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Comments
"The business argument - I made a statement that a high percentage of those buying lux cars are business savy people who can't miss headline events about MB having quality and financial problems. I then say it is logical that they will keep that in mind when buying or leasing anew because filing away things like that in their mind is how they got where they are..."
In post #8158, Merc1 replied thusly:
"I actually looked through the Price Paid and Buyers Experience boards here for every Mercedes model and guess what, not a single post anywhere about such irrelevant things about earnings and the like..."
Simply classic ! Talk about two posts in opposite direction....
Lexus aces everything as usual in the April CR issue.You'll have to really stretch to find half red circles in anything - reliability, satisfaction, depeciation etc. No improvement at all from MB in reliability even on the 2004 cars. Owner satisfaction is another big win for Lexus. In general all German car reliability scores show that they are sliding further and further south.
Mercedes-Benz USA
Sales -- February 2005
Feb Feb Mth YTD YTD Yearly
Model '05 '04 % 2005 2004 %
C-class 4,020 5,819 -30.9% 7,568 10,582 -28.5%
E-class 2,596 3,965 -34.5% 5,321 7,831 -32.1%
S-class 1,028 1,354 -24.1% 2,092 2,807 -25.5%
CL-class 127 218 -41.7% 262 393 -33.3%
SL-class 835 1,232 -32.2% 1,512 2,454 -38.4%
CLK-class 1,459 1,488 -1.9% 2,684 2,896 -7.3%
SLK-class 1,062 305 248.2% 1,943 578 236.2%
CLS-class 1,358 n/a n/a 2,136 n/a n/a
M-class 944 1,666 -43.3% 1,924 3,525 -45.4%
G-class 84 127 -33.9% 172 277 -37.9%
TOTAL 13,513 16,174 -16.5% 25,614 31,343 -18.3%
2005 2004 %
ES 330 4,583 5,546 -17.4
LS 430 2,028 2,357 -14.0
SC 430 542 619 -12.4
GS 300 1,602 541 196.1
GS 430 345 107 222.4
IS 300 428 705 -39.3
LX 470 584 669 -12.7
GX 470 2,482 2,437 1.8
RX 330 7,131 7,564 -5.7
TOTAL 19,725 20,545 -4.0
The maligned 2006 GS twins are clearly doing well right out of the gate. But will they sustain the momentum ?
Source: CL
Model Feb Feb Change
2005 2004 %
3-series 7,181 7,669 -6.3
5-series 3,794 7,072 -46.3
7-series 1,127 1,310 -13.9
source: CL
Model Feb Feb %change
2005 2004
A4 2,760 2,273 21.4
A6 1,264 789 60.2
A8/S8 338 424 -20.3
source: CL
Yet all the while the doom and gloom theorist continue with meaningless, baseless predictions.
Now we add to list of hysteria about buyers having pause over buying an MB because of MB's financial status, yet this is but a one person theory that has yet to be proven by anything other than the same old tired sales harping that we get on this board every year, usually in the first three months. Mercedes sales drop = crisis, Lexus sales drop = "The maligned 2006 GS twins are clearly doing well right out of the gate."
This is the same group so savvy about marketing trends and buyers habits yet doesn't realize that Jan-March are typically slow months for luxury car brands. Nearly every lux brand is down in sales for Jan and Feb, yet the only problem is with Mercedes who's buyers bought over 27K units in Dec, yet from Dec 31st to Feb 28th all of a sudden realized that shape that Mercedes' corporate ship is in and decided not to buy just that fast. This is the most ridiculous insinuation yet. Complete nonesense. All of a sudden for 2005 buyers have shifted and started reading whatever about MB so they quit buying in the span of two months.
M
Stop. I said that the financial well being (basically all the Toyota profit stuff) of a company doesn't make a difference to most buyers. I have clearly said over and over that quality surveys and the like do keep buyers away from any brand that doesn't do well on them, including Mercedes. You're trying to tie your off-base theory about buyers caring about profits and corporate matters to them caring about reliability reports. The ultimate spin from you. They aren't the same thing.
If you aren't going to quote me correctly then please don't bother because that isn't what I said.
One minute buyers are clueless in buying a Mercedes because they are blinded by prestige and styling, yet in another they are way to smart to be fooled. Which is it?
M
What is the point? Lexus had a drop in every model except their new GS and ditto for Mercedes except for their new CLS and SLK. They're in the same sales boat yet you and Ljlfx are predicting the worse for MB, yet Lexus had the same sales drop. Do you see why this obvious hype wasn't taken seriously last year and won't be for this year? The second (incorrect) straight year of this I might add.
