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There’s no such thing as a cheap Mercedes

182 views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  luckeyd60  
#1 ·
I wrote this a couple of weeks ago and thought it might be of interest here.

It’s about the idea that there isn’t really such a thing as a “cheap” Mercedes once you actually live with one — using my own R171 SLK as the example.

It’s cost me more than I expected over time. More than the car is “worth” on paper. But I’ve come to realise that resale value isn’t the whole story with these cars.

This line probably sums it up:

“The SLK has cost me money… But value… is what you get back every time you choose it without hesitation.”

Link here if anyone fancies a read: Stuttgart Diaries

Luxury vehicle Mercedes-Benz Car door Personal luxury car Sedan

Not selling anything. Just reflecting honestly on running and maintaining one of these properly.

Interested to hear others’ long-term ownership experiences too.
 
#2 ·
Good stuff, as per usual. Probably sums up my feelings, too. I dare not think about the cost when held against the distance travelled but I do know the contented feeling I feel when I drive.

I do worry a little about the future, how long can it be serviced before a vital part, no longer available, grounds US, but I guess I'll deal with that at the appropriate juncture.

Enjoy your writing, always a satisfying read.
 
#4 ·
Good stuff, as per usual. Probably sums up my feelings, too. I dare not think about the cost when held against the distance travelled but I do know the contented feeling I feel when I drive.

I do worry a little about the future, how long can it be serviced before a vital part, no longer available, grounds US, but I guess I'll deal with that at the appropriate juncture.

Enjoy your writing, always a satisfying read.
Thanks for the feedback as always. Yes, parts supply seems to be the limiting factor. I had to wait a month for an air conditioning pipe to arrive from Germany to get my aircon back up and running. Another £600 to keep her running as she was designed. I’m currently on a journey to purchase just the right W124. I’m planning to replace my 2023 C-Class estate. I must be mad. But it makes me happy. I’ll be writing about that in the near future.
 
#3 ·
Let's see... My old R170 320 took me €47600 from 2014 to 2020; 73646km, or 0.65 €/km. My current R171 350 is less used as I telework since covid... 33063km since 2020; €40444, or 1.12 €/km (the costs comparison is not exactly apples-to-apples as residuals are not detracted on the 350 since I still own it).

So, my "total Mercedes ownership statistics" since 2014 are:
  • distance covered: 109679 km
  • costs:
- ownership: 44013€
- operation: 38993€
- TOTAL: 88007€
  • cost/km: 0.80 €/km
  • mileage: 10.2 litres / 100km

Worth noting, 320 and 350 show as of now the same 10.2 litres / 100km mileage despite the vendor-declared differences (Mercedes claimed an average of 10.4 l/100km for the 320 and 9.5 l/100km for 350).
 
#5 ·
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