I've read througn all the SL threads and there are a few common problems that seem to be mentioned several times but based on the dealer response they are corrected the first time or the customer gets to keep coming back and gets the red *** before it is fixed. I've owned Porsches, Lexus, NSX, etc. and trust me they all have common problems. I think the common thread I see is that the SL owners are very successful people that when you pay $100K+ for a vehicle you expect perfection. You don't want alarms going off when nothing is wrong and if you have a problem you want it fixed the first time you bring it to the dealer. As a new owner I have to say that I have really observed more problems on my Landcruiser/LX470 site then I've seen on this site. I really think it is the type of owner that makes the difference in how the vehicle is evaluated as a problem. I know this is a very complex vehicle with alarms for everything, which causes concern for the average (if you can ever call a SL buyer average) owner. What do you guys that own other brands think??

 

With all due respect I don't think you are even close.

People are all human beings and the guy looking at his $100,000 does not look at it any differently than the guy that looks at his $50,000 car. Therefore the resulting opinons about their respective cars are not different.

Just my opinion.

 

People that buy $100K+ cars normally are at the top of the economic scale and "expect" perfection. People that buy normal Chryslers, Nissans, Fords live with problems in every aspect of their life and learn not to complain because no one listens to them. Company owners, CEO's and VP's that buy SL's demand more. That is my point.

Just my observations in life. Since I've dealt with both types. JMHO

 

With all due respect I again don't agree.

Just look at the number of $100,000 cars sold and then look at those bought by "middle America."

If companies spent their times looking at what the $100,000 car owners said as opposed to "middle America" they would go out of business as the overwhelming majority of their revenues come from the sale of lesser expensive cars.

This is just my opinion but I believe the facts will support what I am saying. Just look at MBUSA. The average cost of a car sold my MBUSA I believe has come down year after year with the possible exception of lately as a result of the huge success of the new "S Class". Despite what we all might like to think MBUSA no longer caters to the "upper" markets and today sells more economical units than "expensive" units.

Such was not the case many years ago when all of us were happier with a Mercedes because back then it truly was the "cream of the crop."

 

I agree that Mercedes sells a lot of C class vehicles and the cheap M class has caused a lot of problems in the market place. But no one thinks that a SL is a cheap vehicle. Toyota/Lexus unlike Mercedes separates their vehicles. Mercedes has weakened the brand by doing the above. This has not happened to BMW because of the superiority of the 3 series in it's market segment and the X5 is considered a quality SUV. My point is still the same. The Mercedes buyers that purchase the highend cars expect more and your insight into the watering down of the brand has caused the highend owners to not be treated as they would expect. I know at Lexus this is not happening.

 

Well, I agree but I think this is just about to change. The last I read BMW is now coming out with what they call the "1" series.

In other words, a cheapie.