Mass market mercs

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rothbury

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Nov 2, 2009
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250
Location
newbury
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E250 cdi estate 2013
This won't appeal to some but here goes.
Time was when BMs were scarce and exclusive. I was lucky to own several.
I then started noticing more and more until they became one of the most common cars on the road. I had given them up by that stage c 1999. They then became more and more ugly every year.
Mercedes used to be pretty exclusive and apart from the late 90s I think when they had a bad patch they were pretty well made. They were also different and their virtues were in their build and comfort more than their handling. They also had the famous three pointed star on the bonnet.
Now look at Mercedes now. They have literally flooded the market with As Bs Cs Es Etc etc so that they are now one of most common cars out there. Give or take they all look much the same around the front with that huge star and no bonnet star. I really don't like the look at all. They still trail BMW in economy and driver appeal. So in effect in taking on BM and Audi and selling so many units they have lost for me their original appeal and have totally lost their exclusivity. I am really glad I got the last (and it probably almost was as built in late Feb 2013) of the pre facelift Eclass estates -avantgarde and with bonnet star. it may be mocked by some but you know it grows on you and is a darn sight more Merc looking than the model that succeeded it which like all the other starless clones I simply find totally unappealing. Seriously though looks apart which I acknowledge is a very subjective thing do people not think that Merc are losing the plot a bit with this mass marketing?
 
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Seriously though looks apart which I acknowledge is a very subjective thing do people not think that Merc are losing the plot a bit with this mass marketing?

Pile them high, sell them cheap.

Mercedes are just an everyday car now.

Sadly if you want to sell cars like fridges, you end up building them like fridges.
 
I went to Volvo when the early c class 202 and e 210's were rusting, im now back with a s211 e320cdi and i totally love it, so much better looking than the 5 series imho more room inside than the audi's and better built than the volvo's.

Ive Had 2 Audi's and both auto box's gave agro. the e39 Bmw 525 was gutless all noise and no go.

Not to sure on the interior styling on the current Merc line up But i think exterior wise they are right up there.
 
Your argument holds no water I'm afraid. If they'd 'lost it' by 1999 why buy a 2013 model - which in itself was mass marketed?
Or are you having a Thursday night joke?!
 
im not having a argument, just expressing my opinion

And i wasnt complaining about Mass Market production either
 
There is a heavy oriental architecture influence on most Mercedes models at present = lots of curves , angles and crease lines- heavily influenced by their Californian design studio chief Hubert Lee who is Korean. Some people like them others are not so keen. However Mercedes may well have an eye on the emerging Far East Markets. ;) The name of the game nowadays for virtually all manufacturers is volume. Profits appear to be generated by finance and servicing now and a necessary part of this is a high turnover of new vehicles.:dk:
[YOUTUBE HD]Rs3u0bYqIt4[/YOUTUBE HD]
 
The really cheap lease/finance deals have definitely boosted the amount of MBs I see in my local area! A few years ago an MB was a fairly rare site, but now I reckon every 4th or 5th car is a new A,B or C class. In fact up 'till last year I was the only person in my close with an MB - now two other have them :eek:

Where do I go to feel special now?! :D
 
I think the w212 pre 2014-ish is one of the ugliest cars around. The rear looks like a Toyota. The current model may not be to everyone's liking but at least it is attempting some originality and ten years from now the current crop will stand out as 'unique' Merc styling.

Agree though that Mercedes lost the plot, which they are trying to recover....but it takes time to build a reputation. Here I go again....that's why I like BMWs, they are growing up very well.
 
Where do I go to feel special now?! :D

Rich people all seem to drive Range Rovers now (no doubt leased, given they cost a fortune and depreciate like something falling out of an aeroplane).

Old rich people seem to pilot Honda Jazz (with limiters to stop them going more than 25mph it seems)
 
The 'demise' of 'exclusivity' of Mercedes can be traced back to one car: the W201 (which was a great car for the record).

Up until then the 'smallest' car they made was the E-Class, and a few people still say the same thing: the proper Mercedes only start at the E.
 
When I returned to the UK in 1972 I had with me a 1967 BMW 2000 4 door saloon. Insurance companies has never heard of BMWs and had problems with insurance.
 
Agree though that Mercedes lost the plot, which they are trying to recover....but it takes time to build a reputation. Here I go again....that's why I like BMWs, they are growing up very well.

The irony is that Mercedes are/were trying to market their cars more BMW-like (aggressive looking, cheap lease deals to appeal to shandy money) and BMW have tried being a bit more Mercedes-like (more respectable image, softened driving) but neither of them seem to be doing the right thing to their fanboys: the current generation of BMW's are so bland it's a wonder people can stay awake driving them and Mercedes have designed every model of every car beneath the S-Class to look as though it's some sort of sports car.

I'm not fussed by either though, the 'purists' like to have a moan at anything but it's a tiny percentage that will actually buy a new car nowadays so manufacturers aren't worried about their opinion.
 
The 'demise' of 'exclusivity' of Mercedes can be traced back to one car: the W201 (which was a great car for the record).

Up until then the 'smallest' car they made was the E-Class, and a few people still say the same thing: the proper Mercedes only start at the E.

Back then MB built 4 models, the W123, the W126, the R107 and the G-Wagen.

How many models do they build now?
 
Kang:eek::eek: sorry Citan ;)
 

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