HLG600

Let's not forget the E30 M3 chassis now, which is a popular platform even today for both weekend track cars and serious conversions.

190E 16V

According to the 1992 dealer MSRP price guide, handed out to prospective buyers in Canada, an MB was in a price range of it's own.

Apart from the 190E 2.3, no middle class need apply.

Sorry, I'm not up on the price of a '92 Ford Taurus, '92 Toyota Camry, or Cadillac FleetRaft, or whatnot.

However, few families could aspire to a Caddy, let alone a Merc.

1992 Mercedes:
190E 2.3 ( base car, MB Tex, 4 cyl., manual trans.) starts @ $38,100
190E 2.6 ( base car, MB Tex, 6 cyl., manual trans.) starts @ $45,100
300E 2.6 ( base car, MB Tex, 6 cyl., 2.6 litre) starts @ $58,700
300E ( 6 cyl. leather standard,) starts @ $67,550
300CE ( 6 cyl. , leather standard) starts @ $80,150
400E ( 8 cyl. leather, no airbag, no ASR ) starts @ $74,750
500E ( 8 cyl. leather, all options standard ) starts @ $107,750
300SE ( 6 cyl. leather standard ) starts @ $93,250
500SEL ( 8 cyl. leather, standard ) starts @ $124,250
600SEL ( 12 cyl.??, leather standard, ) starts @ $169,750

Also, add 14% tax as well!

Quite steep prices in 1992 - buyers paid a large premium for an 'engineered without regard for expense' MB, over an 'ordinary' car.
Now, imagine translating this to 2008 dollars - a Merc would be priced out of sight!
I'm sure a lot more people would buy a Lexus, instead.


I did find these US prices in Car & Driver, April 1992

US price comparisons:

'92 Isuzu Trooper $21,000 - $24,000 lots of room and std. features
'93 Chrysler Intrepid approx. $20,000
'92 Buick Skylark $19,362 well-equipped
'92 Honda Civic $15,000

'92 BMW M5 $64,430

'92 Mercedes 400E $60,195
'92 Mercedes 500E $88,685

Mercedes could afford to produce exceptional,extensively-engineered, quality, cars by charging a high price for them. There was nothing else was out there.
Then the competitors came in with cheaper labour, cheaper materials, and less engineering and development costs.
Well performing, well-equipped, cars, the Asian imports were cheaper and appealed to buyers with edgier body-shapes.

The world changed for MB. IMO they had to change. I don't like many of their products from the 'transition years', but I think they're just dialing them in , now. Bottom line - performance and Bluetooth/Navs sell!



Driving my W124 500E and loving it!

whiteongrey

I bought the C because BMWs are like Toyotas and Honda's in my city. There are so many BMWs, the look is boring - I like the interior and exterior design of the C more.

Sure the paint finish is worse than a Hyundai, the plastics are "unique", and the doors close like a '91 Chevy but I still feel great in it every time I look at it and get behind the wheel.

Strange - I'm a quality nut often shelling out $2K for suits, $300 for shirts and $500+ for shoes. It does not bother me...

For the price in 2008 dollars it's great value. In 1982 dollars this would be in the $70K +/-range.

For $10-15K +/- I can have the paint polished to perfection and interior tailored in fine material - so it would still a great value.

I'm only keeping the car for 2 -3 years but I suspect in 3 years the interior will look relatively fresh.

The C is about style, brand panache, decent performance, emotional appeal / experience - high quality seekers will layout the additional $80-$200K ++ for S, 7, Maybach, Bentley etc or simply upgrade themselves.

C is just a mobile fashion / art piece to be replaced after a few years - after all with our speed limits the performance value / element is inconsequential.

Dema

For some reason you shouldn't compare C with other Benz models. My 9 old E-class paint freshly detailed looks even better than brand new 09 E class has. I also drove 2 years old C class as loaner and was surprised that the car has feeling like 10 years old Japanese car.

C300Sport

I find this post quite interesting as the owner of an '08 C Class. The car may not be especially luxurious, but it is very versatile, very comfortable and built with solid materials. The car is solid, has nothing rattling or falling off/out, handles well and is averaging 23.7 mpg in city driving. Considering I paid 29,000 for a basic Benz, I am quite happy with the car and all my family and friends are quite impressed with the vehicle. One of my closest friends is now the owner of an '09 C Class after riding in mine several times. He much prefers it to his previous Lexus GS...guess the dash doesn't have to be overstyled, just solid.
Finally, it seems the 7 years and over 15 million miles of virtual testing have turned out a Mercedes that is actually recommended by Consumer Reports!!
Works for me.

