Tell us about your Mercedes - whats your favorite/least favorite things about it? - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #46 03-19-2006, 07:03 AM

things: overall quality of engineering, excellence of ride and handling, and the formost thing for me is the safety aspect. it keeps me focused on the benzes. i am not convinced that any of the others such as the much vaunted lexus can hold a candle to mb on safety.

tom w

Meridivs · #47 05-10-2006, 09:27 AM

2 tons

of what we need most in a car: reliability!

Previously I had a 300TD Estate. Now I'm happy with the car of my dreams: a 500 Sel (fitted with a new rebuild 617.952 Diesel that purrs like a panther). I totally agree to what other people said on this topic - this car has one of the best designs and built-in quality you could ever find.

Monomer · #48 05-14-2006, 12:53 AM

Pros:
-Astetic appeal: It's one beautiful car
-Engineering appeal:: It's a fun&easy to work on
-I feel safe in it (auto-bahn approved)
-Chicks dig it

Cons:
-Unfortanally it's the nicest S-class I could afford, which means it's plagued with problems
-Weighs 2 tons, and it's V8 (not so good on gas)
-Prices of parts
-The fact that it hasnt moved 4 months...

smharr4 · #49 05-14-2006, 03:15 PM

I love the fit and finish of these cars. People get into my car and still go 'wow' after 13 years. I've had two of my neighbours sit in my car and tell me that they think the car is 5-7 years old, not 13.

The thing I hate... what is with the width of the C pillar in the W124's? When backing the car out around a corner (say, of your driveway or a parking spot), there's a huge area blocked off by those C pillars and I'm convinced that there's going to be something there one day and I'm not going to see it.

trueog · #50 05-14-2006, 07:40 PM

Favs:
Mercedes Styling
Mercedes Handling and how they drive
Mercedes dedication to continuation of the rear wheel drive platform

Cons:
Mercedes lack of inhouse parts, Generally the whole car has been outsourced and is simply just assembled by mercedes. Perhaps this is the reason for some quality issues as these third party parts makers(bosch, hella..etc.) have their own freedom to cut corners and save money as they feel. They are doing this for mercedes as a for profit venture which leads to higher replacement part prices aswell. Since the brand so heavily outsources, this leads to little compeition in the future for non-oem parts as mercedes isn't competing againest them either. But I can't say this is mercedes fault, these third part vendor's and outsourcing has recently driven vw relaibilty to the ground as well. Its a german issue for now.

t walgamuth · #51 05-14-2006, 11:37 PM

i have never felt that mb outsourced all that much. what is hella? for example. the vdo instruments are the only thing that springs to mind as being weak, and it isnt really as much weak as it is just ordinary and by comparason to the mb parts it doesnt last all that long.

and the bosch parts have never struck me as being anything except the best.

tom w

trueog · #52 05-15-2006, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

i have never felt that mb outsourced all that much. what is hella? for example. the vdo instruments are the only thing that springs to mind as being weak, and it isnt really as much weak as it is just ordinary and by comparason to the mb parts it doesnt last all that long.

and the bosch parts have never struck me as being anything except the best.

tom w

Bosch is a legendary brand. But when corners need to be cut, and bottom lines need to be shown to shareholders, guess where the corners get cut? and where "saving" are found? and I hope you don't say mass layoffs.... If everyone took a business approach mindset to mercedes and many other german manufacures approach, you'd think the company was a bunch of geniuses...and the bottom line to them was just as important as the value of stock market shares you own in their company....

Hatterasguy · #53 05-15-2006, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueog

Mercedes lack of inhouse parts, Generally the whole car has been outsourced and is simply just assembled by mercedes. Perhaps this is the reason for some quality issues as these third party parts makers(bosch, hella..etc.) have their own freedom to cut corners and save money as they feel. They are doing this for mercedes as a for profit venture which leads to higher replacement part prices aswell. Since the brand so heavily outsources, this leads to little compeition in the future for non-oem parts as mercedes isn't competing againest them either. But I can't say this is mercedes fault, these third part vendor's and outsourcing has recently driven vw relaibilty to the ground as well. Its a german issue for now.

Outsourcing is how pretty much every company that makes cars and planes works. Every car company in the world shares parts and uses suppliers to make them. Except for some real high end cars like Zonda, Saleen, Ferrari ect. Even Ferrari uses a lot of Bosch.

Do you have any idea how many parts on the Blackhawk are not made by Sikorsky?

siredmund · #54 05-16-2006, 01:15 AM

ONLY reason to own one of these pseudo elitist over gadgeted inefficient tanks: They'll run on veggie oil, heated or unheated. That's what i like about them, and they're marginally more comfortable than my other cars.

