NickTee

Okay, but the LS460 and LS430 have expensive air shocks, so what's your point? Higher end cars have higher end components that cost more. It's not just a Mercedes thing.

TangoRed

No, they really don't. But to your point the reliability of the hydraulic ABC system and Airmatic system were not anywhere near up to par until just recently. The early to mid 2000's were bad for Germans.

chikoo

when I got my ML350, I made sure that I did not get air shocks just for that reason, and no AWD. No use in TX.

mmarshall

Granted, his speech is delivered in a louder and somewhat more brash tone than is necessary (which, of course doesn't help his case). But, IMO, outside of that, much of what he says is right on. The Mercedes S-Class can indeed be a money-pit if the service/repairs aren't covered at factory-expense, and the negative effects of low-profile tires are often overlooked, especially in the auto press where handling and steering response is an obsession.

Nextourer

Holy cow that's an annoying voice.

I'm not sure all of his concerns are strictly related to MB (maybe except for the recessed lugnuts). Most high end cars use top quality materials and those would cost a pretty penny, regardless of manufacturer. If something breaks in an LS, I'm sure the repair cost would be similar, no?

mmarshall

It's not only a parts-cost at issue. Many (though not all) M-B shops also charge higher hourly labor rates than some of their competitors.

Nextourer

Ahh I see.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

it's not just the cost of parts and labor, it's the likelihood of something going wrong. older mercs are known to have more issues like jaguars.

chikoo

Yea - went to the local shop to get wheel alignment. Charge me $20 more than advertised. Called it MB is special and requires special tools and knowledge. BS. But who wants to argue.

bagwell

yep, hate that shouting....just an overall annoying guy that I would never take a car to.

....here's more about the Mercedes if you wanna torture yourself.

mmarshall

Agreed. Letting the alignment go, if it needs adjustment, means you could prematurely wear out a set of expensive tires, and spend as much or more to replace THEM as it would cost to simply align the car in the first place.

Nextourer

lol. Never mind older MBs, my fortwo was, a "bit" more unreliable than all the Toyotas my family has owned put together.

Zfrog

You say now they are up to par? The new ones are are still going to break after about 10 years and ~100k miles and will cost just as much if not more to replace..

RXSF

WHY GOD WHY would you post this.

NickTee

Wanna talk about expensive Mercedes repairs, look at a S600 AMG(originally around $150,000). $700 dollars per shock(cheapest price you'll get them OEM), the power steering pump is combined with the hydraulic pump for the shocks and the cheapest you'll get that is around $1,600. I'd say add 30-50% of that cost if you were to bring it to a dealer. Oil coolers are a couple thousand, the 100,000 mile service requires 16 hours labor and fluids(is around $8,000 dollars), engine is between $10,000(used) and $20,000(repaired, maybe new). Spark plugs require 5 hours of labor and are also insanely expensive. That's right, you might as well buy another car if the engine goes.

To sum it up: if you buy a S600 AMG, it better have a warranty.