hyperion667

"the best or nothing"

K-A

Thank you, haha. I like to write I guess, keeps me sharp.

WEBSRFR

It probably was NOT a 95-97 E Class. I don't know what the German's were smoking when the designed that car. The MB customers who bought those model years and got into a bad accident definitely got screwed with their car purchase. Just look at this video:

K-A

We in Benz Land don't like to hear talk about the pre-facelift W210 crash capabilities.... Nein!

They fixed it quite well with the facelift.

However, as I always say.... even in that horrible showing of the pre-facelift W210.... M-B's have never been crash statistic champions (except for the newest line which actually performs remarkably in standardized tests as well), in fact, statistics are NEVER what M-B's are about, they avoid headline grabbing stats for the true, real, and bonafide holistic experience, however the W210 was proven to be the safest real world vehicle on the roads, with the lowest death rate of any cars period during its entire production run. That's what M-B's are truly about.

WEBSRFR

Maybe the statistics have more to do with Mercedes drivers doing everything they can in general to keep their babies safe... I know I drive my Mercedes a lot more carefully than my Volvo -- and this is not to suggest that I drive the Volvo recklessly but I am so protective of my Mercedes and actively keep away from anyone or anything that could be a threat. I don't even let the car come near a shrub or bush on the side of the road

All things being equal I'm a numbers guy and I'd prefer to be in the car with the better proven crash test results.

With the video I was just pointing out with all the Mercedes quality control they managed to release a horrible E class safety-wise and it is only after the crash videos came out that they addressed the safety issues. There is nothing more important in a car than safety and with the recent models Mercedes seems to understand that and that is good for us all.

EKlasseMercedes

lol i don't think he sees the irony in this post.

why did you waste a post in a thread discussing a Ford Focus? Man, I guess you must be getting bored too.

K-A

Hey man cars are cars.

BTW:
You want to try something fun? Whenever those Napoleon-Complex'ers use this "comparison" to compensate their "whatever car" for your "overpriced car", use the Thread topic to talk about a Focus VS Phantom, or better yet, Equus VS Phantom. The higher price the car gets, the far less it is technically "worth it", and surprisingly, you'll find many "features" missing compared to cars that cost a fraction of it.

BM2BZ

it's always cool to see "older" folks arrive in style . love them red seats .

MBNUT1

Websrfer

I remember how dismayed I was to see a Mercedes door come open during that crash test. Safety performance has increased across the board with Ford demonstrating strong crash performance. The way I look at it you will get a better value with a Ford because the R&D is amortized over a larger number of cars. Mercedes provides that something extra that makes sense for a smaller segment of the market. A Ford Fusion is a good car but it is built to cost so it's architecture is front wheel drive. Not optimum for driving dynamics.

Raymond Lee

I am glad Ford has come up with Focus that got your attention. Good for America,too. I sure hope Ford keeps that kinds of spirit going for America. Who knows, someday I might turn to Ford instead of MBZ, I mean it.

BenzMan369

Thank you sir!

Yes, my car is kind of a XXth Anniversary edition of the very first car I could call my own. An all black Olds Starfire 2 door hardtop with an all-red interior.

I wrote "XXth" not because I don't want anyone to know how old I am, but because I can't bring myself to admit it.

Anyway, if you're healthy, age is as they say just a number; it evaporates quickly when I step on the gas of this slick "pillarless coupe." MB-speak for two door hardtop. What goes around comes around.

516mbtek

i cannot believe this is even a discussion! focus v. benz? WTF? Who started this bs thread lol!

K-A

The Fusion looks like it's gonna be the real winner of its Midsize-Appliance segment. I'm sure those "My similarly sized Fusion does more than your Merc/BMW/Audi for less than half the cost" arguments will arise once again, and of course, with Ford blatantly ripping off the Aston Martin front end with a "poor mans version" iteration (I guess they might deserve it, after bleeding so much $$$$ into Aston whom they did own them), they'll also say "We have an Aston Martin for 1/8 of the cost". Watch.

WEBSRFR

I think you are missing the point. The same thread could have been started about a newer Hyundai and would still make sense.

I think the point the OP was trying to make is that a while ago, luxury cars were distinct because of the high-end features that they offered and they were not available in less expensive cars.

The point the OP made was that now you have to get a very well loaded Mercedes E class (face it, most cars are not loaded to the brim with options) to match the features of the Ford Focus. I tend to agree with that. My E550 is fully loaded with P2, pan. roof, etc., but I feel a bit short-changed when I look at some Hyundais and see not only the same features but other features in those cars that I can't even get as an option in my car -- such as head's up display for the Nav...

I think the point that the OP was making is that Mercedes needs to offer more features and generally take things up a notch in terms of what they offer in cars that cost as much as they do. When you can buy a Ford or Hyundai with more features than an E class, something is wrong. Heated seats, parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, etc., are no longer "luxury" features. Mercedes needs to take their game up a few notches.

At the end this will be good for us all! SO there's no arguing the point that the auto industry is getting more competitive and offer more. We just need our favorite German brand to not fall behind and indeed stay ahead of everyone else to justify what we pay.

