Bloody Big Bad Benz is the Bloody Biggest Piece of Tosh

[Sigmund Fraud]

It's massivley overhyped tosh of inferior quality that lives on a reputation it received from apologists,

while at the same time it has the charm of people wearing suits made from the same fabric as the seat covers.

 

As a former W124 owner, I absolutely agree !

 

As an Autoshitter, I am looking forward to the raffle...

[Lacquer Peel]

Mercedes apologist.

 

I've never owned one, but the unbreakable and hewn from granite myth is just that.

[billyboy406v6]

I am going outside to break my unbreakable M-E-R-C-E-D-E-S, just you don't feel all alone in your suffering. Autoshiters must stick together. Next car for you must be an Alfa Romeo cos they is as reliable as a Merc !    

[Lord Sterling]

Mine's already broken, so nyeeh

[junkyarddog]

I'm glad others are realising that the all German cars are awesome thing is just pure bullshit

I discovered this fact in 1997 when I purchased a MK2 Golf.

 

Haven't had,nor will have(maybe)a German car again.

 

still own the fucking thing.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I never thought the W124 was much good tbh. A nice 300CE - if such a thing exists - is okay, but eighties Merc quality is nothing special at all. The Volvo 740 was/is a vastly superior vehicle.

[artdjones]

I'm glad others are realising that the all German cars are awesome thing is just pure bullshit

Like anyone who experiences German cars and isn't out of touch with the real world.

Ask most Mechanics which they prefer-a Punto or a Polo.

[forddeliveryboy]

Must have been a biggish trailer to achieve such bad mpg. Or it's utterly fooked. If so, sell the bloody thing, it will only raise the blood pressure more and more the more you try to use it. If I don't get on with a car or if it's knackered/unreliable, I get rid. No point in unnecessary torture.

[richardmorris]

Well I like mine. It's by far the cheapest car I've run ( fuel aside)- and that includes 2cvs. No idea if they're better than everything else, but it's now coming up to 22 years old, I use it as an every day vehicle and the interior is like new, the outside rust free and there are no rattles. Bought on a whim almost exactly four years ago because I liked the look of it -I knew nothing about Mercedes at all.

 

It is however the only car I've owned where bits have fallen off as I've been driving!

 

Currently the only issue on mine is the heater fan bearings. I think if you don't like a car you won't appreciate any of its qualities. And life's too short to drive something you don't like. So sell it! Or leave it abandoned with the keys in the ignition and hope someone pinches it.

[xtriple]

Sometimes you just get something you hate, it may be rational hatred (it's a piece of crap) or irrational... either way, just flog it and move on.

 

My two pence: had a load of Mercs, lots of 80/90s stuff and I fell in love with them all - even the utterly fucked 450SE I had, bought in the dark from a right dodgy bastard miles away 'cos I needed a car sharpish. It had more faults than San Andreas and leaked like the Titanic but I put them all (well, nearly) right and had a wonderful car....

 

Seriously, never had a 'bad' one even when I've bought escapees from the scrapyard.

[Lacquer Peel]

Junkman expects perfection after the best automobile in the world, the Peugeot 405.

[dome]

You should've left that one up here and bought something yesterday to drive home. There was a nice S Class....

[twosmoke300]

I really want to like old mercs and look after a 190 petrol and a 124 diesel estate which are both mint but they are just so dull to drive . I know they cruise well but in cornwall they just take far far too long to get up to speed .

Oh and handle like a boat .

The Audi 80/90/100/200 was a much nicer car IMO

[Peter C]

You guys are not being fair. Junkman bought an old car, which has suffered over the years at the hands of owners who failed to maintain it and probably abused it a fair bit too, so please do not expect perfection.

 

Over the years I've had my fair share of W201s, W123s and W124s and I think they are all wonderful cars. I've had my current W124 E220 for almost three years, bought with full FSH and 60k genuine miles and it has never gone wrong. Had I not reversed into a concrete post, which necessitated replacement of the rear bumper, all my Mercedes wanted was fresh oil and a filter at Chtistmas. I drive it daily, get mid 30s on a commute and up to 40MPG on a run and it feels like it will go on forever.

 

I'm 42, my W124 is 18 years old, as matters stand I'm not sure which will throw in the towel first.

 

Junkman - how much do you want for it?

[twosmoke300]

You must have the same amnesia that all German car owners have . The type where you forget about all the repairs that the car has had and put it down to maintainance .

It's never gone wrong -flywheels , alternator clutches , window regs and door locks are just service items aren't they .

I'm using mk4 golf and Passats of as examples

[twosmoke300]

Oh and calipers on nearly every mot

[billyboy406v6]

I personally feel there are two types of faults on a car, the ones that stop you getting there in a safe and timely manner, and those that you wish would work, and are on the "to do list".

