Highest Quality Vehicles of All Time
Discussion
I recently purchased a 300E just for the hell of it and I really am amazed about just how well built they are. The amount of things that still work amazes me and the feeling of quality stretches from closing the doors to the window switches. It has got me on to thinking about what else out there was really built to last like this. It feels like there was a bit of a peak time frame between when engineering was at its best and when the accountants took over and everything started to be made to last 10 years max.
The other vehicle that immediately springs to mind is my 993, it too has a very mechanical, solid, quality feeling to everything. But I was wondering what else is out there like this? My R107 was pretty similar but it shared a lot with the W124 so that makes sense too.
The other vehicle that immediately springs to mind is my 993, it too has a very mechanical, solid, quality feeling to everything. But I was wondering what else is out there like this? My R107 was pretty similar but it shared a lot with the W124 so that makes sense too.
From a 2020 article;
"Car companies know that perception matters when it comes to selling their cars, too.
Ford themselves admitted that 'engineering the right sound of a car door closing was their first opportunity to make buyers feel the car’s quality, craftsmanship and safety and to justify a premium price tag,' as quoted by Mel.
Lexus even made a whole video about their quest for the perfect close. Mercedes' own manager of sound quality and design Tobias Beitz also told Bloomberg that 'the optimal acoustic design of the door structure, latches and seals' was what signified the quality buyers wanted—not weight.
Even Opel—purveyor of fine reasonably-priced European cars—spends a good amount of time analyzing the sounds that different parts (including doors) make before a car goes into production, as shown in the Deutsche Welle video above.
This is why each brand staffs sound engineers like Beitz to make sure the car door has the right combination of foam, mats and other soft components to make you think you're feeling an eighties 3 Series door, even when you've got a modern Sentra.
Even the locking mechanism is specifically tinkered with to make the right click."
https://www.thedrive.com/news/35871/think-your-car...
"Car companies know that perception matters when it comes to selling their cars, too.
Ford themselves admitted that 'engineering the right sound of a car door closing was their first opportunity to make buyers feel the car’s quality, craftsmanship and safety and to justify a premium price tag,' as quoted by Mel.
Lexus even made a whole video about their quest for the perfect close. Mercedes' own manager of sound quality and design Tobias Beitz also told Bloomberg that 'the optimal acoustic design of the door structure, latches and seals' was what signified the quality buyers wanted—not weight.
Even Opel—purveyor of fine reasonably-priced European cars—spends a good amount of time analyzing the sounds that different parts (including doors) make before a car goes into production, as shown in the Deutsche Welle video above.
This is why each brand staffs sound engineers like Beitz to make sure the car door has the right combination of foam, mats and other soft components to make you think you're feeling an eighties 3 Series door, even when you've got a modern Sentra.
Even the locking mechanism is specifically tinkered with to make the right click."
https://www.thedrive.com/news/35871/think-your-car...
Dapster said:
Pick anything from here
Specifically, the W123 with the 5 cyl non turbo diesel - the only thing to survive the impending nuclear meltdown will be cockroaches and these,
Thanks for that image. I was immediately c. 10 years old, with a pack of Top Trumps - MB saloons with Stuttgart plates stand out in my memory for some reason.Specifically, the W123 with the 5 cyl non turbo diesel - the only thing to survive the impending nuclear meltdown will be cockroaches and these,
From personal experience, the E39, 964 and 924S all had 'pleasing solidity' and felt well engineered. The first two were pretty expensive to maintain, mind and even the 924 wasn't cheap.
We currently have a Lexus rx400h, as well as the E39, and whilst obviously luxurious, it feels a bit more plasticky than the Beemer.
We currently have a Lexus rx400h, as well as the E39, and whilst obviously luxurious, it feels a bit more plasticky than the Beemer.
Iamnotkloot said:
...
We currently have a Lexus rx400h, as well as the E39, and whilst obviously luxurious, it feels a bit more plasticky than the Beemer.
Indeed. I have an IS250 of similar vintage. The interior is a bit plastic heavy compared to similar aged BMW or Audi cars, but at 15 years old everything still works.We currently have a Lexus rx400h, as well as the E39, and whilst obviously luxurious, it feels a bit more plasticky than the Beemer.
Iamnotkloot said:
From personal experience, the E39, 964 and 924S all had 'pleasing solidity' and felt well engineered. The first two were pretty expensive to maintain, mind and even the 924 wasn't cheap.
We currently have a Lexus rx400h, as well as the E39, and whilst obviously luxurious, it feels a bit more plasticky than the Beemer.
I agree - I was amazed at the feeling of solidity/quality of my (at that point 14 year old) 924S. My last of the line Freelander 2 (with the RR style interior facelift) also felt very ‘quality’ (don’t scoff, they were a world away from the earlier ones).We currently have a Lexus rx400h, as well as the E39, and whilst obviously luxurious, it feels a bit more plasticky than the Beemer.
Edited by ChevronB19 on Wednesday 11th May 10:27
LS400 and then if i were to narrow it down even further a mk4 LS400. Ive got a 23 year old example and every single electrical item (and there are a lot of them) still works. Theres also a guy on youtube with a 1 million mile example and i dont think the engine has ever been rebuilt!
"High quality" has different meanings to different people.
To some, something with shiny plastics, the latest tech and the "right" badge is a quality item. To others, it's something with an absolutely solid and proven drivetrain, bulletproof mechanicals and is easily capable of moon mileage. Function over form I suppose, or form over function, depending on who you ask.
