Mercedes-Benz used to be known for is cars that u paid three times as much for because they lasted 3 times as long. This company needs to rethink what they are doing. On this forum i read the horror stories people are having with these later model cars and think WTF this company has 100+ years of a quality reputation to uphold y are they dropping there quality control if they have to raise the price of there cars so be it. I like mentioned in another post today the old way of thinking ie: Price be damned there are plenty of people in the world that will keep buying these cars if the price goes up if the quality goes back up. I look out side at my 560SEL and 300SDL and wonder well at the rate that Mercedes is going now those two cars will only go up in value cause of the stuff they are sending out today yeah i know on here and other forums u dont here about all the happy customers just people with mechanical problems well what about even getting rid of those mechanical problems and electircal problems an A/C compressor problem in a CLK no clk made is old enough that it should have a compressor problem what happended to the German over engineering? Well I for one will not be buying any newer ie: 2000+ Mercedes except maybe a G500 or G55 because they were built to a higher quaility like they always have been. Possiblity a 2007 s-class after we see what has happened with there quality issues. Looks like if i want a Benz convertible i will have to go back to the 1994-95 W124 E320's or the R129. Don't know though that Pontiac Solstice looks pretty nice.

 

Did you OD on caffeine today?

 

LOL

Mercedes needs to offer diesels in more cars shipped here, I think they might be able to win back some of the lost reliability claims from people. If you want to sell your SEL more quickly, put it on cars.com ... It will be gone in a week.

Btw, I can't buy it. I checked the Mpg ratings and it sucks, so does the insurance price. Plus I don't want to pay repair costs when a Honda will work right now.


-Matt-

 

I have loved this car company ever since i was little and my dad told me that in 1976 he should have bought a 240D for 12,995 and gotten rid of the 74 Lemans GT that mom was driving at the time. Then i had read the complete history of not just this company but most car companies some people consider me the walking history book of cars. Yet some of these compaines and its not just Mercedes is also BMW, Saab, and Volvo have dropped so far down in quality its not rare for me to go to an auction and see 1980s models of these cars with 300,000+ mileage. I dont believe that the current models these companies are making will go that far with as few problems. Though i still have faith in the Japanesse car companies for the most part but my faith in Toyota is starting to be in question least as far as fit and finish. Mercedes is suppose to be some of the best cars made and they need to get back on track and after looking at the new R-class feels like my moms Dodge Magnum inside ugh. I think GM might actully be getting it right again though like back in the 50s and 60s. That Solstice is sweet and feels well built.

 

Yeah the MPG sucks it gets 15. But my insurance is cheap i only pay $360 a year.

I know I love my Diesel i drove it for the first time in a year the other day switched tags. lol

 

remember Saab is own by GM now, so that's why quality dropped there. And Volvo is owned by Ford, enough said for that.

The W126, they didn't let those cars roll off the line until the engineers was happy with it. The 1989 and 1990 missed the deadline because of the changes and it took a while until they had the kinks worked out to the point that the engineers was happy. Now and days, the dead line is the law. They choke these cars up with so much computers and technical stuff andrush it to production without checking and or fixing the bugs. If you take note, the problems that mostly plaguing the new luxury car sector is mostly electrical problems.

And I think they don't make cars to last on purpose. If cars lasted like the old ones, people won't buy the new ones unless they change the body. With that scenario, they would lose money. (YOU CAN STOP READING THIS PARAGRAPH NOW.) If they lose money they can't buy that new Bentley. If they can't buy that new Bentley, they have to find new ways to scam the customers. If they scam the customers, they make more money. If they make more money, they can buy the new Bentley. If they buy the new Bentley, they need a new place to put it. If they need a new place to put it, they must find a way to make cheaply made low quality cars while raising the price.

Now think usualy the Navigation option in a car is about an extra $3,000. It cost the Auto maker $300 per complete installed system. So each car they sell with Navi, they can buy ten more. But usually they buy only two more each sold the rest is pocketed.


And the Pontiac Solstice feels good probably because it's actually a Mazda.

And I think some of them published MPG ratings for most cars are BS. Even driving at 55 mph or 45 mph for that matter, I haven't heard anyone getting the mpg rating anywhere close to the published one. The 560 is a two ton car that was built back in the day where it's gas rating wasn't bad for that sized engine. Plus I can gurantee there is not even a handful of cars that you can cruise at 80+ mph and still manage 19 or mpg. In my Benz I tried it I did it, I done it. In the other cars I test drove, I tried it, and watched the fuel guage drop in front of my eyes, "economical" four cylinders to the "efficient" 6 cyclinders.

If I could do it agian, I'll buy another 560 without hesitation whether or not gas prices go up to six to $20 a gallon. I don't care. As long as they keep putting out BS like they are now, I would gladly pay for the quality of build, the comfort, the vault like security of the 560SEL. So if god forbid, my 560SEL breaks beyond repair, I'll buy another 560SEL.

 

I have a C200K Coupe registered 2002 OCtober with 36k on mileage-
Since December 05 the car has been in and out like a bleedin yoyo at main dealer - for engine light on - MB have stated that they cannot find anything wrong with ignition- emission or injection and have replaced a number of parts - now they tell me the fault is cylinder head warped by 1mm and valves burnt and pitted- my vehicle shows absolutely no signs of misfire - water or oil loss no compression loss etc etc -

Apparently the technician took of the rocker cover and could see the valve seats - were burnt and pitted- my understanding is that you cannot see the cylinder head with the rocker cover removed all you can see is cam shaft -springs and valve stems - maybe MB have Xray vision as for the head apparently they ran an electronic diagnosis to test for warpness ?
sorry I thought the only way to check for a warped cylinder head is actually to remove and lay on a surface plate to check with gauges

When the engine light is off the car runs great when the engine light comes on the car runs a bit lumpy then the engine clears itself but the engine management light stays on

All in all they now want 3.5K to fix the thing - I dont think so - so taking car to someone who knows about management systems-

I suggest any one out there with a C200 to check it out real careful before you to get the run around from MB

 

The Solstice actually has the same chassie as the Opel speedester. That is y its nice. They can make the cars last longer rubber and other parts were out fine. But A/C compressors, trans, engines, power seat motors should not be breaking. The W140s are the same way they dont break just like the W126 but then u get to the W220 TROUBLE. Only reason i am selling my 560 is cause i dont want it to set untagged and not be driven cause thats what my 300sdl is doing now and i plan to put it back on the road. Its just as nice as the 560 just no heated seats or V8 no biggie. Plus the 300sdl gets double the mpg of the 560. Not to mention it handles better than my 560 not sure why could have something to do with the hydraulic rear suspension. My moms got a 66 Beetle more German quality now they are made in Mexico ugh. Just as bad as a ML made in Alabama. Any company that is willing to build a quality car I will buy from even if i have to pay a premium in price. Mercedes just has this idea that well we can just sell to the rich cause they love our STAR well they are losing the enthusiasts that love/loved there CARS. I love electronic gismos and gagets but not if they are going to break or interfer with my driving enjoyment. Just wait does anybody think that 20 years from now people will have the same love for a W220 or will they still be taking about the W126 and W140? Most new cars are good but they must be able to make it until they are old to become GREAT.

 

oh you're right about the Solstice I was thinking of a Ford product. Bah, they all look alike

 

I think that in 20 years, these new cars will basically be total junk. By then, you'll have all the glitches they have now, then on top of that the normal wear and tear of 20 years. You'll probably have to build the whole car basically a few times for it to make it to see 20 years. Cheap parts for premuim prices.