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        General >> Off Topic Subjects >> scorp or merc!
        
(Message started by: big_neil on Apr 4^th, 2007, 3:29pm)

Title: scorp or merc!
Post by big_neil on Apr 4^th, 2007, 3:29pm

used my mates 10 year old merc S320 (petrol) for a few days lately, as it needed a new ABS sensor i was taking it to our garage, the good things about this car are 1, there,s a left foot rest ,2,the seat goes that far back i can hardly reach the pedals, and i,m 6ft 6in,,,,,,,,,,er thats all. them aside it rides like my old works transit van and seems nowhere as sofisticated as my scorp. am i being spoiled or what??

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by dh_dove on Apr 4^th, 2007, 7:03pm

Neil
imho Mercs have always been over-rated. OK they're well screwed together but it's not that long ago that even a radio was an option.
And, with a couple of notable exceptions, until lately, BOY are they ugly!
DH Dove

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by Dave2302 on Apr 4^th, 2007, 7:09pm

[]

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by scorpio_man on Apr 4^th, 2007, 7:20pm

on 04/04/07 at 19:03:56, dh_dove wrote:

OK they're well screwed together

they're not even that now a days. just look a their owner forums. :(

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by Spannerdemon on Apr 5^th, 2007, 1:38pm

After witnessing a friend of ours forking out over £700 quid for a wiper motor, on a three year old car, Mercs are DEFINITELY not for me!!

Saw one for sale in Munich two weeks ago, outside a garage. Nice 'older model' built like a brick pooh-house, and ugly as they come 1200 Euros......................ex SS staff car I think!!! ;D

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by Pegasus on Apr 5^th, 2007, 1:39pm

My brother was looking for a new (ie 3/4 yrs old) car cos of his new job. We test drove an Audi A6, Merc E class and BMW 530d (which he eventually bought).

With the Audi - we were both glad to get out of it as we both had back-ache after 20 mins (we're about 6'3"). The BMW isn't much better imo.

Just made me even more determined to keep my Scorp going as long as possible.

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by wayne on Apr 5^th, 2007, 2:01pm

Quote:

With the Audi - we were both glad to get out of it as we both had back-ache after 20 mins (we're about 6'3")

I find most of the 'big' cars a struggle for headroom. I'm 6' ; Long body/short legs! To be honest, the Scorpio is only just high enough.

I think my best 'big' car for headroom was the Volvo... but of course it doesn't have the Scorpio spec. 8)

I like the bit about waving the wad of cash -- Harry Enfield - Loadsa money!! }{

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by v4-max on Apr 5^th, 2007, 7:29pm

you can give me a mclaren slr if you like i wont mind honest. ::)

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by big_neil on Apr 6^th, 2007, 4:44pm

this was the same car that cost over £100 quid for two wiper blades, mercedes main dealer only supply, and with a 10% discount!

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by Ultima2300 on Apr 6^th, 2007, 8:05pm

Neil, I used to have an S class Merc' in the 80's. The reason that I nearly bankrupted myself buying the d**n thing was that at 6ft 6in, being that far from the seat and pedals made it feel almost perfect!

I get a similar sensation from driving the Scorpio sans shoes, (a top tip from one tall bloke to another). Although with a 36in inside leg, this is a sensation that is rare ;)

Best wishes

Geoff

P.S. Wouldn't go back to the Merc' unless very cheap and fully loaded. and probably not even then.

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by cossie_al on Apr 6^th, 2007, 8:35pm

Scorp or merc?
Is this a trick question ???
Its like this I as my site name would suggest am mad keen on all thing cosworth the only production models I havn't had are the escort, granada and the two door sierra.
However,
The 190 e cosworth merc was a fine piece of kit. what I would pay for a good one is no ones business.
Back to the point my scorpio is by far the best all rounder I have ever had. By far.
I have even dabbled with the m series bmw's okay the three series was fast but uncomfortable and expensive. The m5 was a fine motor but you had to plan journeys via fuel stops.
So back to the point its scorp for me every time. The next time I have plenty of money to play with the scorp will have a ground up rebuild regardless of cost. would rather pay a few grand for that than a merc.
Does that answer the question.

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by Penguin on Apr 11^th, 2007, 4:13pm

I actually faced this dilemma two months ago when I was offered a reasonably cheap '98 Merc E320 avantgarde at a time when the Scorp needed a grand's worth of work and I was seriously wondering if it wouldn't be better to change cars.

Since the '98 E320 and the Cosser Scorp are roughly the like for like equivalents between Ford and Mercedes, it was an interesting comparison to make. The two cars are almost the same size and have approximately the same trim level. Both were automatic estates.

I drew the following conclusions:

1) The Merc is much more expensive. (c£5k for a '98 E320 as compared to c£1.5k for a Cosser Scorp of the same vintage).

2) The Merc is slightly faster. (It has a fair few extra horses over the Scorp but it is also much heavier, so this only equates to slightly faster.)

3) The Ford is slightly better looking (at least the bulbous eyes make sense in a rounded car, but they don't in the squarer Merc).

4) The Merc is at least 5mg thirstier.