Personally I consider a vehicle "high quality" if it's capable of lasting a long time and enduring a high mileage, without everything falling to pieces at every opportunity. I don't particularly care if the braid around the carpets are single or double stitched, when you're sat on the hard shoulder waiting for recovery because the crankshaft has snapped on your Jag. Or how chintzy the blower vents look with all the various magnitude of different ambient lighting colours, when your new Merc is sat in a dealer workshop having some electronic fault diagnosed.
What I want is something that arrives in the same mechanical and electronic condition it set off in. If it can do that time after time after time, year after year, I consider it to be a well-engineered and therefore good quality car. Unfortunately the sheer amount of electronic gubbins stuffed into newer cars is making it harder and harder to find genuinely high quality cars nowadays. Inevitably even "decent" brands are let down by error messages or warning lights popping up from unnecessary sensors that have gone duff, for example TPMS.
To some, something with shiny plastics, the latest tech and the "right" badge is a quality item. To others, it's something with an absolutely solid and proven drivetrain, bulletproof mechanicals and is easily capable of moon mileage. Function over form I suppose, or form over function, depending on who you ask.
Personally I consider a vehicle "high quality" if it's capable of lasting a long time and enduring a high mileage, without everything falling to pieces at every opportunity. I don't particularly care if the braid around the carpets are single or double stitched, when you're sat on the hard shoulder waiting for recovery because the crankshaft has snapped on your Jag. Or how chintzy the blower vents look with all the various magnitude of different ambient lighting colours, when your new Merc is sat in a dealer workshop having some electronic fault diagnosed.
What I want is something that arrives in the same mechanical and electronic condition it set off in. If it can do that time after time after time, year after year, I consider it to be a well-engineered and therefore good quality car. Unfortunately the sheer amount of electronic gubbins stuffed into newer cars is making it harder and harder to find genuinely high quality cars nowadays. Inevitably even "decent" brands are let down by error messages or warning lights popping up from unnecessary sensors that have gone duff, for example TPMS.
For it's class (smallish city cars) the BMW i3 feels extremely well built to me.
It starts with the carbon tub, which feels absolutely stiff, so no rattles or squeeks, and the interior trim, despite being made from mostly recycled materials feels perfectly solid and hard wearing.
My last one, which i had for 5 years, felt litterally like new when it went back, and thanks to the dent free plastic panels, which even seemed more stone chip resistant (due i think to having a little bit of give in them) the exterior looked perfect as well:
Being a pure BEV, the powertrain also feels totally smooth and bombproof as well.
It starts with the carbon tub, which feels absolutely stiff, so no rattles or squeeks, and the interior trim, despite being made from mostly recycled materials feels perfectly solid and hard wearing.
My last one, which i had for 5 years, felt litterally like new when it went back, and thanks to the dent free plastic panels, which even seemed more stone chip resistant (due i think to having a little bit of give in them) the exterior looked perfect as well:
Being a pure BEV, the powertrain also feels totally smooth and bombproof as well.
Max_Torque said:
For it's class (smallish city cars) the BMW i3 feels extremely well built to me.
It starts with the carbon tub, which feels absolutely stiff, so no rattles or squeeks, and the interior trim, despite being made from mostly recycled materials feels perfectly solid and hard wearing.
My last one, which i had for 5 years, felt litterally like new when it went back, and thanks to the dent free plastic panels, which even seemed more stone chip resistant (due i think to having a little bit of give in them) the exterior looked perfect as well:
Being a pure BEV, the powertrain also feels totally smooth and bombproof as well.
Is there nothing that you think that old thing can't do? Next you will be telling us it will sort world peace...It starts with the carbon tub, which feels absolutely stiff, so no rattles or squeeks, and the interior trim, despite being made from mostly recycled materials feels perfectly solid and hard wearing.
My last one, which i had for 5 years, felt litterally like new when it went back, and thanks to the dent free plastic panels, which even seemed more stone chip resistant (due i think to having a little bit of give in them) the exterior looked perfect as well:
Being a pure BEV, the powertrain also feels totally smooth and bombproof as well.
depends what you mean by quality.. the materials used or actually working for ever?
materials probably rolls royce/bentley etc.
over-all quality I would say Lexus tops that these days. They're very premium inside, especially things like LC500 with lovely finish and you know everything will still work 15 years on.
older I'd probably still say lexus ls400, w123/4 mercs, e39 etc bmws.
those were build well but they do go wrong.
if I was to have an old car that I could claim to be a quality car over-all I'd say the ls400 is the winner here. Something current the LC500 would top my list.
I'm no lexus fanboy but they do things well.
end of day, the purpose of the car is to get me from a to b and if it keeps breaking, no matter how minor it is, I won't enjoy the ownership.
my BMW Z4 Coupe was awful inside. My mk1 mx5 rattled less.
materials probably rolls royce/bentley etc.
over-all quality I would say Lexus tops that these days. They're very premium inside, especially things like LC500 with lovely finish and you know everything will still work 15 years on.
older I'd probably still say lexus ls400, w123/4 mercs, e39 etc bmws.
those were build well but they do go wrong.
if I was to have an old car that I could claim to be a quality car over-all I'd say the ls400 is the winner here. Something current the LC500 would top my list.
I'm no lexus fanboy but they do things well.
end of day, the purpose of the car is to get me from a to b and if it keeps breaking, no matter how minor it is, I won't enjoy the ownership.
my BMW Z4 Coupe was awful inside. My mk1 mx5 rattled less.
SidewaysSi said:
Is there nothing that you think that old thing can't do? Next you will be telling us it will sort world peace...
of course not. Most people don't like the way it looks, most people find the handling a bit flightly, buying a new one was ruinously expensive, and tyres are stupidly expensive .but honestly, this is a thread about "quality" so name me another small city car that has a carbon fibre body? Go on, i'll wait...... ;-)
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