I have several observations to offer.

First I bought a 203 car new and have not regretted it. When I bought my first 240D, when the 123 came out in 1977, many people told me that MB's just weren't built like they used to be. As it turned out, that folklore was correct, they made them BETTER. I continue to hear these naysayers put out their negatives about new MB's. The most interesting thing is that it is never said by people who ACTUALLY OWN A NEW MB.

Secondly the consumer reports type evaluations are very narrow in focus. To begin with they put problems in categories with no weight adjustment. For instance any electrical problem is counted with the same check mark whether it is a blown fuse or a completely smoked electrical system. This kind of statistics, if you can stretch the term that far, are useful but can also be manipulated and misleading.

What is NOT determined by such reports is the long term reliability and life of the vehicle or how rebuildable they are when it is engine time and how many miles it might be until engine time. Also, compare the trim, paint, chrome and upholstery in a fifteen year old MB to that in any other fifteen year old car, especially a Lexus. In fact I've seen leather SERIOUSLY cracked in a three year old Lexus.

Touching on this again, it is always most interesting that the people that condemn new MB's are the people that don't drive one.

I'm sure glad I didn't listen to them when I bought my 240D's, and my C240 for that matter.

Have a great day,