Your first Mercedes Purchase

[A-AvantGarde]

My first Merc was the A160, kept it for about a year and then traded up to the C320.

Our family have had Mercs for a while so regularly drove: W202 C180, W202 C200, W140 S320, W220 S320, W209 CLK200

Hence why I've always appreciated the brand.

I have also driven quite a lot of BMW's (mum still has an E46 325i), including E30's E36 Coupes, Z3 1.9, 2.8 & 3.0's. I absolutely love the way they drive but hate the image associated with BMs. As much as I like AMG's and Porsche I would like to try a pukka M car, perhaps the new M5 would be a nice change if I can convince myself to move over to the dark side!

 

[Shude]

Not just my first MB purchase but also my first car purchase was a 1998 C230k, bought about 4 years ago. I would have kept it forever but I sadly rolled it back in Feb 2003, replaced a month later with another C230k, slightly younger but similar spec.

 

[bigtruth]

White 1987 D-Reg 190E

 

[kikkthecat]

My first MB was the red E220 coupe that now belongs to Ian Walkers wife (no matter what he thinks)

The cabriolet was my second and was just too good to pass up the chance.
I wish I'd had the room and money to keep both though.

There is nothing else in the MB range that is also within reach of my pocket that appeals
so I'll be keeping this for some years yet.

 

[NMSL500]

First Privately purchased Merc is a 96 SL500, only had it for a couple of weeks but so far people around me are worried, 'hes always grinning' they say. Its true too!!

See my 'quick hello' post for a better introduction
Nigel

 

[graeme73s]

first merc i bought was a 1990 300 te 24 with 165,000 miles on the clock that looked like new that i bought from a friend of a friend. the car is now living in france with over 350,000 miles on the clock and still going strong. bought an e300 diesel estate in 1998 new and there were various problems with it and the build quality was very suspect compared to the w124 series. sold it after 9 months. since then i bought the missus a 1998 smart car that she learnt to drive in (good car) , then a smart cabriolet that was crap quality and then a brabus cabriolet that is even more money for crap quality. a 1977 450 sel 6.9 now sold, a 1986 500 sl now sold, a 560 sec that my father in law uses, a 1972 300 sel 6.3 and a w140 series full brabus spec s600l with the brabus 7.3S engine developing 586 bhp awesome.

 

[jeremytaylor]

My C270CDI Avantgarde SE Est. Fully loaded - Command, parktronic, Bose, 6xCD, sunroof, AMG alloys, plus, most important of all, illuminated sill plates.

Before this I had a Citroen Picasso! It will be very hard not to replace this with another Merc. I fancy a C320 CDI, but to match my spec means putting in at least £20k, and mines only 3 years/38k miles - just can't justify it. Maybe 2nd hand (I bought my C270 privately at 9 months/4,500 for £10k less than the first owner had paid - who says Mercs don't depreciate!)

My priority at the moment is to persuade 'her indoors' to replace her Citroen C8 with something sensible like an E320CDI Estate, or maybe even a forthcoming R-class??

 

[clive9]

i bought mine a 230 te and its the best car i have ever owned more reliable than the wife i will never look back

 

[petef]

Hi stats, my wife wants one of the old SLs the one like yours ! They stopped making the model i think in 1989 ??? ( I must do a post on it for advice ) I initially thought it was just one of her fads but she has been on at me now for over a year and yesterday again says she wants one. This is the first enquiry i have made, so i am a bit ignorant on the model. Now i do know she is not too keen on automatics but from my limited of lookin on autotrader they only do in auto ! Whats your experience been like of owning this model ??
I previously owned a mer 230 ce but didnt pick a very good one unfortunately !!, I have not been put off the merc though, and hope my next will be a better purchase.
Pete

 

[stats007]

The last ones were on an '89 G plate. They are great cars but very susceptible to rust and there are some truly hideous ones out there that have been patched up. They did make the R107 with a manual gearbox, but were very unpopular (like most MB manual gearboxes compared to BMW for example) compared to the auto. If you're serious about it then you need to do a bit of homework and buy the best example you can afford and a bit more. PM me if you want to go into greater detail.

