Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

houdini1

Looks like our 99....same color even. I loved that car, 4 cylinder Kompressor. Inside was beautiful...I like that lowered dash with wood strip. It's the little things Mercedes does that really differentiate them. New models have nice grills across the back shelf and across the dash.....nice touch.



What, so you can barbecue while driving?

driver100

houdini1 said:

Looks like our 99....same color even. I loved that car, 4 cylinder Kompressor. Inside was beautiful...I like that lowered dash with wood strip. It's the little things Mercedes does that really differentiate them. New models have nice grills across the back shelf and across the dash.....nice touch.



What, so you can barbecue while driving?

lol....Like I say, Mercedes thinks of everything!

Note the "grill" on the top of the dash....not just holes for defroster;

sda

stickguy,
Your son might want to consider the clear bra or what ever they call it. He doesn't have to get it at the dealership and can get a better price elsewhere. I wish I had it on the Accord. I did a lot of interstate driving and the front bumper and front edge of the hood has many little stone pecks. Luckily the light color hides them well. With a dark color they will show especially after wax gets caught in them.

Mr_Shiftright

oldfarmer50 said:

Guy I knew in college who loved them and bought one. First week out one front wheels fell off and it came down on the sheet metal. Turned out there was little metal but a lot of Bondo.

Kudos to the owner of that MGA, who properly painted the wire wheels instead of chroming them.

sda

driver100 said:

houdini1 said:

Looks like our 99....same color even. I loved that car, 4 cylinder Kompressor. Inside was beautiful...I like that lowered dash with wood strip. It's the little things Mercedes does that really differentiate them. New models have nice grills across the back shelf and across the dash.....nice touch.

What, so you can barbecue while driving?

lol....Like I say, Mercedes thinks of everything!

Note the "grill" on the top of the dash....not just holes for defroster;



I think Mercedes, Audi and Cadillac have some of the best looking interiors currently available. Once you get spoiled to them it is hard to look at anything else.

Mr_Shiftright

Germans like buttons though....what's up with that?

28firefighter

So much for the snow here in Seattle. Maybe received half an inch or so here in the city, most of which has washed away already...so disappointing!

fintail

Maybe an inch in areas out here in Bellevue. Roads are clear save for the most deserted side streets, which have a little slush. It was very pretty last night anyway, snow fell long past midnight. I have the day off, so I won't have to get my car mucked up my the de-icer and sludge on the road

fintail

That silver was huge on later W202s, probably 90% of C43 production. My car was the V8 out of the E/S430 shoehorned into the C-class. Kind of a fun little go kart, but as I am marginally tall, it was a 3 seater. I traded it for the E55 AMG I drove for years.

The interior you post is a facelift (2014+) E-class, which I think is very nice inside - especially at the price point, as they can depreciate steeply. My E250 has the same steering wheel, but matte funish wood instead of the silver trim pictured - the silver trim is almost never seen in NA.

driver100 said:

Looks like our 99....same color even. I loved that car, 4 cylinder Kompressor. Inside was beautiful...I like that lowered dash with wood strip. It's the little things Mercedes does that really differentiate them. New models have nice grills across the back shelf and across the dash.....nice touch.

jmonroe

suydam said:

Spotted this at the mall yesterday. My Dad had 3 different MGs so seeing one always makes me smile.

Now that is a nice car.

It even has operational bumpers for both the front and rear.

I'll bet that option had to cost a fortune.

jmonroe

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright said:

Germans like buttons though....what's up with that?

Out of warranty repairs, I think.

Maybe I shouldn't talk. My Genny doesn't lack for buttons but, then again, it ain't German either.

jmonroe

ab348

driver100 said:

Looks like our 99....same color even. I loved that car, 4 cylinder Kompressor. Inside was beautiful...I like that lowered dash with wood strip. It's the little things Mercedes does that really differentiate them. New models have nice grills across the back shelf and across the dash.....nice touch.

My 2011 Regal Turbo (really an Opel Insignia, remember) did the same thing with the (fake) wood strip across the dash just below the windshield, maybe a throwback to that C-class. I always thought that it looked good.

Mr_Shiftright

Simple rugged cars. Not sure I like those whitewalls....that plus the color make this just a bit too cute for a vintage British sports car.

