I have heard from three people in the past 3 weeks NOT to own a new MB after the warrenty runs out. two of them worked for Mercedes and the other person had owned one and immediately got rid of it after the warrenty was up. Personally, I hate to see it, especially taking into consideration how long it takes to establish a reputation for well built cars.

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Jim

Here's what I think, and it and $1 will get you a cup of coffee.

1. You must (MUST) have a good mechanic.

2. You need to invest in preventative maintenance.

3. You need to drive the cars as they're meant to be driven.

If you do all three, then you'll have a relatively reliable ride for the least amount of money.

I love my '84 380 SE, and she seems to run better after a delightful hour's drive at 80 mph on State Rt. 99 north of Los Angeles. (I'm not saying exactly where, just in case any CHP officers are reading this.):p

Gemoore: I stay away from "mechanics" and I think thats why my car has worked so well. I ever got 80K miles on the brakes, which I replaced myself. An easy job. But I have never changed the brake fluid or much of any thing else. A new HVAC cabin filter, air filter and plugs at 100K miles and thats about it. Oh, I did have a 94 Honda Accord, but I sold it When the rear fenders started to rust out. Bummer. Probably would not but another Honda because in this age of all sorts of high tech, I don't think a car should rust out, period. That turned me off. Thus my good luck with my MB.

I absolutely don't buy the "preventive maintenance" theory that several have presented in this thread. No amount of PM will keep the harmonic balancers from flying apart, the mid-shaft bearing from failing 400 miles from home, or the low range 4WD from failing. Then there was the stuck turn signal switch. And there are myriad other problems that other owners have reported that I've been fortunate enough to avoid, at least so far.

Granted, I have an ML and not a "real" Mercedes. Sounds like PM can keep an S-class going for years, but the ML's do not live up to the reputation for reliability that Mercedes has.

Having said all that, it's a wonderful vehicle and I'll try to keep it going 'til she hits 300K!

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Lenny

There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games. --Ernest Hemingway

'10 GL550/'04 BMW 545/'99 BMW 323/'98 ML320/'87 VW GTI (race)

Hmmmm.

1. For those who don't believe in preventative maintenance, put your money where your mouth is and stop changing your oil and oil filters.

2. Peter, God has smiled upon you for some reason. Be thankful.

Granted, preventative maintenance will not solve all problems (it hasn't solved all of my problems), but I strongly suspect it has minimized my troubles.

Peter Fearing- Good to see that there is one Merc driver with a reliable ride.

There is no question preventive maintenance has minimized my troubles too. However the ML just isn't any more reliable than your average Honda, though it does drive better.

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Lenny

There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games. --Ernest Hemingway

'10 GL550/'04 BMW 545/'99 BMW 323/'98 ML320/'87 VW GTI (race)

MB would love it if the ML were AS reliable as your average Honda.

makes which had a reputation for durability, ease of repair and maintenance, and good value for money are sleepwalking robot zombie shadows of their former selves. Like Mercedes-Benz, whose advertising still touts longevity, all manufacture expensive, disposable, and dishonest products.

Volvo: Bought by Ford
Saab: Bought by GM
Mercedes: Merged with Chrysler

Are you seeing the pattern?

The only exception is VW. Their quality and reliability has improved greatly since the early 90's. Anyone that has driven a 91 Jetta and a 2003 Jetta knows what I am talking about.

2005, 2007, and 2010. It will take a while for VW/Audi to recover from the ignition problem that plagued much of their recent production, couldn't be fixed by dealers in a timely manner, and lost the makes a lot of fans.

IMHO, these are "cheap" cars that happen to cost a lot of money...just like everything else we've discussed.

True enough. However, one problem (ignition) is a little different then several severe problems.

I think most cars are "cheap" cars that cost a lot. To avoid this, I have started buying used American vehicles. For example, you can get a three year old caddy for 1/3 of it's new price. There are quite a few american vehicles that aren't as bad as many people think they are. Plus, parts are cheap if you are a DIY kinda person. Sure you are missing the big star, but you could always do like my father did when his ML320 burnt to the ground... mount the star to the front of it's replacement

...particularly with Mercedes and other better makes that could once be maintained to give almost perpetual service with proper care, while the first time buyer took the great depreciation hit.

HOWEVER, believe ALL cars now built to behave for only the first five years...after which a plague of problems that only the dealer can fix for beaucoup dollars will begin to present.

So a three year old Cadillac has only a year or so of reliable life yet, after which it will become a horrible economic pest. The Cadillac Northstar system is vaunted to last 100,000 miles before the first tune up...what they won't tell you is that that "tune up" will set you back seven or eight thousand dollars!

gemoore: Changing oil has always been part of car ownership and probably will continue into the future. It's a "no brainer". But ,a small price to pay for such a maintenace free auto. At least that is my experience.

I've owned a newer VW and can honestly say they are JUNK! From my experience a VW is designed to last 2 years before wear and tear is very noticeable. Interior trim is of the cheapest plastic I've ever seen and exterior trim oxidizes at an alarming rate. Now throw mechanical problems into the picture and you have a money pit waiting to happen.


VW is exactly like MB, using their past reputation in their present marketing to fool new customers into buying their products.

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Afshin

Current:
02 C32 AMG

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92 500E
84 190E 2.3 5 Spd