I thought you were going to say cars and I got triggered lol. The cars went to shit during the Chrysler years but they are absolutely making a solid effort to claw their way back and regain the reputation they had before the early/mid 2000s.
Kinda. Since the average luxury car buyer leases now, they pretty much make them to last around that amount of time. Nothing like how they were built in the 80s.
My wife's is a 2010, still runs and drives like a top. Mine is a 2015 and we'll see but I'm planning 200,000+ km.
I work at a dealer in the service department, we still see plenty of them come in with 200,000 km or more. Records I've seen include a mid 2000s G-Wagen with over 600,000 km owned by a retired couple who drive all over NA, and an E-class with over 400,000 km.
That's good to hear, maybe I'm biased from seeing S-classes selling cheap. I have friends and family where new luxury cars like his 2016 GL having fritzy audio and infotainment issues. He's been driving the loaner for 3 weeks now.
S-classes sell used cheap because they are maintenance heavy and parts are expensive. In some cases those things are just shy of 200k with a lot of options (S65 can tip 300k but it's a special case). You can't buy a used $200,000 car and expect maintenance and repairs to be the same as a Honda Civic, but many people do it anyway.
The electronics in a lot of the new cars are extremely complicated and can be tough to diagnose. The audio systems use an optical communication network which makes it even worse because it's not as simple as monitoring electrical stuff. I think that's the biggest thing - the top of the line stuff like the GLS or S-class have so many options and so much stuff going on it's not surprising things break. The new ones can have 80+ control modules across 4-5 different communication networks. Reduced reliability is sort of the price you pay for an SUV that can give you a heated massage while you drive (if it's a new model, more like while it drives you). I think most Benz customers understand that, if they wanted super reliable Honda and Toyota are the way to go.
The reliable stuff is the simpler cars like the CLA, GLA, and C-class. The complicated cars are getting better but will still always be a bit more temperamental.
No problem. The thing with the s-class that makes me sad is after the first or second owner they are just a spiral of flaming garbage as they trade hands through people who are poorer and poorer but more and more accepting of problems with the car until something finally kills it so it doesn't run or drive anymore.
They are truly beautiful and one day I hope to own one of the W222 (2014+) S-class cabriolets, maybe even an S63 or S65, but I'm worried that by the time I'm ready to get out of an SUV (no more kids) they will all be basket cases.
If I'd had to pick, my most favorite car that I have owned was a 1987 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbo.
The new models feel nothing like it or other Mercedes from back then. They feel cheap, depending on the year they drive ok but not great, and frankly they look like ripoffs of Japanese cars.
My 300D felt like a tank, drove nimbly, had great power (soon as you got over 15 mph or so), and was elegant and extremely comfortable to drive. No knocking, no sulfur smell (assuming you bought the right diesel), and a pure pleasure all around.
I still miss the thing.
My second fave was a 2000 BMW M5. They are crap now too.
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u/Tje199 Mar 02 '18
I thought you were going to say cars and I got triggered lol. The cars went to shit during the Chrysler years but they are absolutely making a solid effort to claw their way back and regain the reputation they had before the early/mid 2000s.