WHy does Mercedes have so many new models in the past 3-5 years.
It looks like they are trying to become the jack of all trades AND good at none. What ever happened to the days where there were only three to chose from E S C. Now we have have a MLK ( bimmer x3 imiatiation) a family mover R-class , CLK, CLS, GL, RL..anyone confused yet ???
I’ve been confused for more then ten years now when the last real Mercedes, the 124, came to an end in 95. I have little knowledge and less interest in MBs made after the 124.
DCAG believes it must compete in all the specialty markets and niches to be a true world class international automotive manufacturer and realize a larger market-share.
This approach has been a disaster as the company is spread too thin. That combined with the outsourcing fiasco and the overuse of technology both in the cars and on the assembly lines has resulted in MB being a common carmaker with questionable quality.
It's all because of money.. they want more of em.. lots of em.
Less production cost (cheap materials.. lack of quality control.. etc etc) + High sticker price = Lots of profit to the company = lower quality standard.
When A-class was first introduced here in 2000, it was a big hit. It was cheaper than Toyota Corolla here, makes it "the affordable Mercedes". Unfortunately it has lots of problems and quality issues that the resale value is really bad.
But that's just one example of how Mercedes wants to reach customer that was unreachable before, reason behind it? of course money :P (actually many carmakers are doing this.. one fine example.. Porsche with its Cayenne.. back in the day, Porsche only makes sports car, not SUV.. but hey, the Cayenne is actually the Porsche's best seller)
I think that's why MB has so many classes now.. maybe someday we'll be more confused as they will have A-class to Z-class :P
I am tired of hearing how all the new models are overcoming quality control issues. Such a farce!
Mercedes has been saying their new models were far better in this regard for several years. Maybe even the past decade!
They lie, and lie and lie some more. "The newer Mercedes-Benz models are better, because great pains were taken to achieve a high quality vehicle".
That's always their claim. They said that about the 211.
I was complaining about how unnecessary the SBC system was, and knowing Mercedes' reputation, how it would likely fail and cause a dangerous situation.
My crystal ball was clear that day, a year before the 211 debuted.
Admittedly, I was unfair back in 2002. But amazingly enough, and to my disgust, I happened to be right. I was chewed out by many Mercedes enthusiasts those few days I spent bickering back and forth about new-age vs old-age technology. But in the end....I rested my case with dignity.
Know that as long as Mercedes keeps introducing new models, and bastardizing their brand by sharing major parts with Chrysler, they will never care. For you, or anyone else.
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