MB Entry levels auto's look and feel cheap, disorganized and just pathetic

[G. David Felt]

So I am spending the week at the International Seattle Auto Show. With over 500 auto's on display which includes many concepts I have been able to spend some quiet time before the show opens to the public to actually look at and sit in many new cars that have been talked about here.

 

I started off Wednesday morning focused to look at the following entry level auto's from Mercedes Benze since SMK swears they are the best auto's out there.

 

 

So my initial impression of just looking at these auto's from the outside was Bland, looks like another appliance. This continues to the inside where I do not understand MB design language. The cut up dash, the so called floating NAV system and the feel of this butchered dash is cheap hard plastic. I found many fit and finish flaws on these cars, the biggest was misaligned trim. I was going to take pictures of these areas and the interior but got shooed out by a woman rep who said no one should be in the auto's before the show opens.

 

If this the the superior style / design of MB, they can keep it. Cadillac wins hands down.

 

MB should have used their smart car division and had these appliances under that brand name rather than tarnish MB luxury status. The funny part was the guys who came as they announced the auto show was open looked at these and commented for a car listing at $29K that they thought the Camry was a nicer auto.

[smk4565]

I think the GLA will post decent sales. It has the small crossover loom without being too tricky and women like that.

I never said the CLA or GLA were the best autos, but they are as good as a Volvo or Acura ILX or VW CC or something like that.

Mercedes won't tarnish the image because the S-class is the best car in the world and the C and E are kept near the top of their classes, so they aren't going to scare away the faithful.

[Cmicasa the Great]

^^^ This guy is hopeless. Can anyone IP check him? I'm just curious if this guy is posting directly from Daimler in Stuttgart. 

[Cmicasa the Great]

As for the topic at hand. I too can't figure out what the hell the designers at Benz are experimenting with outside of how far they can go without turning off the Sheep. Benz has three vehicles that elicit any real desirability from me and they are the GWagon, CLS, and the CL (S-Class Coupe), and the last one I'm actually on the fence about. 

[smk4565]

Mercedes have sold commercial trucks and A-class and B-class in Europe for years, and kept their image just fine there, Lexus, Infiniti, Cadillac, etc haven't been able to break in.  They are selling the CLA and GLA to stop Audi from grabbing all the entry lux badge snobs.  BMW seems slow to respond here but they have the 1-series in Europe.  Mercedes can't let their two rivals get ahead of them, so this is the result. 

[Cmicasa the Great]

Mercedes have sold commercial trucks and A-class and B-class in Europe for years, and kept their image just fine there, Lexus, Infiniti, Cadillac, etc haven't been able to break in.  They are selling the CLA and GLA to stop Audi from grabbing all the entry lux badge snobs.  BMW seems slow to respond here but they have the 1-series in Europe.  Mercedes can't let their two rivals get ahead of them, so this is the result. 

 

 

Yup... Mercedes is pretty much the Chrysler of Europe. Having been stationed there in the 90s I was amazed how "regular" they were. This is what completely bewilders me about Sheep like yourself here in the U.S.

 

Have U not been to Europe? 

[smk4565]

I was in Europe once about 20 years ago when I was 12 years old.  I don't remember the cars really.  Mercedes may be regular over there now, but they also only have 2 competitors.  The Japanese and American luxury brands are non-factors in Europe, Jaguar is a small player and Volvo is barely a luxury brand.  All they have to worry about is BMW and Audi and they beat both those brands in Europe.

 

I bought a Mercedes because they have the best engineering and their cars last forever.  And I could get a DOHC V8, 7-speed, air suspension, drilled brake rotors, hydraulic power steering, and the luxury features in a used car that was good value.  Mercedes does the little things, my car has a pair of white gloves where the spare tire is so your hands don't get dirty if you have to change it.  They hit every detail, most of the others don't.

[balthazar]

The fallacy here is that all those who buy the C- E- S-class are 'loyals' who are into the mechanics/ specs of the cars, when instead a HUGE swath of MB buyers are badge sheeple. Once the CLA falters and gets wider exposure on the sub-Mercedes-standard build of the car, the image is tarnished and the badge sheeple wander off.

 

They are selling the CLA and GLA to stop Audi from grabbing all the entry lux badge snobs.

​Why is mercedes competing with a 'premium' brand?? Either way, neither the bottom feeder audis or the bottom feeder MBs are luxury cars, merely 'premium'. 

 

BTW, you should really take inventory of the flagship (in many people's opinion) SLs over the years. I've had close encounter inspections of a 1959 and an early '90s example, and they are terribly built cars, embarrassingly bad. How any reviewer could ever have overlooked the rampant flaws, IDK.

[Cmicasa the Great]

I was in Europe once about 20 years ago when I was 12 years old.  I don't remember the cars really.  Mercedes may be regular over there now, but they also only have 2 competitors.  The Japanese and American luxury brands are non-factors in Europe, Jaguar is a small player and Volvo is barely a luxury brand.  All they have to worry about is BMW and Audi and they beat both those brands in Europe.

