Car Swap - 07 Passat to 05 C-Class Yes or no?

bf

I never hold on to my cars that long and getting itchy feet again - I have been offered a swap for my 07 Passat (1.6 FSI Comfortline with 32k kms) for a 05 Merc C Class C180 Classic (Leather, 56 kms but manual) with a small cash adjustment coming my way

What do fellow Boardsies think - is this a good swap?

Biro

bf wrote: »

I never hold on to my cars that long and getting itchy feet again - I have been offered a swap for my 07 Passat (1.6 FSI Comfortline with 32k kms) for a 05 Merc C Class C180 Classic (Leather, 56 kms but manual) with a small cash adjustment coming my way

What do fellow Boardsies think - is this a good swap?

No.

Moanin

I wouldn't buy a manual merc

Stevie Dakota

Wouldn't do it either, not much space and base spec manual Merc, actually are you mad?!

niceirishfella

From a current model Vw, to a old model merc that actually is rubbish, small and unreliable..........

NO!

colm_mcm

stick with the VW, the lesser of 2 evils IMO

ShadowHearth

i will tell you as an merc driver... Stay on your passat m8. Mercs after 2000++ gone really bad in quality. And its C class m8... You would basicly pay for a merc name, but not for qualty and comfort.

Sandwich

Agree with the crowd. You'd be giving away a lot of car to get an aged 3 pointed star, that wasnt too shiney to begin with anyway. Not a great deal for you.

Berty

Your gonna swap it anyway. Itchy feet cant be scratched here.

Dont do it. I made a mistake of going from a 2005 Focus to a 2004 Laguna because of great spec in the Laguna. Looking back now, there should have been a queue of people to tell me not to do it but I learned from my mistake now.

Nobody is going to be able to stop you. Merc is a good looking car but unless you are buying big in Merc like the ML AMG €154K then dont bother.

L-M

I really wouldn't bother, stick with what you have. Especially if it's an old model, manual C class Merc. If anything at all, at least buy an e200. Stay where you are.

galwaytt

Phuk No !!

C-class is.......a trifle..........Korean looking ?? And it has no redeeming features, really.........

unkel

If the C-class were an auto, I'd have gone with the swap. It isn't so I wouldn't.

bf

Thanks for the advice, confirmed my own suspicions that the manual was a big no no - will look elsewhere!

Bearcat

no from me too......i think the banking sector is about to collapse and the domino effect will happen. Keep what you have. Merc is plastic and gutless. Passat is a fine car irrespective of the reps chariot image.

galwaytt

Bearcat wrote: »

no from me too......i think the banking sector is about to collapse and the domino effect will happen. Keep what you have. Merc is plastic and gutless. Passat is a fine car irrespective of the reps chariot image.

....indeed, there's irony for you...........some of the bank people have C180's as co cars.......

Bearcat

galway.....i must be tired but your post has gone totally over my head....

galwaytt

Bearcat wrote: »

galway.....i must be tired but your post has gone totally over my head....

...what's ironic is that the post in question re: Merc C and reference to banks - this is the co car a lot of people working for some of the banks have as co cars. If the bank's collapse, further, will there be an even bigger glut of them out there.....?

Not a Molder & Scully job..........

Biro

When looking elsewhere avoid the c-class altogether. Wait till the new model C-Class is affordable. That's back to Merc standards.

Boskowski

Limerick-man wrote: »

I really wouldn't bother, stick with what you have. Especially if it's an old model, manual C class Merc. If anything at all, at least buy an e200. Stay where you are.

Overall I agree in 'NO' as I wouldn't buy a manual basic spec C-class Merc myself. But then I wouldn't buy a Passat either. Has absolutely nothing going for it, but that's just my opinion.

It's not that the Merc manual gear box is crap. If you prefer manual then there's nothing wrong with it. It's just that the Merc is a comfort car and that usually goes with automatic gear boxes and also Mercs have traditionally been an automatic car, as far as I can remember anyway.

Anyway, in that particular case I wouldn't say you'd gain a lot if anything. Just the thrill of having something different.

