No longer a Mercedes owner! 😱

[DSM10000]

Well sometimes things happen that we haven't planned for!

There is a chap who lives nearby that I often meet in the local Butcher or when walking the hound (he lost his Retriever last year and "strangely" still has copious fresh treats in his pockets!), I met him this morning and he he was making a fuss of woofer who, with his usual reluctance, absorbed it like the professional he is!

We started chatting about life etc and he mentioned that he hasn't seen me in the Mercedes for a while and I explained that the BMW has essentially taken over and that the MB was not really being used.

It turns out that his 5 Series was written off after a minor collision recently and he was debating what to get but needs something capable of towing a trailer, his Mini Cooper not being up to the task and he asked if I would consider selling the Mercedes.

I told him it's mileage etc but he wasn't concerned as he knew that it was looked after and I told him that the last MOT was free of any advisories.

He asked how much I would want for it and I really had no idea so he asked if he could come over and drive it which was agreed and about an hour ago after his drive we sat in the kitchen with tea and lemon drizzle cake (with the hound keeping a watchful eye in case any treats were to fall from his pockets) and the chap made an offer I thought overly generous so I declined it and told him to take £250 off that and it was his.

A handshake later, funds transferred, paperwork completed and the MB has gone!

 

[markjay]

Welcome to the club...

Bizarrely, it's a great feeling to see the car go to someone who you know will appreciate how well you've taken care of it.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Well sometimes things happen that we haven't planned for!

There is a chap who lives nearby that I often meet in the local Butcher or when walking the hound (he lost his Retriever last year and "strangely" still has copious fresh treats in his pockets!), I met him this morning and he he was making a fuss of woofer who, with his usual reluctance, absorbed it like the professional he is!

We started chatting about life etc and he mentioned that he hasn't seen me in the Mercedes for a while and I explained that the BMW has essentially taken over and that the MB was not really being used.

It turns out that his 5 Series was written off after a minor collision recently and he was debating what to get but needs something capable of towing a trailer, his Mini Cooper not being up to the task and he asked if I would consider selling the Mercedes.

I told him it's mileage etc but he wasn't concerned as he knew that it was looked after and I told him that the last MOT was free of any advisories.

He asked how much I would want for it and I really had no idea so he asked if he could come over and drive it which was agreed and about an hour ago after his drive we sat in the kitchen with tea and lemon drizzle cake (with the hound keeping a watchful eye in case any treats were to fall from his pockets) and the chap made an offer I thought overly generous so I declined it and told him to take £250 off that and it was his.

A handshake later, funds transferred, paperwork completed and the MB has gone!

Your observation about the pocketful of treats struck a cord here; 2 years since we lost our last black Lab and still both of us have treats in every pocket of every jacket we possess.
It's a hard habit to break.

 

[DSM10000]

Welcome to the club...

Bizarrely, it's a great feeling to see the car go to someone who you know will appreciate how well you've taken care of it.

Thank you, yes it is

 

[DSM10000]

I have see this thread has been moved to the "Defectors to other marques" section.

II covered that when I bought the BMW last year. This wasn't about "defecting" (a rather pejorative term) it was relevant to Mercedes per se!

 

[Harrythedog]

He’s worked his way into your heart and mind through your dog, it’s everyone’s Achilles heel

 

[markjay]

He’s worked his way into your heart and mind through your dog, it’s everyone’s Achilles heel

Or maybe he has no need of a car, he only bought it for the opportunity to befriend the dog....?

 

[DSM10000]

Or maybe he has no need of a car, he only bought it for the opportunity to befriend the dog....?

The car has very good emissions, unlike the hound,

 

[TrueSpirit]

Congratulations on the sale! I was hoping to have a similar sale story but Mmy bmw is doing everything to make sure I keep the merc
I'm on 39,996 miles and was planning to sell the merc 800 Miles ago but the reliability of the bmw has forced me to put on those miles.
Had battery discharge warnings during the week. Trickle charged it and today drove 40 miles but after the discharge warning. Warning came back as I was leaving to go back home wirh the family, but it started. On the slip road to m25, CEL light, then ABS , then others come on. So stopped on hard shoulder. Obd reader was useless, car wouldn't start no matter how many times I took the key out and back in. Usb jump starter saved me , car started, drove home with not a whisper of an issue. Looks like I need a new battery or alternator and a merc as backup

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Congratulations on the sale! I was hoping to have a similar sale story but Mmy bmw is doing everything to make sure I keep the merc
I'm on 39,996 miles and was planning to sell the merc 800 Miles ago but the reliability of the bmw has forced me to put on those miles.
Had battery discharge warnings during the week. Trickle charged it and today drove 40 miles but after the discharge warning. Warning came back as I was leaving to go back home wirh the family, but it started. On the slip road to m25, CEL light, then ABS , then others come on. So stopped on hard shoulder. Obd reader was useless, car wouldn't start no matter how many times I took the key out and back in. Usb jump starter saved me , car started, drove home with not a whisper of an issue. Looks like I need a new battery or alternator and a merc as backup

Sorry to hear about the battery issues.

