Are these the Mercedes dreaful years/cars?

[Deleted member 37751]

P.S. I won't touch your flame bait in the first sentence.

It's not "flame bait", just pointing out that you start a thread asking people's opinions then argue with them if it doesn't match yours!

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Of course. This is a natural thing. But only a few louder voices is not enough to earn the bad reputation those years have. It's clear the cars are just not great.

Look at the W124 and the outstanding reputation it has. I'm sure there are a few that may have had problems with one. And I'm sure they were also loud about the problems. But yet it wasn't enough to taint the great reputation of the car. Because it is indeed a great generation.

If complains are enough to taint the reputation of those years is because there have been enough of them. Not because they are loud.

To be blunt.

What are you hoping to achieve from this thread?

You ask a question when your mind is already set, is it just a ruse to start a long and argumentative thread? If so, there are loads on here who will argue the finer points until the cows come home.

Incidentally, I didn't notice that you included the W211 on your list. My facelift model has been superb over the last 30k miles - There I've said it, expect me to be whining about some massive issue in the very near future.

 

[John Jones Jr]

It's not "flame bait", just pointing out that you start a thread asking people's opinions then argue with them if it doesn't match yours!

Keyword there!

I must say I had a proper laugh on his other thread where he totally dismissed the idea for converting a C124 from auto to manual and them in another thread was considering the idea of converting a W208 V8 to manual.

Time to get off the fence and buy a bloody car!


P.s. I now await a retort of monologue and rhetoric...

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

At the risk of over-simplifying, it's possible to say "I really like C124 and manual gearboxes" without saying "Everything else is inferior", using lots of words. Lots of times. In two threads.

In fact, I really like C124 and manual gearboxes. There. I said it!

 

[MM85]

To be blunt.

What are you hoping to achieve from this thread?

You ask a question when your mind is already set, is it just a ruse to start a long and argumentative thread? If so, there are loads on here who will argue the finer points until the cows come home.

Incidentally, I didn't notice that you included the W211 on your list. My facelift model has been superb over the last 30k miles - There I've said it, expect me to be whining about some massive issue in the very near future.

My mind was not already set. I had a good view on the situation. But nothing was set on stone and I actually changed my mind a bit after this thread.

What I was hoping to achieve from this thread is exactly what I'm achieving. Despite a few coming to the defense of their cars, many came in and said straight they had problems with the cars, confirming what is said elsewhere and what I was thinking.

But I was also hoping that some new info would come up, overturning the bad reputation on some of the models. Because although some I was pretty sure they had to be bad because of so many complains and were in the list more for completeness, others I was genuily interested in knowing more and I even put questions marks on some.

This was the case with the W203 for example. BTB 500 got me to rethink the situation with the late W203s. I did some more research and it's perfectly possible that because his is a 2007 and this was the last year of the car, that it is actually a good year for that model. Also 2007 is held by many as the year Mercedes started getting their things straight. So this put the W203 2007 somewhat back in the race for me. Still skeptical and it would have to be a very low mileage and perfect example. But the thread and BTB 500's experience changed my mind, as you can see from our exchange. So my mind was not already set.

But for cars that were launched in 1997 and went out in 2003/2004/2005 etc, I will not mess with.

And I was also after opinions on the newer cars, namely the W204 and W212 and got that too. Like I said, I'm leaning towards one of them.

 

[merc85]

I think you maybe missing a treat with a 211 tbh, and ive had plenty of Mb's from the 80's

 

[MM85]

At the risk of over-simplifying, it's possible to say "I really like C124 and manual gearboxes" without saying "Everything else is inferior", using lots of words. Lots of times. In two threads.

In fact, I really like C124 and manual gearboxes. There. I said it!

I think you are missing the point. This thread has nothing to do with my C124 thread. The C124 is happening no matter what. I want to buy a C124 as a keeper. And I will. Specially after I'm figuring that I can be very pick about what I get because C124 with manual boxes are all over the place here. Differently from the UK. So I will search for the right one. And I will keep it.

But this thread is about a second Mercedes. I want to buy another Mercedes besides the C124. The C124 will be my personal car. I want a second Merc for the family. So I want a newer Mercedes and 4-doors. I thought I had explained that in my opening post.

As for everything else being inferior to the 124, not at all. I wouldn't say the R129 and W140 are really inferior. Neither are older Mercs than the 124. It's not about that. And I'm not the one who originated the notion that the W124 or W124 and W140 were the last quality Mercs. Opinions like that are all over the web.

I also think it's too early to say the very latest Mercs are not as good as the 124. We will know in a few years. But the rest in between is hard to argue that they are on the same level. It is what it is.

 

[MM85]

I think you maybe missing a treat with a 211 tbh, and ive had plenty of Mb's from the 80's

To be honest with you I don't like how they look like as well. Just like I don't like how the W203 looks. The S203 though is beautiful. But the S211 not so much and the main problem is that it is huge. So there is also that on top of the whole thing.

 

[MM85]

By the way, I notice that there are a lot of people after me for saying those year models are not as good. But yet, nobody is replying to the several people who have owned the cars and basically said the same thing in this thread. Quite interesting.

 

[def90cars]

And yet, the W124 still has a rock solid reputation. This is the point.

