[kaisen]

Yep, mine had a turbo issue, power steering pump, then the other turbo, then the clutch (oil from turbo), then the transmission, then control arms....

But the most annoying issues were electrical. Example, the matrix information screen was replaced twice and never went very long without dropping a few pixels or having lines across it. And sunroof, and power windows, and radio, and little lights/backlights intermittently not working.

My fifth (and probably last) Audi. A complex car is a complex car, I guess. But VW/Audi must have cut corners to bang for less buck.

My Mercedes experiences were all pre-1996 so my anecdotes are probably irrelevent. They were complex too, but they were tanks and relatively reliable. I think if you believe the surveys, consumer mags, and forum anecdotes, modern MBs seem no better than Audi.

Get a great deal on a lease, however, and relieve a lot of your worries.

I'd buy the Benz unless you live where it regularly gets slippery. The rock-solid behavior of Quattro in snow is awe-inspiring.