PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - Quality--Mercedes versus Honda

BENZ-LGB · #6 04-26-2006, 03:54 PM

I recently installed Euro headlights in my 300TE. Every piece fit as it should, and every part was designed with maximum utility in mind. I like how parts only fit a certain way, and how the fit is obvious. No chance for screwing up here.

The components have a nice heft and a feel of purpose. For instance, the ring that holds the bulbs in place (in the US spec lights) is solid, well made and looks like it would survive a million miles if it had to.

At the same time I replaced a bunch of bulbs in my wife's 2002 Yukon. If one or two fail (and the DLR bulbs seem to fail all the time) I just replace them in pairs.

By comparison, the headlight assemblies for the Yukon are cheap and flimsy. they just do not feel very substantial. The assembly holding the headlight bulbs in place is flimsy and can, and will, break if pushed just a little bit in the wrong direction.

One area where the 300TE is lacking, however, seems to be in the wiring department. As part of my 300TE project, I removed the US spec headlight washers. I was installing a new washer fluid tank, so I decided to remove the second pump (theone for the headlight washers) and also decided to route the now superfluous wiring out of the way.

The wire casing (not the actual wire cover, just the casings) was hard, dry and brittle. When I tried to bend them out of the way, the casing just broke off.

Where possible, I have fixed the old casings. If not possible to replace them, Iam replacing the casing with ribbed, flexible casing.

I have worked on real old American cars, and the wiring seems to survive in much better shape than Benz wiring.

It would seem that whereas mechanically Benzes are far superior thanmost cars, electrically they have a few glitches and their quality is not as good. I rather suspect that this would be the one area where the Japanese imports really shine.