# Why do i see old people drive mercedes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 19, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274 "2012-10-19T21:10:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/21 "2012-10-20T03:52:36Z")
how is Benzy droved / why old people not get pragnent? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/22 "2012-10-20T05:57:10Z")
> [@Stephen18](#): > > … i wonder how they get so much money. They mastered the use of the “Shift” key. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/23 "2012-10-20T11:00:32Z")
I owned a 69 Mercedes 250 back when I was in my 20’s. The original Mercedes engine was long gone when I bought it, I dropped a 302 Ford in it. The only problem I had with it was the car would eat power steering pumps. I went through 3 of them the year I drove the car. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/24 "2012-10-20T12:41:20Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Tell them they’re doing it wrong then. Anyone who doesn’t live the way people I’ve met live is doing it wrong. > > I do see elderly people in convertibles sometimes, but they seem to prefer the large luxury cars from what I’ve seen. There’s nothing quite like wondering who is driving 45 in the fast lane and you find out it’s some geezer in a yellow corvette. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/25 "2012-10-20T12:51:55Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > how is Benzy droved / why old people not get pragnent? This very question has been plaguing mankind in Eastern Europe for generations. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/26 "2012-10-20T13:59:28Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > They mastered the use of the “Shift” key. They have a Shift key? My Nissans have stick shifts, that darn innovative German engineering comes through again. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/27 "2012-10-20T14:02:26Z")
One possibility: M-B (for all their faults) have one big virtue-you can get parts for the old ones, no problem. They will cost you a bundle, but getting parts for a 20-year old M-B is not a problem. Unlike most American cars, the parts are in stock. So you can drive an older one, just have lots of money. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/28 "2012-10-20T14:03:17Z")
> [@sahirrnee](#): > > Around here they drive corvettes and mustangs, with the tops down. And admit it you dream of the day you can do the same. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/29 "2012-10-20T14:22:53Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > oh bullshit. Look, Mercedes got that reputation with the W123 in the '70s and '80s, running the OM616/617 diesel engine. Problem is it’s not the 1970s anymore. In terms of the industry as a whole, they aren’t that special. Maybe not as special, but lots of cars can run up to 200k miles without too much maintenance. My wife’s '03 Ford Taurus is doing fine at 160k. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/30 "2012-10-20T14:26:01Z")
> [@Bootis](#): > > Maybe not as special, but lots of cars can run up to 200k miles without too much maintenance. My wife’s '03 Ford Taurus is doing fine at 160k. I think that was his point. ---
**Author:** ![Bouncer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@Bouncer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bouncer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/31 "2012-10-20T14:34:45Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > oh bullshit. Look, Mercedes got that reputation with the W123 in the '70s and '80s, running the OM616/617 diesel engine. Problem is it’s not the 1970s anymore. In terms of the industry as a whole, they aren’t that special. You’re right, but the perception lives on based on the fact that those cars could survive the zombie apocolypse and still run fine. To be fair, Mercedes has always been an innovator, especially in their flagship sedan. Fair disclosure, as a younger man I had two different CLK 320’s (1999, 2001). Regards, -Bouncer- ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/32 "2012-10-20T15:09:31Z")
Specifically: what can I do? The car (my late Dad’s) has 141,000 miles-its in excellent shape, except for a small scrape. I’d like to keep it a few more years (its a 1999 MY). At any rate, the cooling system leaks-I lose about a quart in three months. There is no evidence of water getting into the oil, and the system holds pressure fine (operating temp. is 196 F). So I suspect that the coolant is leaking due to porosity of the head casting-these engines did have problems with porosity of the heads). I understand that there was a dealer treatment for this (a special sealant that you poured into the cooling system)-is this worth a try? As I said, outside of this, the car drives like new. I know that such sealants do work… temporarily. In any case, replacing the heads on this engine is prohibitive-and the car is only worth about $2500-what would you do? ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/33 "2012-10-20T15:22:42Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > And admit it you dream of the day you can do the same. Nah I like jeeps and pickup trucks. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274/34 "2012-10-20T15:50:36Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Specifically: what can I do? The car (my late Dad’s) has 141,000 miles-its in excellent shape, except for a small scrape. I’d like to keep it a few more years (its a 1999 MY). > > As I said, outside of this, the car drives like new. I know that such sealants do work.. temporarily. In any case, replacing the heads on this engine is prohibitive-and the car is only worth about $2500-what would you do? As a mechanic, I’ve owned one and serviced a hundred of these engines. Run away. Far away. The water you’re losing is most likely a bad rear head gasket. The rear head always runs hotter than the front, and this is the main reason for so many head/gasket/material failures. The sealant \*\*is \*\*temporary \*\*IF \*\*it works at all. I promise you this problem will get worse to the point of failure. Make it someone else’s problem ASAFP. Sorry. You asked.☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-see-old-people-drive-mercedes/638274.md?page=1)