I now have a BMW and have been looking at buying a Mercedes CLK 350 or a E350. I have been told and read that Mercedes quality and dependability have dropped way off. I really do not want to spend my time in the repair shop. I guess this is the best place to find out if this is the case. Could I get some feed back it would be a start. Thanks

Benz quality was awful for about a decade or so, but picked up substantially in '05-ish, and after that has gotten about as good as it's probably gonna get for them. I would say it definitely should be no worse than BMW (probably better but I haven't looked up any data).

I've had 2 CLK since 2005 and have had no problems. Haven't owned a BMW in years so cannot comment. I do like Audi quality -- just don't like the local dealership which stops me from buying an Audi. Unfortunate really.

At the end of the day, the 3-pointed star will still be my car of choice.

I'm on my 3rd MB since 2004 and the only time I've ever had to take any of the cars to the shop was for scheduled maintenance. All of my cars were rock solid without flaws. If you are thinking about an older model 350 (W211) hurry because they are not getting shipped to dealers anymore so whatever they have stockpiled is whatever they can sell you. If you wait for 1 or two months you should be able to pick up the new E Class (W212) already.

How was the reliability of your BMW(s) ? People on this board have mixed experiences with them. I'd be curious to find out what yours was. Welcome to the board by the way

You can find MB owners being aware of quality issues. In most cases it is the quality of a different MB model than the one they own and the unreliable gets reliable and vice versa depending on the person commenting. Funny how MB owners do this quite frequently.

But it should be clear that there were quality issues at some point but that being gone quite well. Early W211 models had several items that had to be fixed but even there not that much of a problem because they took well care of all cars being fixed for free.

W210 had a bit of material problems, some unexpected behaviour with the rust protection on steal joints like doors. The same material was used by several other brands, with the same issues (mainly an issue at countries with "salt" on the roads at winter).

We don't know about the W212 yet but the 221 and 204 have been pretty solid (a few known issues on specific models but not bad at all).

Thanks to all for the information. LaicepsYdobon, I have a 2005 BMW 325I with 64000 miles on it. Only problem was at about 48000 miles the slide for the moon roof got jammed. BMW fixed with no problem. Runs flawless but I want to get something else and my eye is on a Mercedes.

It is matter of luck I guess. You may have no a single problem with MB, although BMW looks like more solid and reliable car than MB. So I would suggest to look in next generation of 5ser which should be available this year.

I'm so excited to see how the new 5-er turns out. Since I'll be skipping the new E-Class it looks like, if I stay in this market and am looking for a new car down the road, it looks like the ball is in the 5's court right now for my money.

my current e46 bmw still has the sunroof jammed bad tentioners twice all the window regulators went out another is on it's way out again. Xenon control unit blown Trans is slipping SRS and check engine light is on (not sure why yet) I get a burning smell from my engine if I drive over 90 steadily front end bushings are all gone and need to be replaced as well. DHTML pump went out (not sure what this is) rear tail lights went out twice untill I found out it was a shorting issue and had to have the wiring replaced. Im sure I am forgetting a few things. Waiting on that E-Class still.......

For reliability of cars, I would say the best source is still Consumer Report. It does an annual survey of its subscribers for various cars and models on the various repair frequency of these cars. This is very different from the JP Power initial quality survery. Initial quality is not the same as long term reliability. You probably still could order the 2009 back issue from CR.

If you look at the New C or GLK, these units are built rock solid. The new E will take that to another level. I would say W211, 05 and newer are great cars. Yous shouldnt have any worries about MB cars after 05. That being said you will always find someone that is not happy.

To all thanks again. FLASH GORDON I took your advise and checked out the Consumer Report and they seem to feel that the quality (still) has not improved much. I did check some of the blogs and there is not a lot of good being said. I had a Volvo s40 that I gave to my 16 year old and for the last 2 years I did put a transmission in it. It now has 245,000 miles on her. I was hoping to get this kind of longevity out of a MB. Does not look good.

Since this is a W212 sub-forum, do they have "long term reliability figures" for this model, or short term for that matter?

Perhaps the person asking was interested about MB models generally, then the advice is OK.

I always take Consumer Reports with a grain of salt. IMHO, they really do not like German cars, I guess that it is due, in part, to the cost to repair them. They do like Japanese and Korean cars but this is due partially, to the lower purchase price. I have owned both, and find the German cars more advanced and put together better.

That said, Lexus service is top notch. Many dealers can learn from them, and they never try to stick you with an off brand "loaner".

I gather you do not subcribe the CR. The annual CR on various models of cars and makes is based on the survery of its subscribers. It is NOT a subjective opinion from CR. In the most recent report, some Ford models, such as Fusion, can match the best from Japan!

This is by no means statistically significant, but my experience with an '03 SL and a '09 C class have been excellent (I know, I just jinxed myself). The SL is older and I have only had to take it in twice, once for the trunk lid not completely closing and the glove box locked up. Both were resolved with no further problems and under warranty. The C class is only 8 months old and has had no problems to date.

