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  #1  
Old 11-30-2003, 02:03 AM
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Bmw VS Mercedes

A freind is convinced that MB has no chance against BMW and that BMW is the pride of the german automotive industry.

I cant make him realize that he is so wrong.


Opinions on this topic please.......

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  #2  
Old 11-30-2003, 02:38 AM
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I've never driven a Beemer, but my impression of them is that their primary purpose is to build sports cars, while M-B builds comfortable reliable solid vehicles.

Personally, I'll happily take reliability over speed, so I'm perfectly content with what I've got right now (although a 6BT Cummins in my pickup would make me a real happy camper )...
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  #3  
Old 11-30-2003, 03:30 AM
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Why do you have to convince him? It's very noble of you, but since I don't get a share of the millions MB throws at marketing, I don't feel the need to raise resale values of the 10 year old MBs I shop for. Besides, the S600 isn't as big a triumph over the 750Li as the 500SEL was over the 735i. I'm not sure the new S-class is anything of a triumph at all. I don't think MB has fallen behind as much as others have caught up.

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Last edited by sixto; 11-30-2003 at 03:39 AM.
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  #4  
Old 11-30-2003, 03:42 AM
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Sixto, good point...however, I can actually understand why BenzOnline wants to "convert" his friend. It's similar to the notorious Ford vs Chevy debate. Why the debate exists is, well, debatable. I've heard some people hypothesize that the people who partake in these debates are doing so because they feel insecure about their purchases, so want to try to convince others that they're right in order to prove themselves. Other people have said that debates like this stem in people seeing friends with what they see as an inferior product, and they want to see their friends in something better.

The insecurity one's probably right for the most part but I'll admit that I occasionally partake in debates such as that (I'm not a die-hard Ford guy, but I am a die-hard anti-GM and anti-Japanese car guy ) for the heck of it as much as anything else.
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  #5  
Old 11-30-2003, 09:24 AM
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MB vs BMW, Ford vs GM. Why debate because it's fun. Sixto I think the 500SEL vs 750IL would be more evan. Or S320 vs 735IL, in that case the BMW is faster.
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  #6  
Old 11-30-2003, 10:48 AM
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My opinion is yes BMW "was" made for sport until the past year or so because Benz is just pumping out these super fast cars recently like the E55, SL55, C32,C55,CL65 and now the SLR Mclaren......BMW is now in the dark because they cant even match those cars period!

Another thing is the style of the bimmer.......its been the same exact thing for centuries now....you look inside and the guages from a 2003 would be the same from the 80's versions. Same thing with the exterior...the grill is always the same but MB atleast has different ones on their cars, such as comparing an SL to an S Class....totally different! Not to mention once a bimmer gets old it looks like total crap and some bummy kid buys it because the resale value is lower than some Honda's.

You wont see that with a Mercedes.

A 1993


A 2003


Can someone tell me any difference besides a few more little curves they put into it?......Pathetic.
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Last edited by BenzOnline; 11-30-2003 at 10:55 AM.
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  #7  
Old 11-30-2003, 10:58 AM
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A 1994