C-class hasn't the greatest reputation of all the Mercs out there but I'd still buy one. Nice high spec 220 CDI estate, something like that. I'd never buy a petrol Merc.

Also, me personally thinks anyone who refers to a 05 as an old car doesn't know what he's talking about or simply has too much money. Especially since 3 years on a Merc are not equal to 3 years on any other car. You can half that. A 5 or 6 years old Merc/BMW is as good as a 2 or 3 years old Japan/Opel/Ford/VW/younameit.

Regards

C

Biro

realcam wrote: »

Especially since 3 years on a Merc are not equal to 3 years on any other car. You can half that. A 5 or 6 years old Merc/BMW is as good as a 2 or 3 years old Japan/Opel/Ford/VW/younameit.

Regards

C

What a load of sh1t.

dlambirl

not a chance would i change for a C180 merc...
Sister in law has one and i'd prefer the old mans ford mondeo to it!!

superjosh9

realcam wrote: »

Especially since 3 years on a Merc are not equal to 3 years on any other car. You can half that. A 5 or 6 years old Merc/BMW is as good as a 2 or 3 years old Japan/Opel/Ford/VW/younameit.

Regards

C

Are you 12?

galwaytt

realcam wrote: »

..........3 years on a Merc are not equal to 3 years on any other car. You can half that. A 5 or 6 years old Merc/BMW is as good as a 2 or 3 years old Japan/Opel/Ford/VW/younameit.

Regards

C

..what complete and utter rubbish.

Both the statment, and to a lesser extent, the C180.....:rolleyes: The Good Ship 'Quality' departed Unterturkheim some time ago..........

Climate Expert

I wouldn't go from a year old Passat to a new C Class. Crazy stuff.

Boskowski

superjosh9 wrote: »

Are you 12?

Biro wrote: »

What a load of sh1t.

galwaytt wrote: »

..what complete and utter rubbish.

[ ] You spend a lot of time coming up with a well considered reply.
[ ] You know your cars
[ ] I'm going to take you seriously.

Regards

C

geoff29

realcam, you're just taking the pi**, right?

Boskowski

geoff29 wrote: »

realcam, you're just taking the pi**, right?

I wouldn't necessarily swap that particular Passat for that particular Merc (especially not for THAT particular Merc), but generally speaking I'd take a 5 year old Merc over a 3 year old Volkswagen.

So in that way, no, I'm not taking the piss.

Obvioulsy people seem to disagree - strongly...

I know Merc isn't what it used to be but I'd still rate them a lot higher than your VW & Audis & Toyotas andsuch
Drove E class for many years and drive an older 5 series now. Wouldnt swap for any of my colleagues Mondeos, A4s, Passats although they're newer...(unless I'd make money on it, obviously)

Regards

C

Stevie Dakota

It's true some of the older Germans have a solidity sorely missing from todays econoboxes. My old E34 felt tighter than a three year old Avensis I recently drove. Having said that this C class is not one of them.

Biro

realcam wrote: »

I wouldn't necessarily swap that particular Passat for that particular Merc (especially not for THAT particular Merc), but generally speaking I'd take a 5 year old Merc over a 3 year old Volkswagen.

So in that way, no, I'm not taking the piss.

Obvioulsy people seem to disagree - strongly...

I know Merc isn't what it used to be but I'd still rate them a lot higher than your VW & Audis & Toyotas andsuch
Drove E class for many years and drive an older 5 series now. Wouldnt swap for any of my colleagues Mondeos, A4s, Passats although they're newer...(unless I'd make money on it, obviously)

Regards

C

It's not a case of agreeing or disagreeing, it's a case of being wrong and right. An abused C-Class with 140,000 miles is every bit as shabby as an abused Passat with 140,000 miles.
From your original statement, a Merc will outlast any other car in the world. That statement is, as I stated quite clearly, a load of sh!t. Old Mercs were build superbly, by old I mean 70's, 80's, early 90's. Late 90's and up to even last year they're not. Toyota's might be boring, but they last a long time. Honda's go for years. Take a Honda Legend, compared with a Merc E class of the same year. The Honda will be in every bit as good a condition inside, (provided they got similar treatment), and probably much better mechanical condition.
No one is saying that a 5 year old S Class is worse than a 1 year old Polo, that's just silly.

