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German cars can have the same problems as any other country of origin, as they are not immune to problems, by any stretch of the imagination. Used Mercedes can be absolute nightmares to handle, especially if they date to the Chrysler years, when even the new models had many shortcomings, requiring frequent in-warranty repairs. More recent examples have improved a bit, but not back to the pre-Chrysler levels where Mercedes had legendary build-quality.
Some would even say that the W126 was the last properly engineered Mercedes that was a Mercedes, before Lexus gained a foothold in the core luxury car market, requiring Mercedes to compete in a class that it once defined. The W140 was a move in that direction, filled with advanced technology, and well engineered, but not without problems that did not plague earlier Mercedes models. In competing with Lexus, Mercedes increased the features, but the results were less-than-stellar in terms of reliability because techno-wizardry was never Mercedes' strong suit. The W220 exhibited obvious cost cutting from the over engineered W140. The W221 is a better replacement, and is a bit more reliable, but Mercedes does not have the edge that it used to in terms of engineering. However, Mercedes is getting better with respect to providing a product that is reliable and includes the technology of Lexus, but Lexus has changed the rules of the class to a degree where Mercedes does not have the competitive advantage it once did. Then again, Mercedes is more of a diver's car, not to the same level of a BMW, but more than a Lexus that tends to be tuned more for comfort than performance.
Acura and Lexus have eroded some of Mercedes and BMW's market share by the reliability factor, especially for people who are not brand enthusiasts, and who want a reliable car. I have owned several German cars, and they are not without their own issues, depending upon brand, just as American or Japanese or Korean cars cannot be said to be entirely trouble-free, depending upon brand.
Regarding repairs, I have never found a Mercedes dealer who would even come close to an estimate from an independent mechanic. For BMW, I don't even bother asking, since I am not satisfied with the service departments that are in the areas where I drive, since they pale in comparison to two independent shops that are fantastic and run by enthusiasts. Lexus and Acura can be just as expensive at the dealership for repair as a German car, which is indicative more of the class of the vehicle and target customer than anything else.
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The 928 is a special case. I've worked on a couple of them. There were some weird packaging decisions in that car, (like where the battery was located) and yes, since it was a Porsche, it could take special tools.
Quote:"There were some weird packaging decisions in that car, (like where the battery was located)"
Lots of cars have the batteries in the trunk... My S80 Volvo has it there.
The hardest part was the number of other components you had to remove to get to the item you wanted to replace. For its day, it was incredible, (Boston to Rochester in 4 hours ).
High complexity = more maintenance. When things worked, it was awesome.
I have seen a lot of built up "I can't afford it so I have to bash it" agnst against German brands especially BMW and Benz. German parts are expensive...repairs are expensive....BS. Have you guys taken a BMW or Benz to a qualified independent repair shop and NOT A DEALER aka STEALERSHIP? You take any car to the dealer and they will rip you off same thing goes with German cars. Like I mentioned before, I have spent $368 for 1 repair on my 2006 Bimmer. How many of you can say the same thing on your 5 year old car? I haven't paid a dime for oil changes, light bulb changes, brakes, wipers, etc etc.
Ok, so not only does it show a single sample of what you have spent to date, it demonstrates an incomplete experience with the vehicle. (i.e. over the life of a car). You are digging a hole.
Ok, so not only does it show a single sample of what you have spent to date, it demonstrates an incomplete experience with the vehicle. (i.e. over the life of a car). You are digging a hole.
Excelt that his experience mirrors a lot of others, as well. My stepson's dad bought an '02 325i brand new and spent very little on it for it's 225k miles, till he gave it to my stepson. We did a coupel small things (alternator and haeter blower motor) for a coupel hundred bucks and it's going fine still.
The point is it was claimed that the BMWs, especiay USED ones, ARE GOING TO cost a lot to maintain or repair, and that's simply NOT a given.
Ok, so not only does it show a single sample of what you have spent to date, it demonstrates an incomplete experience with the vehicle. (i.e. over the life of a car). You are digging a hole.
how is that digging myself into a hole? Maybe you didn't read what I wrote before....During the life of the car so far....EVERYTHING was covered under warranty...no out of pocket expenses. NONE for oil changes, BRAKES, wipers, bulbs, etc etc. TO DATE I have only needed to spend $368 to fix any repair on my vehicle. My car has been out of warranty for going on 2 yrs.
But yeah, I think people are just intimidated by German cars and fail to realize they're just cars. Honestly though, I think a lot of blue-collar/small-minded types are biased and are who spread the stereotypes about parts and service being so expensive failing to realize on a German car you don't have to replace major things like a head gasket, transmission, etc. like you do on a Cadillac and other poorly-engineered/built cars.
Help me find some data to support your conclusion that Cadillac is a poorly engineered/built car. The three links I provide here compare a 2010 CTS to a 2010 5 series to a 2010 E series and they conclude that the Cadillac is the better value in regards to cost of ownership. This does not jibe with your blanket statement about Cadillac being lesser to the Germans. Why is that?
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