Compare: BMW vs. Benz

If one were going to take a serious look at these two Germans for basic transportation and tinkering, does one generally come out ahead? I know there are some apples-to-apples and some apples-to-watermelon comparisons between the two makes but say from '90 to 2000, does one come out ahead across the board? Lets maybe focus on the more pedestrian versions and not so much the highest ends of the performance spectrum.

Gas and Diesel too! (I'm willing accept if this is a moronic premise, please let me know)

You're more likely to find a bmw with a stick and 3 pedals? Idk anything about MB stuff from this era, so I won't say anything positive or negative.

Of anything breaks, you are probably going to find more info on BMWs. The BMW forums are more active if you need help.

J

What do you mean "come out ahead?"

My dads experience:
93 Mercedes 300E. Possibly the best car he's ever owned, extremely over-engineered, extremely reliable, built like a tank. He bought it in 96 for... probably a lot, and if my brother wasn't a giant, he'd probably have kept it a lot longer than 2002. Don't know what he sold it for, but I'm sure it was a lot less than he paid. He did not have any major repairs.

99 Mercedes ML430. Built to a pricepoint, not a quality point. Bought for a little less than 30, sold for a little less than 20, no major repairs to speak of.

95 BMW 525i. Up against the 300E as the best car he's owned. He got it in 2008 and sold it in October to his brother. Reliable, great car, rock solid feel, but some items could get pricey. Internet is your friend. Probably the last before they started to get overly complicated.

FWIW, he went to a 13 year old BMW after being in a newish Crown Vic and a newish SAAB. It took him 2 years to finally find an acceptable replacement for a decent price, and he looked at everything before he finally settled on a 2012 G37.

Mercedes parts are mind bogglingly available.

I am finishing up an engine rebuild/underhood restoration on a 71 280SE 3.5 and am constantly shocked at how easy it has been to find every single part and piece. From wiring harness clips to underhood plastics to sound deadening pieces. Everything is just one or two calls away. This is a very expensive car and the parts are too.

That said I kind of hate driving Mercs. They are just isolated and awful. Like driving a sensory deprivation device. No connected to the road feel, and trying to find one with a manual transmission is futile. Plus I think they are ugly. I hate the 1930's style chrome tombstone grill on an otherwise modern sedan.

I love driving BMW's and never had a problem finding anything for them.

My vote is BMW

I find bmws easier to work on. Once you replace all that wonderful german plastic I would even consider them reliable. I hate both however, for many many reasons.

One other warning - the mid '90s was when Mercedes started using biodegradable wiring, causing Lucas levels of electrical gremlins if you get one where the wiring has started breaking down. I believe this was some misguided environmental law in Europe that caused this disaster. BMW appears to have responded with biodegradable interior parts, judging by how my E36 BMW has held up.

BMW's main weak point in the '90s was cooling systems (not that I'd trust any plastic end tanked radiator that's over 12 years old), but they are fairly easily repaired. Just don't get one that has already popped a head gasket.

DD'ing a 200,000 mile E36 right now. No personal experience with Mercs, but one of my co-workers has one with the biodegradable wiring problem.

BMW, on parts prices alone. Merc parts are insane!

Only one Benz I would consider from that period.

1993 was the last year for old-school, over-engineered Benz quality. And things really took a nose-dive after the Chrysler merger 1998.

LanEvo wrote: 1993 was the last year for old-school, over-engineered Benz quality. And things really took a nose-dive after the Chrysler merger 1998.

No, 1995 for the W124 chassis.

Uhhh...one will break/need maintenance every 6 days, the other every 5.7 days.

For a DD? Neither. Buy a boring riceburner for vanilla transportation and the panzerwagon as a weekend toy. ditchdigger is right that Mercedes parts are very available but that does not mean 1) good quality or 2) reasonably priced.

So I should buy a G- body and screw it!

I've been daily driving old BMWs on and off for the past six years now and I don't get any of the "breaks every week" or "unreliable" comments. If the cooling system is taken care of they are pretty indestructible. With sites like AutohausAZ, eEuroparts, Turner etc parts are relatively cheap and common and there is a large DIY knowledge base out there. They are definitely more fun to drive than Mercs and I've always loved that I don't have to piss with a timing belt every 60-100k.

Basically if you get one that wasn't beat on, you should be fine. It seems like people buy the cheapest, most beat up examples they can find them complain when they need everything. Well, duh.

