Keep in mind MB quality went down before buying Chrysler. In 04 MB spent over $1Billion in warranty claims on MB products (not Chrysler products). Having said that I like my new 2000 S430 better than my 05 300C Hemi. There is no comparison in the ride, feel, quality though the Hemi flat out flies.

 

Well if you spent 100 grand on a car, most people would be outraged when something goes wrong at low mileage, regardless of how many electronics is in it. In there eyes, 100 thousand should mean $100,000 car with no problems. Just as the same thing could go wrong with a Focus and no one gives a hoot. It's only a $15,000 car.

And Mercedes tradition (at least up to the early 90s) were building excellent quality cars only people that "made it" could buy. Now you have anyone could buy a Benz, at least a C-Class. And the price gap of their cars was even huge back then. The Top S-class sedan(560SEL) in 1991 was around $75,100 base (or the super rare 560SEC AMG $140,000 after mods (1986-1990).) While in 1991 a top of the line Cadillac was around $30,000. Now it's a little more complicated since truely Cadillac nor Lincoln have anything to even can compare on paper to the top of the line ones. Them was the days when Mercedes was thought to be the entry level super luxury car maker. It's the next step bfore buying a Rolls-Royce. Then the Mercedes of the 70s 6.9 was said t be more expensive than the Rolls-Royce at times.

I think Mercedes has finally succumb to the corporate board room like the American automakers did back in the 80s. They make some nice cars and have the prestige and history to take a few dings to the rep, but... in comparision I don't think the designing and engineering gap between a Mercedes and normal cars is there anymore (Lexus ruined that.). Think about the shape of the W126 in 1981. No other car was as distinctive as it on the road. The design was far advanced and there was no question about it that the car was a Mercedes in the daylight, night, or even halfway blind people or car ignorant people knew it was a Mercedes right off the bat. Now and days, it's almost like guessing. "Oh look at that Mercedes, oh no wait, that's a Nissan." or "That's a nice looking Toyota, no wait that's a Mercedes, sorry." People are asking "Is that a Mercedes? I look like a Honda from the side." Back in the 80s and early 90s there was none of that. It was either a Mercedes or it was another car. Or a BMW (5/6/7 series had a distinctive shape that there was no confusing with other car makes.) The Cadillacs had a nice look but it was very boxy like everything else on the road. A big long box, but it was a nicely done box at that. If you wanted to drive a box, the Lac was the way to go. But the Mercedes of the 80s had lines, like a work of art, like they worked over time to design and wasn't satisfied until it was just the way they wanted. Now it's seem like the first man that draws something that will be the design due to deadlines. So what if it has glitches, eh. Throw it out there anyways.
Yeah handling and performance have improved over the years or it would be the most idiotic thing if it didn't. Especially with what they pay them researchers now and days. In a way, the days of the traditional car is alrady dead. What most cars are today are nothing but a big computer and or a collection of computers with four wheels. Sometimes you can't even take it to a traditional mechanic. It must go to the computer guy of the shop to fix it. And it's not that the good quality cars would not be too expensive to make. It's that it spend some money that othewise could go into the pockets of the top executives. And since they didn't spend money on researching how to build a better quality car, they spent that research money on how can they choke the car full of half-baked non tested electronics that look good on paper. It's so ridicoulus that if you have an electical problem in some of the newer ones, no on knows how to fix it yet because it was so rushed to be put into production that no one had time to test it and figure out to fix it, ways that can break, finding the bugs, and or even put out the maintence information to all that needs it. Nothing like looking in the owners book about a problem and it tells you to contact the dealer, and the dealer says he has no idea but charges you $100 just for plugging the car in anyways, but your old back yard mechanic and traditional mechanics just used to open the hood listen to how the car is running or might take it on a short test drive and can tell you or have a great idea whats wrong with it, what needs to be fixed, how much it would cost to fix it, and the best places to get it fixed at, and how it broke in the first place. You can't get that anymore. Back in the day car repair school was more like shop, a big garage and you fix cars. Now it's more like a computer lab than anything. Might as well not be even called a mechanic. Automobile Computer sytem Tech is a more proper title.
The irony of it all is that BMW used to get dinged every year for being too computerized in the 80s and early 90s and saying the electonics were unreliable and yada yada yada. Geesh, my how times changed. I rather be following a wire diagram and unplugging a wire or two and getting new ones instead of having to go the dealership just to reprogram my CD player so that my car would start. With the electronic reliabilty of cars these days, I'd take a classic E23 anyday and two more with the change left over before I'd buy 90% of these cars these days. I don't care what they say or what the Execs say, there will be no car these days engine wise that can outlast the BMW/Mercedes of the 80 and early nighties. Yeah, I test drove the 02 745i and the performance, was good. It'll leave my 735i in the dust and even my 560SEL would have a hard time keeping up. And the ride was nice, and it was comfortable, but it felt souless like my desktop computer. It felt more like a giant computer. I'd fall asleep behind the wheel of that thing on a long trip due to bordem and not being able to even connect with it. No wonder people yak on the cell phone, eat sandwiches, put on make-up, do hair, dress, and everything else but pay attention while driving. Nice around town car though. But it will never be a classic. I have a feeling that that engine will be long worn while my old 560 will still be running, a few parts replace maybe but the same block on it's way to the 500,000 mile mark. And the M30 engines (3.5L BMW E23 engine.) are notorious for not dying. There have been common BMW cases of the early M30 engines being overheated to the point of cracking the gasket and block but still running perfect with no smoke, shakes rattles, or excess noise. But they reinforced the the later E30 blocks to prevent cracking even in them situations. My BMW has over 200,000 miles on it and I just recently drove it from Texas to St Louis no problem, no hesitation from me or the car, and it was smooth and quiet (with the distinct BMW sports sound though.) And it never gave me any problems. Starts everytime, even if covered in snow. It's worth something and will be worth something so it's being totally restored and it was driven to Atlanta from ST louis with no problem. I test drove a 1997 740il and it was nice, quiet but the engine felt super lazy (in compare to the the preppy sports feel of the M30.) but I would buy the V12 one. That thing is a beast but it would be first to go when mess hit the fan and for some god forbid reason I have to sell any of my cars because it probably will never be a classic. Soon the term old car will be only used for vehicles that are traditional cars or have a little soul to em and age. The rest of them will be just obsolete software.

