What’s it like to own a Mercedes Benz?
By
Vroomouk
This blog will cover things to know about the ownership experience of a Mercedes Benz car, how to maintain your Mercedes Benz car and what good practices can help maintain the reliability of the Mercedes Benz car.
What’s it like to own a Mercedes Benz?
It is a great feeling to own a Mercedes Benz but the cars are expensive. Anyone who dreams of buying one cannot get it. In the international markets like India, the cost is doubled for completely built models that are imported from Germany which makes the already expensive car even more expensive. Therefore, owning a Mercedes Benz most definitely gives you the satisfaction that you have achieved something.
In the past, Mercedes Benz models like the Mercedes simplex and Mercedes 45 were only owned by rich families like Rockefeller, Astor, Morgan and Taylor. Today, Mercedes Benz manufactures and sells more than 30 models in the global market. Owning a Mercedes Benz car has never been easy thanks to many finance options offered at the time of purchasing a car. Some of the finance schemes offered under the Mercedes Benz Mobility programme are:
- Standard financing
- Balloon payment financing
- Three-way payment financing
Mercedes Benz Mobility is constantly making efforts to design new finance plans so that everyone can fulfil their dream of owning a Mercedes Benz.
What are the key things to know about owning a Mercedes Benz?
The key things to know about owning a Mercedes Benz car are as follows:
- Technology
Mercedes Benz cars have the latest advanced driver assistance systems like blind-spot assists, active brake assist and active steering assist etc. There are also passive systems working in the background that monitor driver inputs, vehicle speed and steering angle. If the driver is feeling drowsy then the car can remind the driver to take a break and then continue the journey. All these technologies can be overwhelming for new customers and it can take some time before the customers get used to the assistance systems.
Mercedes Benz authorised dealerships also have product experts, their role is to explain all the features of the new car and make sure the customers are comfortable using it. It is important to know the difference between a fault or a feature, for example, the active brake assist can apply brakes automatically and if the customer is unaware of the feature can get surprised due to sudden braking.
- Performance
Mercedes Benz models have inline 4, 6 and V6/V8 engines that are single or twin-turbocharged. All the engines are mated to either a 9 G Tronic automatic gearbox or a7 or 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. The power output produced by the engines is immediate thanks to various technologies like the camshaft adjustment and Camtronic that can change the valve lift.
It is very exciting to drive a Mercedes every day, the automatic transmission is capable of anticipating the next optimal gear and changing the gear accordingly likewise unlike a sequential gearbox, the automatic transmission can also skip a gear and perform multiple downshifts if the vehicle speed is reduced suddenly.
- MMC and Command operating system
The latest Mercedes models have a command operating system with Mercedes Me connect. The command operating system uses the Mercedes Benz user experience interface MBUX which allows customers to set user profiles and dynamic driving mode selections. The user profiles can also store data related to the driving seat position of the driver, the driver can simply activate the correct user profile and the seats are adjusted accordingly.
It is a simple task to set up the user profile but it can be time-consuming as there are so many other options like colour of the ambient lighting system, driving mode and choice of the radio channel. However, once everything is set up then it is very easy to access the user profile from the MMC smartphone app or fingerprint sensor in the centre console.
- Onboard electrical features
After buying a Mercedes Benz car it is imperative to get used to the onboard electrical systems in the car. All the systems can be accessed from the vehicle settings menu in the command information display. There are special power-saving modes like hibernation that can deactivate various monitoring functions in the onboard electrical system and conserve vehicle batteries.
Owners’ manual can also be accessed from the command operating system, it contains all the necessary information like resetting the tyre pressure monitoring system and procedure to install the spare wheel should the customer experiences a flat tyre in the journey.
- Safety
Owning a Mercedes Benz car means owning the safest out there. Not only that, there are advanced driver assistance systems which are working to prevent accidents. If the vehicle gets into an accident then according to the severity of the impact airbags are deployed in the passenger compartment. Crumple zones are designed to absorb the energy of the impact in the vehicle chassis that can minimise the impact force before it reaches the passenger cabin.
Systems like the PRE safe and PRE safe plus give additional reflection to the vehicle and it can bring the seat in optimum positions before the accidental impact. Correct position of seats is very important as the deployed airbags can cause additional injuries to the occupants.
- Maintenance
The maintenance cost of Mercedes Benz is high, depending on the mileage the annual maintenance cost can go from 1000 to 5000 USD. The cost of spare parts and labour rates are also high but Mercedes Benz offers 3 to 5 years of standard warranty depending on the market. There are also extended warranty plans that can cover the cost of any unexpected repairs.
There are prepaid service plans that can be very beneficial for the customers as the cost of annual service is locked at the time of purchasing the plan and the prepaid service package can cover the cost of replenishable and consumables at the time of service.
- Service intervals
The service intervals of Mercedes Benz cars are once every year or at every 15000 km (10,000 miles). There are two types of service which are service A and service B. Service A is a minor service where only engine oil and the engine oil filter are replaced; it also costs less. Service B is a major service, air filters, fuel filters and if required brake pads and brake discs are also replaced along with the engine oil.
The fourth-year service is the most expensive as it involves the replacement of automatic transmission fluid and filter. This is done to maintain the reliability of the automatic transmission as lots of solenoid valves and clutch packs are present in the transmission.
For petrol engines, all the spark plugs are also replaced, this is preventive maintenance as defective spark plugs can cause concerns like black smoke and misfires.
- Resale values
The resale value of a Mercedes Benz depends on the age and the mileage of the vehicle. If a customer wants to sell his car then Mercedes Benz offers a good buyback offer. The depreciation rate on the few models is very high especially if it’s a fleet vehicle. Fleet vehicles are Chauffeur driven and have high mileage therefore the resale value is not good because the cost of spare parts and labour rates is very high in Mercedes Benz.
What are good practices to follow to maintain the reliability of Mercedes Benz cars?
Following are some of the good practices which help to maintain reliability.
- Wait for a couple of minutes after starting the car for the first time. Mercedes Benz cars have a warm-up phase which brings the engine to the operating temperature.
- Always operate the vehicle under its operating limits. Complete any break-in period if it is specified in the owner’s manual.
Other articles about Mercedes Benz you may be interested in
Should you buy the Mercedes Benz S 400?
What is the towing capacity of the Mercedes Benz Sprinter van?
Is the 2005 Mercedes Benz Slk 55 AMG a good car?
Conclusion
Mercedes Benz‘s product line is very huge and there are products that can satisfy the needs of various customers. Mercedes Benz is constantly working towards creating new initiatives which can make the complete ownership experience hassle-free.
