Goodbye to the Beetle or How My Husband Got Me into a Mercedes

Back in 2009 I got my dream car: a VW New Beetle. I had been in love with it since 1998 and was determined to own one. When I finally was able to do so, I was so in love that I was in denial about how many things were wrong with it.

Right out the door the trunk latched failed. Twice. I had a total of 11 visits between two dealerships to repair/replace my TPC light. My antenna, fuel door release, fuel tank cap, overhead control panel, and right headlamp assembly internal wiring had all failed. I had four attempted repairs on front suspension squeaks which ended up only getting fixed by Joshua using Mercedes-Benz lube on the bushings.

I could go on, but you get the idea. Luckily this was all done under warranty. When my warranty expired a few months ago I began to think about how long I want to continue going down this road because now anything that would go wrong I’d have to pay for out of pocket. Not to mention my car had recently been chewing through oil like crazy, so a $6000+ engine job could have been in my near future.

I also started thinking about the fact that in a couple years Joshua and I want to start a family. Did I really want to be dealing with a carseat in the back of the Beetle? Plus, I’m always driving with my coworkers to meetings and whatnot, and it’s not a comfortable ride for anyone.

Four years, 75,000+ miles, and over 36 repairs later, I decided to trade the Beetle in for a more reliable, fuel efficient and comfortable vehicle: a 2014 GLK250 Bluetec (2.1L I-4 Twin Turbo Diesel, 201hp & 369lbft).

The deciding factor in getting a Benz as opposed to any other car was maintenance. I now have a car that my husband can work on. He has the tools for it (something he didn’t have for the Beetle), and he gets screaming good deals on parts. Plus I don’t have to worry about taking time off of work to take my car into the dealership for repairs, maintenance, etc.; he can order the parts quickly and take care of stuff over the weekend. To me, it wouldn’t have made sense to not get a Benz.

Being a Master Technician for Mercedes, Joshua gets certain perks, one of which is the Master Lease Program. Most of the technicians use this program to lease a car for their wives, so I guess you could say I’ve joined the club. It has made getting this car super affordable.

I still love my Beetle, and I hope it makes its next owner happy; however I feel a whole lot better knowing I have a more reliable vehicle. Joshua is just happy there’s another diesel in the family.