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Is your car worth it??

I still like the drive on the wifes mondeo, even after getting out of the CLS,, the hardest part is the conversation with other people

Random person in the pub "So what do you drive?"
Me "Ford Mondeomygod"
Random person in the pub "Oh....thats a car"
Me "Yes, yes it is, I want another Mercedes"

So the Mondeo was given to the wife, and I bought the CLS the following week, nothing wrong with the ford, apart from you have to explain it. Not good!
 
Best car in the last 25 years, well I'd say for the average driver be it company or private it's up there for sure, but I'd put the Mondeo ahead if we were just talking Fords. Yeah, without giving much consideration, it's a fair call for the Focus.

I do recall getting one as a hire car back in 2000 and no doubt it was a far better driver than any of the equivalent Jap or German competition, a Corrolla or a Golf wouldn't get a look in.
 
I spent a couple of days with a current model Fiesta not long ago and if somebody said that's the car I had to have then it wouldn't be the end of the world. It was nice car. I had a week with a Mondeo a couple of years ago and same story.

We regard our cars as an indulgance. SWMBO likes 2 seat convertibles. I like larger saloons. It's a personal choice. And in practical terms an indulgent and silly one. But we understand that we're overpaying against our actual transport needs - especially given how good many modern family cars are.
 
The focus is everything you need in a car.

My CLK is everything I want in a car.
 
Thanks guys for your comments. If my post seemed provocative, it was intended to be - to try and knock down the boring notion that anything that gets you from A to B will do (my brother's answer to everything cars). To answer my own question...yes, it is worth it. I choose my car because I like to be in nice places, nothing wrong with that! Is it worth the time, trouble and expense. Of course, anything that you care about is worth the effort. Happy motoring...!
 
When you bought a Mercedes in the early 90's you bought a car that was demonstrably better engineered, better built, more reliable, safer, quieter with a sublime ride, exclusive and yes more expensive compared to its Ford counterpart. Mercedes still offer a product that's a cut above the average but don't look now----- that gap has narrowed considerably.
 
I like Mercedes because they still feel a little bit different, someone who drives a Mercedes (or BMW) I believe has a passion for cars, to me if I see a Ford I just think they just use it for getting from A-B.

I would probably think a Focus is a nice car to drive, but I would never in a million years own one as I would feel like a nobody.
Sure many Ford owners think the same about German marques, it is all about our own perception of a brand.

Owning a Ford would be like this......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUWKrzsFh2c
 
I think a current Ford Mondeo is more exclusive than either a Merc, Audi or BMW as there are far less of them on the road. The days when every rep had a Mondeo is long gone, they have BMW 3 Series now or Audi A4's, common as muck as they say.
 
artyman said:
I think a current Ford Mondeo is more exclusive than either a Merc, Audi or BMW as there are far less of them on the road. The days when every rep had a Mondeo is long gone, they have BMW 3 Series now or Audi A4's, common as muck as they say.
Click to expand...

I agree with this (and currently being a BMW driver). Mondeo man is now quite expensive now, although admittedly you get nearly every extra on the Mondeo for what you would get if you bought a BMW or Audi, but they would be spartan with options. As someone has said, badge snobbery prevails. People want to be seen driving these marques. But I rarely see Mondeos on the road compared with Audi, BMW and even Merc.

From a personal perspective, I have owned 2 Focus STs and the Mk 2 RS, didn't have one problem with any of the cars. They do everything and are fantastic on long journeys (I work in Germany).
 
gIzzE said:
I like Mercedes because they still feel a little bit different, someone who drives a Mercedes (or BMW) I believe has a passion for cars, to me if I see a Ford I just think they just use it for getting from A-B.

I would probably think a Focus is a nice car to drive, but I would never in a million years own one as I would feel like a nobody.
Sure many Ford owners think the same about German marques, it is all about our own perception of a brand.

Owning a Ford would be like this......

