The Mercedes brand has many followers, young and old. This is evidenced by the consistently growing number of the brand on Zimbabwean roads. With prices coming down in the grey market, many are living their dreams of owning one. There is indeed a glut of various affordable (to purchase) grey alternatives. Maintenance wise; those who have selected wisely, and have not abused their cars, seem to be pleased with performance and running costs. Traditionally, the two German marques Mercedes and BMW have competed side by side. The two brands’ styling and executive interiors and exteriors can simply not be ignored. They simply turn heads.

In Zimbabwe it’s not only about the luxury it offers, but a statement of arrival at a certain level in life. It is arguably a brand or badge that everyone aspires to own and drive. It has been the car of choice for top government and company executives as well as successful business owners, for a long time. The Mercedes is truly a beautiful car!

The pressure to make a statement has however, resulted in so many wasting their hard earned fortunes as they tried to go for the top end of the luxury scale. Whilst affordable to purchase, it can be expensive to maintain.  Workshops and garages are thus full of these luxury cars whose owners cannot afford the spares and repair costs that are at times equivalent to buying another small car.

ZIMOCO has been the authorised dealer for Mercedes for a long time, to an extent where the dealership is synonymous with the brand. They do market some of the latest Mercedes Benz cars in Zimbabwe. Other unofficial dealers have also sprouted, to cater for the demand of the large population of the cars, and target especially the economic owners of the grey imports.

The most common class is the C class, especially the W203 and W204, C180 and C200. It is a simple car that is durable when treated well. The E Class W211, W212 and W213 are also common, for the more well-to-do members of society. Other classes are less common, due to their high maintenance costs. The M Class, now called the GLE, at one time ruled the roost among the yuppies and executives, as it was an alternative SUV to the then in-demand Mitsubishi Pajero.  

The GL class is structured according to the saloon classes, with a GLA, GLB, GLC, GLE, and GLS.

Whatever Mercedes you choose; be sure you can afford to maintain it!

Autoheads’ aim is, of course, to help you choose your Mercedes, care for it, reduce maintenance costs, and extend its life. This requires that selection of spares and spares shops is done carefully, as well as the mechanic or garage/workshop.