Apart from all that I find it interesting that you took the time to comment on a "BS thread"

EKlasseMercedes

BINGO!

saved me some typing, exactly what i was going to say.

BM2BZ

i always wanted something different in interior color but just worried it'll be harder to sell in the private party. you can call me gutless .

ImInPA

I recently test drove a Hyundai Elantra Limited. Leather seats and heated front AND rear seats. Damn fine vehicle. Solid as a rock, rattle free, decent stereo, voice command, navigation, the works. I was so impressed I purchased one for my sixteen year old. We also test drove the Focus. She liked the Hyundai better, and, in all honesty, I had to agree with her. The Focus has a bit better power train, but, the Elantra has delivered over 30 mpg with its 1.8 liter and six speed automatic. We actually saw 43 mpg (according to the trip computer) on the highway. It is rated for 40mpg. Not sure who Hyundai is benchmarking, but, the Elantra is one kickass little sedan. Bluetooth, Voice commands, satellite radio, steering wheel controls, fantastic iPod integration, power everything, great navigation, 19,800 taxed, tagged and down the road. What's not to like?

K-A

The Elantra is compelling for its class indeed, and like any Hyundai, is going above and beyond in the features and frills departments to nab away market share, however my knock against the Elantra is simply in its styling. For a 16 year old it's probably cute and funky, but IMO they look pretty bad. Not to say the Focus is an attractive car necessarily, but it looks more "mature" and is a more solid design, IMO. Both do make compelling cases for the price, however.

hyperion667

**** hyndai.........AND KIA TOO

BenzMan369

FWIW – Consumer Reports Latest Ratings:

Small cars with auto trans. (16 listed):
Elantra #2, Score 80
Focus #10, Score 68

Upscale sedans (15 listed)
Hyundai Genesis 3.8 #1, Score 92, among the higher scores of any type vehicle tested.

Luxury sedans (22 listed)
Mercedes E350 Blue-Tec #5, Score 89
Hyundai Genesis 4.6 #6, Score 87
Mercedes E350 Gas #14, Score 79.

There are other categories. I could go on. I won’t.

To sum up, CR loves the newer Hyundai vehicles. After a rocky start, there now does appear to be genuine value in the marq.

I know, I know already. And I agree with you. Please don’t shoot the messenger! Just FYI.

I will continue to put most MB vehicles at the top of my own list, for many reasons.

BenzMan369

Never would I! I'm having too much fun here. But I understand where you're coming from regarding a resale.

steelgrey

As someone who is getting very close to those Bucket List years my E350 Coupe was a Bucket List purchase. I had never owned a Mercedes. Prior to going with MB I went through a buy American only period where I drove Cadillacs. First purchase was a white diamond Eldorado. I can garantee you that the Ford Focus, Hyundai anything will absoutely never make my list.

Raymond Lee

BenzMan369
Thank you for the information. It is pretty interesting. Of course, I like the fact that BlueTech is way up there.

malahhaor

The way i see it, it’s easy to follow.
Sure you get all the options in a Nissan and Ford these days, but only when they are dirt cheap to make and cheap to purchase a patent on.
Benz had Cell phones in cars since the 80s. Electric ride control that Cadillac is so eager to point out came and went in the 90s. Keyless go also started in 90s. Bluetooth connectivity was available in my 2001 C Class. Benz had spent allot of money on R&D on everything that goes in their cars and always have it years before anyone else. Sure you can get all the same options in a cheaper car these days, but i chose to go with car manufacturer that actually prides itself on coming up with things for themselves and not just purchasing the technology from someone.
Im sure i will have some people saying i don’t know what im talking about as Benz didn’t do this first or purchased that from somewhere..... and i will not dispute as i do not have all of the facts... but a general statement I think still stands.
If ford would make a car for 20 grand that looked as appealing to me as benz or even some BMWs and drove like one I would not hesitate to look in to it. Just because your car can park itself is not going to win me over. And by the way Lexus had it firs I believe.
I do like the look of some of the new fords that are coming out, but that’s because they look like Austin Martin.
I would rather enjoy the feel and drive of a basic Benz or BMW than fully loaded corolla, focus or altima.

K-A

The thing about Features/frills are that they take the attention away from the CAR. People will buy cars for the tech in it, which is ridiculous, as those are simple add ons to a core piece of equipment and design. I do need what I need (or want/require), but I'm pretty simple in that regard. The more "stuff" a car has on it, the worse a candidate it is for the long haul. As tech-heavy cars age, their resale is worse than simplified ones, as nobody wants to touch a car with Air suspension, or going forward, digital speedo displays (a'la W221, not gonna be pretty when those go out). A 2011 E350 with a non D/I motor, no F/I, and a relative to its competitors, higher concentration on lasting value and durability (and let's say, less tech-feature heavy), will be a more friendly and sensical purchase to someone who wants to keep a car for a long time. That concept is becoming a lost art in automotive land.

Also, it is true about M-B introducing so much. Keyless Go, the friggin' SEATBELT AND AIRBAGS for f's sake. M-B has like over a million patents on automobiles, many of which they never collected royalties on, for the goodness of "safety for all", i.e Seatbelts, Airbags, etc.