LOL i'm not very good at using WANT and JUSTIFIED in the same sentence :lol:Originally Posted by BDStevens
We've had 4 Beemers between us over the last 10 years, last year got an SLK, what a waste of 10 years motoring.
Merc all the time!
LOL i'm not very good at using WANT and JUSTIFIED in the same sentence :lol:Originally Posted by BDStevens
Saw it last night at the pre-launch at UK for the 5 Grand Turismo and the X1.....In terms of appearance underwhelmed enormously but performance looks awesome.....X6M on the other hand looked the nuts :DOriginally Posted by GraniteQuarry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NODS5c4 ... re=related
LOL. In denmark we enjoy car taxes from hell. And X5M is in the 250k£ range.Originally Posted by GraniteQuarry
I like the way the "new" facelifted X5 drives, can't imagine the M would be less able.
m
I've got a BMW 530d and what really bugs me is the "intelligent servicing" - end up with 6 visits to the dealer when 1 full service would have been the norm previously...
Can't comment on mercs as I've only had an A170L CDI - terrific legroom though !!!
Some like condition based servicing, MOST don't. The theory is that you end up spreading your actual costs instead of 1 bill at £500 you get 4-5 split.Originally Posted by St-George
FWIW in the future you will see the return of the ''full''service with BMW :wink:
Originally Posted by RafflesTGT
Not with the dealer group that I work for, its volume all the way.
I have had BMW's aplenty - they've always been good to drive, they have proven reliable (even the M cars), they've just been the default choice. All in all I have had 5 beemers in the past 10 years...
...and then I went and got a merc and I am a convert. Not better to drive I'll admit, but better to be in and to own.
I have owned both and I was with BMW, but now prefer Mercedes, that Bangle block made beemers ugly
Tricky one this, as both of them are long past their glory days. I love the unburstable quality of Mercedes' efforts up until the early 1990's, but for me it has to be BMW. My dad had an E34 5 series and for a long while he was the coolest dad in school! Enough to swing it for me, since I've not really grown up :).
How popular is private car leasing in the UK?
Here in Denmark BMW are running some pretty cheap leasing campains, which means they get significantly cheaper to own than Mercedes and Audi..
Actually, that IS a good point. I used to have a E91 330i and it was a full time job getting those conditional services. Albeit the first time was emmissions testing (incorrectly configured, we dont do that in dk). Still.Originally Posted by St-George
I have driven a lot of Mercedes. Only ones I like is the new CL series (BEAUTIFUL) and the Maybach. ;)
M
I'd go BMW for now while I'm young (ish)
Merc when I'm a pot bellied middle aged...
Hang on ?
Maybe a Merc after all :lol:
I have a 2002 BMW 325i. I'm very happy with it. I love the way it drives...
Defo a BMW!
I like that 335i.
Sweet, that baby packs one hell of a punch. Nice one :)Originally Posted by johnfoxllb
When I passed my test, the car to have was a BMW 325i sport, it kicked ass! Obviously I couldn't afford one back then and it was only a couple of weeks ago that I was looking at a few sites and found a really nice 1990 325i sport for sale at a good price, went and had a look and drove it home! It may well indicate the arrival of the mid life crisis but what the hell! It's now going to get a strip down and rebuild over the winter before hopefully being ready for weekend fun next summer.
Anyone else on here bought a car they always wanted to own from there childhood?
Mat.
I've had:
- Mercedes W201 190E
- Mercedes W126 420SE
- Mercedes W208 CLK 200
- BMW e36 Compact 316i
- BMW e39 Touring 525d
- BMW e61 Touring 520d
For me BMW is more pointed to driver (just like an old BMW dashboards :) ) So BMW is my choice, but now I have a 911 and... Skoda Octavia :)
Octavia has VERY good money/quality value.
BMW for me out of those two, but if you were adding another mainstream German marque I'd say Audi all the way (esp the UR quattro!)
Depends on your driving style: arrogant and crap (merc) or arrogant and decent (BMW).
Yup, as seen earlier in the thread, recently bought a 1986 E28 M5. Old skool beast :DOriginally Posted by mjrichardson
Beautiful M5 - well done sir!
Having owned both marques, SLK and C Class and 3 Series, and received appalling dealer after sales service from them both (C class returned 24 times to dealer in first year from new) I moved on to Audi which has overtaken both BMW and Mercedes in sales tables in UK.
Originally Posted by GraniteQuarry
Now that's just beautiful! What number is she? My dream BMW is a 3.0 csl, I have been very close a couple of times to buying one, hard to find a decent original example for reasonable money.
There was a very nice E28 M5 being advertised recently in Ireland, it looked beautiful but almost too good to be used as intended.
Anyway, have loads of fun with the M5, it's a thing of beauty!
