(Renata) wrote in message ...
OTOH, my Mercedes is NOT for sale. I think they did a fabulous job on
the car in both fit and finish, design, and most (not all)
"ergonomic" and bells&whisltes type features. The only issue is the
ventilation system - windows fog all the time and the vent blows warm
air in the beginning (must routed the intake by the engine (semi ;-)).
(Oh, and I can't fit anything wider than about 32" in the back unless
I tilt it...)
And this is the bottom of their line.

So, maybe buy the top of the line brand, though not necessarily the
top of the line within the top of the line. ?

Hello, Renata.

I recently looked into buying a 2000 E430 to replace the VW and
realized it might be another German headache. Read owner comments on
Edmunds and newsgroups and found they have a lot of electrical
problems. You may or may not encounter this with your model as it
ages. The extended warranty quotes from the usual sites were a little
under US$3000.

NY Times had an article today on auto durability
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/08/bu...8CND-AUTO.html).
Mercedes finished below Chrysler, never mind the Japanese brands. I
also note that VW ranks among the worst in the industry, joining such
superluminaries as Kia.