SlickDizzy wrote: I've been daily driving old BMWs on and off for the past six years now and I don't get any of the "breaks every week" or "unreliable" comments. If the cooling system is taken care of they are pretty indestructible. With sites like AutohausAZ, eEuroparts, Turner etc parts are relatively cheap and common and there is a large DIY knowledge base out there. They are definitely more fun to drive than Mercs and I've always loved that I don't have to piss with a timing belt every 60-100k. Basically if you get one that wasn't beat on, you should be fine. It seems like people buy the cheapest, most beat up examples they can find them complain when they need everything. Well, duh.

This. I DD'd a '98 740iL for 5 years and it cost me about $1500 in repairs over that 5 year time (much of it coming up friont when I replaced parts just as a preventative measure).

SlickDizzy wrote: I've been daily driving old BMWs on and off for the past six years now and I don't get any of the "breaks every week" or "unreliable" comments. If the cooling system is taken care of they are pretty indestructible. With sites like AutohausAZ, eEuroparts, Turner etc parts are relatively cheap and common and there is a large DIY knowledge base out there. They are definitely more fun to drive than Mercs and I've always loved that I don't have to piss with a timing belt every 60-100k. Basically if you get one that wasn't beat on, you should be fine. It seems like people buy the cheapest, most beat up examples they can find them complain when they need everything. Well, duh.

+1

If properly maintained (not at all hard or expensive) a BMW can make a fine DD without costing an arm or a leg. I dd my E36 M3 with over 150K miles on the odo. I'm actually driving it from Daytona to Road Atlanta for the Mitty and looking forward to the drive!

BMWs are usually more engaging to drive than their Merc competition. Mercs win for interior quality and that vault-like feel that pretty much every other car lacks.

As was said, avoid Mercedes in the late 90s early 2000s. As was stated, they had tons of electrical problems and at one time were the least reliable car on the market. BMWs of the same era are usually fine mechanically, but they used a biodegradable glue to hold interior panels on--- which degrades over time. They can be re-attached, but it's a PITA.

I dd my E36 M3. My only complaint is that the interior is starting to let go (headliner, worn door panels, etc). Mechanically it is as strong as ever. It is easy to work on, and parts are easy to find.

mtn wrote:

LanEvo wrote: 1993 was the last year for old-school, over-engineered Benz quality. And things really took a nose-dive after the Chrysler merger 1998.

No, 1995 for the W124 chassis.

Are the W124s reliable? I kinda assumed they sucked cause of my experience with one but it was ragged to hell and back...

Cause this is pimp

Like that 93EXcivic, that is what I'd call "Hammer time."

93EXCivic wrote:

mtn wrote:

LanEvo wrote: 1993 was the last year for old-school, over-engineered Benz quality. And things really took a nose-dive after the Chrysler merger 1998.

No, 1995 for the W124 chassis.

Are the W124s reliable? I kinda assumed they sucked cause of my experience with one but it was ragged to hell and back... Cause this is pimp

Yes. It was before the computers, before the bio-degradable wires, and just in general was put together extremely well. There are numerous reports online of folks with stupid amounts of miles on them; in Europe I believe they were used as cabs with huge mileage numbers. However, like was stated before, if they are not maintained they can be a nightmare. Aside from that, the newest ones are now old enough to vote, so there is a lot of potential neglected maintenance and preventative stuff that could add up quickly, and has been mentioned, parts ain't cheap.

And if we're dreaming:

"Before the computers?" I bet a 1995 W124 has over a half dozen computers in it. But I don't think computers in general are the source of many reliability problems.

dculberson wrote: "Before the computers?" I bet a 1995 W124 has over a half dozen computers in it. But I don't think computers in general are the source of many reliability problems.

Sorry, I suppose I wasn't clear. What I meant was "you do not need a masters degree in computer engineering to do an oil change".

I DDed a 318ti.. to the tune of 60,000 miles. The only time it failed to start was due to a bad battery and a bad fuelpump.

The door panels did fall fall off, and the rear hatch wiper stopped working.. but other than those two faults, it was the most reliable car I -ever- owned. And that stacks up against some cars I bought new.

Sadly, it was badly beat when I got it and was fatally wounded from a pervious accident that left bare metal underneath that spent 7 years turning to ironoxide till the car was unsafe to drive...

I deal with them on the crash end, and the BMW's are by far easier/cheaper to repair (unless you start talking aluminum). M-B's are put together in a mystical array of umpteen pieces in just the bumper alone. I cringe every time I get a M-B claim; the BMWs just make me go "meh" and are fairly drama free.