24th Jul 2019, 12:25
Just be ready for when the MB community will back fire on your review for being honest about the car. There is no german car out there - all brands included, BMW, Audi, VW, Porsche that will be trouble free after 6-70000 miles. Lots of components are made by European industries and their standards vary from very good (for example Bosch ignition coils can last forever in some cars) to always trouble (like the poor quality Behr cabin fan blowers that always go bad after 100k miles and can be found in every European car). German cars are this: fun to drive, but costly to own as they age. Of course, there are always those people who say "not a single problem with my car", but you surely know owners don't like to admit issues.
25th Jul 2019, 20:37
Having owned a string of German cars, you are right about the varying parts quality. I don't see why owners of German cars would "back fire" on the review for being honest. That's why people come to Carsurvey.org! I myself check to see what the common problems are before buying a car - I know the car/s I want to buy; now I want to see if X variant before the year 20XX has a dodgy water pump design, but not the variant with the Y engine, etc. I know that buying a used BMW for example (I'm on my second one after a few Audis) will never be like owning a Toyota Corolla, but here in New Zealand, the poorly-designed (but well-maintained) winding roads paved with coarse chip, require a very good handling car with good sound insulation, and European cars are so common here now (thanks to the influx of used Japanese-market vehicles for the last 25 years) that most mechanics can fix them - and brand new OEM or compatible parts (heck, even original) are actually comparable to Japanese.
Granted, as a rule, Japanese cars will be more reliable, but the modern ones are just as expensive to fix when something goes wrong, say with the coils or ABS. Having a Daihatsu does not mean a cheap starter motor. The coil for a Mitsubishi Lancer or Mazda3 is dearer than that of my previous BMW 3-series (and that was factory original pricing), for example. Unexpected, but true.
Mercedes is certainly long past its glory days - when they built cars like Rolex builds watches. Not since complicated electronics. And compliance with German plastic recyclability laws. The old Mercedeses I grew up with drove around with the prestige it deserved; the new ones are tarted up and not even pretty, let alone good. European cars are hit and miss, but they still exist in very large numbers for reasons other than outright reliability. Prestige doesn't even count anymore - many common BMWs or Audis are priced the same as a Mazda or Ford in Europe.
26th Jul 2019, 17:38
Agreed. I live in a fairly affluent area where loads of people buy Mercedes, BMWs, Audis, and so on. I know way too many people who've owned these and wound up having serious issues with them. Granted the worst era was probably in the early 2000s, but there is a reason why you'll see 5 year old BMW 7 series, a car that costs almost $100,000 for $20,000. As soon as the warranty is out, there's a HUGE array of things that if they break, will cost a small fortune to fix. For example, I had a neighbor who's daughter, for some inexplicable reason bought a BMW 5 series used. She had it for exactly 48 hours before the headlights stopped working. Turns out that the car has a separate ECU for the lights, it had gone bad, and cost almost $1,500 to replace.
So no, I won't be buying one of these cars. If you want consistent, reliable luxury, best to go with a Lexus, Acura, or hell - probably even a Lincoln.
27th Jul 2019, 08:21
Why would you want a boring Lexus, Acura or Lincoln when you can buy a new Mercedes or even better a new Audi? The old out of warranty alternative is for wannabe buyers. The older body design is the second giveaway. Buy for yourself what you truly like new if you are able to do so. With a factory warranty for piece of mind. What isn’t covered under warranty, do so only if the added maintenance doesn’t cripple your budget. Most young kids now by the way want a brand new Jeep Wrangler, affluent or not in our area. Maybe 2020 and beyond, that may change.
28th Jul 2019, 00:20
Uh no, missed point dude. Reference is to used cars, not NEW ones. Would rather be driving that "boring" Lexus or Acura, than sitting in the Mercedes or BMW dealer's service department lounge, watching exciting daytime television...
1st Aug 2019, 19:43
Apparently you never owned a new one. You either get a loaner or shuttle with new ones. And free Snapple. No I didn’t miss the point, and not all of us are dudes. Instead of buying problems, buy a new one with a warranty. I could have bought a used older Porsche, but couldn’t tell if raced or over-revved. So you sell before the warranty expires and resale is high. The 12 grand wristwatch is nice to watch the time when dropping off. What are you saving all your money for if you can’t enjoy it? I am in a car club, and actually many of the older members retirement age acquired inheritances on both sides of the fence. This is not uncommon at all. Most of us have no mortgages etc at our age. So all my work savings hasn’t been touched. Will have to by 70. So why buy a old heap? Enjoy the quality of life and have a warranty vs roll the dice and be left on the side of the road. Use the cell and get a dealer loaner to drive. Even a certified pre-owned has benefits. Life is good!
2nd Aug 2019, 18:55
Don't forget that the value of anything new drops like a rock the second you drive a centimeter off the lot.
3rd Aug 2019, 22:50
You don't even have to. Once the registration plate is affixed to it, it's already owned, so if you buy it, it's already "used".
5th Aug 2019, 12:24
I bought new cars in the past, lightly driven and appreciated. And drove them and sold for more. The hard part is knowing which ones. Instant collectibles. And you can buy used and often do the same. Might take some time. But this is about daily drivers, often disposable transportation.
22nd Oct 2021, 19:27
Funny thing is that comment would not seem strange in 2021, but does given that it was in 2019.
23rd Oct 2021, 12:38
Porsche's 991.2 Twin Turbo Carreras; one with 3000 miles and one with 4800 miles. One owner cars. Over List. Earlier 88 Porsche Air cooled 930 Turbo. Wide bodies. All up in 6 figures. Numerous cars in past that I bought used that skyrocketed with good pedigrees. Matching # gems. In turn I’ve bought other new ones that went down. While classics went up in the same garage. A see saw effect in a way sharing space. It’s a personal thing, but anything you like. If it’s real cheap, it’s not hurting you. If you spent a lot, it’s money that could be invested. Also taking up garage space. Some great cars to buy mid year; 65-67 Corvettes have shot up especially in 2021, 55-57 original Chevrolet’s. 2 doors. Chevelle convertibles, 67-68 Mustang Fastbacks. These cars may bore you as they are heavily seen at car shows. But mass appeal models mean more buyers than orphan models that stay flat. I like to find cars that are fun to drive, ones I really like, ones that cost more but get all my money back quickly if wish to sell. You get it all back and appreciation combined. I drove a 63 Impala 4 door in fine condition long ago. It was disappointing as it was not what I really wanted. Paid $500, too cheap to pass on 32 years ago. Fixed it up more, but that isn’t fun on a 4 door. I bought 3 more 63-64 2 doors; the last a SS 4 speed convertible. Proud of that one and it won shows. 409s bring 60k range today. Sold more and kept stepping up. If you see older guys they typically sold a few desirable classics to be up in 80k up classics today. But you have to sell, not keep, selling stepping up higher. Save your income for retirement. Let the car market with appealing cars assist you.
24th Jul 2019, 02:42
Agreed!