Mercedes Loyalty

As mentioned in the previous post about the Honda CR-Z, my father just recently purchased a new car. Anyone who knows my dad already knows that he will always look at Mercedes Benz for his new car. I thought I would take this opportunity to list out the Mercedes that he has driven in his lifetime. This would be his third Mercedes Benz purchase and as a car enthusiast, I usually do not agree with his choices. I have driven his other two Mercedes Benz and it does not impressed me. I have heard people either telling me when I reach my 40s I would appreciate one or wait till you have driven one. I would say what I am looking for in a car is not comfort or the prestige of having one to the first one and would simply say it's actually those who have not driven one would dream about having one. As a person who have driven two different models before, I think someone should either buy an AMG or a higher spec model. So back to the topic, here is the list of Mercedes Benz models that my dad owns.

Mercedes Benz E-Class (W211)
He got his first Mercedes when I was 14 years old and I was not even old enough to drive yet. If I was not mistaken, it was a 2003 E 200 Kompressor imported from UK or Germany. Its rear wheels are powered by a 1.8 liter supercharged engine, producing 180 bhp and 250 Nm of torque. After I had finish my P (beginner) license 4 years later, my father let me had a try with his E200K and I experienced my first RWD and first force inducted engine. I remembered I drove very carefully at first and when I step on the accelerator on a long straight highway, the torque was overwhelming me. It is as if I had tasted a drug and I like it. It was never the same for me and I keep longing for the same torque but unfortunately I was just driving a Toyota Vios at that time. As I did not know much about cars back then, I only knew it as a fast car and did not look into other aspects of the car. I did not get much chance sitting behind the wheels of the E200K. Soon time flies by and the E-Class had a model change. This was when he had some thoughts about getting the new model. Eventually, he sold this one and bought the successor.

 

All photos above are not actual car. Just same model and same color.

Mercedes Benz E-Class (W212)
When the successor came in 2010, my father was considering to get one. This was mainly due to a 7 years ownership and so, it is time to change one but the E200K was still running well. Thanks to some persuasion, he bought a locally assembled E 200 CGI. This model is quite similar to his previous E200K having also a 1.8 liter engine that also produces 180 bhp. However, instead of a supercharger, this one got a turbo which increases the torque by 20 Nm to a total of 270 Nm. This was around the same time I started to drive the Toyota Celica and from my experience with the coupe, I started to test out the capabilities of the new E200 everytime I drive it. I did not like the soft suspension and overall heaviness of the car and this is due to the fact that it is a luxury sedan, I started to refer to this E200 as a boat/ship because of the body roll but I could not deny the overwhelming torque. My father's favorite thing to do was zooming up a slope with all the torque and even drove about 200 km/h. I on the other hand was more careful as I was not adept with RWD and the rear tends to snap at uneven road or rain. After I changed to the Mazda 6, it is fairer to compare both cars and I realized that all Mercedes models have wide turning radius given the size of the car. In my opinion, the turning radius and high torque is the winning point of the E200 but I am sorry to say that when it comes to other aspects I prefer my Mazda 6 instead. My father often points out that my Mazda lacks the E200's high torque.

All photos above are not actual car. Just same model and same color.

I constantly suggest my father to consider other brands such as Lexus after he had owned two Mercedes and I always receive the same answer from him. He would say the main reason he still would buy a Mercedes is because of the image it gives out. All great businessmen drive a Mercedes and it is easily recognized as prestigious. Furthermore, among other European brands, Mercedes has the better resale value. I would not think of it as prestigious as the two he owned are all entry level of the E-Class but it is still higher spec than a C-Class. I guess after some time there would be a loyalty towards the brand and I will respect that. I will talk about his next car in another post after he receives it. So, stay tune.