I am a 67 yr old newby. I have always wanted a v-12 since the 1940 Lincoln Zepher coupe I saw in the junk yard as a child. Now at 67 I finally got one. A SL 600 1994 that a guy got tired of trying to fix. I hope it was a good buy at $7650. I'll probably pay that just to get it running right. Starts and idles fine but has no power. Can't wait to get it home and see if I can figure out the problem.
^ Welcome to BenzWorld and good luck with your new ride! Check engine wire harness/throttle actuators/throttle control unit. Also, be sure to check the R129 section.
I'm on the road on business in all kinds of weather, including wintry nights, so have always placed safety high up.Drove 3 Volvos (1 sedan followed by 2 wagons) from 1986-2007 and wanted a change.Willingness to put up more $ allowed me to go beyond Volvo.Deciding first that a wagon was a must (gardening,dog etc) I compared MB,AUDI, BMW... & Volvo as a familiar reference point...and chose the 2008 E 350 4Matic Wagon. Though only taking possession since Nov 15, every drive has been a hoot be it city, back-road or highway.
In the year ... 2025.... just kidding ... in the year 1974 I bought my first Mercedes it was a used 220-B (B for Benzin), in Germany. It was a very ... very reliable car, not pretty and boxy but very reliable. Since then I had Volvo (4), Renault (2), FIAT (2), Jeep Wagoneer, and Dodge Mini Van .... etc you get the idea ... two weeks ago I bought a MB 320ML. I feel like back home again. This is ... wonderful ... wunderbar ... I enjoy driving it every day, this is a wonderful experience. MB is the ultimate driving machine.
I bought my first merc when i was 19.
1. I didnt want a jap cos they were just too many around.
2. I'm not mentally retarded to buy an American car
3. I think BMWs are for girls
4. I think Audi is hideous
5. VWs in Canada really suck
So i guess mercedes won. If audi didnt look so ugly, i might have gone with an audi (S4 maybe) cos they have the AWD system which comes in handy in canadian winters. If VW were more reliable, I would have gone with a Jetta. If BMW made a more masculine car (excluding the 7series of course), perhaps i would have gone for a 320d. If the americans could make a car... i'm not gonna complete that sentence.
I chose mercedes because it was the most reliable, best value for money car i could find at the time.
Having grown up with the marque it seemed natural. Despite my fathers attraction to Alfa's, Pugs, BMW's etc. we always had an MB for use as a daily driver, a few w124's through the late 80's into the 90's and then a W202. From the get-go I was immediately impressed with the extremely high attention to the fit, finish, and build quality of the cars.
The precise click open and seal shut of the doors and trunk, the interiors that felt like they were carved from thick blocks of resin- soft and supple yet comfortably firm and durable. The heavy gauged tank-like feel of the sheet metal, and the precisely teutonic ride, design, and handling. And of course the timeless styling adorned with the most tastefully executed details.
There was something magical to the cars, and I feel that it was present in almost all of the models up to the W202. After that something seemed like it was missing from almost every car in the line-up.
That said, I chose MB for the following reasons:
1. Build quality (Pre W210 era cars)
2. Safety
3. Durability
4. Comfort/Performance
5. Marque heritage
The W204 chassis is the first new MB since the W202 to gain my attention- I hope MB is back on track to building cars as solid as they used to.
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Nate
1984 300D Turbo Orient Red/Palomino
1996.5 C280 Sport Beryll/Parchment
1993 Volvo 244 Sky Blue Met./Navy
1972 BMW 3.0CS -Sold
1995 Volvo 944T -Saved my life. R.I.P. Gallery
In 1992 I bought a new Lexus SC300. In 1993 when that car had 10k miles on it I happened to drive a friend's 1986 300E. I realized immediately that the 7 year old 100k mile 300E was tighter than the 10k mile Lexus. Within a few months I sold the Lexus and bought a new 1993 300E 2.8. I've had nine other 124 chassis since and perhaps a half dozen others including several classics. My last name is actually the Americanized version of Jelinek, as in Emil Jelinek, father of Mercedes Jelinek for whom the brand is named. I did not know this at the time and do not know if he is a relation but have adopted him as Uncle Emil.
I have owned several MB's both new and used. I will always buy a used one from now on because they are a great value. They lose an enormous amount in the first two years and if you can get a good one it'll serve you for years. I avoid service at the dealer since ther are several very good service centers at a fraction of the cost so the on-going cost is reasonable. I wouldn't buy a late model because of the quality of the cars and the dealers.
'81 SLC New
'84 300TD used
'87 420SEL new
'92 300SL new
'95 300E Deisel
'95 500SL used
'99 500SL used
'01 300E wagon new
'04 500SL new
nice wagon torontomichael - that will be my next car in 10 years )
my first MB was actually my father's.
he purchased it brand new - 1985 300 SD Turbo Diesel.
it was mostly trouble-free and a very sturdy vehicle that probably saved my parents lives on a few occasions with the 'advanced' technologies for that time like ABS, etc.
i purchased it from my mother when my father passed away in 1995, and was using it as a daily driver until about a year ago.
the diesel's still running but not used much now since i bought the 'new' (MY 1995 E320) wagon since i have a bad back and needed something with easier access to load/unload stuff.
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thx
George
cdr108@yahoo.com
1985 300SD Turbo Diesel - 299,xxx km (5/2008)
1995 E320 - 279,xxx km (5/2008)
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