MBAlexandria

Haven't been able to find many threads addressing my situation. I bought a 2004 MB C-Class brand new in 2003 and have had it for 12 years. Overall, it's been a great car, and I've taken care to have all its regular maintenance performed, always used premium fuel, proper tires, etc. However, I've recently decided to sell it and get a Toyota Camry XLE. I gather not many people do this. The Mercedes is certainly a great car, but a 12 year old car is a 12 year old car. There are safety features available now that weren't around when I bought my car (backup camera, blind spot monitoring). Mostly, though, I'm tired of driving sports sedans. I had an Audi 90 and a BMW 318i after that. I find the ride jolting and uncomfortable now, and I'm not really into the sporty handling anymore that the MB offers. Maybe it's just because I'm middle aged, lol. Anyway, does anyone else have perspective coming from Mercedes to Toyota? Thanks.

tommy

I'm coming from Honda, to Mercedes, then back to Honda, so I can see your perspective. Reliability and comfort are two factors that I can see dumping a Benz for.

But, I don't see blind spot monitoring and backup cameras as safety features, honestly. They're more bad / lazy driver aids, imho.

Good luck with the Camry. Don't look back.

MBAlexandria

Yes, I can agree about BSM being for lazy drivers, but not so much on the backup camera. I do a lot of parallel parking in the Washington, DC area, and knowing how close I am to the vehicle behind me is a big deal. Anyway, I am glad to meet someone else who went back to Japanese after M-B. I love my Benz, it's treated me well, but as I said before, I'm really interested in something more comfortable (and doesn't cost $80,000 like one of the bigger Mercedes models).
Interestingly, a buddy of mine who worked in Toyota management for 20+ years said he just bought a Mercedes. Go figure!

tommy

I was in DC over the weekend (wayyyyy too hot for me), and actually said out loud, "how in the hell do these people parallel park so close together? I could never do that." So I see your point.

While I do like the various marques (first car was an '83 Saab 900S), I keep going back to Honda. It just fits me better than a Benz with a tape deck.

Khan28

Nothing wrong with that. A Camry might be boring but it's a solid choice because it will give you worry free service for hundreds of thousands of miles and only require minor things here and there. For me I can appreciate the simplicity of Japanese midsize sedans, it's really all the car one could ever need. As for the back up camera and blind spot monitoring I feel those are just lazy driver aids that I don't wish to have on a car but have to pay for. The only types of vehicles I'd see that being an aid on would be BMW X6 or anything like it because of the bad sight lines and visibility.

ezshift5

At 145,000 miles my Honda 6M coupe was relieved by a MB coupe with an automatic, 2 less cylinders (but with a turbocharger).

CU shows this MB with 13/16 red dots. At 27,000 miles I only drive it when I want to appear wealthy..........

Hardly the case: this was a CPO car at 2/3 new car cost.

squid23

A 2007 E class comes to mind.

I would be at least a little bit careful. If you buy a brand new car (any car) and it turns out you hate it enough to sell it after 6 months you leave a lot of money on the floor.

I would try to spend a week in one. They should be rentable?

samaritrey

You came to DC and didn't tell me
I am hurt

Back on topic the newer Camry is very impressive I have driven a few of them and they are nice and should be very reliable/cheap to own. When looking for a replacement for my W203 I considered a V6 Camry and in hindsight I probably should have gotten one. But the w211 is a much nicer car but hey it should be for the almost double the price lol. But I would be scared to park my w211 on the street in DC

Jack_2001C240

I actually went from a 1990 Toyota Celica ST and a 1990 Honda Civic EX to the 2001 Mercedes C240 that I still drive know with about 62500 miles on the odometer.
I bought a new 2010 Toyota Yaris in 2010 and have been very satisfied with that economy car ever since. I consider the C240 as my second car which i will eventually donate in a few years after I retire in 2017. I am in my mid 50's and cars are less important to me know. I'd rather spend the money on traveling and cruises.

W57thNY

I too had (actually, I still have - I couldn't bring myself to sell it) A 2001 C240. I thought about leaving Mercedes-Benz when it came time to buy a new car in 2013 , but after driving the Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonota, Ford Fusion, and Honda Accord, I just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger. I found that none of these cars went down the road with the solidity, and confidence of the Merc. They all felt front heavy, and too light going down the road. Back to the Mercedes-Benz dealer I went, and 5 months later, my new 2013 C250 special order came in. Even with the sport package, the car is comfortable in everyday driving, as well as providing a good bit of fun when I decide to be a little more aggressive. The good thing about Mercedes-Benz is, there are also Luxury versions of each model, which have softer suspensions, but offering the same solid feel Mercedes-Benz is known for. While the back-up camera is nice, blind spot monitoring isn't something necessary in any of the cars in the class you're considering, but it is also available in the C's.

I couldn't do Mercedes-Benz to Toyota. I travel a lot, and in my travels, have had my fair share of rental cars, Toyotas included - most recently I had an Avalon out of LAX, and as nice as it was, I couldn't be back in either one of my C's soon enough. If you can make the transition without going out of your mind, more power to you, I just don't think it's easy. Before you chalk up what I've said to that of someone young, I'm closer than I'd like to be to my 40th birthday...

tommy

I just turned 49, and I can say in all seriousness that I would take a new Camry SE over either of your cars in an instant. Neither is what I would consider powerful or sporty, and the Camry on average would be much more reliable and easy to work on. Rental car fleets aren't good indicators of the best that any manufacturer has to offer.

But that's why there are options; everyone can pick what suits them.

W57thNY

Definitely nice to have options.

I will agree that neither one of my cars is particularly sporty (especially the C240), but they do feel a whole lot more balanced than any front wheel drive car I've ever driven.

I won't disagree with you on the reliability issues either, but I've had good luck with my cars. I'm not sure saving a little bit of money on maintenance is enough to get me away from the brand.

While I realize rental cars are abused, and may not be the best indicator of a vehicle, it can show you how well a particular car has held up over time. I've driven rentals with 30k on the clock, and the car still drives like new. In the case of the Toyotas I've driven, I've driven zero mileage Camrys, and Avalaons, with a range of engines, and trims - the XLE being one of the more prevalent ones (again, out of National at LAX).

Hope you find something you like though.