Boskowski

Biro wrote: »

It's not a case of agreeing or disagreeing, it's a case of being wrong and right.

<sigh> If only all arguments were that simple. I'd win them all.

Biro wrote: »

From your original statement, a Merc will outlast any other car in the world. That statement is, as I stated quite clearly, a load of sh!t.

That's not exactly what I said, but in any case, you could have just said 'In my opinion your wrong on that one'.

Biro wrote: »

Take a Honda Legend, compared with a Merc E class of the same year. The Honda will be in every bit as good a condition inside, (provided they got similar treatment), and probably much better mechanical condition.

Of course I'm talking about comparable cars. And I don't know your Honda Legend, but I doubt very much what ur saying.

You take your average middle-class Ford, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Fiat and whatnot and they start to rattle and shake and whatnot after a 3 years. Things start to vibrate and 'go off' and she begins to feel wobbly and the overall impression is that of a plasticy car. Give it 3 more years and the thing looks like a dated piece of rubbish.

I drive a '99 E39 and she feels like a ****in tank compared to a 05 Passat or Mondeo or Avensis or Volvo or Saab or whatnot. There is no vibrations no funny noises no things coming off, she is still a tight solid driver, too.
If someone offered me their 05 Passat for her I'd have to think long and hard.

Same goes for Mercs. I concede, not so much in recent years, but it's still there. You're not paying all those extra bucks just for the name and the little thing on the bonnet.

In any case, I don't really have an agenda here and I don't care whether others disagree either. So why don't we just leave it at that.

solong

C

Climate Expert

I drive a '99 E39 and she feels like a ****in tank

These cars cost a fair bit to keep running. They break down as often as a WW1 tank.

Boskowski

Climate Expert wrote: »

These cars cost a fair bit to keep running. They break down as often as a WW1 tank.

I don't know.

I have her for five years now and she needed repairing twice. Waterpump was the one thing and front left suspension the other 'cos some idiot lost his spare wheel at 70 miles right in front of me.

Everything else was just normal service stuff.

She could be better on the juice and the motortax ain't cheap either, but expensive to run she is not.

solong

C

Biro

realcam wrote: »

That's not exactly what I said, but in any case, you could have just said 'In my opinion your wrong on that one'.

But it's not an opinion, it's a provable fact.

realcam wrote: »

Of course I'm talking about comparable cars. And I don't know your Honda Legend, but I doubt very much what ur saying.

That really sums up both your (lack of) car knowledge and your closed mindedness. Therefore the following drivel is just that, drivel.

realcam wrote: »

You take your average middle-class Ford, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Fiat and whatnot and they start to rattle and shake and whatnot after a 3 years. Things start to vibrate and 'go off' and she begins to feel wobbly and the overall impression is that of a plasticy car. Give it 3 more years and the thing looks like a dated piece of rubbish.

realcam wrote: »

I drive a '99 E39 and she feels like a ****in tank compared to a 05 Passat or Mondeo or Avensis or Volvo or Saab or whatnot. There is no vibrations no funny noises no things coming off, she is still a tight solid driver, too.

It gets worse! What Saab or Volvo or Avensis have you driven?

realcam wrote: »

You're not paying all those extra bucks just for the name and the little thing on the bonnet.

You seem so sure!! Marketing people thrive on guys like you.

superjosh9

ah realcam I was starting to like your pig-headed persistence in proving us wrong - but then you mentioned Volvo (and to a much lesser extent Saab).

I don't doubt your sincerity, but you are miles off. Miles and miles and miles.

The *fact* of the matter is that Merc has gone off the boil. Electrical problems galore over the last 10 years for a start. Apart from that, the idea of 'over-engineering' has long gone. For many, the w-124 was the last of them. I'm sure if you drive a new merc or live with one, you will see that it is in fact, just another car.

Now, although Volvo haven't produced a good car in 10 years or so, for the most part, the quality and reliability of them was well up to merc standards.

