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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedans
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The "Turtle wax" Zymol does work well. The product is easy to apply and remove. As for the shine, I think my car looks great.
I agree that a polymer product like Zaino should last longer. However, Zaino remains untested by RELIABLE sources such as Consumer Reports.
NU-Finish (a polymer product) did not score as well as Zymol.
Finally, M-B recommends a WAX based product for its cars. Polymer products like Zaino are probably excellent protectants but I prefer to stick with the manufacturer's recommendations.
valueguy - Zaino has been tested by many satisfied users -- try their Town Talk forum under Maintenance & Repair. Incidentally, Consumer Reports rated NuFinish as their top product for several years running and, in fact, got me to start using it. I was satisfied until I tried Zaino, and now I find I don't have to "rub and scrub" when applying the product. As I mentioned, it's easy -- just wipe on, let dry, wipe off.
Finally, I suspect that MB recommends a wax-based product largely because it sells Maguires (wax based) under the Mercedes-Benz label. But again, if Zymol works for you, so be it! LOL.
I have already used Zymol on my new car and it looks great. I am ordering products from Zaino so I can compare.
What color is your E?
Piboss,
I agree that the current GS series lacks the looks and feel of the M-B E Class. Lexus will need to do better in 2003 with the GS redesign.
The BMW 540IA is a fun, fast sporty car. However, the E is more refined, more luxurious and
IMHO, a better built vehicle.
I look forward to reading Slugger4's post on the Zymol Vs. Zaino comparison.
All I can say is that I am satisfied with Zymol.
My vehicle (E430) is garaged most of the time both at home and at work. So, a wax lasts me a long time (6 months). The Zymol does give a nice shine and leaves the paint very smooth to the touch. As for Zaino, I will let Slugger4 tell me how much better this product really is compared to Zymol. Consumer Reports DID evaluate the Meguire's total car care system which I had been using. The Zymol is easier to use and gives just as good a shine.
pitboss
However, the Rolls is usually left off the list.
Is Zaino a Rolls-Royce? If so, then is Zymol a BMW or M-B? Please, car waxes are not stereo systems or cars; and even if they were comparable M-B products are good enough for me.
And please get your facts straight before you counter -- Consumer Reports does NOT, in fact, report on most high end products. In their December 2000 issue, they did NOT include ProScan (the high-end TV made by RCA), except in "Repair History." And you're flat wrong that they include the S-Class MB; check the April issue and you'll find that the S-Class is conspicuous by its absence. As another poster said, CR reports on products that appeal to and are used by the masses. And the Rolls-Royce is ALWAYS left off the list. I know, because I've subscribed to Consumer Reports for almost 20 years.
And while Zaino may well be the "Rolls-Royce" of car care products, I'm not sure what Zymol is (and I don't really care -- you probably don't either!). But you can bet that CR probably will never test Zaino or report on it unless it eventually enjoys mass distribution. But it certainly IS a high-end product that users find superior to anything else that's available.
So continue to use Zymol or anything else that meets your needs. But, please, don't make assertions that aren't valid. We Zaino users actually don't care whether you're happy with Zymol or any other "wax."
I have found their reports useful -- to a degree -- but they really do exclude reports on many if not most high-end items and those which are not mass distributed. Makes sense, though, considering the demographics of most of their subscribers (or, technically, the members of the Consumers Union).
One last note on CR: They toot their horn about NOT accepting any adverstising, yet they shamefully advertise their almost useless "New Car Price Service" that regurgitates information that is readily available in Edmunds (print or inline) and from many other sources. I tried the service once and felt that I was ripped off. They also advertise their equally useless "Consumer Reports Travel Letter," another rip-off that I've tried, plus a number of CR publications which I have avoided.
Thanks,
Jeff
I prefer the imported zymol over the domestic. while the imported is sharper in taste, the domesetic tasted watered down.
I have used Duragloss products for years. A high end product that is similar in its following users love the products. They have a website also. I think when you find a product, and are happy, its nice to hear such enthusiasm.
