Speaking from experience, never take a high-end German car to a mechanic who doesn’t specialize in them. They’re just too different. Local branches of owners’ clubs are a great place to get recommendations for shops.

Ha! I always laugh when I get a trade-in and up ad from M-B corporate.

Even high end brands can have shitty dealerships.  I think it's less likely, but the do exist.  A quick check on the internet will usually provide enough reviews & feedback to decide if the local place should be avoided.

Yeah..... Cheaping out on tires for a performance car, even a low-key one like a M-B or Bimmer sedan is like buying a custom fitted designer dress and wearing shoes from Walmart with it. Why bother? You’re going to look bad regardless.

Agreed. I’m a vintage M-B owner, still driving my late Father’s 1988 260E (W124).

Oh, definitely.  I just dislike that some people want to replace mirrors with cameras....   I tend to think that the more information you have available when driving, the better.

I have no problem with backup cameras unless they’re the *only* thing being used. It the same as with GPS—it can be a great tool to haveb but never rely solely on it. You should still use your mirrors, actually tirn your head and look, plus have a good general idea of what might be behind you*.

Both styles have held up very well over the years.  I'm admittedly horribly biased, but I still think they're dang good-looking cars.  You'd never mistake it for anything recent, but it never strikes me as looking dated like some '80s era cars do.

Hunh. Interesting.... The curb weight on my W124 is only 2200 lbs.  (I have a rare model with a smaller engine than most.)

As a longtime 124 owner & driver, I can tell you that it’s due to different mirror shapes that give the driver fantastic rearward visibility with just the mirrors. It may look goofy as hell, but it works beautifully.

It’s also worth remembering that this was when M-B was still fundamentally designing cars for the German market, not the international one. In my experience, your average German parking lot is slightly larger than a postage stamp. I won’t even get into city driving & parking.

You know, I heard about this and thought, “I can’t believe Stef didn’t do a story on the tractor race!”

It’s a 1988 Mercedes-Benz 260E, the W124 body & chassis. So while it doesn’t necessarily have all the latest advancements, it’s certainly not a deathtrap. It’s been very well cared for for the majority of its life—My Dad bought it very lightly used at 2 years old, & it’s been in the family ever since.

Ha! If I still had one, sure.  Especially if you bring proper schnapps.

I know more & more departments are installing systems that lock the computer when the car is in gear.  Yeah, the screen is still distracting, but it's something.

Warning: Grumpy old woman rant to follow.

Nice try.

Just had to share this here:

Plus he’s got to be PR poison by now. Even if he gets a licence a few years from now and somehow manages to dig up some funding, he’s now forever known as “the idiot who tried to take out a competitor at 150 mph by grabbing the other guy’s brakes”. I know there are teams desperate from money, but Fenati’s …

Okay, allow me to try & define “creepy”, at least in this situation. “Creepy” is a mix of strong, inherent discomfort for the person signing, an inherent power imbalance just due to societal norms, and a variety of other emotions and external pressures all thrown in a blender.