Thinking of trading in the 350Z...

[Sage]

Ummm... damn... you'd better be getting paid up the wazoo to be thinking like that. Even though I'm also in the US and in an area where there are more Hummers than any other type of vehicle, I'm still lucky to get a 125 hp econobox people-mover (while I do admit it's anemic on power going uphill, that's still what I'd consider economy). I'd be bouncing off the wall if I could afford something that had 215 bhp.

actually, i wish mine were a lot faster. if the new IS350 had better looks I might actually want it (and I'm very anti-rice). Maybe it's just where I've been living recently but I often feel like my little 5-year-old 215hp benz is very much inadequate. it's purpleness, however, is a redeeming factor

 

[Sage]

GRRR WHY DONT I HAVE THE EDIT BUTTON ANYMORE I KEEP WANTING TO ADD THINGS AFTER I HIT POST LIKE I ALWAYS DO BUT NOW I CANT BECAUSE MY EDIT BUTTON IS GONE!!!!


anyhow, i was about to add... I'm really thinking I'd love to have a 2002 CLK55 342hp / 376 toque

 

[Moloch]

because your rep is shitty?

 

[Sage]

because your rep is shitty?

why would that affect my ability to edit my posts? that doesnt make any sense to me...

 

[digitalwanderer]

why would that affect my ability to edit my posts? that doesnt make any sense to me...

Whether it makes sense or not to you is sort of irrelavent, it's how it is.

 

[_xxx_]

wow i figured your 2.0l would be turbo'd... MB's little 1.8l 230's are turbo'd so i figured in order to compete BMW's bottom end would also have to be turbo'd.

It is. The current version has 163 hp, mine is from year 2000. Mercedes are available both as turbo or roots, depends on the model. Though diesel are turbo only, no roots there.

 

[Sage]

Whether it makes sense or not to you is sort of irrelavent, it's how it is.

oh so we know that this is why? I thought someone was suggesting that was why. I couldn't figure out how reputation would somehow cause a glitch in edit functionality. That's why I said it doesnt really make any sense. Although I still don't understand the connection.

It is. The current version has 163 hp, mine is from year 2000. Mercedes are available both as turbo or roots, depends on the model. Though diesel are turbo only, no roots there.

oh ok well they aren't sold here, that's why I didn't know about them. The lowest MB you can get is the 230

 

[Frank]

oh ok well they aren't sold here, that's why I didn't know about them. The lowest MB you can get is the 230

Yes, most low-powered US models are the medium (or higher) powered ones in the EU and most of the rest of the world. The manufacturers drop the low power ones and throw a heavier engine in all others for the US market.

 

[Sage]

wow I didn't know that!

 

[ShootMyMonkey]

Maybe it's just where I've been living recently but I often feel like my little 5-year-old 215hp benz is very much inadequate. it's purpleness, however, is a redeeming factor

Well, if it's 5 years old, I can understand that it's probably faded quite a bit. If 215 was its spec when it was new, after 5 years that can drop by quite a percentage depending on how much you drive it. Well, different places can have an effect on how the performance feels as well. My previous car was pretty comfy at high speeds (80+) on the highways back in Illinois, but in the extreme humidity of Houston, I had to practically floor the pedal to make 60.

In 5 years, my 125 hp will probably drop quite a bit as well. So sad, but that's life.

 

[Sxotty]

My previous car was pretty comfy at high speeds (80+) on the highways back in Illinois, but in the extreme humidity of Houston, I had to practically floor the pedal to make 60..

It must have been old, newer cars should not have problems with that as they mix the fuel air according the atmospheric conditions.

 

[Sage]

Well, if it's 5 years old, I can understand that it's probably faded quite a bit. If 215 was its spec when it was new, after 5 years that can drop by quite a percentage depending on how much you drive it. Well, different places can have an effect on how the performance feels as well. My previous car was pretty comfy at high speeds (80+) on the highways back in Illinois, but in the extreme humidity of Houston, I had to practically floor the pedal to make 60.

In 5 years, my 125 hp will probably drop quite a bit as well. So sad, but that's life.

of course, it also depends on how well you take care of the car... my car is in faaaantastic condition!

