I remember when.....Mercedes

[kqw]

I remember when there were literally no used Mercedes Benz auto's on the market...except for those that were at extremely high milaged or had a bad accident and repaired.

Those owners bought a Mercedes with intentions of keeping it for a very, very,very long time AND:

The quality and reliability ensured that those car would hold up.

What the hell happened?

[legion]

I still see my old 300D around town...

What happened? MB used to build the best car they could, then put a price on it. Now they build their cars to a price....

[notfarnow]

I'm hoping to pick up a nice 96-98 E300D in the next year or so, surely to god they can't be worse than my fking VW?!?

[Z-man]

It's not just the car maker that has changed -- it is also the way folks buy and drive cars these days...

Back then, folks would buy a car and keep it for a very, very long time -- no matter what brand they bought. It just happened that the Mercedes-Benzes would far outlast anything else out there.

These days, folks will buy or lease cars with greater frequency than they buy underwear! People will lease a car for 2-3 years, and get bored with it after only 1.5 years and opt out of the lease via a dealer 'buy-back' option.

Why is this? I think a big part of it is the fact that people want to keep up with the Joneses. "I gotta have the latest and the greatest" on my block FIRST.

Plus they have no brand loyalty. If Lexus puts out the latest car, they'll buy it. Two years down the road, when BMW has a new toy, they'll flock to the BMW dealerships. When Benz puts out the next best thing, it's Mercedes for them! As long as it is newer, bigger, faster, better than the neighbor's car, that is all that seems to matter to those who buy Luxo cars. And sadly, the luxo car makers know this, and taylor their cars to fit their customer's needs.

In the consumer's eyes, quality and longevity has taken a backseat to trendy and 'better than the car next door.'

Me? I've had my Subaru Legacy since 1995, and with 193,000 miles on the clock, it is time to put it out to pasture. I just hope the Ford Explorer Sport Trac will give me at least 10 years of trouble free driving...

-Z-man.

[the]

Modern leasing has allowed people to constantly be in debt and constantly drive a new car.

Basically, the majority of expensive sedans these days are nothing more than mid-long term rental cars.

So there's no need to design a standard production car to cover 200,000, 300,000 or 400,000 miles anymore.

But for a Mercedes, it does still have to have a veneer of luxury and quality. But it's just a veneer. Look at the not-so-readily visible parts of a modern mercedes and you'll see what I mean. The door hinges, fuel filler door, etc. etc. etc. Low cost. Shut a door and watch the sheet metal vibrate. Find a $400,000 MAYBACH and be amazed when you tap it's imposing grill to find that it is cheap plastic.

There was a time when a MB was a good value. Now they are pretty much like any other mass produced car, but can still command more money because they benefit from their brand recognition and their past earned glory.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I agree. The problem isn't with the cars, it's with the demand for them. People "back then" created demand for ultra long-term vehicles that would go for 500,000 miles without changing the spark plugs. Now most people look at a car in the same way they'd look at a toaster. A car is an appliance. To address any issues of maintenance cost, they get (and pay for) extended warranty. It's a response to a market demand, not a particular sort of product being forced onto them by a manufacturer.

[alf]

Had a ML350, it sucked. No MB for me. Now have a Volvo XC90, much better build quality than the ML.

[widgeon13]

Leasing , that's what happened!

[Vin-barrett]

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
It's a response to a market demand, not a particular sort of product being forced onto them by a manufacturer.

+1

Most Mercedes buyers don't want W123's anymore. They want cupholders, integrated telephones, bluetooth and iPod adapters.
A metal grill will hardly impress someone these days.

They are built just like any other German car is today. Out of similar parts from the same vendors. New products are rushed to market by bean counters just like anything else and problems follow. The world is smaller these days, it's not so easy to have any product (cars or whatever) really stand out.

The doors do not vibrate like washing machine steel. They still make a solid 'thud' but not like an old W107 did years ago. Could you really imagine a car with a door that heavy today? There is still more sound absorbant material in there than most other cars.

MB's are still comfy, quiet and smooth, are some of the safest cars in the world and the company is still a technology leader. If there are pieces and underpinnings that are "low cost" compared to the rest of the auto industry today I'd like to know who's car has the sweet door hinges these days.

[osidak]

Oh I had plenty of brand loyalty to MB until they started building pure junk - would never own another

[ChemMan]

I still have my w126. I tried to sell it, not could not bring myself to part with her. Quality is not the same as it used to be. Think about it. A new S class in the 80's cost about $70,000 to $85,000. I have the sales receipt for my 300SEL. The dealership paid $69,000 for it in 1990. Today an S-class cost about $85,000 or so. In 17 years there has been significant increase in price. No change for inflation, even? The quality has gone down a lot. The competition with Lexus especially has led to cost cutting measures. Simply put, Mercedes is not the elite brand that it used to be 20 years ago. When I was a kid, I would go to the dealership with my Dad and there was real service. Even that service is a thing of the past. The only mercedes dealership I have been to that comes close to that level of service now is the one is Okemos. It also happpens to be the Porsche dealership. So there are lots of MB's for sale simply because of the decrease in the quality of their products and service.

Mike

[kaisen]

My neighbor bought a new 500SEL in 1992 that had a sticker just north of $100K. They've gone DOWN in sticker (and quality) since.

I've owned a bunch of older MBs and 1970-1990 were the pinnacle of quality and durability.

[Britwrench]

The moment the C Class arrived "quality" disappeared and "cheapness" arrived, except for the SL. Oh yes, and the Dodge Sprinter van.

[HardDrive]

Originally posted by Michael Pillay
When I was a kid, I would go to the dealership with my Dad and there was real service. Even that service is a thing of the past. The only mercedes dealership I have been to that comes close to that level of service now is the one is Okemos. It also happpens to be the Porsche dealership. So there are lots of MB's for sale simply because of the decrease in the quality of their products and service.

Mike

I get excellent service.....at my Lexus dealership. I mean AWESOME service. I just took out RX in this week for tires/main (Lexus of Bellevue, WA). You get assigned a service representative who takes their time, knows the vehicles, and is professional. The waiting area for customers is large and plush. Your loaner car if you need one? A new Lexus.

Z-man, I'm sorry, but your response is the same as the MB corporate mantra. Deflect critisism, and attack those that point out the quality problems. MBs attacks on Consumer Reports were just astounding.

Whats most alarming are the number of used MBs that were lemon law buy backs.

[osidak]

I work for a large delivery company and we are crushing the sprinters now - have had tons of issues with them and the engines are not holding up past 150K miles

[Zeke]

+3 on leasing. Every young professional I have met makes at least double what I've made in my best year. And, his wife probably works too. When these folks have to step out and buy a house, they're looking at 4-6K/mo. in total house costs. A $600/mo. auto lease ain't stink to them. They'll have two, thank you.