there lies the problem friend. Some people are just specs specs specs and some people are just status and price. Combine the two and that's the best car in it's class. Also, style is a very very subjective aspect that makes huge impact when deciding the best car in class.

 

Gee, high-tech-product, when you check over the features in your little table the best car is clearly the Mercedes, followed by the BMW. BTW, the Mercedes crash test results are wrong. The C has the highest score ever recorded during crash tests by the European Union. And front wheel drive sucks.

 

ooooo. Lynn is angry... Isn't C's score the second best? Whatever though.

 

You already judged Car A B C D by assuming their brands. This is Brand Name BIAS. I found the specs on Edmund's.com

 

as I said, brand names or better known as status symbol are a big part of deciding which car is the best. Unless you're taking an automotive engineering final exam, technical datas are just one among many deciding factors.

 

I never said name brand bias is a bad thing. But the low-end MBZ does not match general public's concept about Benz: expensive, luxury, performance, reliable. Mercedes is lowering their brand name to match Honda, Toyota, Nissan ... And the quality is the worst in their histoty.

 

Man, let me tell you. Even an S class these days are not as reliable as a honda civic. Benzes keep on getting more quirks.

 

You are right!

Lets find out how many C-coupe and Accord Coupe were sold last year and see what the general public think is a better car because they proved with their money.

I am not trying to insult anyone here. I just want to prove my point of name brand bias and other manufacturers do sell better cars for same or less money.

I never said CLK is a luxury car. CLK320 at $45G is an underpowered bare boned car does not match Mercedes high class image.

Mercedes should aim the high-end market, not focus on selling the low end cars, cut cost and produces poor quality cars. Mercedes is losing their biggest asset – the image of luxury, reliable and performance. Mercedes is not longer Mercedes, it is Daimler Chrysler.

Let Chrysler sell the low-end cars. If Chrysler sells the same C and M Class at the same price, people will not buy them. People will think those are overpriced cars. Will you pay $25G to buy a 2dr hatchback Chrysler only has 180HP? Mostly likely not.

Lexus started in the US about a decade ago and now is one of the very successful luxury brands. Lexus is the most reliable car according to some mechanic friends and public surveys. Let’s wait for 10 more years and Lexus may surpass Mercedes in every category, if Mercedes don’t improve. Japanese passenger cars already surpassed the domestic cars. Japanese car may surpass the high-end Germany brands in the near future.

Acura is well known by their $30G fully loaded TL and is the best car you can get at $30G. Infinit’s new lines are very well positioned too – high performance (near) luxury 280HP G35Coupe, 315HP FX45…

Naked truths are usually ugly and people don’t like to admit. Mercedes may make more money by selling low/mid price car, so what’s the difference between Mercedes and Toyota or Honda. The difference is: Japanese make more reliable cars.

 

oh, dude I totally agree with your last opinion. Me too are not in the market of flame war (not too much ). The point that I'm trying to state is maybe far different than yours that it doesn't even match probly. I wanted to say that brand name is another deciding factor while you're saying that MBs doesn't stand up to its name again. Two different stories.

Anyway, if I were to buy another car, it would probly be another benz not cuz it's reliable or it's BENZ, or anything. I like it cuz it's safe in the first place and is a moderately aspirated car. Me personally doesn't even care if you drive an enzo. In the end it's all 4 wheels and an engine, right?

Now about MB's quality, I kinda agree with you but still, MB is the foremost technology inventor in the league ex: the inflatable seat bolster (whatever it's called), the electronic braking system, one of the first drive by wires, the come back of pana roof which is hot currently, the pre- safe system, and bla bla bla bla bla so I would say that there are more potential disasters when you're riding a NASA rocket than a bycicle right? Just MHO anyway. And yes the naked truth can be very ugly but what the public view is often skin deep.

Also, why do people buy hondas all the time? They're sure as hell not high performance. Safe? Not quite. Reliable? Very but that's cuz there's not much that can go wrong in the first place. So once again numbers doesn't defy all.