This thread is not about the good old days. It's about me wanting to buy a modern Mercedes and getting feedback about when the quality started bouncing back again.

Well in that case it isn't that simple. You need to think which factory it came from too. East London vs Bremen C-class for example.

Its a design philosophy thing. In the "good ol days" Mercedes reputedly designed the car and then worked out how much it was going to cost. Now they work out how much it's going to cost- then design it.

Nearly right. They design and build to a target cost. W204 was 20,000Euro. But you will never find one at that spec as it means absolutely no options.

Even SLK (lux-leisure cars) are the same. You can spec an SLK with no radio or speakers at the factory to hit target base cost - but they never build one... the parts are there though!

 

[MM85]

Totally off topic and not about reliability but looks.

But I just came across this list of 25 ugliest cars of all time by a German magazine:

Die 25 hässlichsten Autos der Welt - Bilder - autobild.de

Three Mercedes in the list. I wonder if it was written in Wolfsburg.

I kid. There are VWs too and a couple of BMWs in there.

 

[stwat]

I can't believe the 126 has been totally ignored so far in this thread. Is it because it is so far above all of the others that peeps are scared to mention or have a go at it?

My tongue is firmly in my cheek by the way as I know they suffer from the tinworm. But by god they are a stunningly good car to own and drive. Bank vault springs to mind.

 

[flango]

Totally off topic and not about reliability but looks.

But I just came across this list of 25 ugliest cars of all time by a German magazine:

Die 25 hässlichsten Autos der Welt - Bilder - autobild.de

Three Mercedes in the list. I wonder if it was written in Wolfsburg.

I kid. There are VWs too and a couple of BMWs in there.

You can't argue with most of them but I thought the BMW wasn't that bad, but the rest are shockers

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I think you are missing the point. This thread has nothing to do with my C124 thread.

Quite possibly, although I don't think you're missing the point of my post, because of your choice of words:

What I was hoping to achieve from this thread is exactly what I'm achieving. Despite a few coming to the defense of their cars, many came in and said straight they had problems with the cars, confirming what is said elsewhere and what I was thinking.

Defence is (typically) in response to attack, and so those people who you perceive to be defending perhaps perceive you to be attacking?

Saying that a car was reliable is just as valid as saying that a car has been unreliable. All in my humble opinion of course.

 

[MM85]

Quite possibly, although I don't think you're missing the point of my post, because of your choice of words:



Defence is (typically) in response to attack, and so those people who you perceive to be defending perhaps perceive you to be attacking?

Saying that a car was reliable is just as valid as saying that a car has been unreliable. All in my humble opinion of course.

Sure. I can see how people may feel attacked if one lists their cars as unreliable, specially if they don't think the cars are. I get that. But there are also several who have had the cars and agree they are unreliable and I guess don't feel attacked.

 

[MM85]

I can't believe the 126 has been totally ignored so far in this thread. Is it because it is so far above all of the others that peeps are scared to mention or have a go at it?

My tongue is firmly in my cheek by the way as I know they suffer from the tinworm. But by god they are a stunningly good car to own and drive. Bank vault springs to mind.

I guess the W126 hasn't come up because we are mainly talking about cars starting from 1997 and the W126 was discontinued in 1992.

I personally have not brought it up as an example of good quality Mercedes because I never had much interest in it because it is just too large for me. Maybe if I ever enter politics.

But it is a nice car indeed and seems to have a great reputation as well. But I have to admit I have not looked much into it.

 

[190]

Totally off topic and not about reliability but looks.

But I just came across this list of 25 ugliest cars of all time by a German magazine:

Die 25 hässlichsten Autos der Welt - Bilder - autobild.de

Three Mercedes in the list. I wonder if it was written in Wolfsburg.

I kid. There are VWs too and a couple of BMWs in there.

Some of those really are ugly.

The Ford Scorpio is an interesting one. They look much better in the flesh although I still thought them awful when they were new. Not so much now though having been in one recently. A friend of mine has 3 or 4 of them.
He's been picking up near mint examples for very little money, for which you get a big comfortable car that was built in Germany.

 

[isobars]

The 'last of the proper Mercedes' argument is a pointless one because to a few aficionados even the E-Class isn't a 'proper Merc'.

Then they're snobs, not aficionados!

 

[coalville126]

Some of those really are ugly.

The Ford Scorpio is an interesting one. They look much better in the flesh although I still thought them awful when they were new. Not so much now though having been in one recently. A friend of mine has 3 or 4 of them.
He's been picking up near mint examples for very little money, for which you get a big comfortable car that was built in Germany.

They were an underrated car. I wasn't too happy when one was foisted upon me, but it was reliable, comfortable mile muncher. I'm still not sold on the looks, although it is a bit of a curiosity these days.

 

[markjay]

They were an underrated car. I wasn't too happy when one was foisted upon me, but it was reliable, comfortable mile muncher. I'm still not sold on the looks, although it is a bit of a curiosity these days.

So was the Garanda that preceeded it... the Scorpio was one ugly car but very roomy and reasonably luxurious. Especially in Ghia trim.

It was either that of the Omega... both were spacious German-built RWD cars with not-too-sophiticated design and very down to earth prices. Sadly, both are long gone.... and there is no modern substitute.