190E 16V

I had a ride in an '09 S350 short wheelbase, last night. I liked the agressive character lines outside and the lighting and controls inside. The video/nav interface was very impressive. No "Night Vision', though.

Ride was firm, but not harsh, cornered nicely. Overall, a comfortable, elegant, powerful, taut, car. Those are the things I like about Mercedes.

That car was $119,000. Good value???

I like the new C-klasse. The baby C63 reminds me of my old 190E 2.3 16V. The "C" of course, has gobs more power, but it does encourage the same sort of driving.

I think MB is turning it around.

frankl11

It's just capitalism. They're growing their market share and offering a wider range of vehicles.

Runninrebel211

Currently my family feels the same way about Mercedes. They just arent built the same as in the late 80s and early 90s- BULLETPROOF. I too also test new cars by slamming their doors. No more vault like solidity in the new MBs. They shake rattle and roll. Dont get me started on those American made MLs either. The last new S class we bought which was in 1993 will also be our last. We have nothing but trouble from it...the auto door close assist went out...speakers dont work on the right side of car....electronic climate controls going whack- cant select the way you want the air to come out or if you want defrost....when you signal the instrument cluster lights up like a christmas tree....the high beam doesnt work....shocks leaking- replaced with OEM ones once already....AC leaked out. This car has low miles too 109,000. The older S class which has the longer body style has better build quality than the newer one. 1991 300SEL has zero problems. Suspension is a tad soft as it weighs so much but that is about it. Everything works great.

Didnt MB change from the INLINE 6 engines to the V6 engines to fix the engine leaks? Well I got news...the 300SE 3.2 V6 engine still leaks oil and we rarely drive that car. Its parked in the garage.

Next time.....its time for Lexus when all our cars die....91 300SEL 187k, 92 400E 198k (wont pass CA smog so about to be junked), 93 190E 2.6 139k, 93 300SE 3.2 109k

Polar Bear

I have a feeling that when you go to Toyota you will be back to MB... they are not quite what their owners try to make you think...

Runninrebel211

Oh we know. But my dad is getting old and not feeling it when it comes to working on cars all the time. He is a airline mechanic so on his off days he would rather be bbqing and drinking beer than climbing under a under of the the familys Benzos to fix a problem lol. Toyota arent as heavy duty but we sort of are enjoying the idea of just changing oil and oil filters instead of everything else.

The reason why we went to Mercedes was for safety....now all cars are pretty similar in safety- tin cans. Our 400E took a 88mph hit on the rear bumper with 3 cars slamming into it as it was the lead car. Slight nick on bumper and a minor crack on frame that was welded. They dont build cars like that anymore.

Ol'School

I do agree with the original post, but I still think the interior of the current C-class is alot better than that on the previous one. But it still is not even close to the interior of the Audi, in fact, in terms of styling Mercedes have managed to become a great distance behind Audi - in terms of both interior and exterior designing - but I'll have to agree with my friend up there, regarding quality and performance Mercedes is still (and have always been) on the very top.

Mercedes of the 80s are so much good memories that they’re some of the most painful to remember for a Merc-enthusiast … Don’t do that to your selves.

COR Forged

Some people are always living in the past with these cars....even in Germany MBZ is barely in the top 10 cars in the C and E class segment as rated by and defined by value and service. Knowledgeable car people [without brand prejudice] regard the Cadillac CTS as the best "near luxury" car in this segment along with the G37 and IS350. The new Audi A4 is the player in Europe in this segment.

jerry@corwheels.com

Polar Bear

The Cadillac CTS-V is an impressive car. Perhaps the Germans are dealing with what we are here in the US and don't buy their own domestic cars - US people think a car made in the US is junk. I disagree with them and think there are some great US cars, but it's hard to convince others of that.

Polar Bear

Perhaps not, but you have to enjoy driving the car whatever you buy. Coming from a Mercedes I don't think the Toyota will provide near the driving pleasure.

It just depends on what you want really. I had rather enjoy an E320 with its solid feel and minor quirks than an appliance-feeling vehicle that gives the owner no driving satisfaction, even assuming (and they are not) 100% trouble-free.

