Nice looking car, but if it’s as trouble prone as its stable mates, it’ll be yet another Benz to avoid…

I’m afraid I must agree with Kaplan. Yes, complicated electronics increase the possibility of troubles but Lexus has, by and large, produced very reliable vehicles that are loaded with gizmos. So I don’t think reliablity and complexity are necessarily mutually exclusive.

Hey, if you want to ride in a vehicle that really and truly needs advanced technology to counter crosswinds, buy a ticket for an Airbus.

Truth is, Mercedes crams a lot of technologically interesting but ultimately trouble-prone electronics into their cars and SUVs.

That doesn’t add value to a car if the manufacturer can’t ensure they won’t stop working correctly within a year or two.

“I long for some appreciation of the technology and the effort put into it, not just it’s not reliable.”

WTF is the point of the technology if you can’t use it? Maybe visit the Smithsonian this summer. Lots of technology there you can appreciate, without having to spend a boatload of cash.

I didn’t compare it, just used it as example, can you tell the difference?

The fact of the matter is that “Kaplan” used a libelous, vague statement to try to condemn this car. Consider the statement “as trouble prone as its stablemates” – first, where is the data about the “stablemates”? Also, this car is new and has no data against it so condemning it based on unavailable reliability data of previous models is incredibly stupid. Here is my response: “Kaplan has ED given the extensive ED issues that Lieberman is known to have”.

“Obviously we have different opinions about technology Kaplan.”

Obviously. I like to use my technology.

You guys are awesome. Do you talk like this in real life to everyone with an opinion different from your own?

On topic: The technology here is great, but it’s no good when it breaks. Mercedes doesn’t build bad cars, and neither do any of the other German luxury brands. Problem is, for all of their Das Auto-this and Ultimate Driving Machine-that, none of them consistently build reliable cars.

Fair enough, Toronto, maybe we’re discussing two different things, but for me they’re intrinsically linked. I love the technology too, but part of my investment in a luxury car – especially one at the S-Class price point – would be made because of an expectation that the technology will last alongside the car, to say nothing of the purely mechanical components.

German engineering, as I mentioned elsewhere, is absolutely negated if it goes along, part and parcel, with shoddy parts and build technology. Lexus, Infiniti and Acura have all managed to build solid, reliably and technologically-advanced luxury sedans. I wouldn’t be surprised that in a year or two, when owners of the S-Class are in the shop getting their electronic components re-jigged, Lexus will have designed a superior version of the crosswind stabilizer.

Mercedes is not the only one with crosswind stabilizaton, Volkswagen also has this feature.

Anybody seen Clint Eastwoods in his latest movie, Gran Torino? He strikes me as a man that doesn’t worry about technology. Do you really need help to straighten a car because of a little cross-wind? I think I know what Clint would call you if you couldn’t grip the steering wheel…..Come on guys, give a man an old pick up, well worn blue jeans, tire chains, and some leather work gloves, an he will dig himself out of any hole. You guys sound like you get scheduled blackberry notifications when your next facial scrubs and manicures are coming up.

Kaplan brings up a valid point as I have spoken to Mercedes sales people who have admitted that some MB products were not up to reliability standards in years past.

I would assume top brass at MB is aware of this and would hopefully be less of an issue in current and future offerings.

unfortunately, nobody talks about the cars themselves. discussion here goes around some jealous remarks of the guy who probably has never driven the benz, and who will never drive the fast car on the autobahn.

believe me, crosswind stabilization is a good thing if you drive on autobahn at top speed – but you cannot explain it to somebody who upfront refuses to understand and doesn’t have the clue what they are talking about.

also, bear in mind, reliability-wise, it is not the same type of the issue as in yaris or kia: if the benz stops working properly, their roadside service will bring you the replacement car, and deliver the fixed car to your home (or wherever). so, when you can afford the s-klass, you don’t care that much about reliability issues as if you’ve driven some much cheaper car.

this car sells for up to $ 1/4 mill, so it is out of mind comparing it with the cars that sell for 12 k$ like yaris (which is a good car for that amount of money btw).

and, as chris says, on topic: who drives the s-klass once, never wants to switch to anything else. enough said.

Zed, or is it Zeddy? Thank you. You have proven my point. Girly men, just kidding, well maybe not, need someone to help them out, when they fall. “Help, I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up.” In your case, “Help, my “benz” seat heaters stopped working…. Sound familiar?

And yes, I’ve driven the autobahn. Interesting enough, the Mercs are the Ford Crown Victorias of Europe, they are the fleet taxi cab vehicles.

I agree with Mercedes Lover. Mercedes was successful up to the early 1990’s because they really had no competition at the time of their success. To truly be successful in any market, you need competition. When Lexus arrived with the first LS400 in 1989, they virtually re-wrote the book on not what a luxury car was but what is could be – and then Toyota made it happen. Mercedes has been playing catch up ever since that moment.