well, jim, i appreciate your passion in the defense of this exercise in "less than perfected" design. but let me reply this way...

i also care to note that my c140 was manufactured in 10/96. by that time, benz should have corrected certain deficiencies[imo].

so, responding...

1. i have been owning and driving benzes since 1973. with rare exception, i have never needed to control the degree of opening of the sunroofs in my vehicles. i always want them either all the way open or all the way closed.

it seems to me that jaguar figured out your needs, though...you can punch the button once when closed and it will fully open. if when fully open, it will then fully close. or you can hold the button and regulate the degree of openness.

it occurs to me that if benz could furnish me windows that i could instantly open or close all the way - and there is a safety issue there - then they could have provided a sunroof offering the same ease of use.

do you really disagree with that assessment?

2. well, perhaps you make my case, here. by 10/96 those spotting devices were eliminated. my c140 has parktronic. i can assure you, it is a very unpredictable technology on this car..not to be relied upon.

3. well that is amazing. perhaps your 94 had a rf device. in 10/96 it was an infrared device. it demands line of sight, almost perfectly in line with the receiver, and i find within 5'. i contrast that with my 96 gmc yukon that used an rf device. could be in my pocket and within 25'.

also, i think that even benz found it necessary to discontinue the infrared devices.

4. my 97 was outfitted with 235/60X16's. just not many performance tires available in that size. and 235/65X16 - even worse.

in fact, the 235/60X16 spec was almost exclusively benz and its oem supplier, michelin. and those were the worst tires that i have ever operated.

5. side windows open on my 560sel, 560sec cannot be done at speed comfortably. but sunroof open is not too bad at speed[+55].

c140 is not too bad at speed with side window and sunroof open, but with sunroof only. too punishing. benz did not furnish as much of a deflector as they furnished with the 126's. you can check that out.

6. 97's did not have motorized internal rearview mirrors. and though the mirror looks the same as the motorized mirror, and costs the same[approx 1 grand], they go floppy for no reason.

personally i consider this a safety issue. imagine a car manufacturer that will not build a car with mirrors that will hold a position...and then duck their warranty obligation by calling that a trim item.

a sleazy business practice in my book.

and what is worse, refrains from offering a replacement mirror as simple and as solid as those in my 6.9, 560's, e320cab.

so, one of the world's most expensive cars gets a mirror that is junk. and if you think i have that wrong, check the archives of this site.

7. still, my 1987 560sec has a bigger trunk. even more importanly, it is easier to load and unload.

8. even a blind pig finds an acorn.

9. i have these other big benzes. none of them have the same degree of blindspots.

i often think that bruno sacco was not as involved in the c140 as he was invoved in the c126.

10. well, how do i respond to that insult? i am 6'2". weigh 175lbs. the po, who only put 20,000 miles on the car in 6 years, was in her '60's. she was 5'2" and could not have weighed 120lbs. as you might deduce, she rarely drove the car.

shortly after i purchased the vehicle, which was starmarked by the san antonio dealer, the seat backs became immovable. thinking that would be a warrantied fix, i took it to a benz dealer. well, i learned the hard way that seats are trim items[no covered by starmark]. the dealer, less than 60 days ago, performed some magic on the seat cabling. it is true, that now the seat backs can be moved, but while driving, i hear all kinds of clicking and solenoid-sounding noises being emitted from under the seats while driving.

should i take this back to the dealer, do you think? you don't think it normal?

11. let's see. 60 days ago, dealer replaced the wiper blades. so, they are virtually new.

and this car was out of the sun until several weeks ago. so, the blades have to be considered virginal. and in fact, my examination, conducted with my indy garageman, has concluded that the blades are virtually new and without defect.

anyhow, within the last several weeks, here in the houston metro area, we have had lots of rainy weather. from 4"/hour downpours to light drizzle. it is in the light drizzle conditions that i find the c140 to be inadequate to the task. the wipers just will not slow enough. they have to be turned off. then turned on.

contrast this with my yukon...a much greater range of wiper speed adjustment.

and let's see, yukon: $35k when new in may 1996.

c140 in december 1996: $90k+

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

12. i have complained about this situation to benz for 30 years. for whatever reason, those crazy germans refuse to understand the high ambient humidity conditions in certain areas.

the problem is that benz continues to incorporate a climate control system that allows for cold air to blow onto the windshield. FROM THE TOP DASH VENTS.

and for reasons unbeknownst to me, there seems to be no way to stop that.

so, no matter what version benz i drive, cold air is still being allowed to hit the windshield and fog it.

i have no other vehicles in my stable that have ever had this problem. i consider it an uniquely benz bit of bull****.

the vp-service at my benz dealer and the benz zone rep always told me that it was just a benz idiosyncracy. when i complained about it involving the 126's, 124's.

when you get to the 140, the issue becomes ignored. as i see it, they know the problem persists, but they want to pretend that it doesn't. after all, how could one be the world's premier car manufacturer and allow this problem to persist?

and once again, i consider this failing a safety issue. when this cold air control deficiency obscures my forward vision, i think benz has compromised my safety.

because they know of the problem and they know the fix.

i drive toyotas, jags, hondas, etc etc. the only cars i have ever driven[owned] that exhibit this "fogging" problem are my benzes.


and these are really not complaints, jim. i am an industrial designer. and a manufacturer.

my issue is the dereliction that allowed these deficiencies to occur in the first place. and then persist.

sic semper tyrannis