 

My 1989 don't have the othopedic seat either, but they are very comfortable neither less. I think I've seen one 560SEL and two 420SELs with them othopedic seats. I think it was a rare option that was special order like the "preseidental" rear seats. The ones that kind of look like bucket seats with thier own seat adjuster control and heated seat switch and acenter console where alot (well most that ordered this rare upgrade) added a mini refrigerator in back. Most 560SELs all over the world that was buil for diplomats came with this option. I think them are the only cars with that option. I've seen a few examples of 560 with that option but as usual it was previously owned by some diplomat with a chauffer that upgraded and they are usually in pristine condition.

 

Yeah the one with the rear buckets is nice Mercedes refered to it as 4 place seating. I would love to have one of them to keep in a collection and only drive when its nice out. But then again like i have said b4 if i had every car i want i know it would be 50-100 cars.

 

One day when I have the space I will collect all the cars I like.Most of them will be the old classics up to a few modern collectibles such as The Hammer, and a couple of M5s (except the brand new ones. Not too crazy about the design.) if I had the money and space. I don't thing it would add up to quite that many but I estimate around 20-25 that I like and would keep like old Rolls-Royces and a few 1950-60 era Bentleys one or two 60/70s muscle cars The 1959 Cadillac Eldorado (every collection have to have one of these) A MBZ 6.9, E23 BMW 745i, the E23 735i (already have and is being restored), the 1988 M6 The 560SEL (already have, but probably have another that'll be the collectable one that I really won't try to drive too much(probably will anyways.) try to get a Pullman, a 1994/95 E500, 300SDL, 1990 era 600SL, W140 S600, 1995-1998 era BMW 750iL, BMW M1 And if I had all the money that I could handle, I would like to top my collection off with of them Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. That's about it with a few cars including the current 560SEL and other newer cars that pass through out the years as daily drivers. Dreams. And if I want it I will find a way to do this.