What car manufacturer in business today has the engineering & build quality of the W123?

Ans: Toyota.

It isn't the Toyota mechanicals, IMO, it's their electronics. Toyota can draw on the best electrical engineers on the planet. Europeans and Americans draw on a less proven cohort -- I doubt I need to list the examples. In my lifetime I have seen people change from a hearty laugh at the silly Japanese "transistor" radios to, in less than a decade, the Japanese owned the electronics market (aside from a few extremely high-end non-Japanese mfrs). For the following 30 years the Japanese have led the innovation (if not the invention) of electronics.

We consumers demand items in our cars that are electronic-dependent or more easily solvable with electronics. The Japanese are working to their strength and kicking everybody's ass doing it. Good for them and good for consumers. Too damned bad for western automotive mfrs.

B

Do we really Bot? I've often heard complaints about the complexity of systems that seem superfluous on this forum and in general. I'm certainly re-thinking my desire for electronic gizmology. But then maybe I'm in a distinct minority.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

You & me both. I like simple and mechanical.

But (in my sarcastic, cynical world) most people, when they talk-up their new car, tell you all about the sound system or the GPS and it can go fast or it gets great mileage.

B

Would a simple and mechanical internet be smoke signals??

Electronics are far more reliable than mechanical devices. Problem is, they must be connected to the outside world using mechanical connectors, the least reliable of the mechanical devices. If you come up with a multi-wire connector that will last 30 years and not corrode or pull loose, you can sell it by the millions and be the hero of every automobile manufacturer.

All true. In theory, electronics are perfect. In the real world,electronics is the study of packaging smoke in pretty colored ceramic vessels.

Such connectors exist, however car makers don't use them because they cost more than what they're using now, and they don't care about the car lasting 30 or even 20 years. Based on what's in the junkyard I work at, they seem to be aiming for about 10-15.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

In my world, I wish you could order the "Lifetime Edition" of each class of car. Make the $36K C class a $56K Lifetime Edition car that looks the same from a distance but uses thicker glass in the windows, has a better paint process, replaces the plastic stuff on the interior, make the plastic headlights glass, Replaces motors in the windows that are supposed to last 6 years with motors that will last a lifetime, basically make them like they used to. The problem with doing that would mean they would have to admit that they arent making them like they used to and the reason you are paying more for a Mercedes really isnt because is has a higher quality to start with.

Yes, I know it will never happen but I get attached to my cars and would be just fine with buying a car, paying extra upfront and keeping it 30 years and in 30 years have it looking like the old ones do today.

I prefer quality over cheap. I prefer a working mechanical switch to a non working automatic sensor. I'm 25 years old, and I know its odd for my age group to feel like I do but I just wish I could buy a 2008 car with the quality of a W124.

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1986 190E 186K (For Sale)
(Maroon, Tan leather)
1996 C280 Sport 208K
(Brilliant Silver, Black Leather)
2002 CLK430 Sport 45K
(Brilliant Silver, Gray Leather , Birdseye Maple)

I'd rather have everything operated by vacuum with never fail connectors and diaphrams...

or hydraulics.. like in the 600's