On the other hand I leased an '05 5 series BMW and had a lot of problems. Most were minor but each time I had to take it to the dealer they cleared out my radio and bluetooth settings. After the 4th time I just put up with the problems. The ride of the BMW was fine but numerous electronic issues continued to pop up and it became a pain. The good news is all service is covered under BMW's warranty which is much better than MB.

I would expect the service on a new MB to be similar to that of a BMW.

Welcome to the fourm ARMS. If you do end up getting a Mercedes you'll find a wealth of information here and a lot of helpful members.

To answer your question, I would give an unequivical yes, buy the Mercedes. To me it is like the old expression that money isn't everything, but it sure beats whatever is in second place. Mercedes may not be the best, but it sure beats whatever is in second place.

I am on my 9th Mercedes now, and have loved everyone of them. From a 1972 280C that ran like a bat out of hell, but constantly needed the carburators adjusted, through a couple of diesels to the '05 C230 I have now. Am looking at getting #10 and #11 shortly in the forum of a E320 Bluetec and a GLK350.

Good luck in whatever you get.

I would say you can definitely go for a Mercedes. Even if it’s quality has dropped still I think it would be better than BMW.

Yes, definitely buy a MB.
After 30+ years owning Volvos, and being very happy, we got the E350 and it is "head and shoulders" above all other makes, IMO.
As for CR, I've always looked and subscribed to their reports but, only as one resource. They have never gotten it right for my purchases.

I love the E series and have had no problems with any of my last few. I'll admit the newer ones seem put together a better than the older one I had. BMW will always suck for my taste... G/L with whatever you decide...

Thanks to all that have replied. I have just decided to put my BMW up for sale an start the long look for the CLK I want. As soon as I sale my BMW and buy a CLK I will post the pic. Thanks again ARMS

You'd better HURRY! 2009 CLK's and E's are beginning to get scarce (if you're looking for configurations with popular features like Leather, P2, etc).

The dealership I was at yesterday only had 4 CLK's left, and one guy was coming in 30 minutes after me to get one of them.

E's are more plentiful, but again, if you want popular options like Leather or P2, then they can be harder to find. Two weeks ago I was told there were only 2 E350's left with P2 and parktronic in the color I wanted in my area. Now I doubt there are any left.

i have an 05 E500 5matic, 80,000 miles, no issues, car still drives like the day i drove it off the lot. Sit in a jap/american car after 80000 miles - you'll see seat wear, general interior wear, rattles, etc.....my car is tight!

Good luck,

Aceman

Been driving W124C since 1988 to 2007, and it was absolutely problem free. ( only issue was the auto-retractable seatbelt at its later year )

Late 90s, I moved to W210 E420 and minor problems start to occur.. such as air-condition, display clusters, funky transmission issues. NOTHING major, just kinda annoying, and ENGINE is always trouble-free.

Been on W211 E320 for while now.. hmm...... Door-Lock, air-condition sensor, Brake switch, wiper sensors..... But again, NOTHING major, engine still running very strong.

I used to think MB is more than a car, but the symbol and pride. Oh well... as I am getting older and be an active participant of many charity groups, "pride" and "symbol" doesn't seems to matter anymore. I think I will buy Mercedes again, but it wouldn't be the only choice.

I'm on my third Mercedes:

'99 C230
'00 ML320
'06 C280 4Matic

All have been rock solid. I had the C230 for 3 years before updating to the C280 (needed the 4 Matic for Michigan winters). Other than scheduled maintenance, the only thing that went was an oxygen sensor, which I had fixed by the dealer for $250.

I've owned:

One Nissan Altima
-ok, but handled poorly in bad weather, terrible stereo

Two Subarus, Forester and Legacy Wagon
-both were terrible--all kinds of problems, and after 100K, the trim is falling out--sure, the engine is going, but you're driving around in piece of junk.

Three Fords/Mercury.
-very good all around, no big repair surprises, I think they get dumped on for being domestic.

As far as the supposed "bad quality" of MB goes, I think they made some mistakes in the 1990s (releasing the ML too soon for one). I have a close friend who works for JD Power, on the MB quality consulting team, and he says the biggest complaints on MB are really stupid--"position of cruise control" and "placement of clock" are the top "issues" reported. Beyond that, they've fixed the problems that plagued them a decade ago.

I know it's anecdotal, but the MBs have been, by far, the most reliable cars I've ever owned. And, my ML is now 10 years old, and drives and feels like a new car--solid as a rock. I'll get it painted in a few years to take care of the scratches and chips and I expect to drive it for a long, long time.

The safety features are outstanding (ABS, Traction, ESP), and when my wife and daughter leave for work and school in a blizzard in her ML, I know they're about as safe as they possibly can be.

For me, the choice between a BMW and a Benz was easy to make. First, I don't need to race people off the lights (I'm not 16), but if I wanted to, I would buy a CLK. Second, I like the quiet ride, and I felt that the MBs were much more quiet and luxurious than the BMWs. Third, I see dozens and dozens of BMWs driven by college kids acting like bigshots, and that turns me off. The BMW design is trying really hard to impress by looking "tough" and that is not my style. I appreciate the fantastic engineering in both brands, but for my taste, the MB is the ultimate driving machine.

Get the Benz.