car.

Coming from a BMW I've never liked how Benz drives. Steering was always too light, vague feedback, and the sport pkg felt as if it was more about cosmetics than anything else. Their cars always felt heavy that's for sure and MPG's were always worse than my BMW.

Assuming you like them low tech then I'd say they are reliable.
 
My W126 420SEL from 1986 (again, this is an older chassis) was utterly solid. Only once did it ever strand me: The coil to distributor wire cracked, at something like 150K miles. Despite the problem, the car kept trying valiantly to start. Oil changes, which I did myself, and other fluids; the door panel began to rattle at 160K and I had to source some clips to fasten everything down again; the climate control button panel and the vent flaps had to be replaced at about 165K; and I did the usual wear and tear items. It ran without issue until it was totaled while parked at 198K by a drunken, cell phone-yakking teenager.

I miss it yet, and am determined I'll have another Benz someday.
 
Originally Posted By: BMWTurboDzl
Coming from a BMW I've never liked how Benz drives. Steering was always too light, vague feedback, and the sport pkg felt as if it was more about cosmetics than anything else. Their cars always felt heavy that's for sure and MPG's were always worse than my BMW.

I am actually pleasantly surprised with how nimble and responsive my wife's C300 is. It has the sport pkg. If it only had manual trans, I'd be in love with it.

As far as MPG though - yea, it's pretty bad. AWD is partly to blame in our case.
 
Originally Posted By: Y_K
BMWTurboDzl: How do you like your newer diesel? TIA


I love it although it has been in the shop for almost a month over a troublesome SCR (Urea) issue. It has 60k miles on it and it puts me in my happy place (85 mph on open hwy). The thing really is solid at 90+ speeds. Smooth as butter I6. Yum.
 
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