Soon to sell the vr4

[youngvr4]

i'm soon here gonna be makin the big move of buying a house
so what i'm gonna do here is sell the vr4 for around 7-8 grand, take 5 grand and keep it as part of the downpayment...then with the remainder i'm gonna get another car

since i've really slowed down with racing and all, i've had my eyes on mercedes and bmw's...leaning more toward the mercede's

i see them used from 16-20 grand with 50-60,000 miles on them
my question to you guys is this, without throwing random opinions out that mean nothing, give your input on the reliability of mercedes.
my vr4 last me up till 170,000 before i had to do any real work on it
vr4 parts are expensive and expensive to fix. i know mercedes is to but how bad is it?

i need you guys help

[Gotian]

Originally Posted by youngvr4

i'm soon here gonna be makin the big move of buying a house
so what i'm gonna do here is sell the vr4 for around 7-8 grand, take 5 grand and keep it as part of the downpayment...then with the remainder i'm gonna get another car

since i've really slowed down with racing and all, i've had my eyes on mercedes and bmw's...leaning more toward the mercede's

i see them used from 16-20 grand with 50-60,000 miles on them
my question to you guys is this, without throwing random opinions out that mean nothing, give your input on the reliability of mercedes.
my vr4 last me up till 170,000 before i had to do any real work on it
vr4 parts are expensive and expensive to fix. i know mercedes is to but how bad is it?

i need you guys help

Let me put it this way, I am not touching another german car after i get rid of the jetta. I know mercedes is a different build but if you want a luxury car to last you you have to pay quite a bit of money. Especially with a mercedes. Basically I wouldnt get a C-class as that is the lowest of the mercedes, but the E-class can up run you a pretty pennie.

If I were to get a BMW it would either be the 335 twin turbo or the 500 series, not a big fan of the 325's my step dad has one and i have sitting in the car, its not comfortable to me at all.

[jeepgclwj]

Get a diesel powered Benz... I had a neighbor back in Charlotte that sold cars. He used my front yard to sell 1 car at a time in. He sold 2 of the older diesal Benz's with extremely high mileage. Point is the people would come to my door and I would talk to them about the car and let them test drive them. Alot of people looked at those cars and spoke very highly of them and they didnt last long. Sold with-in a couple days.

I give the mercedes a thumbs up for overall engineering and reliability... A 2003 230 Kompressor is in that price range you said, but its not diesel its SUPERCHARGED, and thats diesel....

[-The Stig-]

You need one of these. We can go riding sometime.

[pimp349]

^^^^

A close friend leased an E320 Benz (early 2000's) and loved it. Now he leases a current 525i and says its much better. Having said that, another friend has a 328 (e36) and it has given him nothing but headaches since day 1, when he got it in 96 or 97 (i think).

I know MB has been focusing on their reliability issues recently. What MB/BMW cars are you looking at?

[rice(er)]

i cannot vouch for mercedes, i just heard they are a pain. There was someone on another board who got it brand new, within a month, something went wrong, the next month, something else went through, it never ended. Just to let you know, he's on his third tranny, and he's only got like 20-25k on the odometer.

[CivRacer95]

Last thing I remember actually hearing about Mercedes, because I don't much care for them, is that their service and customer satisfaction percentage was extremely low. To me, it sounded like they were just out to make a buck and disregarded all their customers.

[CassiesMan]

My family (i.e. me and my 'Rents) have owned an ML430, C320, C240, S600, E320, and for a short time my mother drove an SLK. We also have Cassie, owned a E39 5, and my dad at one point had an E36 M3 sedan. All but the 5, I have driven. My dad is about to pick up a 535. Therefore, I think I can speak with some expierence. And note, I truly will speak without bias here.

Mercedes makes some excellent cars. Really, they do. However, ever since the merger with Chrysler, they have gone down hill. Almost as if they lost their way. They spent so much money trying to save Chrysler and build them up, that their products went down the shitter. I can only hope that after dropping the dead weight, they will again return to their normal quality and service.

