What got you into the Mercedes Benz brand?

[JohnSL63]

Strange I've always been a BMW man until I decided to sell my 7 series and Maserati and buy just one every day car.
I had around £38k to spend on something that was very quick as I had owned Porsche, Ferrari and the Maser in the past, easy to drive, boot space for cases and Golf clubs and something that would hold its value.
The R231 SL63 ticked all those boxes and some and I'm so much in love with this car - S class comfort with 577 BHP on tap and a convertible when you want at a press of a button.
I had never been into this AMG thing but I'm totally hooked now.

 

[Accused]

I was smitten by a 1987 e200 in 2000 and snapped it up and loved the car. Since that I have had numerous BMW 's but now actively looking for a CL.215 / 216

 

[Accused]

To cheekily add flyinspanner if you read this get in touch as I'm very interested in your CL500

 

[rawill]

Nov 2018 I bought an 06 E350 with 11,300 kilometers on it.
Now it has 35,000km.

Sadly some sensor failure issues, but very nice to drive. Love it.

I bought it because I could not find a low mileage Saab, which has been my preferred drive since 2006, any the one I had climbed to 136,000km.

 

[julian2002]

I've never really considered myself a 'brand x' man, I've owned many different makes and if I had to nail my colours to one in particular it'd probably be Lexus, they've been the comfiest and given me the least hassle of all the cars I've owned certainly it's the band that i've had 2 or more of and would actually buy again.

As I passed my 50th year I decided it was high time I owned a convertible, unfortunately Lexus don;t really do a convertible that I can 1) stand to look at (sc430 - shudder) 2) Would be seen dead in (IS250c - 10 to 60? nope!) or 3) Can afford (80+k fo an LC500 - lovely car but again nope).
This lead me to the '3 Germans', I looked at BMW 2/3/4/6 series and came to the conclusion that they aren't for me, the reports of engine issues with newer 4 and 6 cylinders, electrical gremlins on 4 and 6 series and while the 2 is apparently the most reliable small convertible I am not the smallest man and don;t really fit. Audi - I hung my nose over an S5 for a while but the horror stories about DSG gearboxes costing thousants to repair after anything over 40k miles and a previous experience with an Audi A6 that died after a months ownership put paid to that. This left the MB e-class as the only real contender (I don;t fit the c class well). While this may sound like damning with faint praise it's not as I have fallen quite hard for 'Elvira', shes quick enough, fun to drive after my previous soggy SUV (even though that was actually faster in a straight line) and having the top down at the slightest whiff of sun is fantastic (it's been down 2 or 3 times this week already on school runs). The only criticism I really have is the 9g-tronic is a bit stupid at low speeds (roundabouts and junctions can confuse it), once in 3rd or 4th however it's great, it is however totally outclassed by the Lexus PSD (except for the noise) when pressing on.
Would I buy another? I'm not sure, if an E53 convertible becomes affordable then maybe but I do rather like the oomph of an electric motor.

 

[Jonesy161]

Ok, I’m a badge boy!!!, I’m surrounded by bm’s, Audi’s and muscle cars in my avenue, thought I’d get a Merc when the m3 fell through. Had it now for six years, it’s never missed a beat after 60k.

 

[2012SLK200]

In 1997 I ran a computer company and IBM came out with a new midrange computer called the S/36 5362 that was revolutionary. Previously the S/36 was huge, but this one could be lifted by one person. As a sales tool it was a complete game changer. You could take the computer to the customer, let them enter real data and sell themselves. But hauling it around in an SUV had its own problems - unless it was tied down, it would slide all over the place, and half a day drive in a 4X4 is not enjoyable.

So I drove to every car dealer in town and asked the salesman if I could try out their cars - not test drive them, but open the boot/trunk and insert a computer the size of a two-drawer file cabinet. They were bemused to say the least.

When I got to Mercedes, they had the new W124 300D that was absolutely a perfect fit. It would hold the computer as well as the display (which was the size of a hotel bar fridge). As an Alfa and BMW guy, until the W124, I found Mercedes to be boring burgermeister cars, but the 10-years of engineering showed. It handled well, I could drive all day without getting tired, and Mercedes would throw in a car phone... an antennae on the roof, and a wired handset hooked to a huge box of electronics. Sold.

Once into Mercedes, I tried out a G Wagon. With its coil springs it was much more comfortable than my Chevy Suburban, and had a cool factor as well. Back in those days, they were not status symbols, but a cult thing, as the only way to get them in was grey market. I still have my second G Wagon, a 1982 that I bought in 1997.

Then my wife declared she was tired of me buying her Japanese shopping carts. Her first car as a diplomat's daughter serving in Europe was a Mercedes, so I bought her a B180, then an SLK, then replaced the B180 with a B250 and the R170 with an R172.

 

[Stratman]

I had a long distance lift from a work colleague in his W123 230 coupe, which he himself had bought on the strength of a lift in another colleague's SL500 Panzerwagen. I was impressed by how solid and 'tight' the car felt despite its age. When my Audi 80E's time was up I plumped for a three year old W203 C180 estate which had that same feel.

 

[BigJase88]

Stupidity

 

[E55BOF]

I've always had big cars for my dogs, either hatchbacks or estates, and I like fast cars. I had a SAAB 9-5 Aero estate, and I was idly looking on eBay, and happened upon an S210 E55 estate. A Tanzanite S210 E55...

