haasman,

You are so right about "simplify". Part of the reason I love my 1995 E320 is that it seems simple compared to the newer cars and it is even missing some of the options that were available at the time my car was made. No heated seats, headlight washers, or remote door locks. I use my key to lock the car and I can open my trunk by just pressing the push-button release on the trunk. With my wife’s car, I have to go look inside the car to find out how to open the trunk or go ask her for the keys to push some button on the remote. Why did they make it hard to open the trunk? Certainly some of the electronics are OK. I like that the car lets me know when my brakes are worn or when things are out of whack with the engine, but I don’t need a computer to try to make it 2 degrees colder on the passenger side of the car. Some of the new stuff is just ridiculous. Sure enough my air conditioning broke, so I would love more effort devoted to making things that don’t break instead of adding more gadgets that will certainly break in the long run.

I am fixing the air conditioning and I will continue to fix things as they break in my marvelous automobile. I can’t imagine giving up my car for one of the newer models. In my mind, there is just no comparison.

__________________
I just couldn't give up on my 1995 E320.

I think it might be like always going back to that same bad relationship with an ex girlfriend.
You feel you love them too much, or you are just too stupid to know any better.



Flickr slideshow of my 1995 E320
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24145497@N06/sets/72157616572140057/