mercedes vs corvette
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 5
From: Nashville TN
Re: mercedes vs corvette (fontking1a)
This thread contines to go off into uncharted waters. You cannot compare a Crown Victoria to a Mercedes, they are two different cars targeted at two different people. The attributes of a Mercedes, BMW or a Porsche are what make those cars so special to their owners, just like an old Corvette. I bought my BMW becuase I manual rear wheel drive, 4 doors, manual transmission and the capability drive fast. I cannot find that in am American car. We can get off on rants about cost, look at Cadillacs or new Chevy trucks, we are in the 40-50k range no problem, they are just as expensive as a German car. And hell, if you are driving a Chyrsler, Dodge or a Jeep its basically a German car, it will start to show shared components with its three-pointed brethern.
I work on BMW's and Porsches and I am amazed at the quality of the metal and the uniformity of design. Don't get me wrong there are some really different uses of technology, from what someone who had only wrenched on a small block chevy would see. Just like anything else in life some people like it, some don't, european cars certainly fall under that statement.
I work on BMW's and Porsches and I am amazed at the quality of the metal and the uniformity of design. Don't get me wrong there are some really different uses of technology, from what someone who had only wrenched on a small block chevy would see. Just like anything else in life some people like it, some don't, european cars certainly fall under that statement.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 803
Likes: 0
From: South San Francisco CA
Re: mercedes vs corvette (dman535)
<<I work on BMW's and Porsches and I am amazed at the quality of the metal and the uniformity of design. >>
dman,
Having worked on those cars myself, I'm amazed at how similar they are to cars that cost a fraction of "the German wunderkars". Part for part I really don't see that much of a difference to warrant such high prices. What I do see is a populace who has bought into the advertising and hype of phrases like "the ultimate driving machine" and such. As you get older, you live and learn and tend to realize that what is said to be true ....isn't necessarily so. For example, the Chrysler 300M ....IMHO.....is every bit the car that the top of the line MB claims to be. My contention would be if you installed one of those precious three pointed star logos on a 300M.....sales would quadruple.....just because of the logo. People would flock to buy that car because of that term......Mercedes......and they would most likely love it just the same as if it were the real deal.....just because it had that three pointed star. Am I wrong?
dman,
Having worked on those cars myself, I'm amazed at how similar they are to cars that cost a fraction of "the German wunderkars". Part for part I really don't see that much of a difference to warrant such high prices. What I do see is a populace who has bought into the advertising and hype of phrases like "the ultimate driving machine" and such. As you get older, you live and learn and tend to realize that what is said to be true ....isn't necessarily so. For example, the Chrysler 300M ....IMHO.....is every bit the car that the top of the line MB claims to be. My contention would be if you installed one of those precious three pointed star logos on a 300M.....sales would quadruple.....just because of the logo. People would flock to buy that car because of that term......Mercedes......and they would most likely love it just the same as if it were the real deal.....just because it had that three pointed star. Am I wrong?
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 4,143
Likes: 0
Re: mercedes vs corvette (fontking1a)
<<I work on BMW's and Porsches and I am amazed at the quality of the metal and the uniformity of design. >>
dman,
Having worked on those cars myself, I'm amazed at how similar they are to cars that cost a fraction of "the German wunderkars". Part for part I really don't see that much of a difference to warrant such high prices. ................. Am I wrong?
dman,
Having worked on those cars myself, I'm amazed at how similar they are to cars that cost a fraction of "the German wunderkars". Part for part I really don't see that much of a difference to warrant such high prices. ................. Am I wrong?
My new 2002 Mercedes C-coupe is a mere $24,900 which is a fraction of it's larger cousins.......compare that with Japanese & American cars and I'd say it's one of the best deals on the market !!!
Also included with Mercedes is 8-air bags / First Aid Kit / child seat safety harness posts / emergency trunk release / superior crash tests......so on and so forth......basically more gadgets than other cars. :yesnod:
Now, getting back to the topic - Yes an older Mercedes on AVERAGE would be more expensive to maintain than a '69 Corvette......However, consider that if you buy a ragged-out Corvette - it'll need work more often - thus the Mercedes would be "cheaper" in the long run.
Mercedes - $1000 per year (once)
Corvette - $3000 per year (5 times needing something....such as rear suspension re-build, engine work, performance part (inspired by Corvette Forum), etc., etc....
So you see, it's all relative.......and by the way - the Mercedes 300-D as in diesel holds the World's Record in reliability at 1,000,000+ miles with only oil and filter changes !!! :eek: :D :cheers:
