If the models share NOTHING in common, how can you make any kind of guess as to what will happen with the new?

CR separates cars into generations, like any reasonable person would. What you'd be trying to do is to guess a newborn's weight at 18 years old from the size of their neighbor's pants.

 

Well, first of all, if you look at the CR report, they put the c-class as a mid-sized car..wth? Secondly, i read the last yr's report and slk is by far one of the more reliables mbz and now it is the least? What's going on here?

I must admit that japanese cars are more reliable and dependable period. There's no debate on that and this is already an established fact for years...therefore, i don't see these stupid reports playing in one's car buying decision.

 

The technology is the real problem with these cars. And MB doesn't seem to get it. As a consumer, I'm interested in a car that has beautiful styling, excellent road feel, and reliability. I don't give a siht if it has a fiber optic network that, btw, is prone to cause a problem if one wire is crimped slightly. Or if I have sensor for my sensor to tell me when the other sensor is broken. Do I really care about this??? The answer is obviously no. Yet MB feels the need to give us all this extra crap all while shooting themselves in the foot. Is it really that hard for them to figure out??

And they really need to do a better job of finding parts suppliers. I read a story about the S-Class AC compressor needing to be repaired on virtually every model after X years of ownership just because the part was a POS. And the reapir cost something like 2 grand! That is inexcusable for a car in that price range.

MB needs to get their act together. Whether these 'problems' are being blown out of proprotion or not makes no difference. Bottom line is, perception is a greater force than reality. And the perception is, MB is sucking in reliability. If they are not careful, that perception may one day come back to haunt them.

Just my $0.02.

 

except for the manufactuer? two mercedes made in stuggart have *nothing* in common apparently..............

and yes, there are average weights that a newborn could expect to be, and heights and so forth.

 

Ok, please tell me what parts, assembly processes, engineering, or even personnel a 2001 c class would have with either of your cars? (other than the same awful door lock pins)

Just being assembled in the same location as those cars by the same company means less than nothing.