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Looks like our 99....same color even. I loved that car, 4 cylinder Kompressor. Inside was beautiful...I like that lowered dash with wood strip. It's the little things Mercedes does that really differentiate them. New models have nice grills across the back shelf and across the dash.....nice touch.

My 2011 Regal Turbo (really an Opel Insignia, remember) did the same thing with the (fake) wood strip across the dash just below the windshield, maybe a throwback to that C-class. I always thought that it looked good.

I think they stole that interior from the old Lincoln Mark VIII

qbrozen

There is only so much you can do with 2 seats, a center console, and a dashboard. They all look similar these days with some standout exceptions like the tacked on Nav in the C-class, for example, or the popup Nav in some last gen Volvos.

Michaell

@suydam - was that picture taken near Chaucers bookstore? I sort of recognize the parking lot.

sda

qbrozen said:

There is only so much you can do with 2 seats, a center console, and a dashboard. They all look similar these days with some standout exceptions like the tacked on Nav in the C-class, for example, or the popup Nav in some last gen Volvos.

OF--is that a recent interior shot of your Lincoln? It looks great!

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

Germans like buttons though....what's up with that?

You hardly use the buttons...they are just there in case you forget how to use the joystick or actually phone a number.

Mr_Shiftright

I like 'clean", easy-to-read and highly functional---you know, like this:



And this machine can FLY, too!

driver100

sda said:

stickguy,
Your son might want to consider the clear bra or what ever they call it. He doesn't have to get it at the dealership and can get a better price elsewhere. I wish I had it on the Accord. I did a lot of interstate driving and the front bumper and front edge of the hood has many little stone pecks. Luckily the light color hides them well. With a dark color they will show especially after wax gets caught in them.

I had the clear coat 3M plastic cover put on the front of my 2012 bmw 535. My friend suggested it.....low price of $350 at the Acura dealer. Then he went to have it put on his Audi S4 and the dealer who knew him well said don't do it. On a white car it yellows over time so becomes visible. It may protect against small stones etc., but anything larger is going to dent the surface anyway. Better to take your chances, and get a paint touch up one day if you have to. My friend told me and I didn't bother when I traded the 535 for the E400, and I don't think it made much difference.

andres3

nyccarguy said:

Update

There is a company at my house ripping out the carpeting and padding. I called the insurance company and they told me the claim falls under a "pump failure/sewer backup clause." $5,000 max. The adjuster said he probably won't even send someone out to look at the damage, just cut me a check. Whoa! There's obviously much more than $5,000 worth of damage.

My agent are fighting to see how they can get the additional damage covered. The $5K will cover the clean up & then new carpeting or whatever type of flooring I decide to put down. What if I gave furniture, an entertainment system, a TV, my computer down there?

Thanks as always for the support guys

I've always said Insurance is a scam-artist industry of fraud, that always tries to exclude any claim that could actually happen, while covering only claims that would never happen. Your mileage may vary, or you get "partial" coverage limited in other ways.

fintail

But it wants to be

jmonroe said:

Maybe I shouldn't talk. My Genny doesn't lack for buttons but, then again, it ain't German either.

jmonroe

fintail

I actually got that for my E250, as there's a good chance I might buy it at the end of the lease, and I've had terrible luck with rock damage here. I am in a coastal state, yet gravel seems to be the material of choice on bad roads, not sand. I remember my W126 and the C43 had dinged lenses from rocks, E55 got tons of rock chips one year, along with two windshield dings and I eventually lost the windshield when a lane divider puck flew up and spiderwebbed the passenger side. First W212 received a large rock chip and broken LED DRL due to negligent road management. That stuff irritates me to no end.

driver100 said:

<
I had the clear coat 3M plastic cover put on the front of my 2012 bmw 535. My friend suggested it.....low price of $350 at the Acura dealer. Then he went to have it put on his Audi S4 and the dealer who knew him well said don't do it. On a white car it yellows over time so becomes visible. It may protect against small stones etc., but anything larger is going to dent the surface anyway. Better to take your chances, and get a paint touch up one day if you have to. My friend told me and I didn't bother when I traded the 535 for the E400, and I don't think it made much difference.

andres3

fintail said:

I actually got that for my E250, as there's a good chance I might buy it at the end of the lease, and I've had terrible luck with rock damage here. I am in a coastal state, yet gravel seems to be the material of choice on bad roads, not sand. I remember my W126 and the C43 had dinged lenses from rocks, E55 got tons of rock chips one year, along with two windshield dings and I eventually lost the windshield when a lane divider puck flew up and spiderwebbed the passenger side. First W212 received a large rock chip and broken LED DRL due to negligent road management. That stuff irritates me to no end.

driver100 said:

<
I had the clear coat 3M plastic cover put on the front of my 2012 bmw 535. My friend suggested it.....low price of $350 at the Acura dealer. Then he went to have it put on his Audi S4 and the dealer who knew him well said don't do it. On a white car it yellows over time so becomes visible. It may protect against small stones etc., but anything larger is going to dent the surface anyway. Better to take your chances, and get a paint touch up one day if you have to. My friend told me and I didn't bother when I traded the 535 for the E400, and I don't think it made much difference.

I've noticed a lot of potholes in San Diego County after the last couple of rains.

First, compliments to the City for filling them relatively fast afterward.

Second, Lynch mob for the City failing to fill all of them in the same stretch of road. It appears they did about 5 out of 6 or so, and decided that was good enough, or it was break time or call it quits time even though a few remained on the same road prior to the next intersection.

fintail

It snowed here last night, and I notice the transit buses are all out on chains. That should help the already decaying lowest-bidder road surfaces. For as gentle as the climate is here, and the relative affluence of the city where I live, there are some really sketchy sections of road.

andres3 said:

I've noticed a lot of potholes in San Diego County after the last couple of rains.

First, compliments to the City for filling them relatively fast afterward.

Second, Lynch mob for the City failing to fill all of them in the same stretch of road. It appears they did about 5 out of 6 or so, and decided that was good enough, or it was break time or call it quits time even though a few remained on the same road prior to the next intersection.

jmonroe

fintail said:

But it wants to be

jmonroe said:

Maybe I shouldn't talk. My Genny doesn't lack for buttons but, then again, it ain't German either.

jmonroe

Yeah, you're right. You German enthuiasts can see right through us wannabees

jmonroe

fintail

Not personally, of course, just the car. I think the Genesis and now the new Cadenza are doing more and more of an Audi impression, and improving it as time goes on.

jmonroe said:

Yeah, you're right. You German enthuiasts can see right through us wannabees

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright

You remember when Lexus kicked the stuffings out of Mercedes by giving considerable value and content at a great price. I think the Korean automakers are now up to the same thing.

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

Simple rugged cars. Not sure I like those whitewalls....that plus the color make this just a bit too cute for a vintage British sports car.

Depends who is driving it!

robr2

Tap Tap - Is thing on?

Been gone awhile. What's up??

driver100

fintail said:

But it wants to be

jmonroe said:

Maybe I shouldn't talk. My Genny doesn't lack for buttons but, then again, it ain't German either.

jmonroe

Don't tell him that....I think he convinced himself it is German.

fintail

The Koreans are going after the established Japanese (premium and mainstream) labels more right now, I think.

Lexus indeed kicked the Germans in the gut, at least in NA, as the brand still hasn't gained nearly such a foothold elsewhere. The Germans have stayed alive sales and profit-wise, too. Lexus is a big reason that German price inflation slowed down, and that German cars became easier to live with. In a way, both sides won in the end.

driver100

jmonroe said:

fintail said:

But it wants to be

jmonroe said:

Maybe I shouldn't talk. My Genny doesn't lack for buttons but, then again, it ain't German either.

jmonroe

Yeah, you're right. You German enthuiasts can see right through us wannabees

jmonroe

Why not just buy the real thing, and not feel bad driving the copy cat versions :@

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

I like 'clean", easy-to-read and highly functional---you know, like this:



And this machine can FLY, too!

Is this simple enough for you?

Mr_Shiftright

That's a bit TOO simple, thanks.

I like analog gauges so that I can see things "as they progress".

My Mini heat gauge, for instance, drives me nuts. It doesn't actually go from "cold to hot". It goes from cold to "normal" and then, if you were to overheat, it just slams right to hot. It's not graduated. It's no better than a light, really.

I don't like digital gauges for anything, ever (in a car I mean).