My first, but not my last. That was in 2013; I've had quite a lot of Mercedes since then. I may have forgotten a couple, but eight or nine 211s, a couple of 212s, a couple of CLSs, four SL/SLKs, and I'm on my seventh and eighth V8 AMG and thirteenth V8 now. There was a V8 Jag XK and a four-pot diesel Peugeot 508 estate along the way, too.

I think I must quite like V8s and Mercedes...

 

[Fastcar155]

Hi , Slightly long story but I never fancied a couple / convertible car because I had a 30 ' 0 " sports boat. However , boats cost a lot of money to run ( fuel ) with two straight six Volvo diesel engines that require feeding. Crusing at 20 Knots I traveled from Cardiff Bay the boat used 70 gallons of diesel. ( This was when red diesel was available for leisure craft.) . I then had to make the return journey !

Boat has to go ( it did ) and a member of the yacht club appeared in a new Mercedes C Class. What a car regarding build quality and that was in 2014. Boat gone so I decided I had to have a Mercedes but which one. A friend of mine worked at the local Mercedes dealer in Worcestershire and I asked his opinion. I told him I wanted a coupe , he replied it's got to be a coupe / convertible because Mercedes have so much experience to in converting salons. I managed to persuade my employer that I wanted a Mercedes and they agreed.
I left the company and they suggested I take the car over and did a deal with the finance house.

My experience with the car has been very good and the comfort level / room / boot space has been a game changer. I had a Mazda Exudos 6 ( incorrect spelling ) and that was a good car and totally reliable.The Mazda dearer was excellent and gave me the good news which was utterly reliable car , it was , but the V6 engine at 80000 miles would burn oil at vast rates , it did.

Mazda / Mercedes from my experience shows that if both cars serviced the Mercedes will out last a Mazda by a factor of two.

My only issue was that the car had a few electrical gremlins but over time they settled down.

Would I buy another Mercedes , you bet.

 

[JHS]

£20k plus!

 

[BoristheBounce]

I was looking for a new car, walked around a BMW dealers for ages and was totally ignored. There was a Mercedes dealers across the road, so went over there and looked at a few cars when a salesman shouted over I'll be with you in a minute. When he returned, he'd picked up the keys to all the cars I'd been looking at and offered a test drive. The rest is history, now on my third!

Similar to me; I couldn't get to see an Audi salesman without an appointment, tried calling in numerous times without luck, so waked along the road to Mercedes.

 

[liamt]

I bought my first Merc back in 2016 at 25 when I really started to climb the IT Ladder and started to becomed significantly better paid. I nearly bought a Jaguar XE but my best friend who worked as an engineer for JLR at the time quickly put me off! I should have known better as my parents were previous Land Rover 'victims'. It was my dad who recommended I look at Mercedes as he had recently bought a Merc after the Land Rover debacle and a brief flirt with Mazda. He is probably a little biased as he was in the Motor Trade starting out as a Mercedes apprentice mechanic in the late 70s before setting up his own business so has a bit of a soft spot for the brand which seems to have rubbed off on me. I've had 4 Mercs in 7 years so I think that says something!

 

[EndlessMoneyPit]

In about 1981/82 I was waiting at the bus stop to go to work and this gorgeous old (and to my eyes, huge) sky blue Mercedes pulled up. The window opened and a young guy I worked with offered me a lift. I knew he didn't have a car, so I got in and said, "where did you get this beautiful car?" He replied, "It was my Dad's". His Dad had died recently. He said he felt closer to him when he drove his car.

Nobody in my immediate family had a car, nobody I knew had a Mercedes Benz. It was the most luxurious and smooth vehicle I'd ever been in. No idea what model it was, it was already old then - 1960's or early '70's possibly. Most young drivers were into hatchbacks. It had those long (oblong?) headlights and a big fat grille. Dark red leather upholstery, I have a memory of it being bench seats in the front but I could be wrong about that.

I've never been a petrolhead, but I've always loved old cars. This was the best old car I'd ever seen. Nowadays it seems like everyone can afford a Mercedes, but back then they weren't a common sight on the roads where I lived and only wealthy people had them.

 

[BlackC55]

Its my job.....

 

[pioneercollector]

For me it was seeing an SL500 on Hart To Hart ( 1970's US programme ) decades ago, and i thought that one day i would love one of those - Move on to Top Gear around 18 years ago and the SL500 / 55 featured, which really peaked my interest - I investigated the price at the time and that ended that desire, but i always said to myself that one day i will buy one, especially the 2003 model as i absolutely love the looks!

I have owned many cars, usually in the Japanese camp, the odd Double Six Daimler or XJS, a few Fords ( Cosworth Scorpio's / Granada's ) and four or five Yankee tanks ( Firebird / Camaro / Mustang all from the 1970's ) - The only German car i have ever owned was a VW Scirocco Storm MK2.

The Mazda MX5 2.0l Roadster which i purchased for summer fun and frolics and owned for 7 years was beginning to feel 'Snug' and I decided i needed more comfort. The replacement car would have to have a retractable Hard roof ( The Mrs dictated this! ) and i dictated that it must be a V8..... There was really only one choice, 20 years after lusting after one enter the SL500! And it lives up to everything i hoped that it would.

 

[ToeKnee]

After one soaking too many in the cobra I decided it was time to change. I still wanted a two seater V8 but something a bit more practical and, importantly, watertight. I looked at the BMW 6 series, Jaguar XK and the R230 SL. Never really been a fan of BMW but tried one and didn't like it, thought the Jag interior was too tight (I was 7 stone heavier then) so went for the SL. Three years later I upgraded to the R231 SL and haven't looked back. I still drive the occasional cobra but am always glad to get back in the Mercedes.