I drive a 1998 Volvo 940, bought brand new, 115,000 miles on it. In ten years, the a/c switch blew and I fixed it myself and the turbo blew and was repaired under warranty. Apart from that, *nothing*, I repeat, *NOTHING*, has broken, failed or fallen off. The car looks as good today as it did the day it arrived. After 115,000 miles, I am now considering changing the timing chain for the first time...

Find me a merc with that kind of service my friend.

Point is, a car is a car, is a car. Some designed better than others - but generally - they're all very similar. Shared engines, gearboxes, suppliers - you name it. Merc included. Sorry to burst your little bubble though...

Biro

superjosh9 wrote: »

ah realcam I was starting to like your pig-headed persistence in proving us wrong - but then you mentioned Volvo (and to a much lesser extent Saab).

I don't doubt your sincerity, but you are miles off. Miles and miles and miles.

The *fact* of the matter is that Merc has gone off the boil. Electrical problems galore over the last 10 years for a start. Apart from that, the idea of 'over-engineering' has long gone. For many, the w-124 was the last of them. I'm sure if you drive a new merc or live with one, you will see that it is in fact, just another car.

Now, although Volvo haven't produced a good car in 10 years or so, for the most part, the quality and reliability of them was well up to merc standards.

I drive a 1998 Volvo 940, bought brand new, 115,000 miles on it. In ten years, the a/c switch blew and I fixed it myself and the turbo blew and was repaired under warranty. Apart from that, *nothing*, I repeat, *NOTHING*, has broken, failed or fallen off. The car looks as good today as it did the day it arrived. After 115,000 miles, I am now considering changing the timing chain for the first time...

Find me a merc with that kind of service my friend.

Point is, a car is a car, is a car. Some designed better than others - but generally - they're all very similar. Shared engines, gearboxes, suppliers - you name it. Merc included. Sorry to burst your little bubble though...

He'll come back now with "That's your opinion that your Volvo didn't give any trouble, but in reality it was unreliable and it's now rattley and plasticy".

Boskowski

superjosh9 wrote: »

I drive a 1998 Volvo 940, bought brand new, 115,000 miles on it. In ten years, the a/c switch blew and I fixed it myself and the turbo blew and was repaired under warranty. Apart from that, *nothing*, I repeat, *NOTHING*, has broken, failed or fallen off. The car looks as good today as it did the day it arrived. After 115,000 miles, I am now considering changing the timing chain for the first time...

Thats fairly impressive alright.

Volvo was probably not a good one to throw in there. They are (were) very solid but never had the class of the Mercs tho. But then they probably never wanted to either.

superjosh9 wrote: »

For many, the w-124 was the last of them. I'm sure if you drive a new merc or live with one, you will see that it is in fact, just another car.

I drove the 123 and the 124 and they were very good although the 124 had horrible problems with the gear box for a little while. I remember havin the gear box replaced on a 6 months old 220D and picking her up from the garage when after 3 miles the gear box blew. :eek:

But that got sorted and now the 124 is legend. Easy to find some that are still in good nick and have 500000+ on the clock.

Maybe the opinion I formed is literally dated. Maybe... But at the same time I was looking around for a possible replacement for the E39 and when I was looking at different cars between 3 and 5 years of age I found confirmation for the opinion I had already. The Mercs seem in much better shape than comparable cars of the same age/mileage. I am considering buying a C220 CDI myself.

Anyway, last thing I wanted was to start some sort of car brand advocacy battle. It's just my personal opinion which goes back a bit and didnt find evidence yet to change that opinion.

solong

C

Boskowski

superjosh9 wrote: »

I drive a 1998 Volvo 940, bought brand new, 115,000 miles on it. In ten years, the a/c switch blew and I fixed it myself and the turbo blew and was repaired under warranty. Apart from that, *nothing*, I repeat, *NOTHING*, has broken, failed or fallen off. The car looks as good today as it did the day it arrived. After 115,000 miles, I am now considering changing the timing chain for the first time...

That's your opinion that your Volvo didn't give any trouble, but in reality it was unreliable and it's now rattley and plasticy



Christ, what did I get myself into?

solong

C