Of course, a digital representation of an analog gauge might be ok.

jmonroe

robr2 said:

Tap Tap - Is thing on?

Been gone awhile. What's up??

Great, just what we need...another hit and run poster.

Lets see if you do any better than the ole @jipster

Welcome back.

jmonroe

jmonroe

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

fintail said:

But it wants to be

jmonroe said:

Maybe I shouldn't talk. My Genny doesn't lack for buttons but, then again, it ain't German either.

jmonroe

Yeah, you're right. You German enthuiasts can see right through us wannabees

jmonroe

Why not just buy the real thing, and not feel bad driving the copy cat versions :@

I am driving the REAL thing. It's a REAL Korean car.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

L

sda said:

qbrozen said:

There is only so much you can do with 2 seats, a center console, and a dashboard. They all look similar these days with some standout exceptions like the tacked on Nav in the C-class, for example, or the popup Nav in some last gen Volvos.

OF--is that a recent interior shot of your Lincoln? It looks great!

No, mine is beige. Doesn't look that good but it's not bad for all those years.

nyccarguy

ROB! HEY! How's it going @robr2? Welcome back!

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Looks like our 99....same color even. I loved that car, 4 cylinder Kompressor. Inside was beautiful...I like that lowered dash with wood strip. It's the little things Mercedes does that really differentiate them. New models have nice grills across the back shelf and across the dash.....nice touch.

My 2011 Regal Turbo (really an Opel Insignia, remember) did the same thing with the (fake) wood strip across the dash just below the windshield, maybe a throwback to that C-class. I always thought that it looked good.

I think they stole that interior from the old Lincoln Mark VIII

of, I checked back to look at your Lincoln's interior (similar at least) and that looks really smart, and it is over 20 years old. Would look good today. In fact, your 95 Lincoln has a nicer dash than this 2014 Lincoln MKZ.

driver100

nyccarguy said:

ROB! HEY! How's it going @robr2? Welcome back!

Yeh Rob2, welcome back. Where have you been, sitting in a car salesman's office eating a submarine sandwich trying to negotiate a car deal?

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright said:

That's a bit TOO simple, thanks.

I like analog gauges so that I can see things "as they progress".

My Mini heat gauge, for instance, drives me nuts. It doesn't actually go from "cold to hot". It goes from cold to "normal" and then, if you were to overheat, it just slams right to hot. It's not graduated. It's no better than a light, really.

I don't like digital gauges for anything, ever (in a car I mean).

Of course, a digital representation of an analog gauge might be ok.

I'm with you. I like the analog gauges with a pointer.

My '09 Genny had the pointer for both the temp and gas gauges. My '15 Genny has bars that come on as the temp goes up and as the gas goes down the bars go off. It would be nice if Hyundai could figure out if they want their bar gauge's lights to come on go off. I'm hoping they figure it out someday. Maybe they need some help with that from the Germans.

FWIW, Mrs. j's '12 Legacy has a blue light that comes on when it is cold and goes out pretty quickly, no more that 2 blocks if driving. I'm guessing that it has an idiot red light that comes on when it gets hot. That's never happened so I don't know how many blocks you have to drive it before that light goes off.

jmonroe

stickguy

I thought at this point even the gauges that look like gauges were phony. So bars, dials and pointers, were really the same thing, just a digital interpretation.

temp gauges for sure have been glorified idiot lights for a while.

fintail

Blue light - some old car my dad when I was young had that feature. Maybe it was the 66 Ford I drove when I got my license. I definitely remember a "cold light" on something, and that was a cold-blooded car.

MB had digital bars for temp and fuel in the W211 E-class, model years 03-09. I don't know if any other MB (other than the related CLK) had it, MB and German cars in general tend to have traditional gauges, even if some are digital simulations now.

Gauges so you can see as things as progress, just get a fintail, it's all vertical and easy like a thermometer:

jmonroe

My '95 Bonneville even had a battery and oil pressure gauge in addition to a temp gauge. The gas gauge is not shown here, it's on the other side if the dash, to the left of the steering wheel.

No, I'm not longing for the bad old days. :@



jmonroe

henryn

Mr_Shiftright said:

That's a bit TOO simple, thanks.

I like analog gauges so that I can see things "as they progress".

