When consumer reports rates the Hyundai Sonata higher than the S-Class and the BMW 7 Series, it doesn't necessarily mean that the lower ranked cars leave their owners stranded on the road. You have to actually read the magazine to see where the lower ranked cars really failed. However, if a car is ranked so low, chances are that it has been stranding its owners on the road. I've read stories like M-B ESP engaging on a wet surface and refusing to disengage requiring the driver to drive at 20mph for a long distance.
And no, it isn't just the electronics that give issues in these cars. Like the guy with the C230 already stated, such tiny things are going through three hood pads, power windows that don't work or get stuck in between, power convertible tops that don't work, dash panels that crack at 5,000 miles, etc. Overall quality is LOW LOW LOW. On everything. But they're fixing things up right now.
Consumer Reports DOES have the technical ability to test anything on the market. They have several large research bases in which they conduct their researches. The results of the recent vehicle reliability ratings came from surveys completed by over 800,000 people who purchased new 2004 cars. I'd say that's a pretty good sample to work with. And, for those who think Consumer Reports isn't so correct, have you ever been to
www.lemonmb.com ? And can you show me such a site for any other vehicle brand(s) on earth?
However, M-B executives are fixing things up right now. Now starting in the fourth quarter of 2004, $60 - $100 from every Mercedes-Benz sold goes towards expenses related to fixing the glitches in these cars. Mercedes-Benz just hired an additional 500 electronic engineers to solve its electronic problems. A recent survey that appeared in the Detroit newspaper showed M-B as having the second highest owner loyalty rate in the industry, right behind Chevrolet and just ahead of Toyota. That means that its reputation is still selling those crappy cars. If they can fix the issues before public perception catches up with reality (usually takes about 7 - 10 years traditionally, but with the Internet these days, it could take just 5 years), they can keep all their customers and their reputation as the best in the world.