 

We should find out the fatal rate of C-class and Accord and that maybe interesting.

 

if you're talkin bout safety, the current C is the second highest rated on safety of all time. Lynn knows the detail.

 

hi-tech-product, stop trolling on our forums. There will be repercussions if you do not cease immediately.

Thanks

 

It is another BIAS to assume Mercedes makes safer cars than Honda.

The 5 safest cars of all time

http://moneycentral.msn.com/articles...1.asp?Printer=

Buick LeSabre (model year 2000)
Honda Civic (model year 2001)
Lincoln LS (model year 2001)
Volkswagen Passat (model years 2000 and 2001)
Volvo S80 (model year 2001)

IIHS has already granted its "Best Pick" status to the 2002 Civic, Lincoln LS, Passat, and S80.

Furthermore, the accident rate may contributed by the type of drivers. Accord and Civic Coupe may have higher than average accident rate due the driver goupe - young male. Therefore male younger than 25 pays higher insurance - or the insurance companies are trying to scam young people.

C-class / M-class may have less accident rate because those drivers are more mature in age (higher income group), drive less aggressively and more experienced in driving ex.15yrs vs. 3yrs.

 

The purpose of a forum is to let people to express their opinion and to discuss. It is the freedom of speech.

Again, I am not trying to insult anyone. I am just trying to state that Mercedes makes mistake to bring in the low end models to hurt its image. Moreover, a lot of people buys low-end Mercedes (new Mercedes has poor reliability) due the effects of name brand BIAS and not willing to compare with other products.

If you don't like my viewpoint, bring up some good counter points and lets discuss. Not try to suppress my opinion.

Any why do people listed S600 and S500 in their signature? Oh, I know, these car are expensive!

 

I don't get it. Are we talking about quality here or performance? So if the C230 ran the 1/4 mile in 13's and was still the cheapest Benz then no one would complain right? So because it has 192HP and runs the 1/4 in 15's is not good enough for some people?

Let me tell you, if this car ran the 1/4 in 13's and 0-60 around 5 sec we wouldn't be having this argument. Even if the quality was no good people wouldn't care because they have an 13 sec. car. I guess at the end it all comes down to Who show who it's tail lights.

 

Some of you guys really crack me up.

You have the lowest of the low end line up of the Mercedes line up and your cracking on a car that costs 10 Grand more than what you could afford?

1) Maximas handle very well
2) Their resale value does suck
3) Yes Infiniti sells the least volume out of any of the Japanese car brands, and that was due to crappy old products in their line up. Things will change now with all the fresh products they have out there.
4) Infiniti is NOT going bust they are doing very well as of right now. When I was scouting for a friends G35 Coupe we saw the sales boards most places claming at least an 80% sales hike year for year thats pretty good especially when you consider Acura is the one who withdrew for a couple of years from the US market.

I would know I own both a Maxima and an S320 which is more than I can say for most of you bashers out there (as well as other toys).

FYI Acura has the most pathetic line up of the big three, Toyota has the most luxurious with Nissan the sportiest in looks, styling and handling it easily whoops any offering from Lexus or Acura. Lexus definetly has the most luxurious but I find no model other than the LX70 that appeals to me and I already have a better substitute for that.

 

WOW... I remember the 190D with a 2.2 Liter POS motor..... then they upped it to a 5cyl diesel in 85. Dad picked mom up a 190D in 84..... thing was a piece of crud. i could spend hours listing everything that broke on it and the numerous apology letters from MB. It spent so much time in shop that dad bought her a jetta too.... that was a POS as well. I distinctly remember that 190D sitting in our driveway undriven for 10 years..... everyone hated it. He did not have any better luck with 2 more MB's after that one. Finally, after owning many MB's, jaguars, Fiat's, BMW's, etc... my father finally gave up and switched to toyota's and Dodge's with the 318 . After over a dozen Toyota's and Dodge's in the past 10 years, he still swears by them and he has suprisingly never had any bad luck.

 

OK lynn, help me out here. I forgot the link that shows that MB C class is rated the second highest safety of all time.