The sad thing is that the current buyers are too stupid to know the difference. Most of the newer Mercedes cars are being sold for name recognition only as icons of wealth rather than the superior engineering that they stood for before.

But then again we only have ourselves to thank for the changes Mercedes has gone through. Companies evolve to conform to market conditions. Mercedes designs and builds what will sell. Because the majority of buyers of these cars only keep them for a few years so they can show everyone how wealthy they are Mercedes does not put a lot of effort anymore into making these cars last anymore.

Many other technologies have gone this way. We don't repair VCR's anymore for example. Recent developments in computer technology have developed the concept of "e-waste". The car is the next frontier of disposable technology for consumers that want the latest and greatest and are willing to throw away and spend to get it.