A 2004




Now that is a change and you all know how the interior was redone.
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  #8  
Old 11-30-2003, 03:22 PM
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Yeh, Ford vs Chevy, Dodge vs Ford, Toyota vs Nissan, Kia vs Yugo, Benz vs BMW, BMW vs Lexus........
It's all the same arguement, never to be resolved. Some like one, some like the other. Not too often you hear about someone repenting of their preference and going to the other side. I don't think it's anything that can be resolved with pure logic, whatever that may be.
BTW, Car & Driver finally picked a Benz (SL500) as the winner in the luxury convertable class 'bout time!!
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Last edited by rickg; 11-30-2003 at 03:27 PM.
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  #9  
Old 11-30-2003, 03:31 PM
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I too was surprised at their criticism of the Jag. That model isn't all that old, but it seems they just don't want to change it to keep up. But seems Jag has always been a few steps behind. BTW, did you see that station wagon(estate wagon) they're coming out with? Not sure if I liked it or not. It'll be interesting to see how it sells.
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  #10  
Old 11-30-2003, 08:48 PM
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wow... this thread seems to pop up in other threads too. I think BMW is definatley made for sport with luxury still in mind, and the S55, SL55, C32, E55, etc. are all nice and fast, but still overpriced compared to their bimmer counterparts. As far as not changing the looks a lot, I think that lends to tradition, not a lack of imagination. To say that a bimmer looks like crap when it's old and devalues too much is ignorant. I've seen plenty of rusted out beat up 300D's (W123) that smell, and are loud and slow. The integrity of an old car depends on how well an owner takes care of it. I've also seen some awesome 1602's, 2002's, M6's, M1's and other 20 year old bimmers that make me want to trade my car in. Many arguments can be made against benz, like no stickshift option, too soft a suspension, too many "gadgets", etc. All this debate really boils down to is that BMW has performance in mind, and mercedes has luxury in mind, and both are becoming cheaper made and less reliable as the years go on, so they can compete with their japanese counterparts.
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  #11  
Old 11-30-2003, 09:17 PM
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I'd like to see stats on how many BMW buyers over the last 3 years are previuos MB owners, and how many MB buyers over the last 3 years are previous BMW owners. Focus on primary car purchases. Remove SUV numbers. Normalize the results if necessary. My hunch is that the trend favors BMWs, not MBs, anyway it's cut.

Mark, don't take this to mean anything for or against MB. It's merely a reflection of people's tastes. I wouldn't trust a population that has such interest in streetbound SUVs for solo use to be the judge of what is a good car.

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  #12  
Old 11-30-2003, 09:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by BenzOnline
Can someone tell me any difference besides a few more little curves they put into it?......Pathetic.
Conversely, the E36 was enough of a hit with the market that it didn't need to be revamped to make it through the next 10 years.

I'm only playing devil's advocate here. Personally, I buy the car that feels right regardless of how it looks. Thus far they've all had 3-pointed stars on the hood.

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  #13  
Old 11-30-2003, 10:34 PM
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I know some people that have been long time BMW fans/owners and they pretty much all have the opinion that their new models are junk. I hear a resounding bad design, bad I-drive, cheap interior materials, and crappy fit and finish. I have seen the color start to chip off the interior plastic in a few thousand miles in the new BMW's. Mercedes uses colored and not dyed plastic.

I also read in the local paper that many of the new BMW owners were forced to sign a confidentiality agreement before BMW would fix their cars. Maybe that is why many have not heard how bad the new ones are performing.
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  #14  
Old 11-30-2003, 11:34 PM
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I like them both.

I also hate some cars that they've produced. I just like cars.. I am not too fanatical for MB or any other brand for that matter. I don't really like people who are... and I like arguing with them :p

Still lusting after either a 500E or an E34 M5... mmm...
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  #15  
Old 12-01-2003, 03:28 AM
Orkrist
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I love BMW's-I think everyone else should own one.

I think they're cool by and large. A good friend has a '97 M3, and its great, but I never thought it was the ultimate of ultimate driving machines. It was better than OK but I didn't freak out when I drove it like I thought I should.

Also, I don't like BMW interiors. I like the seats and so on, but I don't like the gauges and dash fascia. I don't like the ventilation. I also don't like the power locks that lock like totally quick. It seems cheap. I also think BMWs depreciate faster than MB's.

Maintenance is another deal. BMWs for some reason seem more exotic to me when it comes time for post warrantee work to be done.

Also, BMWs by and large don't look as clean as an MB. The lines on some models look off, a little low brow. Maybe I'm smoking something. I hat the new 7 sries. Looks like a Russian Cadillac.

I do want an M-Coupe. And an early M-3. And maybe a 2002tii. Otherwise, you can keep them.

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