Why don't you just struggle your way out of here?

If you don't like Benzes, then get yourself a Yugo and stop whining. For god's sake, you anti-Benz whiners make me sick. With all the different automobile brands out there, why the obsession with a brand you obviously do not like?

BTW, April's Car and Driver magazine has a review of the 2006 Acura RL. The C&D crew had to repeatedly take the car back to the dealer to repair things like an unoperative sunroof (twice), electrical outlets that did not work and various and sundry other problems. When a part needed to be replaced, sometimes it took several days for the part to arrive at the dealer.

The C&D staff has such a hard on for expensive rice grinders like the Acura, that they are willing to write off these problems as mere "teething pains." If this was a Benz they were reviewing, they would be lambasting the car, the factory, the dealer, etc., etc., etc.

I've owned 6 Benzes. I never had to wait days for a spare part to arrive. I never had the problems that some of you seem to be experiencing and I am extremely happy with all my Benzes. Hey, maybe I know how to take care of a car.

I will keep buying Benzes for as long as I can afford them. And when I retire and have to depend on Social Security, I will then buy my last Benz and I'll drive it until I drop dead. then I will ask to be buried in it. :eek:

Personally, I would never buy anything recommended by the Birkenstock wearing hippies at Consumer Reports. I happen to know a couple of things about computers, and their computer recommendations are crap. I also know that they rigged the roll-over tests for mini SUVs. So screw them--they don't know what they are talking about.

Again, if you don't ike Benzes, then don't get one. I swear I don't understand mentality like yours.

OK, now I am going to go and get a beer and get my daily dose of inane TV.

Now, someone please pull the plug on this tired thread...seems like every Benz hating troll is posting here.

Peace out!

Just throwing this out there, I don't know if anyone else has heard this, but I heard that Mercedes is going to drop their profit margin alot by investing more into better engineering and product quality control. I'm hoping they can right the ship again and bring back the quality they once had. One question has been poking at my mind since I read this post. I thought that newer Benzs only really had electrical problems. I figured that anyways, as I have talked to a few mechanics around here and they all have told me that mechanically, most of them are fine and that the electronics are pretty faulty. Why is it that almost all German car companies can't get their electronics together? VW has to be the worst out of them all. If you notice any mistakes in here, bear with me as I just got home from a 14 hour shift lol...

"Hey, maybe I know how to take care of a car."

Maybe you can teach me. I just replaced my glowplugs on my 98 E300. Again. This time was about $3,200. Last time about $2,500 if I recall. Am I using the wrong oil? Not the right kind of wax? Did I forget to adjust something? Should I have driven it differently? Share with us, the unwashed, how I can make them last longer then 35K - 45K miles and make them not break off when you're trying to get them out?

So, you're a MB fan. Nothing wrong with that. Others have differing opinions and aren't wearing blinders. Others who have never owned a Benz are looking for unbiased information so they can decide on their own. Nothing wrong with that either.

Consumer reports doesn't rig tests. Its the trooper roll over you're talking about that was contested on 60 minutes. Other then that such a big well known publication would not rig the results. If everyone read great things about Acuras, went out, bought'em, and relized that consumer reports lied about everything...i'm pretty sure that some lawsuit happy americans would be at their doorstep. Now if they wrote that mercedes was flawless and cheap to repair...that would be a lie, but you think their keeping the "truth" from us. Also i'm sure your mercedes has never ever broke down, since you look after it. The Yukon XL must be the rainy day car.....

Yea, VW is the worst. I think BMW electrically is better then mercedes. My 5 series has never given me problems. My 98 5 series is used daily on the freeway, maintanince is neglected and it is flawless. The mercedes never missed anything and alot of repair shops know me on a first name, last name and billing address basis.

The article your're talking about I beleive was published in 2003 in newsweek. I remember reading it also. The CEO was talking about how for years the quality of a mercedes was the best in the world and no one could compete with. He admitted to newer models having minor issues and that they are trying to fix its rep back to where it was.

Well, I normally do not even respond to the great unwashed masses. But this time I wil make an exception for you.

You don't like spending money on your Benz? Sell it and be done with it.

I am not a "fan." I just appreciate well-engineered cars.