[HH-R]

Don't you all know that "VAG" stands for "Volkswagens Are Great"?

 

Sounds like some of you need to pop down to your local dealer for a reminder of this.

[twosmoke300]

The only thing that is more disappointing than a vw is a vw dealer . Arrogant shiny suited unhelpful twats the lot of them

[Junkman]

You guys are not being fair. Junkman bought an old car, which has suffered over the years at the hands of owners who failed to maintain it and probably abused it a fair bit too, so please do not expect perfection.

 

I am repeating myself here, but the car has an impeccable service history and was pampered all its life.

[twosmoke300]

And yet it's still shit !

[Junkman]

Junkman expects perfection after the best automobile in the world, the Peugeot 405.

 

The 405 is a darn good car but far from "the best". What I expect from a Mercedes is to be at least as good, if not better, than a 405.

[dollywobbler]

I never thought the W124 was much good tbh. A nice 300CE - if such a thing exists - is okay, but eighties Merc quality is nothing special at all. The Volvo 740 was/is a vastly superior vehicle.

 

Having owned both, and having owned not-exactly-perfect examples of both, I cannot agree with that at all. My Merc had over 170k miles on it, but the interior was still very fresh indeed, and you could drive it for six hours and not know you had. Volvo 740 interiors are made of the shittiest plastic this side of a kinder egg toy. Horrible, brittle stuff. 

 

I'd give the Merc the edge in driving dynamics too. They're not perfect by any means, and a 'bulletproof' reputation isn't always a good thing, but I'd have another. Mind you, I'd probably have another 740 too, so my recommendations might be utter pish.

[DVee8]

Instead of putting up with all this pain,why don't you flop it on?

[Lacquer Peel]

Having owned both, and having owned not-exactly-perfect examples of both, I cannot agree with that at all. My Merc had over 170k miles on it, but the interior was still very fresh indeed, and you could drive it for six hours and not know you had. Volvo 740 interiors are made of the shittiest plastic this side of a kinder egg toy. Horrible, brittle stuff. 

 

I'd give the Merc the edge in driving dynamics too. They're not perfect by any means, and a 'bulletproof' reputation isn't always a good thing, but I'd have another. Mind you, I'd probably have another 740 too, so my recommendations might be utter pish.

 

Aye, RWD Volvo interior plastics are awful, but they make up for it by being comfy, generally reliable and cheap to fix, they don't rust as badly as some Mercedes either.

[Six-cylinder]

Mercedes - Number owned 2 - Number working 2 - running 100%

Citroen - Number owned 13 - Number working 9 - running 69%

Volvo - Number owned 3 - Number working 2 - running 67%

Range Rover - Number owned 2 - Number working 0 - running 0%

[twosmoke300]

The perceived quality of different brands always makes me smirk . German stuff feels solid like it would last a life time but I have to change loads of stalks on German cars as well as hazard switches etc .

Honda and Toyota stuff feels quite flimsy but just carries on working

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Having owned both, and having owned not-exactly-perfect examples of both, I cannot agree with that at all. My Merc had over 170k miles on it, but the interior was still very fresh indeed, and you could drive it for six hours and not know you had. Volvo 740 interiors are made of the shittiest plastic this side of a kinder egg toy. Horrible, brittle stuff. 

 

I'd give the Merc the edge in driving dynamics too. They're not perfect by any means, and a 'bulletproof' reputation isn't always a good thing, but I'd have another. Mind you, I'd probably have another 740 too, so my recommendations might be utter pish.

 

 

But underneath the Soviet spec interior plastics (always the mark of a quality car........), the 740 is a car of real quality, a car that will do 250'000 miles with an utterly bulletproof character. That old iron block OHC engine, the live axle, the fact that they are far less rot prone than a W124. Not very nice to drive though. I'm not adverse to Mercs though and this year, I will be looking at facelift (banana shape) CLK 240's. They're down to a couple of grand now.

[artdjones]

Yes, look at Yaris trim.The carpet looks like the cheapest thin rubbish you can buy but seems to be indestructible.

Or compare an E12 Corolla with a Golf 5.Golf looked Nicer inside new,but now all that wierd rubbery stuff on switches and armrests has all worn off it looks terrible whereas high mileage Corollas scrub up like new unless totally abused.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Yes, look at Yaris trim.The carpet looks like the cheapest thin rubbish you can buy but seems to be indestructible.

Or compare an E12 Corolla with a Golf 5.Golf looked Nicer inside new,but now all that wierd rubbery stuff on switches and armrests has all worn off it looks terrible whereas high mileage Corollas scrub up like new unless totally abused.

 

 

E46 gear lever surround plastics, all the soft feel black kwolity is flaking off. Sums up the rest of the car really, a veneer of niceness.