Mat
Well done Mat, you obviously appreciate such classics! This is #77, a local car to me, been standing for nearly three years so needs a bit of recommissioning, but a nice project. I think i know the one you're talking about in Ireland, the black/cream one that was originally supplied to Sheikh Mo of Dubai, it is #179 if memory serves. The guy's selling as he knows of an even better one!Originally Posted by mjrichardson
3.0 CSL eh, Batmobile !! :D
Any lexus with the uz1-fe powerplant because it sounds sweet!
I'm a huge fan of the M5, what sort of recommissioning does yours need? I would love a decent project like that. I'm stripping my e30 down to bare metal to repair the inevitable rot before sending it off for a full respray. My problem is I work away a lot and ideally I need a good six months to concentrate on it.Originally Posted by GraniteQuarry
That's the Irish car, it looked in amazing condition but I don't want a garage queen, I would buy an M5 that was good but not perfect so I wouldn't worry about using it. Good luck with yours, post some pictures when you start to work on it!
Mat
Guy i bought it from had it parked up since Feb 2007, the previous owner to that used it daily for 18 years, failed its MOT due to the usual rust holes appearing underneath so he cashed it - so some welding to get the MOT ticket, and a full service of all fluids and it'll be good to go. To make tidy needs a bit of touching up of bodywork here and there and some TLC on electrics (window switches, sunroof, etc) but generally a very honest car, spent some time the last week checking it over and it's in far less sorry a state than i first thought :DOriginally Posted by mjrichardson
Depends on what price bracket. At the very top end mercs are better than BMW, but at the lower end the BMW are better. I have driven a 650i and it was a joke but have had Z3 and 3 325I coupes various versions apart from the current one. If you rarely carry more than 1 passenger they are great all rounders and built well. Mercs just don't handle and recent ones the fit and finish are not as good as they were. Having said that I also had 3 porsches (only boxsters) that spent more time in the garage than anything else i have ever owned (including a TVR!) so I think its pot luck on reliability, I think I was unlucky
AB
neither - buy a Jeep !!
I had the opportunity to drive the new M3 a few weeks ago and I was very disappointed with it - thought it was too smooth and not raw enough. It was very quick, but the problem was that it didn't feel quick. Shame.
not a fan of either to be honest ....if it has to be German, im an Audi man
German to me, means my sensible car ...and that ends up being a fast 4wd estate ..which Audi are the masters of :)
new merc is sweet though!
Audi for me.
BMW all the way
Great thread,
Cost per component and head would chose BMW, but, Benz has all the history all the inovation and the petrol head in me will always want a top spec SL.....I am dreaming though unfortunately. Merc for me.
:twisted:Originally Posted by albasil
Must beg to differ, I have 2 Boxster S Tip. and on my 17th Beemer (650i) and nothing comes close in driver satisfaction and engineering !
If Merc - have a driver
If Audi - a large version of VW - reliable, solid but ultimately boring
do like the new E coupe....lovely. might just do it.
New 5 Series is Class!!!
imho if you want the ultimate driving machine, you buy a Porsche and if you've done that the Merc wins out as a more rounded soultion in most cases over the BM option.
I'm usally a BMW fan but their recent cars styling just doesn't do it for me.
Having said that the only Mercedes I would buy are the AMG models.
This is what i'm currently driving:
http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp10 ... 1001-3.jpg
Nah, tasty Audi for me (what I currently drive) but if push came to shove then it would have to be a M5 :P
Had 3+ of each in the last 15 years, if you want a car to drive BMW much more engaging, but if you want to arrive relaxed and fresh and engineering wise it has to be Mercedes every time. Such a wonderful name don't you think, sounds far better than BMW :wink:
Best
Alan
BMW for me - ive had Mercs, reliability issues....
Just bought a 6 series coupe - it's bloody lovely - pure luxury - and grunt - the thinking man's BMW.
I've had both and liked both for different reasons. BMW was more fun to drive (330 coupe). Merc was more comfortable for longer drives (CLK320 coupe). Absoutely loved touring France and Germany in the Merc. I'd like to try an Audi next!
Not a straight choice really, depends what models are being compared?
I have owned BMWs but not Mercedes. I like both brand's motorsport history, but the cars I could or would buy generally have the propeller! I really like the E46 M3 CSL, but again certain Mercedes also do it for me (a nice CLS for example).
Fair points but IMHO BMW always have somthing better to offer than Merc if your looking below 100k anyway.Originally Posted by Geepee
BMW for me
It's a tricky one, on one hand you have the dodgy image of the BMW, on the other the unreliability and inferior dynamics of the Merc. On balance I would go for the beemer. I have owned one before - a 1973 2002tii, a great car but it fell to pieces over 2 Scottish winters. I have also owned 2 Mercedes, a 190e and a W124 E320, both of which were nice to drive but terribly unreliable.