I once owned a 1984 300SD. I sold it with nearly 300k miles on the clock. the people that I sold it to, more than 8 years ago, still drive it. The car has the orginal engine, the original tranny--original everything. Except for the stereo--Becker radios of that vintage were crap. And yes, the clear coat is peeling off.

I also once owned a 1991 420SEL. I sold it at 250k miles. I recently saw the woman that I sold it to. I asked her about the car and she said it was the best car she had ever bought/driven/owned. Original trans, original engine, original everything (except of course for the stereo). I had the timing chain and guides replaed at 100k miles. Other than that, no problems at all with the car.

My daily driver (a 1989 300TE) has 194k miles. It had the occassional stal issue that affects many W124. That has been fixed and the car now runs fine.

My 1998 E320 has 101000 miles on the clock. So far, the only problem I've had was witht he sunroof (and yes it cost me pleanty to get it fixed).

Yeah, given my personal experiences with Benzes I would say these are great cars. What you people don;t seem to get is that mechanical things WILl break down and mechanical things WILL need regular repairs and maintenance.

It is not unusual to have 30-40-50-60 year old planes still flying around. How do they do it? Regular maintenace. If we did the same thing for our cars, we could drive them forever--barring a major crash.

Frankly, I sell my cars when I get bored of them--and not because of problems.

Maybe I am lucky. But having owned 6 Benzes you would figure one would be a lemon, right? So far, none have been.

Alright, you are now dismissed to return to whatever it is that you and the geat unwashed masses do.

BTW, I write that with tongue in cheek. We are all part of the great unwashed masses! Only people like Bill Gates and Warren buffet and The Donald are above and beyond the great unwashed masses.

Good luck with your Benz. and if you decide to sell it, remember that diesels, even in bad shape, command a top premiun. If you don't believe it, check the car ads. also, since you are a diesel fan, read the article about "beater diesels" on the April issue of Car and Driver. Good luck.

I would guess you aren't lucky you're just driving mostly older, better built Benzes. NO ONE is saying good things about the recent crops of MB offerings. Most blame it on value engineering by the bean counters and believe that only a return to control by the engineers will save the day. Whatever. There are plenty who only find joy in their car. It's what they always wanted and nothing will convince them that the quality has evaporated. They are made, today, to barely outlast the warrantee period. Drinking of the coolaid is fine but I prefer to have facts when I make a decision. Others reading the forum are either owners or possibly considering ownership. I think it would be unfair to exclude factual information concerning recurring problems like your sunroof. Or my EXPENSIVE glowplugs. Or my EXPENSIVE airconditioner. The list of problems is long. Window regulators may not be expensive but could be embarassing to explain to your girlfriend. Transmission problems are more expensive. I hate to even talk about RUST on a modern car but it's a well documented problem. Do you think we should hide the fact that if you buy a MB luxury sedan you should make sure your passengers are seatbelted so when the fron suspension falls out under your car at 80 MPH, they will be less likely to be thrown from the car as it riolls end over end down the median into on coming traffic?

Truthfully, I hope they get their act together. When my car works there's nothing like pressing on the accellerator and watching the speedo wind up way higher then it should. I also know that comes at a great cost and I feel like I should write a check to a reserve fund to pay for unexpected services every 1K miles or so. I'm addicted to diesels. When the Honda diesel arrives or if Toyata markets one, I'm gone.

OK, in case that you did not see my signature--I also own a 2002 C320 Sports Wagon. That is a fairly new vintage Benz. yet, it too runs flawlessly.

Frankly, a Benz is not for everyone and you are obviously one of them. Some people will be happiest with a Honda or a Toyota. They should never buy a Benz.

Pass me another round of Kool-aid, the orange flavored one tastes great. :)

Do me a favor, when you are ready to buy that ricer oil-burner, drop me a line. I will take that allegedly POS Benz off your hands. It deserves to go to a loving, appreciative family.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I just do not understand people who constantly whine about how expensive it is to run their car. Are you guys on some sort of masochistic auto trip?

Life is too short to drive crappy cars. Not happy with your Benz? Not looking forward to putting $1k/month for future repairs? Too embarrased to haul your g/f in your car? Too worried about spring perches (mine are fine, thank you very much)?

Then do yourself a favor and get a Hyundai Azera. It comes fully loaded for around $25k and it comes with a 10 year warranty.