 

I bought a Mercedes because they have the best engineering and their cars last forever.  And I could get a DOHC V8, 7-speed, air suspension, drilled brake rotors, hydraulic power steering, and the luxury features in a used car that was good value.  Mercedes does the little things, my car has a pair of white gloves where the spare tire is so your hands don't get dirty if you have to change it.  They hit every detail, most of the others don't.

 

 

#1

 

American and Japanese branded cars are a non-factor in Europe because the European auto industry is well known to be under the thumb of the IG Metall Auto Union. Furthermore the vehicles sold their, particularly luxo, are very often subsidized fleet sales to companies. The Government helps out more on European manufactured cars... but unlike the idiot U.S buyer, the Euro buyers prefer to protect their own economy driver manufacturing interests. Europeans, unlike Americans are actually loyal to their makers. Something to do with self-preservation and their unemployment rate. Americans should learn that one thing at least. 

 

 

#2

 

And while Cadillac doesn't provide White gloves for changing the spare (how sissy can U get? Who am I Audrey Hepburn? And why White for such a dirty job) Cadillac does provide Run-Flats and ONstar

[smk4565]

Even if the CLA was the worst car ever built, it is unlikely E-class or S-class owners would ever know, it isn't like they are going to trade down to it.  Chevy made a crappy subcompact Spark, it hasn't hurt Silverado sales.  They are two totally different vehicles and different buyers.  Mercedes sales, revenue, profits are at all time highs, their plan must be working.   I am sure there are a lot of badge snob E-class buyers they don't know a thing about what is under the hood, but those are the best kind of customers to have, they will come back no matter what.

[Cmicasa the Great]

Even if the CLA was the worst car ever built, it is unlikely E-class or S-class owners would ever know, it isn't like they are going to trade down to it.  Chevy made a crappy subcompact Spark, it hasn't hurt Silverado sales.  They are two totally different vehicles and different buyers.  Mercedes sales, revenue, profits are at all time highs, their plan must be working.   I am sure there are a lot of badge snob E-class buyers they don't know a thing about what is under the hood, but those are the best kind of customers to have, they will come back no matter what.

ignorance is bliss... and some of us (not me... but people with the numbers 4, 6, and two 5s in their names, ) are in the Nexus (Star Trek: Generations reference)

[Cory Wolfe]

I can't speak for the CLA or the GLA since I never spent any time in them. The C-Class, however, easily has the nicest interior in its class, as I've noted on here before. The ATS is nice, but it's not quite up to the level of the Merc. Design-wise, you could argue the Caddy is more imaginative and interesting, but that's as far as I'd go. It was a good start for Cadillac, but it's the CTS that has the truly class-leading interior. 

[A Horse With No Name]

I just like Cadillacs design language better.

[Cmicasa the Great]

I can't speak for the CLA or the GLA since I never spent any time in them. The C-Class, however, easily has the nicest interior in its class, as I've noted on here before. The ATS is nice, but it's not quite up to the level of the Merc. Design-wise, you could argue the Caddy is more imaginative and interesting, but that's as far as I'd go. It was a good start for Cadillac, but it's the CTS that has the truly class-leading interior. 

 

Material wise the NEW C-Class may have more going for it than the ATS.. but design wise I don't think so. As with all new small Benzes I am instantly turned off by this BS. (arrows)

 

 

The ATS just looks more elegant and luxo. That's even with the fact that the ATS being essentially put out in 2012

 

[Cory Wolfe]

 

I can't speak for the CLA or the GLA since I never spent any time in them. The C-Class, however, easily has the nicest interior in its class, as I've noted on here before. The ATS is nice, but it's not quite up to the level of the Merc. Design-wise, you could argue the Caddy is more imaginative and interesting, but that's as far as I'd go. It was a good start for Cadillac, but it's the CTS that has the truly class-leading interior. 

 

Material wise the NEW C-Class may have more going for it than the ATS.. but design wise I don't think so. As with all new small Benzes I am instantly turned off by this BS. (arrows)

 

The ATS just looks more elegant and luxo. That's even with the fact that the ATS being essentially put out in 2012

 

 

 

I can agree with you on design. The new Cadillacs have a fantastic design language inside and out. 

[ocnblu]

I like the GLA and CLA, with their retro-feeling noses, round dash vents, and so on.

[daves87rs]

I can't speak for the CLA or the GLA since I never spent any time in them. The C-Class, however, easily has the nicest interior in its class, as I've noted on here before. The ATS is nice, but it's not quite up to the level of the Merc. Design-wise, you could argue the Caddy is more imaginative and interesting, but that's as far as I'd go. It was a good start for Cadillac, but it's the CTS that has the truly class-leading interior. 

 

 

+1

 

I mean I like the ATS's edge, but it's different strokes for different folks. GLA  inside takes a more simple approach- I like that too  (floating piece not a huge deal) Outside looks fine too. I wouldn't run to get one, but I would not have a problem considering one.