Mercedes, What's the Deal ??

[Wolf359]

Too much maintenance--tires wearing out at 13K miles, alignment needed every 6 months, brakes gone at 23K. The cheapest Ford/Chevy/Dodge on the planet does not need that much maintenance.

OEM tires usually aren't that great. I have a set of Michelins A/S 3+ on the car now, got about 40k out of the last set and those came with the car when I bought it used so don't know how many miles were on it before I got it. I usually get the 3 year alignment warranty at Goodyear, about $179. For brakes, you can get the pads and rotors at FCPeuro and they have a lifetime warranty on all the parts they sell. Probably doesn't do you any good on a lease.

There is an arrangement between MB Germany where the parts are produced and MB USA. A friend of mine had a Euro spec E car sold in Holland with Euro cloth interior and shipped privately to the USA. It needed OE seat covers (it was a recovered theft) MB USA said not available but in Germany they were in stock but would not sell them to me as the car had no domestic sale history or papers to prove it was in Germany.

Yeah, what MB USA does and what's done in Europe are two different things. I replaced a CV boot on my W211 and paid about $40 for the boot kit from MB which also came with the axle bolt. I was curious what that would cost on the W212, but you can't get a boot kit for that model. Only comes with the joint and the boot which is more like $200+ instead of just the boot for $40. But I've found that they sell just the boot in Europe and there are vendors on eBay in Europe that will sell it to you, just more for shipping and a longer shipping time.

 

[mightymousetech]

Slacktide_bitog " All the luxury and prestige of Mercedes but with Toyota quality "

Only to a point. When Toyota can build something even close to this V12 S600 Maybach you may have a point. MB build the best cars in the world with the exception of RR even then its a toss up.

View attachment 25444

So, you mean BMW.

 

[jstert]

i went from a c280 to a glk350 to my current vw passat s, all cpo. i can afford to pay cash for essentially any car that i want now, but i absolutely & completely loathe the car buying process and my passat runs just dandy. i loved highway trips in both mb, but the passat is 70% of the mb experience at 50% of the cost. i buy cars to own and drive, not to impress or write off on my taxes. i simply tired of the mb running costs and, since i’m no wrencher, my german origin cars do best being religiously and dealer maintained.

the german luxury brands clearly choose to pursue the wealthy lease market segment in north america. these cars have become toys loaded with mandatory option packages and parts that seem to grenade once warranties are done. my c280 was a special order, no frills, dealer loaner, it even lacked a sunroof to my great pleasure.

to circle back to o.p., i would now only buy a recent cpo mb that was well maintained, be able to wrench it myself or be willing to pay for regular dealer service.

 

[JT20]

Ya like doing an AC recharge. Once done the car will not start because the fuel pump decided to call it quits while in my shop. The MB owners are the worst when stuff like this happens.

Always the shops fault. This is why we refuse them.

Some people are just natural born scam artists this way.

I will never forget how I did an oil change on someone's car once. A simple oil change. With that car's brand of oil, to alleviate any fears (this one of those that tells me, don't get the oil from Walmart! It will mess up the car. This person wanted me to go to the dealer and buy their oil. For an American made economy car. One of those...) of it being the wrong oil or to do any damage or mess anything up, etc. Pretty sure that car said 5W-20 on the cap.

That should have been a sign.

I may have even talked them into letting me get the oil from Walmart, I forget. Mobil, Supertech, I had to try to educate this person on how any new, fresh API SN motor oil would be the same for her car, and that I could probably spend about $20 and get both the oil and a filter.. Fast forward, I changed the oil for the car. Pretty straightforward, and it takes longer to clean up and put things away afterwards than to change the oil.

Well... Somehow, according to the owner.. this oil change made the whole car not run right. I even forget the complaints, but now, you're the guy that touched it, and you have a zealous crazy person saying you did this and that.

You'd think it be simple enough to ignore, but.. yeah, never again.

Never, ever, again.

Natural born scam artist tendencies.

 

[BHopkins]

I never get close to 30mpg on my 2008 E-350. Sometimes only around 16-18, but sometimes 20-24 if mostly highway. It's 4matic though.

On a trip from Utah to Kentucky and back, I averaged 29 mpg on the way out and 27 mpg on the way home. And that's doing between 80-83 mph wherever possible.

I had read accounts of others getting similar fuel economy out of the E350, but just driving around home, I tend to average about 25-26 mpg. So I was very pleasantly surprised how well she did on the open road. Especially for a car as big as they are and with over 300 hp.

 

[JT20]

On a trip from Utah to Kentucky and back, I averaged 29 mpg on the way out and 27 mpg on the way home. And that's doing between 80-83 mph wherever possible.

I had read accounts of others getting similar fuel economy out of the E350, but just driving around home, I tend to average about 25-26 mpg. So I was very pleasantly surprised how well she did on the open road. Especially for a car as big as they are and with over 300 hp.

Is there cylinder deactivation on that car ?

About Benz . Was going to say.. The K in CLK does not mean Kompressor. It means Kurz German for Short.

 

[Wolf359]

On a trip from Utah to Kentucky and back, I averaged 29 mpg on the way out and 27 mpg on the way home. And that's doing between 80-83 mph wherever possible.

I had read accounts of others getting similar fuel economy out of the E350, but just driving around home, I tend to average about 25-26 mpg. So I was very pleasantly surprised how well she did on the open road. Especially for a car as big as they are and with over 300 hp.

Oh yeah the new ones have much better gas mileage than the old ones. Mine was a 5 speed in the 4matic. I think in your year, it's a 7 speed. I get better gas mileage in my 2011, but only in the 24mpg range, at best maybe 27-28. But the direct injection engine made more hp and also got better gas mileage over the M272 in my 2011.

Mercedes has not done cylinder deactivation.