5) The interior of the Ford is considerably nicer. (Mercs of the period use a strange sort of wood last seen in 1950's cabinets.)

6) The Ford has much better standard speakers. (Can't comment on standard radios because my ford no longer has one, but it still has the original speakers.)

7) The Ford is much more comfortable. (Merc seats, though leather, were very hard).

8) Both cars have equally good climate control systems, although the Merc's is more complicated to use.

9) Both cars are equally poor at handling, but then this is to be expected because they are both motorway cruisers, not track day specials. Having said that...

10) The Ford has slightly better suspension (from a ride comfort point of view).

11) The Ford has a slightly better boot. (Both boots are about the same size but the Ford's is a little wider and with the back seats down on both cars, has slightly more space).

12) The Ford is considerably cheaper to service. (Simply done by researching some parts costings on the web).

Given all of the above, and then reminding oneself that the Merc costs more than double the price of the Ford, is it any wonder I had the Ford patched up?

Cheers

Penguin

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by petehull on Apr 11^th, 2007, 4:39pm

[]

Good on yer Pengers..... 8)

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by scorpio_man on Apr 11^th, 2007, 7:42pm

hi there

i agree with most of it, bar point 9.

re the handling. for a big lump of a car, it's pretty good. ok it's not what you could call a sports car, but you can go cross country a fair old rate, nice and safely.

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by TiberiuS on Apr 12^th, 2007, 3:38pm

I know I carp on but I'm with Andrew. Maybe I just had a really good one but the Scorp had very tight handling for a 1500kg lump. If there was a fault (with the 2.3 anyway) I'd say it was the autobox, didn't like being loaded up or overtaking, used to really labour the engine at times...this puts me off getting another Ford auto. But other than this it was a really well rounded car, used to stick to the road like glue and could often keep distance from more powerful cars on twisty roads. Remember having a 525i up my six once, couldn't pull away from him but on curves he had to drop back...think it really hurt his pride being out-handled by a Ford.

If anything I'd say the ride on the 16" rims was a tad too firm over rough roads, more like what would be classed as sports suspension on some cars. But it did make the front end feel tight, like a much smaller car...and despite what a lot of people say, the brakes got me out of trouble once or twice.

Mercs are like anything else, they get a lot of bad press, some of it probably unfairly. But, there's not much which would make me want to buy one, they just don't appeal to me...all sterile and boxy :(.

Regards, Bruce :).

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by Dave on Apr 12^th, 2007, 6:33pm

Mate of mines Dad had a 94 L E200 brand new as a company car. Just about had central locking, electric roof was expensive option - manual windows :o

Even the Cavalier he had before that had electric windows all round!

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by LiverpaulH on Apr 16^th, 2007, 1:41pm

on 04/11/07 at 19:42:30, scorpio_man wrote:

I'm definitely with you regarding the handling SM, I think for its size the handling is superb, and very predictable being rwd, the estate self levelling may help tho, as well as the extra weight of the diesel lump on the front. I find I can easily compete with my mates MG ZT estate on the cloverleaf junctions that are abundent around redditch, near where I live in Solihull.

Cross country is very safe and predictable and on the big long motorway bends the car just seems to be glued to the road, much to the annoyance of the bmw/ merc etc outside lane brigade company car drivers who think they're cornering as fast as they can!

It does struggle to get grip in the snow and ice though!!

Paul 8)

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by DazRSK on Apr 18^th, 2007, 2:08pm

Not disagreeing with what everybody has said on here and also I realise that everyone is talking the Scorpio as being a good handling car in the scheme of big cars - ie vs the Merc. But in the scheme of car handling - I am afraid I have to disagree that they are good - I am more in line with Pengers point 9) on the previous page.

OK - for a '90s big saloon and estate, they handle well but they were built for comfort and not outright speed / handling. So in this context, 1500kg does not go around bends and I guess our judgement is often influenced by other cars that we drive.

For instance - I drive a Scooby - not the Chav Impreza, but the heavier/bigger Legacy. Except this one has 2 blowers and was put on the Britain bound boat from Japan when it was 4 yrs old. That car is pedalling 1400kg but I would have to severely concentrate to actually knock it off course whilst in mid-flight through a bend at speed - it grips so well. I can't even lose the thing in the wet. But then it is 4wd with all the gear to keep it glued to the road.

It would be unfair for me to compare a Scorp vs a Scooby as they were built for different styles. All I would say though is that - in the scheme of big cars, the Scorpio fairs well. In the scheme of all cars - specifically the more modern ones - I am not convinced.

Title: Re: scorp or merc!
Post by dannynic on Apr 18^th, 2007, 2:41pm

I do really think you have to look at the scorpio as a luxury car at a very fair price all in all. The 2 I have had have handled excellently for the size and equipment and comfort superb, easily on par if not better than my mates 3 series BMW of the same age however it is not so well built or as smooth as my other mates 3.2 sport jaguar but then look at the difference in price when it comes to purchase price, parts, servicing etc. I certainly could not think of a better luxury car for less than 5k to be honest. I will be keeping mine for a very long time, especially after coming from an Omega which is a far inferior car when it comes to ride quality and build quality. ;)