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When I hit certain potholes, my glovebox pops open and my smartphone re-boots.
I went from the fintail which has a pretty soft and squishy ride, to a W126 which has a very plush and smooth ride, to the C43 which has a rough go-kart ride, to the E55 which has what at first felt very plush compared to the C43, but now gets tiresome on bad lower speed roads, and I fear suspension damage. On highways it is lovely though.
That combined with low profile tire cost probably makes my current lo-pro ride my last. I am sure something taller can still have good cornering.
When you drive up in a '02 Mercedes that's nicely maintained, very few people know it's a nine year old car. Count me as one who wouldn't know a '02 from a '05. People notice the grille, the classic lines, and in a second or two their brain registers "nice Mercedes." Next... Back in the day you might have said that about Cadillacs, and, to a little lesser extent, of Lincolns. Kind of, sort of, but the radical styling changes when those brands introduced new platforms kept a lid on how long you could impress people. Sure, people knew you drove a Cadillac when you pulled up in, say, a '51 in '60, but most people, not just car buffs, knew it was an old Cadillac.
I am sure way back when it was the same for Caddy, maybe changing in the late 50s when year changes became painfully obvious.
I don't think that's a true statement overall. But I think you're on to something. I "believe" -- and that's all it is, don't really know -- that the Germans build their bodies to a very high standard. The rust protection and general solidity helps the cars look good, and helps their structural integrity. The plastic panels you bolt to a door that never sags will rattle less than a car that starts coming apart at the seams. An '80s Benz' door thunk is just like when it was new... try that with a Riviera of the same vintage... you'll have to lift the door up 3/4" before it'll close.
But to age well, your Audis and Benzes will require a lot of care, and a lot of that care can be very expensive. The electronics don't age well, at least in many cases. Head gaskets/turbos/auto transmissions often need repair on Audis, and the price will make you gag. And wasn't it our very own Shifty who said that there are generations of BMWs where plastic parts fail with age due to the environmental regulations and outgassing requirements? Maybe that's all been worked out now, but I would tread carefully.
Cheers -Mathias
On the matter that German cars require a lot of care, and are generally high maintenance, many of the comments in these discussions agree with your conclusion. My very limited experience, with a very well maintained, relatively low mileage '87 3-Series, and my wife's current '07 A4 2.0T Quattro automatic, support your conclusions to some extent.
My 3-Series, which I drove ~25,000 miles over four years, was higher maintenance (per mile) than any of the many American and Japanese cars I've had. I'd summarize the expenses as high, but within the bounds of reasonableness. The Audi's warranty expired at 50,000 miles, in January, and so we've not had any out of pocket expenses yet, other than tires. I expect my tolerance to be tested. We'll see. However, I'd give both cars high marks for the fun-to-drive factor and styling.
Parts availability probably has a chicken and egg element; good parts availability is an important incentive for keeping an older car, and more older cars on the road justifies a well stocked parts system.
I'm thinking that the optimal time to trade our '07 A4 is when it reaches 65,000-70,000 miles.
But interior wise - amazing, even in the bad years.
Agree. However, I think all auto manufacturers are "dumbing down" the quality of parts that are being used. This isn't a new phenomenon, either.
The '92-'96 Camry was probably one of the most overengineered cars made at the time -- Ford took one apart while developing the 'jellybean' Taurus / Sable and were astonished at the quality of the materials used.
When the '97 Camry was released, many reviews commented on the downgraded quality of materials that were used. Toyota did this to help the price case for the Camry as a mainstream offering.
Same is true with the 1st generation Lexus LS - Toyota went over the top when designing it. I'm pretty certain that the current LS doesn't have the same level of craftsmanship.
It seems as though some things, such as engines, transmissions and exhaust systems, last longer than ever. This is partially due to much better lubricants and unleaded gasoline, respectively. Also, bodies have far better rust protection than back in the day. Unfortunately, as these major components have improved, other parts and components have become more fragile and problematic, but this is largely due to the much greater complexity of cars today.