 

[BHopkins]

Is there cylinder deactivation on that car ?

About Benz . Was going to say.. The K in CLK does not mean Kompressor. It means Kurz German for Short.

It is always interesting to learn what the Mercedes naming means. Thanks for sharing.

Oh yeah the new ones have much better gas mileage than the old ones. Mine was a 5 speed in the 4matic. I think in your year, it's a 7 speed. I get better gas mileage in my 2011, but only in the 24mpg range, at best maybe 27-28. But the direct injection engine made more hp and also got better gas mileage over the M272 in my 2011.

Mercedes has not done cylinder deactivation.

Yes, You are right. Mine has the 227.9 7 speed tranny. They are amazingly bulletproof up to somewhere around 450 hp.

I didn't think MB had done cylinder deactivation, but wasn't sure of it. I've seen some guys report that their wives, who drive a lot more conservatively, get mid 30 fuel economy out of the E350. I'll never know if mine can do that. There seems to be something wrong with my accelerator pedal. It has a lot of excess force applied to it on the open road.

 

[JT20]

Is the

It is always interesting to learn what the Mercedes naming means. Thanks for sharing.



Yes, You are right. Mine has the 227.9 7 speed tranny. They are amazingly bulletproof up to somewhere around 450 hp.

I didn't think MB had done cylinder deactivation, but wasn't sure of it. I've seen some guys report that their wives, who drive a lot more conservatively, get mid 30 fuel economy out of the E350. I'll never know if mine can do that. There seems to be something wrong with my accelerator pedal. It has a lot of excess force applied to it on the open road.

Some Mercedes-Benz parts have migrated to Chrysler or whatever they call themselves this week.

The 300 has an E-class rear axle. I do not know why.

I think Chrysler has the 8 speed ZF.

 

[nthach]

Is the

Some Mercedes-Benz parts have migrated to Chrysler or whatever they call themselves this week.

The 300 has an E-class rear axle. I do not know why.

I think Chrysler has the 8 speed ZF.

The Chrysler LX platform shares lineage with the W140 S-Class and W210 E-Class. How is Daimler letting FCA using their IP, I dunno.

 

[OVERKILL]

The Chrysler LX platform shares lineage with the W140 S-Class and W210 E-Class. How is Daimler letting FCA using their IP, I dunno.

The WK2 Grand Cherokee and Durango share a platform with numerous Mercedes vehicles as well.

 

[JT20]

The WK2 Grand Cherokee and Durango share a platform with numerous Mercedes vehicles as well.

GL450?

 

[OVERKILL]

GL450?

W166 platform in Mercedes land, which includes the ML350, ML400, ML550, ML63/GLE63 AMG, ML250, GLE 500e.

 

[Carmudgeon]

The Chrysler LX platform shares lineage with the W140 S-Class and W210 E-Class. How is Daimler letting FCA using their IP, I dunno.

Parting gift from the DCX divorce.

 

[ollie]

Mercedes has parts available for every car they’ve ever built. No other manufacture has that kind of support.

I can get every single part for the 1975 450SL I’m helping a friend with. Every part. Toyota, and lots of others, start dropping production of replacement parts about 10 years after production.

Good luck going to any other marque dealer and asking the parts guys for parts on a 45 year old car. Mercedes can even cut you a key for that car, based on their records.

That's very interesting info. I had no idea. Honda motorcycles used to be that way. I'm not so sure anymore. Personally I would only have a German car under a lease. I just don't have the budget to maintain and repair them.

 

[2EHA]

Is the

Some Mercedes-Benz parts have migrated to Chrysler or whatever they call themselves this week.

The 300 has an E-class rear axle. I do not know why.

I think Chrysler has the 8 speed ZF.

SRT8s had AMG diff carriers, maybe 211 E-class rear arms as well.

Back in the day when the SRT guys started dumping their 3.08 ring and pinion a lot of us E55 guys picked them up to replace our 2.65s but you had to tune the NAG-1 TCU or else the car wouldn’t drive

 

[JT20]

W166 platform in Mercedes land, which includes the ML350, ML400, ML550, ML63/GLE63 AMG, ML250, GLE 500e.

I appreciate that.

Every time I see a Durango, I wait for it to park next to a GL450. You can tell a lot about cars when they are side by side. (Underpinnings)
It's not that clear cut and dry, no, but.. Shape, dimensions, wheelbase, you can see it all.

 

[JT20]

Parting gift from the DCX divorce.

Cerberus days?

 

[2EHA]

The Chrysler LX platform shares lineage with the W140 S-Class and W210 E-Class. How is Daimler letting FCA using their IP, I dunno.

Mopar was printing cash in the 90s, Daimler was bleeding bad.

Daimler tapped into the lush cash reserves, revoked their license to print money and in exchange helped them start building some decent vehicles, namely with the help of a not garbage transmission and a modular SUV platform. They also brought their R&D into the 21st century with some notable duds like the Caliber.

Once Daimler got what they needed they made a run for it but Chrysler’s offerings spoke for themselves and after the formation of FCA they’re really stronger than ever.

 

[nthach]

They also brought their R&D into the 21st century with some notable duds like the Caliber.

Once Daimler got what they needed they made a run for it but Chrysler’s offerings spoke for themselves and after the formation of FCA they’re really stronger than ever.

I have to give FCA credit for keeping a 15 year old platform alive and able to complete against GM and Ford’s most capable pony cars and then some. And they did help bring Mopar from the Byzantine era.

The Mitsu-derived Caliber/Avenger, Sebring/200 and Journey whose underpinnings are rooted from the Eclipse and Galant is no more - and even so Mopar managed to eke it’s money’s worth from it. Too bad the Dart based on a Alfa Romeo/Fiat platform never really took off - but the Jeep Renegade that’s based off that I see around.