My Mini heat gauge, for instance, drives me nuts. It doesn't actually go from "cold to hot". It goes from cold to "normal" and then, if you were to overheat, it just slams right to hot. It's not graduated. It's no better than a light, really.

I don't like digital gauges for anything, ever (in a car I mean).

Of course, a digital representation of an analog gauge might be ok.

A few years back, when I owned a diesel Ford truck, I used to hang out in a forum with other owners. One of the other participants was an EE, and he conclusively proved the oil pressure gauge was in effect an idiot light. There were only two possible readings: either zero or 5/8 scale. That was it, period, there was no way to get the needle to represent anything except zero or 5/8 scale.

Which made me think false advertising, claiming to include an oil pressure gauge which was in effect an idiot light.

And I will add this: kudos to Volkswagen for the gas gauge in this Passat. It is the most precise, most accurate gas gauge I have ever seen in my more than 5 decades of driving.

driver100

If you love gauges:

oldfarmer50

jmonroe said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

That's a bit TOO simple, thanks.

I like analog gauges so that I can see things "as they progress".

My Mini heat gauge, for instance, drives me nuts. It doesn't actually go from "cold to hot". It goes from cold to "normal" and then, if you were to overheat, it just slams right to hot. It's not graduated. It's no better than a light, really.

I don't like digital gauges for anything, ever (in a car I mean).

Of course, a digital representation of an analog gauge might be ok.

I'm with you. I like the analog gauges with a pointer.

My '09 Genny had the pointer for both the temp and gas gauges. My '15 Genny has bars that come on as the temp goes up and as the gas goes down the bars go off. It would be nice if Hyundai could figure out if they want their bar gauge's lights to come on go off. I'm hoping they figure it out someday. Maybe they need some help with that from the Germans.

FWIW, Mrs. j's '12 Legacy has a blue light that comes on when it is cold and goes out pretty quickly, no more that 2 blocks if driving. I'm guessing that it has an idiot red light that comes on when it gets hot. That's never happened so I don't know how many blocks you have to drive it before that light goes off.

jmonroe

Some gauges are goofy. On the Mustang the temp. gauge has a needle but just goes from cold to hot without telling the actual temp. I also have a gauge function that tells me things like intake manifold temp. in actual degrees. Why would they think it important to know manifold temp. more accurately than engine temp.?

houdini1

driver100 said:

nyccarguy said:

ROB! HEY! How's it going @robr2? Welcome back!

Yeh Rob2, welcome back. Where have you been, sitting in a car salesman's office eating a submarine sandwich trying to negotiate a car deal?

Yes, Rob, we have missed our human encyclopedia and fact checker. Welcome back.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

That's a bit TOO simple, thanks.
https://youtu.be/Kd4r35ghnO4
I like analog gauges so that I can see things "as they progress".

My Mini heat gauge, for instance, drives me nuts. It doesn't actually go from "cold to hot". It goes from cold to "normal" and then, if you were to overheat, it just slams right to hot. It's not graduated. It's no better than a light, really.

I don't like digital gauges for anything, ever (in a car I mean).

Of course, a digital representation of an analog gauge might be ok.

I'm with you. I like the analog gauges with a pointer.

My '09 Genny had the pointer for both the temp and gas gauges. My '15 Genny has bars that come on as the temp goes up and as the gas goes down the bars go off. It would be nice if Hyundai could figure out if they want their bar gauge's lights to come on go off. I'm hoping they figure it out someday. Maybe they need some help with that from the Germans.

FWIW, Mrs. j's '12 Legacy has a blue light that comes on when it is cold and goes out pretty quickly, no more that 2 blocks if driving. I'm guessing that it has an idiot red light that comes on when it gets hot. That's never happened so I don't know how many blocks you have to drive it before that light goes off.

jmonroe

Some gauges are goofy. On the Mustang the temp. gauge has a needle but just goes from cold to hot without telling the actual temp. I also have a gauge function that tells me things like intake manifold temp. in actual degrees. Why would they think it important to know manifold temp. more accurately than engine temp.?

What do you do about a hot manifold temperature? I don't think I have seen one of those gauges. How does it get overheated? During a fast getaway?

Speaking of which...new Grappler Device to cath getaway cars (40 seconds)
https://youtu.be/Kd4r35ghnO4