Which One Would You Go For - Alfa or Merc ?

[gingerjedi]

Mercs up until the 90s were great quality.
(I had three)
Mercs are no longer reliable. They are mass produced like any other car.

As an example the automatic selector as plastic linkages and has a plastic locking device that is non serviceable. They invariably stick had will stop the car from starting. There is no way of releasing it. The merc garage has to hit the gear shift with a rubber hammer and break the plastic link. The plastic linkage can then be replaced. At a cost of £1200.

It happened on my cousins merc along with many other users. Just google the forums,

I had heard this but thought they had improved again over the last 5-6 years? A the same time Alfa have a former BMW quality guy running the show so they should be better than Alfa's of old.

Saying that, I wanted/desired a 159 Sportwagon but just couldn't bring myself to take the plunge when it was time to change.

[Old Hack]

£15k puts you in a 3/4 yo E320CDI estate, which is about as bullet proof as cars go. You'll never regret it, for comfort, space and for punting As for Mercs no longer being the last bastion in reliability, they had some issues with cars in the early 2000's, once they shifted a lot of production to the States as it happens, but since the last E class, they're grand. Have owned Mercs for years, and never, not once, been let down. Have owned lots of alfas too, but for once Assguru is right; the Alfas of today are pale shadows of those or yore. Stating pimped up fiats isn't too far off the mark.

CLK will see your sat nav take you to Clapham Common each time you drive it...

If you aren't a car snob, 13k puts you in a 6 month old Skoda Superb, which is about the most car 13k can buy at the mo. Or wait a couple of years and buy ass's GT86; he's too old to have ragged it...

[kaiser78]

Thanks for all replies - am angling towards the Merc, the only off puter is the consumption isnt great, but then I am not doing lots and lots of miles each week.

[DimPrawn]

Mostly motorway work, why not a modern diesel Merc?

CLK 320CDI much better than a wheezy four pot petrol with an unreliable supercharger on it?

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/c...p-sport/445348

[Paddy]

Mostly motorway work, why not a modern diesel Merc?

CLK 320CDI much better than a wheezy four pot petrol with an unreliable supercharger on it?

Used MERCEDES CLK 320 CDI TIP SPORT for sale - PistonHeads (Ref 445348)

What puts me off that car is the low profile tyres. Low profile tyres are great for autobahns but crap for pot holed British roads.

[norrahe]

Thanks for all replies - am angling towards the Merc, the only off puter is the consumption isnt great, but then I am not doing lots and lots of miles each week.

Consumption is pretty good with the Alfa, had our GT for 4 years, lots of mileage and no problems ever, apart from front bumpers meeting with foxes

[sasguru]

Consumption is pretty good with the Fiat, had our GT for 4 years, lots of mileage and no problems ever, apart from front bumpers meeting with foxes

FTFY

[Old Hack]

FTFY

Again, poorly informed assguru; the GT and 147 were actually true alfa's, based on the 156 chassis which was widely regarded as being exceptional. It also used the best alfa engines in the Twin Spark and 3.2 V6, the latter being probably one of the best engines ever built.

Right about the Julie, wrong about the GT. It's the only Alfa I have considered in recent years, the GT. Nice car, and thunderous with the 3.2 and 4x4...

[Old Hack]

Mostly motorway work, why not a modern diesel Merc?

CLK 320CDI much better than a wheezy four pot petrol with an unreliable supercharger on it?

Used MERCEDES CLK 320 CDI TIP SPORT for sale - PistonHeads (Ref 445348)

WDPS - Cracking value this. 32k is hardly run in for this engine. Elegant pillarless couple too, but not too sure about the front lights, never liked them.

[norrahe]

Again, poorly informed assguru; the GT and 147 were actually true alfa's, based on the 156 chassis which was widely regarded as being exceptional. It also used the best alfa engines in the Twin Spark and 3.2 V6, the latter being probably one of the best engines ever built.

Right about the Julie, wrong about the GT. It's the only Alfa I have considered in recent years, the GT. Nice car, and thunderous with the 3.2 and 4x4...

I miss my GT Q2