You’ve probably checked but I’d be looking to make sure something as simple as all the battery connections are still good. It feels rare for an alternator to be failing on such a new car.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Well sometimes things happen that we haven't planned for!

There is a chap who lives nearby that I often meet in the local Butcher or when walking the hound (he lost his Retriever last year and "strangely" still has copious fresh treats in his pockets!), I met him this morning and he he was making a fuss of woofer who, with his usual reluctance, absorbed it like the professional he is!

We started chatting about life etc and he mentioned that he hasn't seen me in the Mercedes for a while and I explained that the BMW has essentially taken over and that the MB was not really being used.

It turns out that his 5 Series was written off after a minor collision recently and he was debating what to get but needs something capable of towing a trailer, his Mini Cooper not being up to the task and he asked if I would consider selling the Mercedes.

I told him it's mileage etc but he wasn't concerned as he knew that it was looked after and I told him that the last MOT was free of any advisories.

He asked how much I would want for it and I really had no idea so he asked if he could come over and drive it which was agreed and about an hour ago after his drive we sat in the kitchen with tea and lemon drizzle cake (with the hound keeping a watchful eye in case any treats were to fall from his pockets) and the chap made an offer I thought overly generous so I declined it and told him to take £250 off that and it was his.

A handshake later, funds transferred, paperwork completed and the MB has gone!

Good result. A number of friends seem to be reducing the number of vehicles on their drive. Both young and old. Maybe it’s the taxes, the cost of new cars, the cost of living or just saving the planet.

And one less motor to keep clean !

 

[TrueSpirit]

Sorry to hear about the battery issues.

You’ve probably checked but I’d be looking to make sure something as simple as all the battery connections are still good. It feels rare for an alternator to be failing on such a new car.

Thanks , I was just thinking that I'd like to locate the battery and check everything is in order regarding connections etc.

This one time my e46 m3 had just been serviced and suddenly died on me driving up my road, blocking it for all traffic! It was an smg and was in gear... A friendly neighbour helped me jump start it and when I got it onto my driveway it turns out the mechanic didn't connect the cable to the battery terminal properly and It came loose mid drive.

This one is an e93 m3 and is quite old now. I already complained to the stealership I bought the car from about the battery when I just bought the car and I'll try to argue they need to replace it.

It's a difficult choice to get rid of my merc. It's such a superior car to that old BMW. Everything about it is a marvel. Wifey says no long trips as a family in the bmw so I guess I'm keeping the merc then

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Thanks , I was just thinking that I'd like to locate the battery and check everything is in order regarding connections etc.

This one time my e46 m3 had just been serviced and suddenly died on me driving up my road, blocking it for all traffic! It was an smg and was in gear... A friendly neighbour helped me jump start it and when I got it onto my driveway it turns out the mechanic didn't connect the cable to the battery terminal properly and It came loose mid drive.

This one is an e93 m3 and is quite old now. I already complained to the stealership I bought the car from about the battery when I just bought the car and I'll try to argue they need to replace it.

It's a difficult choice to get rid of my merc. It's such a superior car to that old BMW. Everything about it is a marvel. Wifey says no long trips as a family in the bmw so I guess I'm keeping the merc then

It's a rich tradition: family car and Dad's car. Two quite different creatures.

 

[TrueSpirit]

It's a rich tradition: family car and Dad's car. Two quite different creatures.

I wish I could justify getting a 2 seat car. Now that's a dad car I'd like

 

[Chrishazle]

I've had an actual or effectivly 2 seat Dad's car for a number of years now - 8 1/2 years of Porsche 968 cabriolet and to date about 5 years of MB R171 (early facelift) SLK280, kept for dry sunny weekends and garaged on battery conditioner when not in use. SLK has been in her garage since mid-December unused, and we're thinking it's time to go to one car and save the cost of RF, insurance etc on a car we hardly use. Photo on my profile. Getting old sucks!! Can't make up my mind whether I'm ready to admit defeat and find a new owner for her - she's a beauty!

 

[TrueSpirit]

4 month ownership thoughts on the E93 M3 and having put on 1k miles the last week on a staycation and now total of around 4k miles.

Firstly, the expected reliability issues. Oil consumption was initially off the charts but has now stabilised. It looks like the car was at the dealership from July 2023 to Feb 2024. I used some forte oil fortifier and it hasn't needed an oil top up in over 2k miles. The alternator went leaving me stranded at a graveyard entrance after midnight on my birthday in heavy rain 🌧 , that was fun. The roof had a problem too , gbp 480 to fix at cayman autos. The Android auto "upgrade " has been a disaster and still continues to cause more issues..
Visibility:
due to being so used to the size of my e63, I've twice now scraped the rear driver side rim at a car park while going up a slope due to having no good visibility and not knowing the car's dimensions and not being vigilant enough.
Mpg:
Petrol on the latest trip, combined 22.6ish mpg. Going over 28mpg on the motorway, which is impressive.

age related problems:
The car doesn't rattle much or I just got used to it. Can't see that the subwoofers work at all. Need to get that fixed.
Ride quality / handling:
The ride quality is excellent, again I may have just got used to it but it is quite supple (car has EDC).
Car handles very flat and very go kart like even in softer suspension mode. Overall very impressed at the ride and handling, never feels floaty or wafty even though the vert is a porker.
The handling is superb for such a heavy car and that's in part due to the sharp ,precise quick steering.

