I've been reading the posts for later MB's with all electronic engine controls and have a few thoughts.

I suspect MB has sucumbed to the current rage of everything super electronic and computer controlled, with the result that these cars will never achieve the high milage and high resale values of older models without the super electronics.

My reasoning is as follows:

Most original owners don't mind paying once or twice for expensive parts (that is, $2200 for a climate control module, $3000 for an engine computer, etc.). However, the second time will usually convince them that $10,000 every couple years is too much to maintain these cars, and they will dump them. It's one thing to get expensive parts replaced under warrenty, another to shell out the bucks.

Second owners will demand very low prices due to the known problems -- I've heard from MB dealers that one is well advised to stay away from current S class models due to very expensive electronics failures (power window "convinence" relay sets, door electronics, $700 rear view mirrors, $5000 climate controls, etc), and a couple more times like this and they will end up in the junkyard.

I expect both BMW and MB to lose their reputations shortly as a result of over complex and vastly over-expensive electronic controls -- after all, do we REALLY need a 450MHz computer to turn the brake lights on and off? Get real!

Nothing mechanically wrong with these cars, just so much fancy junk that prevents operation. I mean, what is this stuff with no dipstick? What if the electronic dodad "forgets" to tell you the oil is low? And they will, after all, electronics fail rather rapidly compared to mechanical devices.

Sad, I will never have the chance to own a 1992 or later Benz -- can't afford them new, and the used ones will be junk......!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!