New MB A Class cheaper than a Commodore more Standard Equipment

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Stefan

WTF, The cars have been in major accidents. Not being wrecked because they are due for a 50K service or written off because it needs a new headlight as was being alluded to.

Funny thing is wreckers are loaded with row upon row of 13 year old Falcodors. AU galore, plus whatever the Commo equivilent is. Toyotas, Mitsubishi of the same vintage.

Not too many Euros...

Certainly no 6 year old Mercs, BMWs or Audis

Look at this...





When you actually see the price of some of these parts, you will choke...thats probally over $5000 in parts...just there...and its written off...

[Stefan]

Yeah I know.

But Aussie or Jap cars are no different.

It was eluded to that an MB is wrecked out out sooner than local cars due to high cost of repair.

Car in general of all makes and models seem to be written off with what looks like minor damage.

BUT I agree spare parts on a Euro car are damn sight more expensive than the equivalent on a local, no doubt and no argument from me there.

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by Stefan

WTF, The cars have been in major accidents. Not being wrecked because they are due for a 50K service or written off because it needs a new headlight as was being alluded to.

..... visit the website I just put up. I have been there and some are in better nic than the BM in my driveway! Parts are worth more than the car in a drive-able state. They pic up a cheap car with a stuffed gear box .... 2004 318i E46 .... cheaper to wreck it than swap a gear box. They write them off for nothing then pull them for their parts .... that's all!

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Look at this...


image


When you actually see the price of some of these parts, you will choke...thats probally over $5000 in parts...just there...and its written off...

If the parts to fix that are 5 large and the cars worth a % more than 5 large it wont be written of
When i smashed my new courier way back when , the bonnet,guards,front doors were throw away, the front pillar was bent ,it was an extra cab , so rear door damage, tub write off, chassis had minimal damage , rad was stuffed, and just about everything forward of the engine block,2 rims bent ,tyres stuffed the repair bill was 25 grand to repair, the car had 9,000Ks on it and a new price tag of 40 odd grand,and it wasnt able to be started either
The car was 3 months old
It wasnt written off
If you mention you want genuine parts not cheaper copies for a repair , most can get written off

[mik]

even jap stuff can be very expensive, you would`nt expect to pay $4000+ for a bucket seat or $1200 for one upper control arm with inbuilt ball joint............. until you have to fork out for one.
if i add up the expenses of running my old ford for the last 8 years, it has been peanuts, if i where too take a punt on which had the most total ownership cost of running, the A class for 8 years versus a commy or a falcon for the same, i know which one i would be betting against(a hint , not the local cars).

[RG]

How many of you have actually owned a Euro?

I drive one of the supposedly least reliable and most expensive to repair makes ever, yet I haven't had any of the stupid faults or costs that I did with any of my Fords.

The worst thing that's happened is it needs a new wiper/lights stalk assembly. $250 landed from the UK plus $150 for a Peugeot dealer to code and fit it. A Ford dealer would charge the entire $400 just to fit.

Before you write Euro's off and say the local product is better and cheaper, perhaps research that as I've found things to be quite the opposite.


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[mik]

how old/many k`s is your pug?

[greenfoam]

We drove our perfectly good AU to the wreckers last week, he said he will give us 300 bucks but is a bit busy to deal with it this week... So we paid the rego one last time lol.

The yards are full of Commodores and Falcons that have driven themselves there, they are still perfectly good cars but the point is they are inefficient and redundant when you can buy a cheap brand new hatchback that uses half the fuel and is safer and well.. New

The old tale of imports being hard to get parts for when they are old just isn't true these days with the Internet's. Luckily the prices haven't realised that yet.

[Peterwl]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

From the article-

To ensure buyers aren't scared off by high service costs, Mercedes has a fixed price servicing deal: $1400 covers all routine servicing for the first 50,000km. A Nissan Maxima V6 sedan costs almost $2000 to service over the same period.

I believe that current model Mercedes have a 25,000 KLM service interval. So 2 services at $700 each. Ouch ! Very expensive oil and filter. makes Falcon service costs look reasonable.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by csv8

Rolls Royce headlight is $30K!! that was posted here awhile back

Lexus LS headlight is around $15k from memory

[RG]

Originally Posted by mik

how old/many k`s is your pug?

03 206 GTi, so the first of the multiplexed Pugs, and near on 130k. No rattles, squeaks or clunks either.


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[mik]

You can get reamed buying off the net, i bought a brand new power steering pump(purportedly), only to find after pulling the mongrel on and off a few times from a bastard of a spot, the pump was brand new, but a second with a faulty cast housing that took considerable time and effort to make good again, but at least it only cost $300 compared to $1200 to buy one from a local dealer.

