Mercedes v BMW reliability today ?

[Vlad]

Aren't the four pot engines in the current C Class Mazda designs ?

No the current range of diesels are Mercedes designed, the exception being the new small and 1.5 diesel engine which is a Renault engine.

The 4 cylinder Kompressor petrol engines with the black top were designed with input from Mitsubishi.

 

[219]

Mitsubishi-- they were part of the DAIMLER CHRYSLER world domination plan.

Getting my Jap makes starting with M mixed up

 

[m1br]

when the heaviest use items start falling down - it's time to move it on. In my experience, the most used 'consumer operated' mechanical element in a car is the drivers window - once that goes - fix it and flog it quick.

I cant remember the last time I opened a drivers window, all my cars are air conditioned and have been for years.

Steve.

 

[m1br]

Have you ever been to cyprus ? same over there , they have mid 1990s e-classes with 800k on still going like a dream .

Common theme here is ambient temperature.

They don't start daily with the oil at sub zero temperatures, day after day.

That's hard on oil, and harder on engines.

Steve

 

[Godfrey]

Just sold a bmw 123 m sport , it had only done 69k when i bought it, under warranty it had new clutch,gear box,fly wheel and a new turbo , i decided to run it for a couple of years , by the time it hit 105k i had £1000 bill for the dreaded swirl flap issue ,had to buy the new inlet manifold £500 ,sold it with two warning lights on telling me my projector head light had failed and steering lock needed , if i had put that right it would of cost me another £800
Sold it like it was and bit the bullet
On one hand if a car has a heep bills for work and servicing it might be a good thing but on the other hand i often wonder why its got them ?

I blanked off the swirl flaps on our 2ltr diesel BM 320 as a precaution but in eleven years of ownership (140000mls) and servicing it myself always, it has only just had it's first bulb blow n/s/f sidelight bulb. It is still on it's origional battery and exhaust. It gets hammered and is the most reliable car I've ever owned. The front wing edges are getting tatty with rust though.

 

[219]

I cant remember the last time I opened a drivers window, all my cars are air conditioned and have been for years.

Steve.

Even with air con , I still like proper fresh air .

I went through three drivers door regulators on my first 124 ( over 200K ) .

My current car is the first in a while without a sunroof , that is opened almost every journey for me .

 

[R W]

Had a quick shufty and they look like Camrys to me? = the most popular car in America with a 3.5 litre V6 Maybe a large unstressed V6 petrol has something to offer??[/QUOTE]


Sorry my mistake they are Camrys. I am pretty sure though they are not the V6 , I think they have a 4cyl in them, but I will ask next time what is under the bonnet.

Some countries have owner driver taxi,s that are driven with care & well looked after. These Camry,s are shown no mercy by the many different drivers, to the drivers they are just a work tool. Yet they stand up to it remarkably well

 

[R W]

Common theme here is ambient temperature.

They don't start daily with the oil at sub zero temperatures, day after day.

That's hard on oil, and harder on engines.

Steve

Most taxis around the world run almost constant so very rarely start from cold, even the old London black cabs used to clock up huge mileages, running virtually 24/7.
I work for a generator rental company & our engines often clock up 40,000hrs plus. That in a vehicle at an average of say 50miles per hr would be 2 million miles & still running well. They run 24/7 & the harder they are worked/loaded without abusing them, the better they seem to run.

 

[G.P]

The 4 cylinder Kompressor petrol engines with the black top were designed with input from Mitsubishi.

So thats why they sound so rough.

I cant remember the last time I opened a drivers window, all my cars are air conditioned and have been for years.

Steve.

Can't remember the last time I used my air con..

 

[grober]

Had a quick shufty and they look like Camrys to me? = the most popular car in America with a 3.5 litre V6 Maybe a large unstressed V6 petrol has something to offer??

Sorry my mistake they are Camrys. I am pretty sure though they are not the V6 , I think they have a 4cyl in them, but I will ask next time what is under the bonnet.

Some countries have owner driver taxi,s that are driven with care & well looked after. These Camry,s are shown no mercy by the many different drivers, to the drivers they are just a work tool. Yet they stand up to it remarkably well[/QUOTE]


Could be the 4 cylinder 2.5 litre 2AR-FE
A 2.5 L version of the AR family, first released in the RAV4 in the U.S. and Canada in 2008. This engine also replaced the 2AZ-FE in the U.S. and Canada Camry The engine service mass is 324 lb (147 kg) that includes the oil and coolant fully filled. The engine is used in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, China, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

Applications:
Toyota Camry ASV40 (Base & LE), 171 PS (126 kW; 169 hp)@6000, 226 N·m (167 lbf·ft)@4100
Toyota Camry ASV40 (SE), 181 PS (133 kW; 179 hp)@6000, 232 N·m (171 lbf·ft)@4100

Here's the low down on the engine.. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1CVzhRDpArJekVCNjBSOFZWSEU/edit?pli=1

Reminds me a bit of the old M111 Mercedes engine which was pretty bullet proof.
Things to note- no turbo charger-[just old fashioned cc's!]
timing chain at the front/manifold injection/ balancer shafts gear-driven off the crank- only question mark =inlet manifold tumble flaps? All aluminium block with liners- which might explain the early oil burning stories [ now fixed evidently]. there are also issues with the timing gear 2AR FE engine - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums so not quite bullet proof.

