Mama's new ride

21 posts in this topic

Posted (edited)

A long time ago (1988) I bought my first VW.  1979 Rabbit Diesel.  It was a great car.  I put a ton of miles on it, never less than 50 mpg.  And, at 42 hp, it was impossible to get into trouble with…  Later I got a '85 Golf.  Then an '86 Jetta turbo.  All diesel and all great cars.  I finally broke down and bought my first (and last) brand new car.  A 2001 VW Jetta TDi (diesel).  It is an awesome car.  I still have it.  300K miles and still strong and still 45+ mpg.

SInce VW had treated me so well, we decided when we sold the Jetta to my business that we would get another.  I found a beautiful '12 VW Passat TDi with their fancy DSG automatic transmission (dual clutch automated manual), with only 8000 miles.

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Nice, huh?  It's the SEL model with all the toys.  

About six months in, it blew up it's (first) turbo.  $9500 to repair, luckily still under warranty.  Okay, I'm not happy, but it was taken care of.  3 months later the "new" turbo exploded.  Now I'm pissed.  The stealership said there was a problem with the install, it wasn't done right.  The warranty was extended to 120k miles because the turbo problem is not in the installation...

Last week the heater quit.  I found out the heater core is plugged up.  Since I consider this piece of shit to belong to VW I won't take it anywhere but the stealership so they don't have a reason to deny any warranty issues.  They tell me that there is some reaction to the coolant to the engine block and VW won't pay the $1200 to fix it.  A call to customer service (I'm getting to know them too well) and they admitted to a problem.  The VW coolant is cavitation eroding the inside of the engine block and depositing into the heater core.  What does that say to the longevity of the engine block??  So, VW will pay for the heater core and installation.  BUT--  The parts are back ordered for 6 weeks!  So my wife gets to drive a car, in northern Wisconsin, in JANUARY with no, or minimal at best, heat.

After only 2 years and 60,000 miles, the shortest relationship I have ever had with a car, consistent 33 mpg (terrible for a diesel), horrible drivability from that idiotic transmission, electronics in the radio and HVAC that work so poorly they must have been designed in Russia, Game over.

SInce the first turbo explosion, I have been researching my next car.  

Here it is:

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'12 Mercedes-Benz E350 Sport 4matic.  302 hp, all wheel drive and 32 mpg.

Now, flame on and tell me how I jumped from the frying pan into the fire…  :flamegun:

Edited by Av8r3400
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Posted

Oh lord wont you buy me a Mercedes Benze,  my friends all drive Porches, I must make amends..... (Janis Joplin song)  When I went to open this post, I though I was going to see you had done the first flight in the new Fox.  Don't know anything about those ferin cars, so can't comment on them.  I'm a Buick guy myself.   Hope it works for you. :-) Jim Chuk

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Posted (edited)

My step-son has a '12 Mercedes - We call it "The Money Pit"!   I'm with Jim - Donno anything about ferrin cars, except Soobs, and they make plane engines!  

I just read an article about why AWD is better than my 4WD?  I think it said, "Because you don't have to think - and don't have to reach for the switch thingy when you need 4WD ?  ???  But AWD don't have a Low Range 4WD like my truck....

EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

Glad I gots me yet another POS Ford Focus. ;)

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Posted

...and my 2002 Buick La-Sabre is still treating my alright. (103K) Nicest, most comfortable and economical car I've ever owned!

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Posted

We've had three Mercedes.  Two gas and one diesel.  The first gas was a '67 finner 230 with four on the floor.  Great car but it died of cancer at about 200K.  The 300D was a fantastic ride.  It's odometer died at 465K and I commuted with it for another 3 years.  When I sold it it was using about two quarts of oil per tank of fuel.  I told the guy I sold it to that the engine was worn out.  It probably had about 600K on it when I sold it to him.  He called me a week after the sale and said I was right but that he had ordered the parts and would have it back on the road in a jiffy.  He was an A&P with Alaska Airlines.  

 

The E300 gas went for 321K when we turned it in for an Accord.  What a piece of crap that Honda was.  Holy Cow never again.  

A Mercedes can be a handful maintenance wise but the basic engine and transmission will go and go.  Just learn to troubleshoot and replace the modules when needed and they well never let you down.  

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Posted

...and my 2002 Buick La-Sabre is still treating my alright. (103K) Nicest, most comfortable and economical car I've ever owned!

I've had an 84 Lesabre, 92 Park Avenue, 99 Lesabre, and 05 Lesabre.  112,00 on the latest one, probably end up with a Lucerne next as they don't make a Lesabre any more.  Nice smooth riding cars, and not real bad milage.  Usually get about 30 MPG on a trip, and about 19 towing an airplane with one.  Which I've done about 3000 miles doing just that.   Sorry Larry if we are hijacking your thread.  Your car does look nice though.  Jim Chuk

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Posted

Not that you would listen to a dumb German/ American hybrid (me) who just turned down a job as a Mercedes salesperson.... :lmao:

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Posted (edited)

...and my 2002 Buick La-Sabre is still treating my alright. (103K) Nicest, most comfortable and economical car I've ever owned!

