Sold my Boxster S. Got a 03 SL500

[Kevfra]

I sold my SL500 and bought the Boxter. Seriously.
I drove the SL for about four years. Great looking car, very solid, terrific accelleration, gas pig. But like all Mercedes I have owned it was a constant pain with minor and not so minor things failing. The Porsche is a DIY dream while the Mercedes is not. All those little things add up and every time you have the inconvenience of a trip to the dealer. My girlfriend just gave up on her E320 and got a Lexus for the same reason. Alarm fails, doorlock gets fussy, many intermittant problems...after a while it's just rediculous. I think the SL finally cured me of driving a Mercedes.

By the way I have never had any problems with Jaguars! Even my V12 had no issues. BMW did - many, enough to scare me away from the BMW line.

[Brucelee]

I really don't get the german auto industry. This issue of constant problems plagues them all.

Are they that out of touch?

Great cars to drive, not so great to own?

[Kevfra]

As someone who has driven, and worked on, MANY German cars for thirty years, I have some thoughts.

First specifically on Mercedes is that hey have engineered too many single points of failure Why should a smog device failure shut down the engine rather than just throw a light? I have often said that given my choice to make a nonstop drive coast to coast with either a new Mercedes or new Yugo I'd choose the Yugo. Because the Mercedes has such poor reliability. And I have driven them for thirty years! High end too, always S cars. But they are too overengineered.

In general the Germans are gadget freaks, and they love to make complicated gadgets. Just go to germany and look at a store door, or any other commonplace item, and it'll have twenty moving parts rather than a hinge. Mind you that device will last forever with some rebuilding rather than replacing - and that is their mindset. It's not that they make junk, it's that they try to go too far too fast, be the first, be the most innovative etc.

I love their cars (well not VW & Audi) but I am well aware you can't be a one car family if that one car is German.

[bmx672]

Hey, don't bag on Audi and VW... I've had my A4 for 9 years and I almost have 180k... it left me stranded one time with a dead battery... that's it!
My wife's Passat is 6 years old with 130k and I just recently had a coil pack go out, which was an easy fast "tool-less" fix. (replaced all 4) So in my book those two brands are terrific!
I hope my Boxster does as well...

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by bmx672

Hey, don't bag on Audi and VW... I've had my A4 for 9 years and I almost have 180k... it left me stranded one time with a dead battery... that's it!
My wife's Passat is 6 years old with 130k and I just recently had a coil pack go out, which was an easy fast "tool-less" fix. (replaced all 4) So in my book those two brands are terrific!
I hope my Boxster does as well...

That may be. However, VW and Audi are likely the worst of the german car makers when it comes to reliability.

Audi and VW' recent woes with transmissions make the Box RMS issue look like peanuts.

[blinkwatt]

Originally Posted by Brucelee

That may be. However, VW and Audi are likely the worst of the german car makers when it comes to reliability.

Audi and VW' recent woes with transmissions make the Box RMS issue look like peanuts.

Tell me about it.

My good friend has a 00' Jetta GL that has a failed auto tranny w/ 120k on it....$4k installed.

Another one has a 01' a4 1.8T,he's selling it. He's had it four months and has spent over $3k in repairs.

My Dad's old 90' Jetta GL w/ the Digifant system was the most unreliable car I've ever dealt with, period. That car spent the last three years of ownership in the service bay at the dealership. It was a joke. Shortly after we gave up on it Consumer Reports named it on the 'Top 10 Used Cars to Stay Away From'

My Dad also has a 98.5' Jetta GT that has been phenomenal though. 140k and not a single issue to date.

[Brucelee]

My son bought a one owner 3 yr old Audi A6 Bi-turbo.. Beautiful car.

Trans died at 47K miles, car out of warranty.

Repair bill, 5K bucks.

Dealer told him this was "fairly normal" for this trans. Audi would do nothing for him.

Huh?

Go figure!

[Back2DTM]

Originally Posted by Kevfra

I sold my SL500 and bought the Boxter. Seriously.
I drove the SL for about four years. Great looking car, very solid, terrific accelleration, gas pig. But like all Mercedes I have owned it was a constant pain with minor and not so minor things failing. The Porsche is a DIY dream while the Mercedes is not. All those little things add up and every time you have the inconvenience of a trip to the dealer. My girlfriend just gave up on her E320 and got a Lexus for the same reason. Alarm fails, doorlock gets fussy, many intermittant problems...after a while it's just rediculous. I think the SL finally cured me of driving a Mercedes.

By the way I have never had any problems with Jaguars! Even my V12 had no issues. BMW did - many, enough to scare me away from the BMW line.

This car got 100k warranty and it ends in 2010 so what the heck
This SL500 is my 6th German car in 5 yrs and I am 25yrs old. First MBZ and first auto. I love this baby soooo much. I WILL drive whatever I like and I can offer as long as I still can. Life is too short
Right before the warranty ends, I will be looking for a new toy again. I will post pics as soon as I can.