SL/R230: Will I miss the retractable top?
03-06-2005, 01:39 PM
#26
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Originally Posted by blueSL
Trying hard to think of a company as big as MB which has an unsullied reputation for quality. Focusssing on names you'll be familiar with... Exxon? Wal-Mart? IBM? Coca Cola? McDonalds? (LOL) Microsoft? (LOL LOL LOL) I don't think so. All have skeletons in their cupboard, whether its buggy software, dumping oil over Alaska, sex discrimination, spearheading the US obesity epidemic, they all have something they should not be proud of.
The US company that is held up here as being as you describe is Johnson and Johnson, especially the way they handled the Tylenol doctoring problem of the late 70's; they didn't go into denial, they faced up to their responsibilities. Can't imagine many PR Machines doing the same now.
MB's Achilles' heel right now is quality but the same is happening at Porsche, driven in part by what the customers are prepared to pay. I've no doubt that MB want the best quality they can get - the parts cost cutting strategy which has failed them (whoever thought it would work?) is their effort to continue to make the cars in Germany which has the highest unit labor costs in the world.
That said, the car which is normally held up as being the worst of the bunch is the M Class and that is made in Alabama.
The US company that is held up here as being as you describe is Johnson and Johnson, especially the way they handled the Tylenol doctoring problem of the late 70's; they didn't go into denial, they faced up to their responsibilities. Can't imagine many PR Machines doing the same now.
MB's Achilles' heel right now is quality but the same is happening at Porsche, driven in part by what the customers are prepared to pay. I've no doubt that MB want the best quality they can get - the parts cost cutting strategy which has failed them (whoever thought it would work?) is their effort to continue to make the cars in Germany which has the highest unit labor costs in the world.
That said, the car which is normally held up as being the worst of the bunch is the M Class and that is made in Alabama.
Porsche has lost me as a customer after buying 3 of their "liquid cooled" cars...god I miss the aircooled cars and their amazing build quality, let alone the sounds. Porsche has been climbing higher on the quality list lately and I think its for a few reasons, one, the company is trying to make things better, the customers that never experienced the quality of the older porsches don't know what they're missing, the early 996's and boxsters were really poor quality and another reason could just be they had traded a Benz in on a 996 and saw a dramatic increase in quality (just kidding).
MB used to truly over-engineer thier cars while keeping the gizmo content to a minimum. That understated luxury with rock solid build quality, over engineering and top of the line components made MB the best cars in the world.
I think the cars will get better but as you point out the $'s willing to be paid by the consumer are an issue. Think of this, in 1992 I bought a 6cylinder 300CE coupe new for $62,000.00 12 years later I bought a new V8 CLK500 for $60,000.00; how can that be, an IL6 CE for 62 and a V8 CLK for even less? Most of the answer is cheaper componets (which fail much more often), another part is the absence of the over engineering, that costs $$$$. We'd also have to figure in the exchange rates, but the dollar has been very weak as of late.
I still get a thrill from driving my benz and even our new Touareg which "seems" better built than my benz. I really miss the way the older benzes were made but I'd have to imagine a new CLK 500 V8 built like it should be/used to, based on todays costs, would be $100,000.00 or maybe more?
Last edited by RJC; 03-06-2005 at 07:49 PM.
03-07-2005, 01:15 AM
#27
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'10 MB E63, '08 ML550 ('05 E55, '05 SL55, '08 E63 GONE)
Originally Posted by RJC
I think that's a cop-out. There are very high expectations for a myriad of high end products and services, some maintain the quality year in and year out and some companies have kept the quality at the top for decade after decade or for 100 years+ while others let it slip away ie; MB. Back in the 90's Heir Schrempp demanded cheaper parts from all of MB suppliers including those that provide electronics, the suppliers warned that quality would be greatly effected and guess what???He got what he paid for.
MB themselves have even admitted there has been a quality shortfall and they are trying very hard to properly address it. As I've written before, the allure of the three pointed star can only carry the company so far.
MB themselves have even admitted there has been a quality shortfall and they are trying very hard to properly address it. As I've written before, the allure of the three pointed star can only carry the company so far.
Heck, MB quality may down now over the past, but personally I'm more satisfied with both my MB's in terms of quality than any other car I've ever owned... Porsche, Acura, Honda, BMW, or Nissan.
~ Ian
03-07-2005, 09:14 PM
#28
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Originally Posted by IanSL55
I'm not trying to explain away MB's quality as much as I'm pointing out human behavior... with greater expectation comes a higher threshold for satisfaction.
Heck, MB quality may down now over the past, but personally I'm more satisfied with both my MB's in terms of quality than any other car I've ever owned... Porsche, Acura, Honda, BMW, or Nissan.
~ Ian
Heck, MB quality may down now over the past, but personally I'm more satisfied with both my MB's in terms of quality than any other car I've ever owned... Porsche, Acura, Honda, BMW, or Nissan.
~ Ian
I wish I could say the same thing, I've had really poor experiences with 3 late model MB's. I am however, very happy to hear you're experience has been a good one! 
Last edited by RJC; 03-07-2005 at 09:21 PM.
03-08-2005, 12:43 AM
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'10 MB E63, '08 ML550 ('05 E55, '05 SL55, '08 E63 GONE)
Originally Posted by RJC
Ian: I wish I could say the same thing, I've had really poor experiences with 3 late model MB's. I am however, very happy to hear you're experience has been a good one!
~ Ian
