£170,000 Mercedes Sl65 Amg In Slight Accident

[Bluesman]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2568392/Distraught-driver-tear-eye-hapless-mechanics-crashed-170-000-Mercedes-routine-test-drive-taken-garage-minor-computer-fault.html

Here is a sad tale of £170K SL65 AMG written off by a mechanic who picked it up to be repaired at the Mercedes dealership. Problem with the on-board computer & Traction control.

But what is even sadder than that is the fact that he has only owned the car for 4 years and he has had to spend £30,000 in repairs over that time.

Bearing in mind the first 12 months was covered by warranties he actually paid that £30k out over 3 years.

Can you imagine spending that on an LS over the same period? How do companies like Mercedes keep their customers coming back with reliability records like that?

And when was the garage going to break the really bad news to him as they never told him the car had been written off but that it had been in a crash and had been taken straight to the body shop.

[cruisermark]

he doesn't need a small silly thing like that which costs ridiculous amounts of money to buy and maintain.

He needs to see sense and grow a passion for the LS

[Titch LS]

People buy Mercs because of badge snobbery. They're nice cars when new but turn into the proverbial money pit when they're getting on a bit. Same goes for BMTroubleyou's. I know friends who have forked out fortunes on repairs to these cars. I wouldn't touch a used one with a barge pole. Top Gear has brainwashed most people into thinking there's nothing better than a German car. Wrong!

[Cotswold Pete]

Well in last 4 years managed to convert a few of my mates with German metal to come over to Lexus.

One of them got so ticked off with his Merc costing him about £4K every few years to sort out suspension issues.

He made a comment that his LS400 (17 years old) is so much nicer than his 5 year old Merc and 4 year old BMW. The only reason he keeps the German metal is so that his customers can see he is successful (or to put it another way, earns so much money he can afford to p*ss it away maintaining the darned things).

Watched Top Ger last night, and made me think that those guys earn so much money it would be of little consequence if they had to spend your average annual salary maintaining their steeds. But to me it is not a motoring show, but more a chance to laugh at some wealthy petrol heads showing what burkes they are. It is in fact I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here with wheels IMHO

[Bluesman]

Well in last 4 years managed to convert a few of my mates with German metal to come over to Lexus.

One of them got so ticked off with his Merc costing him about £4K every few years to sort out suspension issues.

He made a comment that his LS400 (17 years old) is so much nicer than his 5 year old Merc and 4 year old BMW. The only reason he keeps the German metal is so that his customers can see he is successful (or to put it another way, earns so much money he can afford to p*ss it away maintaining the darned things).

Watched Top Ger last night, and made me think that those guys earn so much money it would be of little consequence if they had to spend your average annual salary maintaining their steeds. But to me it is not a motoring show, but more a chance to laugh at some wealthy petrol heads showing what burkes they are. It is in fact I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here with wheels IMHO

The other way I used to look at it was if someone turned up at one of my small business's in an expensive car I knew the only person to pay for it was me so they never got the business.

Never flaunt what you think is your wealth in the face of a prospective customer. Mike

[Bluesbreaker]

Never a truer word spoken,an old friend of mine,became a millionaire overnight,by selling at a crucial time,land he'd bought,just off the M4, near Reading,he'd bought it in a 50% share with a business partner,a couple of years previously,for a relative song,they set up a Property Management company with the proceeds,my friends business partner promptly went out and bought a late model Astin Martin with his small change,my friend,more cautious and far-seeing,bought an older Volvo Estate,stating that one of the first rules of business,was,do not show off your ostentatious wealth,keep your light under a bushel,etc,he went on to bigger and better things as time went on,whereas,his business partner -a jack the lad anyway, went under,spending all his dosh on flash cars and coke,( not the diet kind,I might add) some kind of lesson to be learned possibly.

[Az1]

Is it me or the link just links back to this post?

Anyhow you have to remember that the SL65 amg is aimed at a completely different market, them cars arent about cruising around in comfort they are for people who want out and out power. Now unfortunately Lexus don't do an equivalent of the amg monsters and if they did then i'm sure people would buy them. The only equivalent would be the lexus isf or the lfa. The lfa is probably twice the price of the sl65 amg so thats a no no and the isf would probably get eaten alive by the power of the sl65 amg, so people have no choice but to turn to the likes of Bmw or mercedes. If and when Lexus decide to churn out equivalent models of the amgs and the m cars from bmw them i'm sure people will but them. At the moment there is no choice.

[Malc]

Don't we have enough power in our trusted and understated steeds ??

We can see off most cars at the lights or get ourselves out of tricky motoring situations just by flooring it ...... can't we !

We ( or me anyway ) don't want to flaunt our power and esteem.

Malc

[Bluesman]

Here is a new link http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2568392/Distraught-driver-tear-eye-hapless-mechanics-crashed-170-000-Mercedes-routine-test-drive-taken-garage-minor-computer-fault.html

[Az1]

Actually the sl65 amg has 670 bhp more than twice that of the ls400 and probably twice that of most LS series cars. But and this is the thing they are aimed at a different market. If i had that kind if money i would probably have the sl on the shortlist of cars because no japenese car maker has an equivalent.

[cleverdick]

I had to check the link to see what this car actually was that could cost 170k (Merc nomenclature means nothing to me).

Looking at it, I have to say that I wouldn't give tuppence for it. Just another aggressive little insect on the road that needs to be swatted out of the way.

Same as Porsches, I just don't get it. I mean, if you want to go fast with a lot of noise and discomfort and in cramped conditions, then buy an old 1275 Mini. Job done!

I wonder if he's the John Guest of Speedfit fame? Whatever, he's a sad, materialistic b*****d IMHO.

[bigjap]

the japs do make a car with supercar performance,the nissan GTR 0/60 2.9 sec,fastest production car around the nurburgring,full of electronic wizardry,a lovely piece of kit

[cleverdick]

For a long time I really wanted a 1980s 300ZX 2+2. (Or even an earlier 280ZX - now that really was a good-looking car!) I never got one though - one thing that put me off was the plasticky interior. I've no idea what they're like nowadays...

[Titch LS]

I'd have a lot more sympathy for some poor sap who'd written off his old LS than for this mega-rich Merc owner.