How is what I said to Ljlfx in the "opposite direction". He implied something and no buyers on any board anywhere here even hinted at caring about what he says they should care about, the financial status and earning of a company. I never said that buyers didn't care about quality and reliability reports.
M
I would love to the safety figures you are referring to. Are you saying there is A direct comparison between A8 and LS430 in Edmonds? and that Comparison includes safety tests?
I didn't see Lexus parts on the list.
No joke? Maybe that's because this is a European site and Lexus really isn't a brand in Europe. However, on that same site I found a Toyota recall for the power steering pump on the Toyota Avensis... Ouch that can't be very safe.
Looks like Toyota had to recall 150,000 Camry's because of faulty side airbags: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/toyota_camry.html
And this site shows other safety related problems arising in bullet proof Toyota/Lexus cars: http://www.geinsurancesolutions.com/erccorporate/resources/pc/pro- - - - - duct_recalls/
Mostly just minor things like 400,000 Camry's being recalled because of "defective brakes" and 34,000 Seinna being recalled that "Do not comply with safety standards." What about "axel bolts may losen," and various Lexi with "Defective brake lights"?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that MB or others haven't had issues, but you make it sound like Toyota/Lexus is invincible. The ponit is, saying that MB safety features will fail when you need them is absurd.
* I can't get the geinsurancesolutions site to post correctly, so you will have to take out the hyphens between "pro-" and "-duct" with no space for the link to work.
M
It is difficult how you can say the A8 is safer using the Edmonds data?
Those of us who own the LS..don't find it hard to believe that so few parts fail that re-manufactured lexus parts are just not something that would have a decent sales volume.
And it is hard to debate such a stark example of Lexus quality....my heart goes out to you there.
"....you and Ljlfx are predicting the worse for MB..."
I made no predictions, so no need to be proved wrong. And you should note that I provided the same reports for all the luxury brands *most* discussed around here (MB, Lexus, Audi, BMW).... Fair is fair... You and anyone else can read whatever you like into these numbers. Feel free to defend whatever, I am certainly not defending Lexus or BMW or Audi.... I have no stock in any of these auto companies, so no need to play defense.
But you see, all of those cars were Toyotas. Toyota and Lexus are the same company, so you shouldn't expect "Lexus" to be held to a higher standard of safety than the rest of the Toyota line. Yes most of those are older models, but think of it this way: If it took Toyota/Lexus this long to get their frontal crash tests in order (which they prepare for in advance), how can you expect them to perform in real world crashes where they aren't held accountable through testing?
Are you saying that A8 and Mercedes S have better performance..When you have already acknowledge that Lexus LS has better Acceleration...it has better 0-60 times then Audi...
Sorry but 0-60 times aren't the only measure of performance. I would rather have a car that handles and stops well (S) than an unbalanced whale that screeches its way around the track (LS). And trust me, if the S430 loses to the LS430 in 0-60 times, you can be sure that an S500/S55/S600 will walk all over it in this regard. I don't know much about the Audi A8 so I can't vouch for it, but my instinct tells me that it probably outperforms the LS in most, if not all, quantitative and qualitative areas of performance.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes concerning the chart topping performance of the poised and atheltic LS430: “skidpad grip was weakest of all, 0.73 g;” “Tires eager to squeal never very involving on the back roads."
In contrast, the S class and others were universally lauded: “Mercedes was endowed with road grip exceeded only by that of the BMW;” “Three cars in the group (Mercedes, BMW, Audi) stand above the others, having braking distances of 169 feet or better, and skidpad adhesion above 0.82 g;” “Benz gave a first-rate account of itself as it slipped through the lane-change test at 57.4 mph... 4.3 better than the slow-guy Lexus.”
Safety...We have had that discussion and determined neither car has an edge..even though Mercedes invented Air Bags....40 years ago.