C300Kid

I figured I'd throw my 2 cents in...

I'm a 21 year old guy. I've never liked Mercedes. I've never been interested in anything they make, and I never found them particularly attractive. Since this thread is heavily focused on interiors, I'll also add that i've always hated MB interiors...acres of wood and "extra padded everything" are how I'd describe them. Not sporty at all. The designs of the interiors were always a bit gaudy and outdated as well. Far from sleek and modern.

Now the "new Mercedes-Benz" is a Mercedes-Benz I love. I think the latest products are so much more appealing than previous generations. They're so much sportier and more aggressive. I find the new interiors to be more cleanly styled, and more BMW in feel. I really like the new W204 interior and find it to be much better than the previous C-Class. It's so much sportier, and more modern. I also like the grains of the plastic and dont perceive them as cheap. I think it depends on what you're used to. I personally don't think having a fake leather grain pressed into the plastic makes it look more upscale. Just because it LOOKS closer to leather doesnt mean it's actually closer to the quality of leather. The new MB interiors have similar graining to the new BMWs, and I see that as an improvement.

I noticed a lot of people saying the current E-Class is the best car in the current line-up. To me, the E-Class is horribly dated inside and out (in look and feel). It is, without question, my least favorite current Mercedes-Benz

Like I said, I'm 21. That probably explains my drastically different opinion. Most people in my age group seem to think Mercedes products are a lot more appealing now. Maybe Mercedes is trying to target a younger demographic based on the success of BMW and Infiniti.

I'd recommend that you all missing the MB of the past stop by a Lexus dealer.

190E 16V

I find that very funny! LOL



BTW I love my '92 500E, but I think the latest cars are edgy and exciting!

AsianML

My opinion pretty much is the opposite of yours and I'm 17.

C300Kid

Well you're a 17 year old that doesn't like sporty cars then. Consider yourself a rarity. lol

kovachian

Is this a problem with Mercs all over the world, or just ones built in the US?

Polar Bear

I'm sure they have an IS there with your name on it.

C300Kid

The IS is a nice car but the IS350 is not available with a manual...I'm also not crazy about the interior design...so nah. The C300 is more impressive to me.

bfnnrgn

The new W204 interior is terrible. I remember when they first came out I thought they looked pretty cool and wanted to putz around in one one the loaners whenever I took my cars in for service. However I always managed to get the old W203s. Then a few weeks ago I managed to get put into a W204. I was pretty stoked. Until I got in it and was really disappointed. After spending a day in it I would rather of had a W203. At least it's interior had some kind of class or whatever you want to call it. I felt the interior styling on my friends '02 Altima looked better.

The 211 E class interior is pretty good but the CLS interior is ahead of it as it uses stitched leather on the dash. However the CLS is not a very useful car, the interior dimensions in reguard to height didn't suit me well, and I had to part with it after 6 months. I was pleased that the interior of the SL is still top notch and it's hard to argue with nappa leather everything in the 65. I've never spent any time in an S or CL to judge them.

AsianML

Now you're just assuming things.

I don't see how rock solid, Rubbermaid looking plastics, and very little leather is good enough for a Mercedes-Benz. Sure they are going for a more sporty feel in almost all of their models now, but they're still Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-Benz means luxury first. You can still have a sporty car with a luxury interior. If I wanted **** interior and good handling I would get something like a Corvette or CTS-V. I'm not paying $50k+ for a Tupperware-inspired interior.

bigben320e

Totally agree on that.

MB has had it's issues and so have all auto makers. No one is immune to having some bad designs, flaws, etc. Personally, well, quite a few others actually complained about the Lexus interior and performance saying it had cheap plastics and lackluster performance. No question on reliability but when I went to the Taste of Lexus and drove all the Lexus lines including the Hybrids the dash and several other areas felt and looked cheap. The radio looked cheap too. Several auto critics said the same thing as well.

platinumsc

One of the worse things to happen in the auto industry was the 2003 Infiniti G35. This was a car that had a wonderful engine, good handling and a nice look at a nice price. The problem...it had the cheapest interior for a entry level luxury car in the history of cars. It was cost cutting supreme but the cars sold well. WHen I saw them selling so well I said to anyone who would listen, watch out...everyone else is going to cheapen their interiors too.
That's exactly what has happened and only a total revolt by the buying public will change things.