 

[Tiff]

They can rust as fast as late 90's early 00's Mercedes!

Mazda. The way forward

Sorry, the rust I've seen on Mazda's, even ones presented for their first MOT would put me right off. I know where to look now and am never disappointed when I use my MOT testers thumb.

You can keep all your new cars. I get asked all the time, from people whose car is strapped on the back of my truck, what would you recommend? Kia, says I - longest warranty...when it breaks, they'll fix it after the other companies stop..

I'll stick with my 500 quid "bangers" ...Worst case scenario which has never happened in over 20 years...I lose 300 quid and I get the bus home.

 

[G.P]

Kia, says I - longest warranty...when it breaks, they'll fix it after the other companies stop..

I'll stick with my 500 quid "bangers"

Would Vauxhall's lifetime not be the best bet, presuming you purchased new.

Whilst I can see your point, and have friends doing the same, your 2006 Vito is hardly a 500 quid banger, is it???

 

[Tiff]

Would Vauxhall's lifetime not be the best bet, presuming you purchased new.

Whilst I can see your point, and have friends doing the same, your 2006 Vito is hardly a 500 quid banger, is it???

I'd read the small print very carefully with Vauxhall's warranty, and even if it is watertight and they fix everything, only buy one if you like standing on the hard shoulder in the rain. I'd say 60% of cars I have to tow, have a griffin on the grille.

"My" Vito is a breakdown van, supplied by my boss to do my job..

I've spent over 500 quid only a few times, certainly only 3 over a grand. A Nissan Primera which came from a dealer fully serviced with a years MOT. Cost me nearly 400 quid to get it up to my standard. A Citroen Berlingo Multispace which in the short time we had it, broke 2 coil springs and needed a new cat, and a 1972 Dodge Challenger which was a childhood dream which was a nightmare in reality. Our 1998 Toyota Starlet cost me 46 quid in parts today to get another years MOT,after a years trouble free ownership. I have broken down once in 22 years, in a Renault 5 which seized due to oil pump failure, which was my fault.

 

[Dryce]

I work for a generator rental company & our engines often clock up 40,000hrs plus. That in a vehicle at an average of say 50miles per hr would be 2 million miles & still running well. They run 24/7 & the harder they are worked/loaded without abusing them, the better they seem to run.

Not really comparable to a car engine IMO.

I can recall a project involving a small late 70's car engine that was used as a static generator and it was expected to last a lot better than it would in a car because of the operating cycle and load characteristics.

Biggest problems with generators IME is the ones that are not used either because they are in storage or on standby are the ones that consistently fail.

 

[m1br]

You can keep all your new cars. I get asked all the time, from people whose car is strapped on the back of my truck, what would you recommend?

I'll stick with my 500 quid "bangers" ...

Perhaps your love of bangers is out of necessity, and you are just trying to convince yourself otherwise?

Anyhow back on topic ... I have not had a single breakdown in at least the last half million miles. Seriously.
In fact the last time I remember having a recovery truck to me was about twenty five years ago and for a mini with a busted box.
My last 300k miles have been faultless in Honda, Mercedes, BMW, VW, Renault, Subaru.... all of them under six years old.

 

[MCFastybloke]

Have you ever been to cyprus ? same over there , they have mid 1990s e-classes with 800k on still going like a dream .

Triggers new brush?

 

[Dieselman]

I'd read the small print very carefully with Vauxhall's warranty, and even if it is watertight and they fix everything, only buy one if you like standing on the hard shoulder in the rain. I'd say 60% of cars I have to tow, have a griffin on the grille.

We have more than a few Vauxhall's at work and they are very unreliable.

 

[wemorgan]

Interesting thread. Warranty Direct stats show Honda to be the most reliable. So if we all bought with our heads the roads would be full on Hondas. Yet there's a sea of MB and BMW out there. I wonder why Honda don't have a premium sub-brand like some other Japanese OEM do? (I'm not sure Acura really count as premium)

 

[Dieselman]

Interesting thread. Warranty Direct stats show Honda to be the most reliable. So if we all bought with our heads the roads would be full on Hondas. Yet there's a sea of MB and BMW out there. I wonder why Honda don't have a premium sub-brand like some other Japanese OEM do?

They do, the Acura range.

They sell good cars badged Honda, the World over. why do they need a premium brand outside the USA?

 

[wemorgan]

Sorry DM. I edited my post after you started yours. IMHO I thought Acura was mostly rebadged Honda being sold in the US. Are they really premium? I don't know to be honest.

They don't need a premium badge. It was more a comment based on the UK market. Consumers love perceived premium products. Honda is like VW to me. Decent quality but not the luxury some people want. The Honda line up looks quite small to me. They don't offer a car in all the new segments being invented. I thought the market was going all multi cross-over mad.