The thin edge of the wedge is here.

A FRENCH...


(wash your mouth out! Spit spit - yuk yuk)


...Mercedes

=>

New Mercedes-Benz Citan Van is a Renault Kangoo in Disguise - Carscoop

Abandon ship!

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

I was under the impression that they had suffered a serious decline in quality around 1987... I wish I could say that's WHY I drive a pre-87 benz, but it's actually because it was the only thing I could afford and I needed a car.

Well this might not be all bad. Look at the sprinter van. I would never touch anything made by Dodge, but the dodge\mercedes partnership on that one turned out pretty well. It seems that as long as the drivetrain is mercedes all will be well....

__________________
2004 F150 4.6L -My Daily
2007 Volvo XC70 -Wife's Daily
1998 Ford F150 -Rear ended
1989 J-spec 420SEL -passed onto its new keeper
1982 BMW 733i -fixed and traded for the 420SEL
2003 Volvo V70 5 Speed -scrapped
1997 E290 Turbo Diesel Wagon -traded for above
1992 BMW 525i -traded in
1990 Silver 300TE -hated the M103
1985 Grey 380SE Diesel Conversion, 2.47 rear end, ABS -Sold, really should have kept this one
1979 Silver 300D "The Silver Slug" -Sold

The Sprinter was on the market before Daimler-Chrysler happened. The only thing Dodge had to do with the Sprinter was the stickers.

__________________
68 280SL - 70 280SL - 70 300SEL 3.5 - 72 350SL - 72 280SEL 4.5 - 72 220 - 72 220D - 73 450SL - 84 230GE - 87 200TD - 90 190E 2.0 - 03 G500

Nissan GTR - Nissan Skyline GTS25T - Toyota GTFour - Rover Mini - Toyota Land Cruiser HJ60 - Cadillac Eldorado - BMW E30 - BMW 135i

Well, there you go -- one of Chrysler's more successful collaborations, then .

Actually, the Dodge vehicles developed off the old Mercedes chassis (Magnum, Charger, Crossfire, Pacifica) were pretty good. Though admittedly the Misfire and the Pathetica were less than stellar marketing successes.

Overall, my feeling is that brand identification has become almost irrelevant in new vehicles. I am really not sure there is a big longevity differential now between the newest North American vehicles and European ones. Certainly some componentry differences, but overall I now think the European makes are simply a luxury brand label and not much else. Of course some people do feel that a $400 pair of jeans is much better than a $50 pair of Levis....

I don't foresee my love affair with Mercedes going beyond a w140 or w210 in the future. Anything later than that won't have any DIY appeal and when it comes to that I will revert to something I can get fixed without visiting a $100/hr shop (which is the labour rate at our local indy that is tech-enabled for the newest Mercedes).

However, I fully concur with the factor in Mercedes rebranding stuff from a French manufacturer. The French haven't made anything resembling an excuse for a real car in 20+ years.

__________________


Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

French diesel engines are not THAT bad. I drove one for work (two years / around 10000 miles) and that thing could take one hell of a beating

The engine was the only good thing about that car though; when the heater was turned on, water came out under the dashboard, the interior was falling apart, seats were ****, door mirrors had some kind of weird cable adjustment that broke and the list goes on and on.

To sum it up: as long as mercedes takes care of the interior (I think they do) and make sure the engine is a quality piece, everythings going to be fine.

I'm in

__________________
w126 500SEC gen II euro, powered by OM617 turbo stolen from 84 300SD 2.88 diff,EGR blinded
next wish/project: w114 coupe OM603 powered

only 2.0HDI

rest is trash


.

__________________
w126 500SEC gen II euro, powered by OM617 turbo stolen from 84 300SD 2.88 diff,EGR blinded
next wish/project: w114 coupe OM603 powered

I was going to join you but I think two jungfrau at the right don't like me

__________________


Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

I'll just park this right here.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/OM662.jpg

__________________
CENSORED due to not family friendly words

Is that It'll automatically start the SD (Involuntary Recycle) Self Destruct process the day Before the Warranty expires.

__________________
'84 300SD sold
124.128

We have had the "Korean MB" down here for over a decade. They have no resale value.
We now have Korean Bosch filters here.

Army ~ keep your shirt on !!
Its not the first time the Germans have invaded France !!
I think BMW have got into bed with some English car manufacturers, dont know what is worse, frogs or poms !!

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

The (As Layback 40 puts it) [Frogs]: Enjoy Haute Cousine and Belles Femmes
[with a glass or two of Vin] AND GOOD Coffee.
(Not to mention Citroens. 'Remember the V-8 Maserati engine?)

The (As Layback 40 puts it) Poms: were served their best meals When Hadrian
was in Londinium.'Think Nasty wine the Portuguese won't drink,fortified with
Brandy is Ambrosia.'Are Too Ignorant to enjoy Coffee.And Drive BMWs
('Aren't the Roller,Bentley and the Minis all Bavarian Motoren Werks,Now ?)
AND the LEAST said about Non-Male Limeys the better.
(No,not the Poofs,the Sheilas.Although,most Torys can't tell the Difference.)

There's a reason the Almighty Quarantined the Anglos on an Island...
To keep the Social Infection Rate low to protect the rest of mankind.

[My apologies to My Gaelic Ancestors,Irish and Scottish...BUT Y'all were
supposed to keep the Sasannach under control.]

__________________
'84 300SD sold
124.128

I think cho's got the right idea - it could be the good ship lollipop for me.

Some of the French diesel engines are actually quite good at the moment apparently...

...but that's not the point I for one don't want to be paying Mercedes prices and Mercedes service costs for a f'king Renault.

__________________
1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

The only Beemer I'd consider would be the diesel car they sell in Canada. That's a choice of exactly one model of one car, I think. The money is out-a-whack on it tho.

I'd immediately buy a Subaru car in diesel form, if only they sold it in my market. My 2006 (gas) Legacy rides solid and subtle, I'd say better than my well-sorted 87 300D on the highway and around town. Not to mention the reliability of the Subie and it can drive through a foot of fresh snow, doing circles around my stuck stuck stuck RWD 300D. As happened yesterday here... got our first real feel of winter.

I'm actually curious to see what the NA domestic manufacturers put out in this market in the next year or two in small diesel form. Ford and GM are going to have some low end cars with diesels. The chassis and safety of even the cheapest cars today being 25 years newer than my MBenz of yore are nothing to sneeze at.

I'm a big DIY'er.. and all the 4-matic and ride-o-matic suspension and electronic stuff in MBenz today are nightmares and nothing I'd want to poke at. $2500 for a defective shock... who needs stuff like that? When you consider Mercedes is sucking back the supply chain of parts... it's "come to momma" for parts. No thanks.

__________________
Cheers!
Scott McPhee

1987 300D