German Car Zone

I just thought of starting a thread like this after reading the S65 thread where an owner stated quite clearly what he liked and disliked about his car.

Well how about members of GCZ? What car do you drive, and more importantly, what do you like and dislike about your car??

I guess I'll have to start off.

As many of you know by now, I drive a C55 AMG.

Best things about my car:
1) Awesome acceleration.
2) Very decent handling (the best handling car I've ever owned), even on a track.
3) Just big enough for my family (wife and 2 kids).
4) Very good brakes with very little fade even after a day at the track (maybe I wasn't driving hard enough???)
5) Very effective traction control and stability control system which is essential in the winter time for a high powered RWD car.
6) Awesome sound from the V8 and AMG tuned exhaust.
7) In automatic "sport" mode, the 5 speed transmission is very fast shifting and very responsive to throttle input.

Worse things about my car:
1) Bumpy ride on rough pavement (compared to a non-AMG Mercedes C-class which are silky smooth and comfortable).
2) Relatively high fuel consumption. I drive 80% in the city and 20% on highway. I average between 13.5-14.9 L / 100 km everytime I do a manual calculation after I fill up with gas.
3) Very average stereo (and I even got the Harmon Kardon upgrade).
4) The famous Mercedes throttle lag when you initially press the accelerator from a standing start.
5) In manual mode, there can be significant lag between pressing the shift button to the time the car actually initiates the shift, especially when upshifting, which is frustrating at times. Once the computer actually initiates the shift, the shift itself is very quick.
6) The very famous Mercedes brake dust which coats the nice looking rims very quickly (especially the front).
7) That V8 and AMG tuned exhaust sound can be tiring on long trips on the highway. Not the most comfortable car for a long distance drive with the family.

C200K

Pros
Nice quality
Smooth ride
Comfort
Gr8 stereo for standard

Cons
im to large for the car..haha
brake dust
just 1 cup holder

.......
all in all a gr8 car.. for normall driving..nothing spectacular..but it aint supposed to be.. its does what its suppose to do..better than any other car

'01 A4 1.8T

[ + ]
Comfortable
Quattro
Manual Tranny is nice
Good gas mileage
Fun to drive

[ - ]
Interior
Reliability
Stereo

13.5-14.9 is very good for a NA 5.5L V8, IMO. Especially since you do a lot of city driving.

I thought the interior is one of the best things of this car.

Well, I don't drive any car, but I have comments on my dad's 3.2V6 Phaeton:

[+]
Solid & spectacular build quality (for eg, interior reading lights are exquisite)
Exclusivity
Paintwork
Insulated ride
Comfortable long-distance cruiser
Automated boot a great convenience
Plastic fenders (easy to fix minor bumps)
Lumbar support in seats
Double xenons (to blind people )
LED tail-lights, turn signals (eye-catching)
Welcome lights feature a welcome addition
Flawless manual override shifts
Rear airconditioning controls
Wood on side grab handles
Comfortable seats
Onboard computer (ease of use)

[-]
Some cheap interior parts
Technology behind time [absence of bluetooth, no daylight instrumentation lighting, no GPS (in my region)]
Abhorrent fuel consumption (averaging 16L/100km, city driving 21L/100km)
Sluggish engine (no availability of a V8 in our region)
Clunky gearbox shifts at times
Bumpy ride at low speed
Loose chrome trim (along doors)
Absence of adjustable rear bench (standard on our S-Class)
Unsupportive seats
Interior ambient lighting is sparse and lacking
Red interior lighting may be too bright and distracting
Wipers don't last

It may be, but at least in my car, it has fake leather(leatherette?), plastic all over, and stuff is coming undone in various spots...

Well I'm sure during its heyday it was the best in its class.

Yeah it was not an upper level A4 when it was released I think it was just about as close to base as you get.

I'm not complaining though, it's a great car and I love it.

01 CL500 Best (ladies love it)

Worst (Interior layout is boring-It's neckel & diming me to death-Poor trade in value-exspensive to repair-for some strange reason the driver side mirror decided it looked better tinted-look
it's just a piece of sh!t!!

03 LX470 Best (nothing more comfortable for a long drive-huge reserve tank-easy to use touch screen nav-very reliable-lot's of room for four adults-rear entertainment system-silent inside-never feels boring)

Worst (feels like your driving a 18 wheeler-slow as hell-not respected for as much as it cost!)

Other cars 05 LR3, 00 C280, 99 528i

1987 Mercedes 190E 2.3
[+]
exerier, interier
power from such a small engine
handling, and so much more
[-]
at 190,000 miles yes some things do wear out and need to be replaced.
1998 Audi A4
[+]
how it handles in the snow
[-]
oil leaks
too much understeer
dealership
oil leaks
pain in the a$$ to work on
it does not snow out here

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300SE (W126)
-Reliable
-Comfortable (perfect for long trips or cruising around)
-Charm / Personality
-Youngtimer in the making
-Surprisingly good fuel economy (10 L / 100 km average)
-Durability
-Spacious cabin
-Powerful engine
-Solid during high speed driving
-Handling (like a boat)
-Vague steering
-Weak headlights
-Jerky automatic transmission
-A/C uses outlawed cooling fluid


1989 Mercedes-Benz 500SL (R129)
-Reliable
-Fast and fun to drive
-Still turns heads
-Solid
-Handling (is ok despite the vague steering)
-A/T is smooth
-Poor fuel economy
-Vague steering
-Uncomfortable for long trips due to cramped cabin
-Weak headlights



2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 Avantgarde (W211)
-Reliable (so far)
-Acceleration
-Comfort
-Handling
-Solid
-Fuel economy
-Spacious cabin
-Powerful engine
-Powerful headlights
-Smooth A/T transmission
-Confusing A/C controls