The tears of basement-dwelling Internet virgins taste like sweet nectar to me, which is why I treat myself to a fine steak dinner every time some anonymous mook suffers a serious case of pelvic inflammatory disease about my writing, my “Jack Baruth” persona (not to be confused with the guy who cried during August Rush) and my swaggerific lifestyle. But what did I write to get this particular fellow so upset?
It was this:
Mercedes-Benz should formally apologize for the W220 and W210. Every customer who purchased a new S-Class or E-Class from those infamously troubled generations should receive a letter in the mail, hand-signed by Dr. Panzer Kampf-Wagen or whoever is running the show nowadays, apologizing for selling them an utter piece of junk. Hundreds of thousands of customers were basically swindled. They thought they were buying a Mercedes-Benz, not a cost-cut half-plastic embarrassment. Make it right. And throw them a little incentive towards the price of a new (and presumably better) Benz, just to make up for the abysmal resale on, say, the 2001 S430.”
from the semi-infamous Christmas article where I called for, among other things, the end of Road&Track. The funny thing is that I got my wish: they rebooted the magazine with Larry Webster and Sam Smith and the rest of the crew and now I think it’s considerably better, even on the months where they throw my contributions into the trash.
I wonder if this fellow owns a W220 S-Class. They’re old enough now that even the most broke-assed of Best Buy assistant managers can buy one. Maintaining it, however, is another story, and they’re rusting out now. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, kid!
I think you are 100% right. And really that small gesture would probably do more to repair the brand image than introducing the CLA.
HAHA.
You know you’re doing something right when you push buttons the wrong way with some folks. Only distinct personalities are polarizing. Hope you’re enjoying that steak. Rock on
Decades ago I responded to a survey from Apple calling for a similar public apology for the Macintosh Portable.
Funny, they never contacted me again.
- sent from my iPad
I remember seeing a W220 out back of the local M-B dealer in about 2006. It was sitting on flat air suspension, was rusty, and if I recall correctly, peeling paint as well. At the time it was hard for me to believe a six-year-old car that cost 90K new could fall apart so fast.
Jack, do you feel the abilities of the CL55 justify the anticipated maintenance costs?
The C215 was assembled to an entirely higher standard than the W220 and generally of better materials.
With that said, the CL55 I used to drive went back to the lease company before it was five years old. I don’t know if I’d get a decade-old one now and expect anything but trouble.
Regarding comment in subject article; Jaco Pastorious “died in a gutter’.
“Pastorius made his way to the Midnight Bottle Club in Wilton Manors, Florida.[23] After reportedly kicking in a glass door, having been refused entrance to the club, he was engaged in a violent confrontation with the club bouncer, Luc Havan.[24] Pastorius was hospitalized for multiple facial fractures and injuries to his right eye and left arm. He fell into a coma.[25]
Initial encouraging signs that he would come out of the coma and recover faded. A massive brain hemorrhage a few days later led to brain death. Pastorius died on September 21, 1987, aged 35, at Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, and was buried at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Cemetery in North Lauderdale.[26]
Saw Jocko several times in concert, and have measured Bass players by that high standard, ever since. News of his death stunned me, as have the untimely deaths of several other contemporary musicians, but none like the death of Michael Hedges who I knew personally.
I had met him in the Bay area about the late seventies, and had invited him to give me a call if ever in NW Oregon/Portland. He did, and over the next several years, called me when he was going to be in town.
I lived in the Columbia Gorge, but had a pied de terre in Portland. In about 1980 or so, he was in town and we met up with him. Later we went back to my place in Portland for some drinks and conversation and found a gal friend was spending the weekend there, but had arrived early. I/we didn’t expect to find a naked beautiful woman in my bed, who was initially quite nervous to be awakened by three men, two of which were standing by the bed, and strangers to her. She hadn’t seen me yet, as I had detoured to the bathroom.
We chatted a bit with the lovely and then Michael spotted a disused Blues harp on my desk, picked it up, sat down on the bed and proceeded to belt out some bluesy riffs… Memorable.
Michael’s death has left me with a reoccurring nightmare. One where I’m driving at night in pounding rain on a dark mountain highway and I lose sight of the road and drive off a curve into a dark abyss, headlights spotlighting only rain and impenetrable darkness. Always wakes me up in an agitated state.
Yes, MB had issues with a lot of their issue during the 2,000’s, not just the w220. Back in 2007, my gal friend wanted a CLK convertible, but after researching the car, I told her to pass. Same for the VW ‘New Bug’ of the same era. Both have abysmal systems issues.
She ended up with another new Honda, usually, one of the best moves if you have to drive them till they quit, because you can’t afford to fix them if they have short run issues.
She rode her last Honda for 16 years before it sidelined her with a broken water pump. She sold it a while later after the radiator sprung a leak. I told her the car had another 16 years in it, but new car fever took its toll, that and $10,000 from dear old dad to put up on a new one, turned the trick.
Kid from the shop bought it and is still driving it without issues, seven years later.
The CL600 and ’65’ are on my short list of must own at some time, the sooner, the better. Have driven both, and should have picked one up few years back, as nice ones, for sale, seem to be rare to non-existent, though, the twelve cylinder SL’s are ahead of the CL twelves, on my list.
That was hyperbole. Let’s say he was killed in the gutter, it just took a while to happen.
I have a friend who would very much like to sell me a CL65. But from what I hear, the V12s are pretty fussy compared to the supercharged eights.
Some time ago I had the chance to drive the SL55 and SL65 head to head around Autobahn North course in Joliet. The SL55 was much more suited to the track, but the SL65 was an *event*.