Actually, the S class does have an edge for safety. Unlike corner cutting Lexus, Mercedes includes rear side airbags as a standard feature in the S as well as across the model line. Also, the S class has pre-safe as standard equipment while Lexus makes you pay for their pre-collision system. And regarding the entire model line, Mercedes has a safety advantage on every car (Standard belt ETDs, standard belt load limiters, standard rear side airbags, standard rollover protection, etc). Lexus likes to skimp and trim on safety as can be seen throughout its model range, but I think this is perhaps most evident with the SC430... A $65k convertible that will literally grind your head off if it flips. The SL on the other-hand, has had the handy pop-up roll bar since 1989, as does the current CLK. Another interesting tidbit is that the side airbags on the SL and CLK (front and rear) are large enough to protect the head and the torso, whereas the side airbags on the SC430 (front only) protect just the torso... Looks like Lexus needs to do some more R&D with all that money they're making. I won't even get into the fact that Lexus is consistently 2-4 years behind the curve when it comes to adopting the new safety technology pioneered by other companies.
Just add up what we know about MB and Lexus and the answer is clear... or at least it should be if you have an open mind. Apparently you would rather ride in a car built by Lexus, the company slow to adopt safety features, the company with fewer standard/optional safety items, the company with a history of imitation and non-innovation. I would much rather ride in a car built by Mercedes, the company always on the cutting edge of safety, the company with the most available safety features , and the company with an unrivaled reputation for safety innovation.
To each his own . ?
M
M
Mercedes didn't invent airbags, nor were they the first to sell them on a vehicle here in the U.S. See my earlier post. The argument is between GM Labs and Allen Breed, not Mercedes.
Current safety technology is being led by suppliers like autoliv.
Here's what they say about themselves:
"Autoliv - Driven for life
Our company is a worldwide leader in automotive safety, a pioneer in both seat belts and airbags, and a technology leader with the widest product offering for automotive safety. All the leading automobile manufacturers in the world are our customers. We service them from 80 subsidiaries and joint ventures in 30 countries. We test their cars and products at 20 crash test tracks in nine countries, and we have 40,000 people globally to support them.
We are the inventors of the side-impact airbag for chest protection, the Inflatable Curtain (IC) for head protection in side impacts and the Anti-Whiplash Seat (AWS), just to mention a few of our latest contributions to automotive safety. Now we continue to drive automotive safety by developing Roll-over Protection Systems, Night Vision Systems and Pedestrian Protection Systems."
BMW - I think the core buyer is holding on to the old 5 probably because of styling and thinking there is nothing to gain, and maybe plenty to lose, with the new car.
Are you some propaganda minister somewhere? Where do I begin with this one..Of course Lexus cars are built to a higher standard. Their unit cost is higher to begin with. There is a difference between Lexus and Toyota JDP rankings. It's like saying MB and Chrysler should have the same build quality. No doubt MB is much better. Most of their woes are electronics related and certainly not mechanical.
"Unbalanced Whale?" This is utter nonsense. They even admitted the car wasn't equipped with the 18" tires and Euro Sport Suspension and admitted it was not a fair test. You're taking everything out of context.
Most every comparo I read says the car was competent but not very exciting. We've already had someone post the braking distance and the LS won by a foot. (hardly a win). And what exactly are the significance of skipad numbers? I take it we all race our cars somewhere on a track..Get real. Even the 0-60 numbers are pointless. Most of us just drive around town or to work with these cars. What's your point about a S500/600/55? It's not even a fair comparo to begin with. I would hope a 5.0L V8 or V-12 would run faster. You can only compare the S430 to the LS and not the S500.
For 13K less, the LS430 has more standard features than the S430. I shopped for both and I know what I'm talking about. They wanted 73K for a S430 4 Matic with Nav and a few other things. My 62K LS430 has way more features than the S430, and there is not a huge difference in performance. The LS is more spirited and comfortable, whilst the S is a bit harsher in ride but better at high speeds.
The frame construction is probably the biggest factor in the equation here. Electronics as you've mentioned aren't going to make a huge difference. I've mentioned the Airbus vs Boeing Argument. And you've failed to realize no sane CEO of any airline would fly a plane that was not as safe as a competitor. No competent industry insider would dare imply an Airbus is unsafe since it has fewer safety features than a 747.
It's like putting PreSafe in a Kia..You think all those electronics are going help if the Frame isn't built well? I'm sure MB has a great frame construction, but so does Lexus. I've taken a real world crash in my LS400 and it barely moved despite being hit at 35MPH from the side. Granted there was 7K worth of damage to it, but it kept everyone in the car safe.
SV
I do not know about Japanese or German universities.
Besides, this is not about my dad or your dad. Watch your language now.
I am sure Toyota makes many many mediocre cars as well. It is just that the design resources put into their Celsior/LS430 chassis are quite remarkable.
I've had all types of cars and enjoyed them all.