To those shopping and considering a mercedes.....ask a man or women whom had a bad car accident and survived because the difference was a little variable in the construction of the vehicle they drove. I have heard on occasion that" you need not make an excuse for driving one." That in itself is enough to sway the difference. with that out of the way, I won't buy any thing else, I have extreme brand loyalty for many reasons. Oh, I love my '01 silver 430. Its a blast to drive, and if god forbid have a life threating accident, it will do the best to help me..........Happy new year all-y'all-use guys and gal's. many happy and safe miles driven in the new year......
a) I do not know if anyone else have had the same feeling , but compared to the Mark Levinson system in the Lexus, for example, the premium sound package from Bose does not sound as impressive.
b) What is the best leather cleaner/conditioner would you recommend?
Appreciate any comments and advices from all seasoned MB owner out there.
For many years, I have used Zymol Platinum wax on lesser cars. This eight ounce jar sells for $100. It smells like a fruit salad. It contains the oils of bananas, melons, honeydew, and 51% white carnauba. It is far superior to the liquid cleaner/wax found in auto stores under the Zymol name.
My experience has been that you can get about seven wax jobs from this jar. I also apply the Zymol HD pre-wax cleanser first. The result when applying it to my new car was that while the dealer's wax job looked clean and had a surface shine, after I applied my product, the result was spectacular. The shine was down deep into the "soul" of the paint.
The wood trim had seemed to look like an imitation of plastic, rather than wood. Today, I discovered something new. I applied regular furniture polish (with lemon oil) to the wood. Suddenly, the wood came alive and now looks like real wood, not plastic.
Jack
version. Does anyone know how I can acquire this fruity wax? The Zymol web site does not list the imported version.
Bargemon or Tomsky3 can you help?
I assume you both really like the imported Zymol.
At $100.00 the cost of the Zymol and Zaino is a dead heat.
As for my '00E430 Bose system I agree that this stereo is clearly lacking compared to the best Lexus has to offer. However, the M-B's feel and "fun to drive" factor are far better than the Lexus GS 400/430
IMHO, I would rather own a E-55 than a similarly priced S Class. My favorite S is the AMG S-55 which is, of course, 6 figures plus. On a pure power basis the Lexus GS430 with L tuned package offers the best value. However, the exterior styling of the Lexus pales in comparison to the E430. Everything is a trade-off as M-B, BMW, and Lexus all have their good and bad points.
That stuff in the retail store is not Zymol, BTW. It's Turtle wax. If MB is like BMW it recommends a carnauba wax, and retail-turtle-Zymol may or may not have any carnauba at all.
A good carnauba wax (besides the real Zymol) is Blitz, which works well with 3M Imperial hand glaze (the glaze is supposed to be used to remove wax and slight scratches). I would never use a rubbing compound myself--even mild cleaners cause scratches on black.
Myself I don't use Blitz or Zymol. I use Zaino.
http://www.bhma.com/cgi-bin/bhma.storefront/3a4e8f43027dcc36274c401c4e47062e/Product/View/BHMA180
Jack
The COMAND manual says that you should press the AM/FM button, but I found that it simply toggles between AM and FM.
Jack
Who is right? Advice please.
http://www.zainobros.com/files/application.htm
http://www.mbusa.com/owners/container.jsp?/care/exterior.jsp
valueguy -- I agree that the E55 should cost no more than MSRP. And good luck with the "fruity" Zymol. But FWIW, I have to correct a misconception -- at $100 for a 12 oz bottle, the high-end Zymol is FAR more expensive than Zaino. The corresponding Zaino would cost less than $22 -- $8.95 for Z-1 Polish Lok Pre-Conditioner & Gloss Conditioner plus $12.95 for Z-2 Show Car Polish for Clear Coat Paint. However, for an even better shine, Z-6 Ultra Clean "Gloss Enhancer" Spray is recommended ($9.95, and useful as a substitute for a wash IF the dust is first carefully wiped off the paint). So, for a bit more than $30, you can buy enough Zaino to last a year or two (a hallmark of Zaino is that it should be applied VERY sparingly). BTW, do you have any regrets about buying the E430 Sport vs the E-55? I think I recall reading in this forum that the E55 might be a better value given the limited production and resulting higher resale.