I've had an 84 Lesabre, 92 Park Avenue, 99 Lesabre, and 05 Lesabre.  112,00 on the latest one, probably end up with a Lucerne next as they don't make a Lesabre any more.  Nice smooth riding cars, and not real bad milage.  Usually get about 30 MPG on a trip, and about 19 towing an airplane with one.  Which I've done about 3000 miles doing just that.   Sorry Larry if we are hijacking your thread.  Your car does look nice though.  Jim Chuk

Jim,  Watch out for the new Buick - I saw that one of them will be made in China - Donno if they will import them here.  I had a '67 and it was a good car.   I was never prejudiced, and drove all of the Big 3 cars until I lost my job because of people buying the ferrin stuff.

 My problem with cars, and I worked at Chrysler, was that every time I got a nice car that I was proud of, some jerk, usually with no insurance, ran into me and totaled it - finally got to where there was no attachment or caring for any vehicle - right now I drive a 02 Ranger 4WD with 127K miles on it - Wife likes the Escapes, and she has had 2 of them, the first 04 had 60K on it when she traded for this 08 which now has 48K on it - she don't drive enough to worry about gas mileage - think the next one will be a larger model with more comfortable seats for our old butts.  

My ex had a Toyota Landcruiser that was a money pit, and I got rid of both of them! 

EDMO

Edited by EDMO
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Posted

Just stay away from any vehicle that has a VIN that starts with a "K".  (Made in Korea)

There are several now marketed by GM that are Korean imports.  They are all sh!t.

 

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Posted

I think that KIA means "Klunker in America"!

EDMO

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Posted

Love my Mercedes 2000 c230k. It's fun to drive and a pleasure to work on.  180,000 miles.  

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Posted

I'm generally a BMW guy, but the Mercedes 4matic is very good.  We had a 350R series (weird station wagon looking thing), that we took on a trip west.  Hit snow in the mountains on I-70 on the way back, trucks were sliding and stuck, cars were all over the place, and the Mercedes just walked on through like it was dry pavement.  You'll get good use out of that in Wisconsin!  The only complaint I had about that car was it was underpowered, the 550R would have been a much better car.

Mark

 

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Posted

This one is 302 hp.  It's pretty peppy compared to my 150 hp diesel Passat.  We're too old to go fast anymore, anyway...

The BMWs are nice, too, but IMO they are more performance oriented where the Mercedes is more luxury.  That's more my thing.  I'm built for comfort not speed.

 

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Posted

If I could get to Cuba, and had the funds, my circle drive would have several of those 55, 56, 57 Chevys and Fords in it.  I have looked for a new truck with an 8 foot bed, and cant find one, so guess I will keep my little Ford Ranger.

EDMO

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Posted

You could always modify your ranger Its no different then the kitfox, Just cut some tubes out here and add a few there ha.

IMG_2171.jpg

 

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Posted (edited)

Yeh, Why buy a trailer - Just put an extended tilting bed and winch on it and it would be a great Kitfox hauler!

If I tried driving something as nice as that one, some fool would crash into it and total it !!!!

EDMO

Edited by EDMO

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Posted

Nice Benz!!! Congrats to the Mrs. That is definitely a step up!!! I had a friend that had a Jetta with all the bells, whistles, and horns. It was a nice car but then the interior, headliner etc starting falling apart, the AC quit, etc, etc. But for 3 yrs and 36K it was fine. ;)

I really like German cars. I have my favorite though, and that is Porsche. I have an old 72 911S. I have a bit of brake work to do and it should be ready for a drive. Kind of half way looking for a 911Turbo or 930. Cars I always wanted  but couldn't afford at the time.

Now I have a couple Dodge trucks I drive. One for work, one for play. Both have 5.9 Cummins' in them.

 

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Posted (edited)

A man after my own heart.  My vehicle is a '94 Dodge Cummins 2500.  Bought it new and I'll never get rid of it. 

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Someday, my midlife crisis car will be a '89 911.  And it's pronounced poor-sha, right!?

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Edited by Av8r3400
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Posted

Since BMW doesn't make pickup trucks, Ram works.  2015 Ram 3500 4x4 (Diesel of course) is the latest pulling my trailers.

Mark

 

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A man after my own heart.  My vehicle is a '94 Dodge Cummins 2500.  Bought it new and I'll never get rid of it. 

 

Someday, my midlife crisis car will be a '89 911.  And it's pronounced poor-sha, right!?

 

You take care of it, and it will never wear out. I currently own 4 5.9L Cummins powered trucks. Nothing wrong with excess. ;)

Yea, the turbos are getting pretty rare. Now is a pretty good time to buy (invest ;) ) from what all my Porsche guys tell me. And that is the correct pronunciation! :BC:

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