What i dislike. Piss poor fuel economy on diesel or veggie; diabolically hard to work on, super expensive parts, electric windows that don't work and vacuum operated stuff like door locks that ought to be manual.

sir edmund the green

1970 vw van
1981 vw diesel rabbit (my favorite)
79,81,83 & 85 Mercedes 300D (= 1 good one)

jimmydean · #55 05-16-2006, 04:53 PM

My car is a 1995 E320 White.

What I like: It looks good. Mercedes styling never goes out of style. BMW's look old after a few years. Mercedes never look old to me.

The ride is great, solid and comfortable. Leg room, I'm 6'2" and have no problem.

The sunroofs are big!!

It looks good.

What I don't like: No keyless entry. No variable fan speed on defrost (is that just me).

The maintenance costs can get up there.

Bob G · #56 05-16-2006, 06:10 PM

Well you cann't beat German engineering , that is what sells me on the two Mercedes-Benz vehicals I have . I own a 1968 W113 Pagoda SL that has been in the family since my dad purchased it in 1968 European delivery. I am now trying to restore the car and taking my time to learn how the German way of engineering works. A bit intimating at first, I am not much of a motor head but I try and ask questions and purchase the correct tools and books to help me understand.
My other vehical is one my client had purchased new a 1992 300-E sportline black on Black well maintained with under 30,000 milesThis is a car my wife and I sort of share. again A little intimating
But it feels good to be able to learn to work on such a nice automobile and have real pride in driving it.
My sister has a 1987 300-E does not know what an oil change is and complains and wants the cheapest work done to keep it running . This is a person who should be driving the bus to work or a cheap japanese car.
I am sort of helping keep the car running till she decides to sell it. It really is not bad just negleted and in need of a person with more time to service it . A nice driver.
I really like this forum and the people I have had an opportunity to interact with. I have learned so much more from other 300-E owners than I could by my self.
My personal grips with Mercedes-Benz automobiles price for parts are expensive not all but enough to dig for digging deeper in to your pockets especally for classic parts.
Mercedes-Benz takes a little too much engineering and does not make it simple to change the cogg belt on my 300-E .
Over all their is no other car I would rather own . I remember an advertising line Mercedes-Benz used in the 60s and 70's " Over engineered ! Definely soo.
Mercedes does not build convential car and never will".
They got that right.

Bob Geco

G-Benz · #57 05-17-2006, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trueog

Mercedes lack of inhouse parts, Generally the whole car has been outsourced and is simply just assembled by mercedes. Perhaps this is the reason for some quality issues as these third party parts makers(bosch, hella..etc.) have their own freedom to cut corners and save money as they feel...

Hella? Bosch? They've been providing parts for German vehicles for DECADES! My 73 VeeDub (and earlier models) have always had those brands for electrical and lighting, and Solex provided carbs for the VWs and pre-FI MBs as well. Reliability of those cars with those brands has not been an issue back then. I think design complexity has more to do with the later quality woes than who provides the parts...

elvismartin91 · #58 05-17-2006, 08:40 PM

Up side:
Compared to other makes my two 126’s are fun to work on, simple tasks and those that require more experienced supervision are both enjoying if you have the time. After taking a foot of water in my 85 500 SEC it took a while to sort out all the issues and get it running again, but most of my neighbors had there cars totaled. Funny how the high mounted fuse box and CPU work to your advantage if the water doesn’t get to high. And as some have pointed out, seat belts are more effective than airbags, though both are a good combination. But I would rather be surrounded in a steel 126 with a seatbelt on than in a lighter weight vehicle and hope the airbags compensate during a collision.

Down side:
As one of the owners of the last year of grey market cars, the wiring is a bit confusing. And as my German is limited to ordering a beer and finding a place to sleep simple “translation” for technical help can be confusing.

Jim B. · #59 05-17-2006, 11:36 PM

Like - Solidity, comfort, vault like feeling of safety, controls logically placed, factory and parts support, this model has generally designed as being mechanically friendly to those wrenching it, looks stylish but redoubtable, still sometimes draws attention even though it is an old car

Dislike - Anesthethicized feeling at slow speeds, airconditioning quirky, fueling costs, power steering pump/steering box leaks pop up form time to time,
can't drive it legally at speeds it was designed to travel at...

I really do like it, overall, though...

trueog · #60 05-18-2006, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Outsourcing is how pretty much every company that makes cars and planes works. Every car company in the world shares parts and uses suppliers to make them. Except for some real high end cars like Zonda, Saleen, Ferrari ect. Even Ferrari uses a lot of Bosch.

Do you have any idea how many parts on the Blackhawk are not made by Sikorsky?

Yea its mostly the european companies that have had third party part makers. GM use to not to long ago make 90% of its own parts, until it shed its delhpi division and followed suit with the european model of doing business....so I guess out sourcing can't be all that bad since my expierance with gm has been garbadge car's with no quality....