I'm sorry, but I have to jump in here. The problem with the world today is GREED. I have and old 84 500 SEL with 250,000 miles and it is the finest car I have ever owned. MB desided in 1992 to stoop to the same level as all the other car makers and try to get some more of the market share. To do this, the quality had to decline, because quality cost money. I was told that in 84 my car would have cost between 70 & 80K. (it is loaded). At that time, you could but most any car for less than 20K. Now why can't MB be happy with their fine cars, do research to make them even better (not more junk to break), keep their reputation as making the finest cars in the world, and be happy. If you look around as you drive , you will see old MB everywhere, still going strong. Just think how good a new one could be if only they had been refined even more instead of being replaced by JUNK.
As it is said down hear in the south east, MB made the desision to make cheap cars to compete with Japan when they really didn't need to, and it will come back and "Bite them in the but".

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84 500 SEL (307,xxx miles)