 

[Denis O]

1st one was a brand new (company car) 2.0 litre auto 190E in red. J630 MKO. AMG alloys and it looked the part even though it was a bit gutless. Purchased mainly because BMW had launched the e36 and I felt it looked like all the other Euro Boxes.
Some years later I had a C280 auto (another company car) which was a great car. Understated and pretty quick.
Finally got an SL500 (my own money) 3 tears ago and it was a superb car. Recently sold it to make way for a 911 Cab. On the day of changeover, seeing the 2 cars side by side, my wife remarked how dated the R129 shape looks now. I hadn't noticed at all during ownership but I have to say there is something in what she said. Maybe the 911 looks a lot more modern, although the basic shape is about a thousand years old, or perhaps the latest generation SL has moved Mercedes on so far, I don't know.
Perhaps I'll be back to Merc sometime in the future when the new SL has reached a price point that is affordable!!!

 

[Brian WH]

My first Merc was also a new black 190E, also a J plate and a company lease, which I bought at the end of the lease.

Popular the 190's as a first entry car aren't they.

 

[pammy]

My lovely Edna was/is my first MB purchase but have been very lucky to drive a fair few others since

I love Edna and my dealership are great making it a strong possiblity that I will get another in the future

 

[C43AMG]

My first MB was a 300SEL 6.3, they must have saw me coming. For the first couple of weeks it was great all that leather and walnut and an absolute flying machine it was the fastest saloon car on the road at that time, i came out one morning and the air suspenion had collapsed from there on it was all downhill, spent lots of money keeping it roadworthy, it was great fun for a year.

 

[mbz 6]

First merc was a 1987 560SEC Blue with cream leather great car, had it 6 months and then stumbled across the Brabus and swapped the SEC for it,
Missed the S class so i got a Blue W140 500 coupe

 

[fuzzer]

My first car was an A160 Auto when they were just new and were a rarity. Was rubbish , kept going wrong..

ahh well , ive kept buying and now im on my 4th mercedes and 9th for the famly in 8 years. To be honest , i recon the 270 CDI will be the last mercedes unless something really good happens to the brand overnight.

Only way to go seems Lexus or Porsche

 

[Spinal]

First car I drove was a 4.2litre diesel beast with two 4" steel bars welded all around as "bumpers" (my dads idea in a country where MOT doesn't mean anything)...

The first car I owned was my W202 merc, still have it and just spent the money I was planning to use on changing it (after selling the 202) to buy a bike, so me'thinks I'm gonna have fun with it for a while longer

 

[roj]

My first was a '95 C230K sport, bought mainly for the spec and insurance ( cheaper than anything else in the sector).

2 and a bit years and 30k miles later and I crashed it , so I bought a cheap '91 1.8 190 as a stop-gap and like it so much I've kept it!

 

[Ian B Walker]

Hmmmm now lets eee. First Merc I owned was a 2ltr 190E in Gold. Engine melted a piston after 7 days. Claimed insurance and had it re engined. Then I bought a 200T Estate of eBay. Needed a dog carrier (St Bernard) Son then tells me his car dealer mate has a 260E for sale, thought nothing of it till went in there one day and asked if he still had it. Result was traded the 190E against the 260E (never looked back). Kikkthcat (Ray) asked if I would go collect his Cab with him, off we went. During the day it seemed as if I bought the Coupe Wife thinks its hers, but it isnt. My name is on the V5 and I insure it At present on my drive are the following :-

380SE
190E
200T
260E
E220 Coupe

 

[sportyreptile]

First Merc was a E280 W124, absolutely fantastic car, the best I've had, Until I was given a ride in a W140 - had to have one. I'd have another W124 though, probably a E320 coupe.

Very first car was a '66 VW beetle with 6volt electrics, headlights like candles.I bought it for £40 but it drove like it worth a tenner. Talking of a tenner, I bought a Mini Pickup for £10 with a MOT, it didn't go through the next one though. Good times.