Happy New Year everyone!
Drew
Host of Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
Jean
Happy New Year !
Drew
Host of Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
3m product "rubbing compound" states on the bottle is safe for clear coat finishes. I used the product sparingly on my Silver E430 with no discoloration of the paint.
Drew, which type of Zymol do you use and are you planning on switching to Zaino in the Spring?
By the way, the Blizzaks on all four wheels make the RED E320 a great car on ice, hard-packed snow, and powder. I highly recommend them for the safety that they provide.
The purchase order shows my delivery date of April 13, 2001 - I ordered it November 8. Can anyone offer any first hand info on how close they might come to having it ready on that date? Also would like to see if anyone here has experiences with the Euro delivery, good or bad.
Lotsa debate here on the use of the various wax/polish products. Just wondered if anyone has anything to say about the stuff from Griot's Garage - they have an interesting website from which I just purchased his Detailer's Handbook.
Mac
I am paying MSRP. What are you driving, and how is it going for you?
WRT the oil, no, only AMG-tuned MB vehicles come with Mobil 1 0W40 synthetic oil from the factory. I believe Mobil 1 non-synthetic oil is used for other MBzs. FYI. 0W40 is not available in North America. However, 0W30, 5W30, 10W30, and 15W30 are all available, and all suitable as well, regardless of where you live. Personally, I use 5W30 Mobil 1 synthetic.
I did an early (unscheduled) oil change - this is for my '00 ML320 though, not my E320 - to the synthetic stuff at about 3500+kms, well after the engine was broken in. I changed over to synthetic mostly for peace of mind during the long oil change intervals (not that I have any doubt that the FSS computer's recommendation and regular oil will be fine). I also noticed a slight improvement in smoothness at higher revs, as well as a small (1/2 to 3/4 mpg) improvement in fuel economy.
My service advisor gave me the usual "oh no, you shouldn't do this that early" when I requested the oil change, but everything has been just fine so far for the last 10200kms. As far as I was concerned, since the AMG-tuned engines could handle synthetic right from the factory, the regular MB engines should too after break-in. Also FYI, I bought my own oil from Walmart since it is usually the cheapest place to get Mobil 1. Your service department should have no problem with this arrangement. The FSS counter was not reset during the early oil change (though the counter did detect the new oil and increased the interval by 500kms from 14.5K kms to 15K kms to Service A) so that one can tell when Service A is due.
I hope this helps and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Drew
Host of Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
As far as the oil changes. I plan to bring Mobil 1 5w-30 in and have dealer do oil change at scheduled maintanance. Between that I do my own oil change using Mobil 1 5w-30 as well. I don't feel comforable waiting 12k or so between oil changes. This way a $40 job makes me feel much better. Hey it's a $50k car right?
Founded in 1975 by Dr. William Bailey.
I have been useing duragloss since 1988 and love the product. The interior products are great and my old s class stayed new looking for 11 years.
A full range of high quality products. I remember having a question and got to speak to the Dr., I like accesabilty, and because of that I am a loyal customer, and the stuff works.
Bose: I thought the bose was great till I spent a few days in an 1998 S500. A better bose with bigger speakers and four woofers in back deck! I think the stereo works extremely well. Sound is a personal choice. Aftermarket sounds are not integrated but with powerful components have an "in your face" type sound. THe bose is ambient in that it fills the car with non-directional sound. Aftermarket: you know where its comming from. THose that spend 2-5k to upgrade sound is going to tout the benefits because they just spent the jack. THis is my personal opinion. Preffered sound is a personal opinion and there is no right or wrong, if you like it, great. I am not familiar with lexus stereo choices, but I would never let it determine my auto choice. Int he old days, benz made great cars with bad sounding stereos!
So I just wanted to know what other people's opinions were concerning the teleaid and if they will be renewing it or not.
Thanks for the input.