PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

dtanesq · #6 02-07-2003, 04:18 PM

I recommend BMW. Certainly it can stand for "Be Maintenance Wary" but if you are, you'll love every minute of the experience.

The rest of this isn't really on point, but I'll share it anyway. Great bedtime reading. It will put you all to sleep.

My '93 E34 has been very expensive, compared to my '88 300TE. I could've purchased another W124 with what I've spent on the BMW, and I've done a lot of the work myself! The E34 has had head gasket replacement, strut replacement, door lock actuator, oil pan gasket (why DO they specify cork gaskets?), wheels and tires (accident avoidance cost - slammed curb avoiding Corolla crossing 3 lanes on freeway - went plus one with the replacement wheels), a window motor, fuel door lock actuator, CD player and windshield, not to mention the expected -brake rotors and pads, microfilters, bulbs, etc. It has weird design features - the perfect example: The wiring harness for lots of things electrical behind the C-pillar (trunk lights and lock actuator, CD player, etc.) runs alongside a trunk lid hinge; periodically, I have to go into the wiring harness and repair the wires that have been severed by the hinge cover - lots of E34 owners report this problem. The battery (with a thing called a fusible link that, when it fails, kills all the systems in the car) is under the rear seat.

By contrast, my 300TE costs the price of regular maintenance. Sure, it could use an upper timing chain cover gasket replacement. Bought new tires for it awhile back (Bridgestone RE950s - thought I'd give them a try and they're not bad, not great), replaced the little rubber exterior cover for the base of the antenna. Oh, I installed Euro headlamps (thanks CJ) and have changed the wiper blade, too. Need to get those new trim pieces under the headlamps (not using headlamp wipers) painted up and mounted and will get around to putting on clear turn indicators, but you get the picture. No drama.

My ladyfriend, who spins around in a pristine '99 E430 (with only 33K on the clock), has driven the 300TE and also drives a Dodge Durango (3 kids who ski race), prefers driving my 10-year old BMW to all of them. I suppose if it were fully restored, she'd like the 2002 even better. Until I spent some time behind the wheel of her car, I could only assume that the E34 exhibits some particular quality she likes. I discovered what it was while driving around in her car.

The E34 handles like a dream.

The E430 is very nice - a competent car. In the final analysis, though, it is dull compared to the BMW. At speed, the E34 goes where you will it to go. (I should mention I installed a performance-tuned engine management chip, which has increased horsepower and torque somewhat....) The feedback through the steering wheel is precise and it goes, without much bodyroll, pitching or yawing, where you point it. By contrast, I kept missing apexes in the E430 because I kept over or under correcting for my line. Going over familiar road imperfections, her Mercedes seemed to continue to react to them after they were behind me. The BMW handles them and then moves on to the next challenge. The brakes on my BMW are predictable and they grab like a high school boy on prom night. The E430 brakes were, again, less predictable. I still haven't figured out how to apply them as smoothly as I'd like.

(By the way - none of these complaints apply to my W124. It simply can't keep up with the BMW; then again, it's smooth as silk and the driving sensations are, in a different way, also appealing.)

When I returned from a morning in the E430, she asked me what I thought of the car. I was noncommital (didn't want to hurt her feelings) at best. Even she prefers the BMW, though.

Sorry to bore you all.