[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

A well cared for E320 is more reliable than a Honda, just as easy or easier to work on and about 10X (no hyperbole) safer than any given Honda or Toyota.

LOL. I've owned several nice MB products that required more maintenance in one year than a Honda will require in a lifetime. Sorry, but you can drive the average Japanese car several hundred thousand miles with oil changes and not much else.

As for safety, I'm sorry but you are wrong. A car designed decades ago without airbags or any other modern crash safety devices is not safer. I'm sure you'll cite the strength of the unibody structure because they are so well made, which only means that the impact is transferred to the occupants. So much has been learned about crash safety in the last few decades, the progress is exponential. Here is a 5th Gear crash test between a "safe" Volvo 940 and a modern city car.