[mik]

Originally Posted by RG

03 206 GTi, so the first of the multiplexed Pugs, and near on 130k. No rattles, squeaks or clunks either.


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that`s not bad , (pssst)don`t tell any one but i would probably trust the little pug more than most other Euro cars,
on the other hand fwd should imo be a little better , they have a simpler drive line, an easier life, less moving parts.

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by ltd

Most W220 S classes now reside in areas such as the poorer areas like Bankstown and Punchbowl, because they're cheap given the cost of maintaining them outside of warranty

They're cheap because they're old. Merc S-classes do depreciate pretty badly, I won't argue with that. They also cost a hell of a lot to maintain, yes.

Originally Posted by ltd

As I wrote above, ford and holden parts are cheaper because the cars are built here. Mercedes and the other marque's have intellectual property protection preventing others from making after market parts.
I referred to the cost of ownership, my comparison is valid and frankly I don't know how apples have something to do with experience I proffered.

I wasn't referring specifically to your experience. I don't dispute that it's more expensive to maintain an S-class, as parts and servicing costs are naturally more expensive. The issue was comparing the cost of an aftermarket clutch for an EL against genuine M-B W220 parts.

Originally Posted by ltd

Maybe you and stefan and any others who love all things Euro over our cars might like to research a little on some of the European offerings, like VW and their 118 TSI engine and just how many have failed before finding another excuse to belittle the efforts of the Australian companies.

Where did I "belittle the efforts of Australian companies"? Have I ever said that Falcons are crap?

There's no such car as a perfect one. Each and every car, no matter where it's built, will have maintenance issues. This is also something that differs from car to car, not just model to model.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by GTP-RPD

Reminds me of a comment Clarkson made once on top gear about the A class.

One day you will be at a party and someone with an S Class will say to you what do you drive and you will say a Mercedes......

But if you bought the Holden SV6, you would put that damn S class owner in his place.


You cannot take anything Clarkson says seriously. In his head the most expensive and powerful car always wins now mater what. Want to feel more successful then your peers? Buy a more expensive and more powerful car then them. Then you win at life. #Jeremy Clarkson Logic

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Ben73

You cannot take anything Clarkson says seriously. In his head the most expensive and powerful car always wins now mater what. Want to feel more successful then your peers? Buy a more expensive and more powerful car then them. Then you win at life. #Jeremy Clarkson Logic

ah...i don't think so...i remember JC often questioning cars on price.

JC is JC, is opinions are his own, quite often the miss the mark as much as they hit it.


And he is right in this occasion.

[Ben73]

As much as I like top gear, you can't take everything he says serious and as sound advice on buying a car.He does and says a lot of things purely for the entertainment aspect.

I have seen him say in 1 episode he likes a car. Different episode he bags out how bad the exact same car is.

[BadMax]

Let the mojorit speak in terms of sales figures. We all know large especially Aussie built cars are doomed. The majority are wanting smaller, compact, efficient and smarter cars. Thinking all that extra Chinese metal around you in your Aussie car is just false economy.

Sales numbers tell the story, no questions about it. Those who say they'd never buy one probably can't afford new anyway, so the arguement is a moot point.

[Franco Cozzo]

All this talk about prices, local cars cheaper for parts etc. Parts for my EL are cheap but its so basic under the bonnet and throughout the car compared to new cars.

Everything is expensive on new cars regardless of where its made. I'll give an example with my Focus:

Price up a set of injectors on a direct injected car, particularily diesel stuff. With trade discount my Focus injectors are 920 bucks each.

My headlight assemblies on the Focus were around 700 Euros, the ballasts were 500 euros and D1S globes 200 bucks each. Genuine Ford parts except the globes.

Price up a new body control module for a new Falcon.

Cars aren't so simple anymore and that's were the cost is.

[GQ_Smooth]

Back on topic, went to a MB dealer yesterday to look at the new A class. Looks very premium outside, inside looks "classy", better than a C class IMO. There is a 3 day wait for a test drive no idea what the wait on the actual car is. They are definately on a winner here. To me the info screen on the dash doesn't look out of place in the flesh. If I could afford the A45 AMG it would be on my list. 75-85K may still be the cheapest AMG but still out of my budget.

[2011G6E]

The same Benz is probably worth less than half that in Europe or the USA...it's always been foolish to compare any Benz or BMW with Australian made sedans.
Cars that you see running around as taxis or ordinary middle-class family cars in Europe are sold here as premium luxury models with high end prices...

You see this on Top Gear...people in Australia pick their jaws up off the ground when they test C class Benzes and 5 series BMW's and say how good a choice it is for your family run around...because in Australia the parking lot at work with a C class in it is the bosses parking spot...not any of the workers...