Now, go ahead and rage on. I am not going to do anything more to keep this sorry thread alive.

Enjoy your whining!

"Frankly, a Benz is not for everyone and you are obviously one of them."

How very special you must be then to be one of those permitted to enjoy your car. How condescending and elitist you appear to the rest of us. To post facts associated with ownership of this marque is not whining. It rounds out the forum for people not familiar with the brand and who actually may want facts to decide. Call it whining if you wish and thanks for giving in on the debate.
:whip:

Not giving in...
 

...just choosing not to bother with people who were obviously not meant to own a Benz.

For the price of your glow plug, you could have bought a nice Yugo. When it eventualy died out on you, you could just leave it by the side of the road and then buy another one.

Incidentally, being elitist is not a put down. I rather view it as a compliment actually. But I am afraid that you would not understand the concept.

Good luck with your rantings.

I hope that someday you find automotive Nirvana, as I have.

1) Most of the older mercedes you've owned were reliable, no contesting that. But give your 98 another year or two and wait for your 2002 C class to age a bit, and we'll know exactly why you're main cars are a Yukon Xl and A Volvo.

2) Your mercedes isn't a Airplane like you compared it to. You're saying planes run 50-60 years, I guess since your mercedes is an Airplane with all the maintaince you do, it'll last another 100 years.

3) Of the 6 mercedes you've owned, only 2 are in the lemon years era.

4) You're the Harvard Business grad that thinks it makes sense to spend $20 000 on a car, and spend another 20 000 looking after it during ownership. Fair enough. But I guess when you talk about people like "Only people like Bill Gates and Warren buffet and The Donald " Then I guess money isn't a thing to you, that's why you own a mercedes...

Wow, I totally see the same world....

Seriosuly, I think you're hitting that Kool-Aid pretty hard. You've been brainwashed with this whole mercedes is great car's and deserve 1 000 dollars a month in repairs to keep driving. You're words... "Not looking forward to putting $1k/month for future repairs? Too embarrased to haul your g/f in your car? Too worried about spring perches (mine are fine, thank you very much)? "

For normal people and university graduates like me, we've learned how to budget. When you spend a decent amount of money on a car, aslong as you do all the maintence which I know mercedes owners are usually great at doing, these car's should be lasting for a long time. But I know endless amounts of people that have had alot of mechanical and electrical problems with the 90's till current mercedes. Its not about not being able to afford the repairs, but smart business sense doesn't mean spending 1k like you claim to keep a car on the road. You think anything that's not a mercedes is a p O s...... Meanwhile we all know their's other great car's on the market, otherwise you wouldn't own a Yukon and a Volvo. Mercedes will continue to get rich and make money, as long as they have blind kool aid drinking customers, but what you're buying, can't even compete with a lexus for quality and longevity. That's the truth.

People like me would rather take the 1000 a month you're ready to spend on a mercedes, and put it towards family vacations, children's education funds, down payments on rental properties....etc....but for you life is to short to live without a mercedes...so i see where you find happiness in your sacrifices....

Here's a budgeting scenario for you. Paid $11K CDN for my Benz used. I've put roughly $1,500 a YEAR into it for maintenance. Car has 320,000+ Kms on it, 140,000 of which I have put on. Engine is completely original - I haven't even changed the valve stem seals. I've basically changed the oil and that's it. A few parts have been changed - alternator, water pump, nothing critical.

How many other cars can produce those numbers and still offer a luxurious, excellent ride and safety?

I was rear-ended in this car pretty hard - the other (newer) car was a write-off, mine was back on the road and looks like new a year later.

True, newer models seem more problematic, but that's a symptom of many new car models in general as the tech race escalates. BMW and Lexus are not immune to these issues.

Your remarks seem emotionally charged rather than rational.

No not really emotional. My remarks were rational until everyone went againest me and told me their mercedes never breaks down. My only point was quality has suffered on the newer mercedes, while I agree the older ones were builtproof. I know people who have owned older mercedes and they loved them for longevity. Newer ones have issues, and they aren't cheap to look after. I don't buy it for a second that the newer mecedes don't break down, now if that was the case, why are we all here discussing breakdowns?..lol. See I just don't agree with mercedes being the high quality....but in no way am I comparing it to a russian LADA, just its no longer in a class of its own.