BMW makes some very nice cars, just as nice as Benzs. However, they are not to be compared. I know everyone tries to have Bimmers go up against the Benzes, but besides the 7/S, they really do go after a different market segment. BMWs are much sportier, and even some of the fully loaded ones are still spartan inside. They really do focus on the driver, and in fact most of the cockpits seem to angle towards the driver.

The Benz is much more about luxery and comfort. They are designed to be ridden in, not driven. And they are all amazingly comfortable. Great sound systems, comfortable seats, very soft, nice ride.

If you are looking for a car that will be fun to take on the back roads yet maintain as a DD, go with a BMW. The BMWs are much easier to push around the twisties, and are, IMHO, a bit more nimble on the highway when it comes to dodging traffic.

The Benz will be a great lux ride. And if you get an open highway, you can just drop it and go. However, all of the ones I've driven seem to be a bit floaty. Not in a bad way, mind you, but they don't feel as tight as a BMW. The BMWs feel much more secure. However, when I have to drive more than a three or four hours sustained, I'd rather be in the Benz.

It really comes down to weather you want a sporty, fun car, or something more luxurious. Its all your call. Based on what little of you I know, and reading your races, I'd stick with a BMW. I think you might be disapointed with a Benz, that it just won't be as sporty as you want. Also, if you plan on modifying, and that includes just some basic bolt ons, don't waste your time with the Benz at all. Their aftermarket is virtually nil, and what is out there makes the BMW aftermarket look cheap.

So, if you want a super comfy, lux, soft ride, go with the Benz. If you are looking for something that is still lux, but a bit sportier, go with the Bimmer. Honestly, neither will let you down.

Oh, and on reliability, none of the BMWs we've owned (including the ones before I was born) have had a problem. The C320 has been ok thus far, had some electrical problems for a bit but we got them taken care of. The ML was so so, but it was a first year run. We never had a single problem with the S600 (and its what I learned to drive on), the SLK was a nightmare. The E had a radio problem early on, but was nothing major.

[RACER D12]

My parents have an older E300 and it has been great. 170+ and no major problems. The most expensive thing we changed was the starter so far. Lots of our friends have them also and pretty much we have heard nothing but good things about them. They are all pretty good but their diesels have a ridiculously good reputation and with gas the way it is I would say definitely go for a diesel if you can.

[silentscreams85]

i cant really say anything good/bad about mercedes. my uncle has owned a 3 series bmw mid 90s i think up until now and hes had very little maintenance or major problems. and i know its well north of 100k miles.

[youngvr4]

so i'm hearing more the bmw is the more reliable car
from opinions and experience depending on model of car
i am looking for the more relaxed cooled out vehicle than i am looking for sport
but i'm also looking for reliability

its hard to choose this




over this, as far as looks is concerned



i'm even thinking of a lincoln town car

because thats how serious i am about comfort and luxury. also mpg is a factor

[-The Stig-]

If MPG is a factor, a Towncar isn't going to help. Around town it'll do bad.. highway, might do alright if you cruise it.

[vectorspecialist]

with luxery comes weight, and weight doesnt help mpg. have u thought about audi, maybe an a6 or a higher a4 with the v6.
i've heard a lot of electrical issues with benz, so idk.
my sis fiancee has a 330ci(or something like that) he hasnt had a problem with it, nor has his mom when she drives it.
every company has problems with cars, even 1 out of 100, they still have issues.
my cousin just bought a merc gran marquis, he wants exactly wat u want, luxery. he's very happy, especially because parts area dime a dozen.
maybe even check out the ford crown victoria, i've never heard of problems with them, and they are cheap and easy to find, and very luxerious.

as for the vr4, whats been done to it, like maintance other than the tune ups, oil, brakes, ect. wat's the milage now, options?

[turtlecrxsi]

My folks have a TownCar (not the latest) and besides the obvious of being a boat, they can actually squeeze 20mpg on the highway. But my dad drives like his students... vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrryyyyyyyyy ssssssssssssssssssssllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll loooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwww

[-Josh-]

I can't help with the Benz opinion but if you have any questions about a Buick Lucerne (amazing luxury) which might possibly be Buick's finest achievement yet, i'll be happy to tell you about it.

But choosing between BMW and Benz i would say Benz