GoodFellas 1990 - ending scene [HD] - YouTube
Click to expand...

Don't believe for one second that just because somebody drives a Merc or BMW they have a passion for cars, I'd say you're away off the mark there.

Worth remembering or bearing in mind that there's a lot of Focus owners that aspire to owning a Merc or such like and would if they could afford to.

Also, there's many no doubt too, that could afford a Merc and simply are unwilling to spend that sort of money on a car, when their Focus is head & shoulders better than any cars they had previously.
 
artyman said:
I think a current Ford Mondeo is more exclusive than either a Merc, Audi or BMW as there are far less of them on the road. The days when every rep had a Mondeo is long gone, they have BMW 3 Series now or Audi A4's, common as muck as they say.
Click to expand...

Oh, how true. It really does tell one a lot. And the funny thing is, I've no doubt from a commercial perspective rep's turning up in 3 Series didn't gain any advantage over the rep in the Ford, in actual fact 3 Series rep might have put him/herself at a disadvantage from the off. Image is important, the right image...
 
John Jones Jr said:
Don't believe for one second that just because somebody drives a Merc or BMW they have a passion for cars, I'd say you're away off the mark there.

Worth remembering or bearing in mind that there's a lot of Focus owners that aspire to owning a Merc or such like and would if they could afford to.

Also, there's many no doubt too, that could afford a Merc and simply are unwilling to spend that sort of money on a car, when their Focus is head & shoulders better than any cars they had previously.
Click to expand...


You missed my main point where I said.....

....it is all about our own perception of a brand.



I grew up looking at E34 5 series and W124 Mercedes and they were aspirational, at the time you could have a Ford Granada if you wanted to stick with Ford. There was no comparison.

And no matter how good Ford are now, I would never want to own one as I still think back to those days.


Drive out to any country club, golf glub, gentlemens club in Mayfair, and the car park will be full of Mercs, BMWs, Audis, Jags etc. and not full of Fords, Vauxhalls etc.
Badge snobbery?? Of course. But then so much about getting on in life is, whether we realise it or not. Replicating your peers is not a stupid move if you want to move up the ladder of life.
 
gIzzE said:
You missed my main point where I said.....

....it is all about our own perception of a brand.
Click to expand...

I suppose the difference is, I'd have no real problems owning a Focus while you are the complete opposite, ''but I would never in a million years own one as I would feel like a nobody''. No, I haven't missed you main point at all as you maintain.

Sure, hell it would be a boring place if we were all the same..
 
What was that car that Columbo used to drive in the TV series, a really aspirational motor :D
 
I enjoy driving my Mercedes, but first and foremost, it must do the job. If it didn't, I wouldn't have it.

As for badge snobbery, you know what they say: "Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter..."
 
gIzzE said:
I would probably think a Focus is a nice car to drive, but I would never in a million years own one as I would feel like a nobody.
Click to expand...

There are many reasons why I have bought nice cars over the years, but the feeling of superiority over other people has never been one of them...and I hope it never will...:D
 
Mercy1 said:
There are many reasons why I have bought nice cars over the years, but the feeling of superiority over other people has never been one of them...and I hope it never will...:D
Click to expand...

Not a feeling of superiority over other people at all. But I don't like following the crowd either, nothing worse.

As I said, everyones perception is different.

Same way I would never choose to live on a housing estate, no matter how nice it is, it just doesn't appeal.

Same way as I would never shop in Next, why do I want to look like everyone else.

But, that perception is...well personal perception.

As I said earlier, I would guess many Ford owners would feel the same way and laugh at folk who bought German marques. Thinking we are all the same.

I have owned a few BMWs too, despite the badge.

To me, Ford is the same as Vauxhall, Rover, Peugeot etc. Just no appeal.
Bit like buying a Seiko, great product but not the same as IWC or Glycine.

It is not the case of feeling superior, more a case of not feeling like a sheep.


But, as I said, that is my perception, many probably think the same about Mercs.
 
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