I have had a rear left wheel bearing replaced on an LS430 (a paragon of relaibility?) at 15 k miles. So far on my VW Phaeton, I have had a blown wiper motor fuse, and nothing else. But it is still too early to pronounce a verdict.
I drove a 2004 S500 recently. Nice car, but at a speed (ahem) well above the speed limit, the driver's side window popped out of its seal. Not exactly quality build it seems.
I figure no car is going to be perfect and for each one of us buying in this class of car, personal preferences (and prejudices) play a role.
“This Mercedes was also endowed with road grip exceeded only by that of the BMW. Both were equipped with optional sport suspensions and special-purpose tires...What's the extra road grip worth? Three cars in the group stand above the others, having braking distances of 169 feet or better, and skidpad adhesion above 0.82 g. The grippy trio—Mercedes, BMW, Audi—all wore summer tires.” They went on to note that the LS was tested with 17-inch all-seasons, and said “If you really want muscles, opt for the sport suspension with 18-inch summer tires.”
As I posted before, if both cars are tested with 17-inch all-seasons, which is how CR tested, the performance metrics you seem to care most about are much closer. The LS actually edged out the S in braking performance when tested in a apples-to-apples way by CR.
All the Technology in the World is valueless if it doesn't work properly ..As I recall someone has already posted a list of often purchased parts that could effect the safety of the car.
What you haven’t shown is how the absence of those safety features outweighs the less reliable brakes of the S. Last I checked, brakes are a safety item, no? CR’s reliability data for the S’s brakes, 2000 to 2003 model year cars (-2=poor to +2=excellent) (sample size inadequate to generate ratings for other years):
-1 0 0 +1
For the LS in the same years:
+2 +1 +1 +2
Now maybe more reliable brakes are more important than ‘missing’ safety features, and maybe they’re not. I can’t prove it either way, and neither can you. So why don’t you just admit that there is no conclusive objective evidence that the S is safer overall than the LS, and give the whole safety issue a rest?
They once did have a great reputation for safety and innovation...If I were buying a 60s or 70s or even 80s car it would be a Mercedes..Times change many cars now have learned from Mercedes and even helped move many of Mercedes safety innovations into the 21st. Century, The result is many cars now rival Mercedes in the area of safety.
You constantly talk about cost cutting in the Lexus...That is true but far from the Negative you seem to want to project it to be..
The cost saving results partially from Lexus perfected heavy use of robots to build cars...the resulting percision is one of the primary reasons for the Lexus Reliability EDGE....
The realiability EDGE translates to not just lower built cost but also Much lower warrenty costs. (In 4 years my LS has not required any warrenty work at all...Just imagine the savings to Mercedes if their avg. customer could say the same thing)
That is why a Lexus costs less then a Mercedes or Audi and Why it still makes a huge corporate Profit compared to the barely head above water position that mercedes finds itself in.
Thx for the correction, lenscap...
Jurgen Schrempp...the chief executive of DaimlerChrysler AG...predicted in 1998...DaimlerChrysler would become "the most profitable automotive company in the world."
Well hopefully he'll be more correct when it comes to predicting better quality to come from MB.
Subscription needed. Quite glowing about Audis prospects to position itself ahead of the pack. We will see...
"....I have had 3 Benzes in the last 4 years. 2001 S500, 2002S 500, 2003 SL 500. I had enough lemons to make lemonade for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the next 50 years!!! My wife has had 2 lexus GS models that we have leased over the last 8 years. Not a single issue out of either of them. The one she has now rides like the day we bought it. MB ? Not ever again. At least not until they can build a car that I can drive with out fear of it falling apart. Lexus will be my car of choice from now on. Infinity will be a close second!..."
ejerod, "Mercedes-Benz S-Class" #1686, 23 Feb 2005 1:03 pm
Ouch !!! MBs as lemons ? And the GS not having any problems since birth ?? Now, where is tiag_m5's safe MB, when the car can't even be trusted to drive from point A to point B.
MB better get its quality issues straightened out ASAP, otherwise the fall will be steep. Now, that is a prediction, Merc1 !
And now... drum roll....
2005 New-Car Reliability:
1. Scion
2. Lexus
3. Toyota
4. Subaru
5. Honda
6. Acura
7. Mitsubishi
8. Infiniti
9. Hyundai
10. Suzuki
....
Bottom:
Mini
BMW
Lincoln
VW
Hummer
MB
Jaguar
Land Rover
source: www.ConsumerReports.org
I may take that GS out for a spin tomorrow. I've heard great things about it.