In talking with my MB mechanic friend today, I came to the conclusion that moderns MBs, and modern cars in general, are, to use his words, "PCs on wheels." He marvels at the technological doo-dads, but he says that keeping the fiber optic systems up and running in extreme temperatures and under varied driving conditions is proving more than a little challenging.

Made me feel even better about my 1979 300TD--the old non-turbo diesel, with lots of maintenance and repairs fully possible for the DIY guy.

My other Benz is a 1989 300SE (W126), which is on the cusp of the technological revolution, in a way. I have had a few electronic problems, but nothing compared to those apparent on the new W211 chassis, apparently.

Sometimes I long for the good old days of roll up windows, manual transmissions, hand chokes. Anyone else of a like mind?

Joe B.