I would agree with you on that. I remember reading an article in CAR magazine a few years ago that offered the opinion that middle-of the road manufacturers like Ford were going to be hard pressed to deal with the threats from below (like Hyundai, Dacia, Seat, etc.) and from above (BMW 1-series, MB A and B class).
I wonder if all this breakable plastic is a result of trying too hard to save weight--which of course is a critical factor in fuel economy.
The problem with plastic is that it's usually the cheap stuff that DOESN'T break! The nicer stuff that's soft to the touch, has a nice texture, etc, is the stuff that seems to fall apart the quickest.
Plastic is probably cheaper to work with than most other materials, but the downside is that if you try to engineer it too far, make it into something it's not supposed to be, and you compromise the durability.
Maybe they need to go back to the old exposed bolts and screws! :P
I was pretty impressed at how well my 2000 Intrepid held up in the 10 years I had it. The only issues I recall having were that the cupholder wouldn't pop out as smoothly in the later years, and if I stopped too quickly, the little cover over where the ashtray would have been if it was so equipped would pop open. But, nothing ever fell off of that car. Oh, now that I think about it, the steering wheel was getting a bit bad. I think I had gotten grease or something on my hands (or maybe just my natural oils) got it to start deteriorating after a few years. Oh, and the factor floormat on the driver's side was getting a bit trashed. But, it made it to 150,000 miles.
The 2.5 is a very reliable engine. I would never suggest such an old car for anyone who has to pay a mechanic to do the work, but it sounds like you've got most of it taken care of already. As a poker guy might say, you are pot committed. Keep driving the wheels off it.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I'd lease something new and reliable for $189 a month.
I don't particularly care for AC anyway, so would probably not care and keep it.
\
Send that baby North!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The car drives very well, rides great, and despite only 169 or so horsepower, is fine for around town or cruising on the highway. The visibility and sight lines are so much better than most newer cars that I have experienced.
I will say it does not like cross winds at all, which is another thing.
I'd get the suspension diagnosed first, make sure it's not something dangerously worn.
And can the paint be saved, or is it going to need a repaint?
But I sure like them:
The crosswind problem is no doubt suspension bushings, which is a common fault, and the AC could end up costing you more than you planned.
In theory, some day the repairs are supposed to stop and then you "catch up". But you bought a cripple and these types of cars are not a good foundation for a happy automotive life IMO.
I've been down your road so many times, waiting for my precious "find" to "settle down", and they never did for very long. Probably the only used German car I ever broke even on was the 300 diesel, and that's only because I caught the wave of the Save the Earth frenzy, before it was realized that diesel fuel is expensive and that processing cooking oil from Chinese restaurants is best left to retirees and people who don't have a job.
Keep us informed.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Just wondering, though, whether a Chevy 350 is heavier than the BMW I-6, and, if so, by how much. Of course, you'd have to beef up several other components to deal with the extra torque.
That would be sacrilege in this case.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The power of rationalization...
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
BMW M52 3.3,3.5 Big Six 500 lb
BMW M60 B 40 4.0 V8 468
BMW M60 Small Six 388
BMW slant-6 turbodiesel 430
BMW 5.0 V12 529 "fully dressed"
BMW 3.0,4.0 V8 462 all aluminum
BMW 2.3 turbo Diesel 408 iron block, alum head, "complete"
BMW S14 four 350 318i motor
For comparison, a Chevy 350 is around 575 lb. The Chevy smallblock is constantly praised for having low reciprocating mass, but one little detail that gets left out is that it's still a heavy engine overall. So, you would probably need to beef up the suspension a bit.
The AC is a tough call. The AC on my 87 '325 has never worked (well, it did for the first couple of months or so), and I decided it wasn't worth it to me to get it fixed. Then again I had a fairly short commute (8 miles), and also have always had extra vehicles around, at least one of which had working AC should I ever have had the occasion to put on a coat a tie in the summer for work :shades: .
I live in Jersey and won't drive a car w/o A/C. My 99 S10 has the A/C out and I won't dare drive it to work if its gonna be over 75.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
I don't wish to discourage you, but making decisions based on what is more likely to happen isn't a bad approach.
I'm just concerned that this car didn't seem to come from a very good home.