Quote Originally Posted by RnRNinja
I know the Infiniti is the superior vehicle in almost every measurable way, but the Benz is a Benz! Aargh!
A Benz is no longer a Benz. Don't be fooled.

Back in the day (pre 1990), Mercedes was well known for over-engineering their cars. They were expensive then, as they are now, but at least you got what you paid for. In the early '90's (when Lexus was formed), Mercedes made two decisions that have led directly to their downfall:

1) Build to a price (instead of standard)
2) Stuff as much hi-tech gizmos in their vehicles as possible

The end result are cars that are raced to market with "bleeding-edge", unproven technology like COMAND and e-brakes (eloquently coined "crapulent luxury" by Jaime Kitman of Automobile Mag) that are no longer reliable, aren't built with top materials, weigh too much, and need a personal IT riding shotgun to keep the damn thing running. Germans are fantastic mechanical engineers. Computer engineers? Not so much...

Mercedes hasn't been ranked in JD Power's IQS Top 10 at any time this millenium. Indeed, only two years ago they were ranked in the 20's, well behind Lincoln, Mercury, Chevy, and all of the other American brands wrongfully perceived to be inferior.

The three pointed star simply isn't what it used to be, and yet they still want you to pay for it. Again, don't be fooled.

The G35x will run circles around both the C300 and the 230hp 330xi for thousands less. Don't believe me? I've owned multiple BMW's, yet I'm about to replace my E46 M3 'vert with a G37s. The performance is nearly equal to a twin turbo 335i, but at nearly $10K less, the price difference is simply too hard to ignore.

The auto industry moves fast. Reputations must be earned with every new car, not what you did 30 years ago.