Space:
Managed to take a family of 4 for a week long trip, full size suitcase easily fits in the boot and it's enough space just about. Getting little kids in and out is not terribly difficult but the car seat I bought for the 2 year old is terrible and doesn't tighten enough. Need to probably change that.
Driver and passenger space is good enough for my family for many years. Car feels nice and compact otherwise.

Engine / transmission , performance:
The 4l unit is susceptible to catastrophic failure issues if not maintained properly. Rod bearings need preventative maintenance for example, otherwise a kaboom moment could randomly happen it seems. That aside, warming the engine up properly before ragging it is mandatory. My car it seems had a gbp5k engine rebuild with a new crankshaft etc, not sure if it had gone kaboom on the previous owner.
Now coming back to the 4l unit. It's only 4l vs say a 6.2l m156 and is supposedly rated at around 420hp but is probably more like 400hp with only 400 nm of torque. It certainly isn't as brutal as the m156, but as I was pleasantly surprised on some damp roads, it is tremendously controllable and very easy to drift if that's your thing. The throttle response is so razor sharp, precise to an unbelievable level and immediate, it is a marvel at just how good it is. It makes my w212 e63 seem so lazy and blunt in comparison. Ofcourse the car doesn't have much torque and certainly very little below 4k, but again just put your foot down and the rev needle shoots up so quickly and gives you bags of delicious power with no delay at all. It red lines at 8.4k and is a flat plane crank engine like many a ferrari engine and it's really the centre piece of the car. The best part is it gives you naturally aspirated sound, and a lot of it. You can feel it and hear it and it's top quality. The engine also has a great induction noise too. I've been revving it out and it's quite a special experience. Overall that engine is a 10/10 ignoring reliability.

Next is the transmission, I bought a DCT as I've got lazy and can't be bothered with a manual.I have to say, that DCT is so good for a car that old. The M cars give you easy to control gear shift speed settings and it is very very quick to shift up or down when that's what you want. There's no fighting the transmission like on the older AMGs I have owned and in manual mode it makes the car more engaging. If only the 204 had a comparable transmission...the only slight criticism I have is at very low speed it is slow to engage and takes getting used to otherwise you'll be putting down power too aggressively.
I didn't love my e46 m3 because of the smg but this DCT is fantastic.
Motorway driving is also a strength of this car. It is completely stable and confidence inspiring.

I didn't think I would like the car as much as I do especially after the very rocky start with all the initial issues but if it proves to be reliable enough, I can see myself keeping this car for a long time. I always thought car reviewers were being biased when they were not giving the w204 c63 the win over the m3 but now I can see what the fuss is about. The 204 is probably the better daily with a very heavy duty hooligan mode, but this is the drivers car, it's very accomplished and I finally understand why it has such a committed fan base.

 

[DSM10000]

My recently departed E 320 CDI went for it's MOT under the care of the new owner earlier this month and, at just under 187,000 miles, I was very pleased to find it had passed with no advisories!

 

[TrueSpirit]

My recently departed E 320 CDI went for it's MOT under the care of the new owner earlier this month and, at just under 187,000 miles, I was very pleased to find it had passed with no advisories!

Wow congrats ! At least 3 of my former cars were on sale at the same time, two Mercs sold and clean MOTs though low mileage . The bmw is destined to sit on their lot for much longer haha they've just dropped the price by 500 squid so that will be gone soon no doubt

My next project is moving my e63 on. I just don't get to drive it that much. I've got a 2 week trip to Cornwall that would suit it perfectly however taking the m3 convertible seems a more enticing option as nothing beats top down driving in the summer and that's the issue, I want to wrap the merc in cotton wool and store it away and abuse the m3

 

[DSM10000]

Wow congrats ! At least 3 of my former cars were on sale at the same time, two Mercs sold and clean MOTs though low mileage . The bmw is destined to sit on their lot for much longer haha they've just dropped the price by 500 squid so that will be gone soon no doubt

My next project is moving my e63 on. I just don't get to drive it that much. I've got a 2 week trip to Cornwall that would suit it perfectly however taking the m3 convertible seems a more enticing option as nothing beats top down driving in the summer and that's the issue, I want to wrap the merc in cotton wool and store it away and abuse the m3

The M3 will fit down the narrow lanes rather more easily!

 

[TrueSpirit]

The M3 will fit down the narrow lanes rather more easily!

Definitely! And you can put your foot right down and you're not lighting up the rear tyres like a disposable barbeque