9/15    Anyone own a 2004/05 Mercedes E320?  Have you had any problems
        with it?  I noticed that the 2003's have had a lot of issues,
        primarily electrical, and overall reliability is down for Mercedes
        the past 10 years.
        \_ Yes, the E-series has had a lot of issues - check Consumer Reports.

           Overall Mercedes reliability has fallen into strictly average
           territory, but keep in mind that all automakers have generally
           improved their quality.  The difference between makes is not
           as stark as it once was.  The real issue with a Benz is that if
           something breaks and you're out of warranty, the replacement
           cost is ludicrously high.  If you want a super-reliable car,
           get a Lexus... though they're not as exciting to drive, IMHO.
           \_ Based on all the reliability issues I've read I'm leaning
           towards a Lexus, but MB really does know how to make their cars
           feel classy (interior/exterior).  I test drove both and the
           Lexus really does feel like a upscale Toyota (current Toyota
           driver).  Interested to hear any real-life E-Class '04/05
           experiences though.
              \_ You might consider a BMW.  My '02 540 has been mostly
                 trouble free, and its styling might appeal more than a
                 Lexus'.  I'd stay away from the i-drive 7's, but the newer
                 5's are supposed to be nice.  You might find this from
                 JD Power useful.  http://www.jdpower.com/pdf/2004055.pdf
           \_ Sorry, can't help you with that.  I had an SLK and it never
              had a single problem, but other than the engine its a completely
              different car than the E-series.
        \_ My friend's family has a 300D.  Got 300K miles on it and it's still
           running.  Guess MB doesn't make solid cars anymore.
           \_ Ah yes, the 300D.  The days of that sort of Mercedes are long
              gone.  I think the last gasp of the bank vault build was the 190E
              in the early '90s.  Anyone know if this had to do with Daimler
              moving a shitload of its manufacturing to the former East
              Germany?
        \_ According to Consumer Reports, Mercedes has gone A LOT further
           down from merely "average".  It's now the 2nd LEAST reliable brand
           according to their surveys, only Volkswagen being lower.  That means
           that people driving around Buicks and Hyundais have more reliable
           cars.  NEVER buy a car without first consulting Consumer Reports
           to see if the model you are thinking of buying doesn't have some
           red flags associated with it, reliability-wise! I own a 2000
           Mercedes E320 ... In the first year there were lots of funky
           software/electrical type glitches in the car, but since then the
           car has been problem free.  Note that the Mercedes ML was rated
           the LEAST reliable car in Consumer Reports' survey when it first
           came out, which is hard to do given some of the competition
           (Chevy Camaro, etc.).
           \_ I'd be very careful buying a car in its first model year.
              You're just asking for trouble if you do that.
              \_ My 2004 Sienna seems fine.  (Major redesign this year.)  But
                 then it's a Toyota.
           \_ keep in mind though that Hyundai had the biggest _improvement_
              in reliability of almost any major manufacturer, and in a very
              short period of time.  My point that the difference between
              makes is much more narrow than it once was is still valid.
              And yeah, Benzes are rattle-traps these days.  Very stylish
              rattle-traps.
        \_ Mercedes was the top-rated brand 15 years ago and (like someone
           else said) is now one of the worst. The C class and E class
           are especially bad. With S, SL, and CL you are still getting a
           nice car. Not sure about CLK, SLK, and others. Lexus will be
           the most reliable luxury brand, along with Acura. Dunno about
           Infiniti. Stay away from Audi. BMW (which I own) isn't as good
           as it used to be either, but at least the problems are not
           with the engine. Porsche is one of the best. Volvo and Jaguar
           seem to be hit and miss. Both are making better cars these
           days, but my neighbor hates her Volvo because it overheats and
           the dealer can find no reason why it should (lemon!).
           \_ Does anyone else wish Acura would make at least SOME RWD
              cars?  What's with these FWD 5-series knockoffs?  NSX doesn't
              count as its basically an exotic.
           \_ Porsche is one of the best?  I once heard that Porsches spend
              more time at the mechanic than on the streets.  Has it changed?
              \_ My sister has owned two Porches. One was a 1978. The
                 other is a 2003. No problems. One of the highest rated if
                 you read the mags.
                 \_ But didn't they rate dead last in the JD Powers initial
                    quality survey?  Something like over 150 problems reported
                    per 100 vehicles.