hammersley,
I went back and read my message and I apologize for having an attitude. (note to self, don't write e-mails when your hungry and tired)
. Like I said before. Pick a manufacture, foreign or domestic, and you will probably be able to find something they didn't do well. But generally speaking, Mercedes makes a very good product. Far superior to most everything the big three put out. Also, anyone who regularly takes their car to a Mercedes dealer is crazy. Yes, they are proud of their cars but their even more proud of their prices! The markup is not justifiable. As a comparison, I did my front breaks several months ago. rotors, pads, sensors, packed the bearings with synthetic... cost me $250. If I would have bought these parts from a dealer it would have been double. Same parts mind you. I'll pay a little bit extra for a part that will go 200k but only if it is quality enough to last that long. Ford parts prices are generally 2 to 3 times more expensive than Chevy and they don't last any longer. That's not acceptable. People that tell you a Mercedes is expensive to maintain has everything done at the dealer and doesn't know what end of a screwdriver you hold on to.
Mike Ellis,
Once again, read the above. People who go to the dealer for service get bent over. You know the old saying "screw me once shame on you, screw me twice shame on me" it applies here. Do your homework on what you buy and who you have maintain it if it isn't going to be you. I will "stoutly defend the high quality and superior engineering of their products to the bitter end" only if it deserves it. The 68 thru 85 year Mercedes cars are worthy of a stout defense. Now on the other hand you couldn't give me a 86 or 87 Mercedes turbo diesel. Vary poor motor design and dropped after 2 years (they still support the parts for it for 30 years though)
I don't know how to comment on your "push starting" buddy. If you push started your Cummins everyday for a year because of a bad starter does that make the Cummins a POS of you a fool for not maintaining it?
Can't say many bad things about Chevy 350's or turbo hydromatic tyrannies. But what has GM done lately to inspire much praise?
Bravo on the Japanese stuff. They put us to shame. And if GM kept their nose out of Isuzu's diesel engineering dept maybe they would have a better diesel also although the jury is still out on the dmax IMO.
If history is to be a judge of build and engineering quality then your comment "European is automatically better line" would hold true. Although I would agree they have had their blunders also. But blunder and willful disregard are two totally different things.
Your fit and finish comments are right on the money.
LSMITH,
I own a unimog. it's a 404, the only one they ever produced with a gas engine. The only factory unimog to ever have a 4 cyl diesel were the late 50's and 60's 411 and 421. In their day they were quite good but you realize your criticizing 40+ year old diesel technology.
The 70's and newer mogs are much bigger and stronger and have an equally stronger diesel motor. The 300 series industrial diesels they put in them are among the best in the world. On a par with the Cummins.
Your right about parts prices. Ever priced ford parts lately?
Bruce
(fed and quite awake now)
Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
:-laf :-laf 