 

[_xxx_]

Well, if it's 5 years old, I can understand that it's probably faded quite a bit. If 215 was its spec when it was new, after 5 years that can drop by quite a percentage depending on how much you drive it. Well, different places can have an effect on how the performance feels as well. My previous car was pretty comfy at high speeds (80+) on the highways back in Illinois, but in the extreme humidity of Houston, I had to practically floor the pedal to make 60.

In 5 years, my 125 hp will probably drop quite a bit as well. So sad, but that's life.

That's ridiculous Where did you get that from? It's normal that some parts get older, like the air-mass-sensor (HFM) or the turbos. They are not being monitored in the older cars, thus you quite often can't see they went bad, that's all that can happen. The engine doesn't lose power as it gets older.

 

[Geo]

That's ridiculous Where did you get that from? It's normal that some parts get older, like the air-mass-sensor (HFM) or the turbos. They are not being monitored in the older cars, thus you quite often can't see they went bad, that's all that can happen. The engine doesn't lose power as it gets older.

Well, not after five years anyway. Really older ones can as they lose compression. That's my understanding anyway.

 

[_xxx_]

Well, not after five years anyway. Really older ones can as they lose compression. That's my understanding anyway.

Dunno about the older ones, but the new ones adopt to aging via SW automatically, same goes for the gearbox and a few others.

 

[Sxotty]

Geo if you lose compression then you will notice trust me, it is not like the power goes down just a wee bit, it is like that cylinder no longer functions. Things get screwed all to hell, and even on cars from like 1990 the engine light still usually pops on.

 

[ShootMyMonkey]

Dunno about the older ones, but the new ones adopt to aging via SW automatically, same goes for the gearbox and a few others.

Well the example I brought up of my previous car before the one I currently have was a lot more than 5 years old. It was around 11 years old and had over 225,000 miles on it by the time it died... and it was a Ford. About the only thing relatively new on it was the suspension. And that was only replaced after the old one had reached a point where the rear shocks literally crumbled in my hands (okay so I don't like to empty my wallet, so sue me).

In a time span like 5 years, it probably won't be the engine, but a little bit of everything that will affect the whole package. Gears, sensors, exhaust, valve train, electrical, chassis. I mean, if I have something like 125 bhp, my engine probably puts out a good 160+, but how much is delivered to the wheels affects what you feel. Even the place you live. You'll have to push harder some areas of the world than others. Plus a lot of VVT systems in cheaper vehicles just aren't capable of coping with all types of air compositions. But I think the biggest thing is just that 99% of the time, beyond regular maintenance, everything else doesn't get noticed or taken care of until it's already a problem. And of course, cost is always the ultimate incentive to procrastinate.

 

[Sage]

Plus a lot of VVT systems in cheaper vehicles just aren't capable of coping with all types of air compositions.

of course, a Mercedes isn't normally considered a "cheaper vehicle" and the engine in my car was used for, I believe, about 12 years. They sure nailed that design right on the head and by the time mine was produced you can bet it was very well refined. (and keep in mind it was designed before the buyout of Chystler, back when MB reliability was still tops)

 

[_xxx_]

of course, a Mercedes isn't normally considered a "cheaper vehicle" and the engine in my car was used for, I believe, about 12 years. They sure nailed that design right on the head and by the time mine was produced you can bet it was very well refined. (and keep in mind it was designed before the buyout of Chystler, back when MB reliability was still tops)

That's got nothing to do with chrysler, but the price pressure from the east. We have to save money AND incorporate more/new features. And we have a architectural generation change (electronics arch.) and that always takes time to become 100% bug-free. The reliability is already much better than in the last few years and will become even better over the next 2-3 years. But that is nothing that can happen over night, lots of hard work involved. Think ATI's R520 situation, that's what DC goes through right now.

 

[Moffell]

That's got nothing to do with chrysler, but the price pressure from the east.

Hmm when did Chrysler take over? I'm asking because Mercedes cars frome 98 and forward have been rustbuckets of the worst kind, almost as bad as Opel's from the 80's and early 90's. Skimping on rust protection doesn't make sense even from the simplest money saving viewpoint.