Explain Mercedes classes to me

Ernie Ball

I'm hardly in the market for one, but I've always been baffled by the seemingly infinite variety of Mercedes classes: Es and Ss and SLKs and As and Cs and probably every other letter of the alphabet. Can someone make sense of it for me?

Also, is this not a product line in need of some simplification?

Jildy

It is not very complicated once you know the basic models and classes.
I don't own one but would know most of the models etc...

The best thing to do is check out the mercedes website as they have pictures of each class.

www.mercedes.ie

But basically the saloon class moves from smallest to biggest as follows:
A-Class, C-Class, E-Class and S-Class.

J

jlang

There's also a B-Class coming out - to fill the gap between the A- and C-! D-Class can't be too far behind.

bazz26

Ernie Ball wrote:

I'm hardly in the market for one, but I've always been baffled by the seemingly infinite variety of Mercedes classes: Es and Ss and SLKs and As and Cs and probably every other letter of the alphabet. Can someone make sense of it for me?

Also, is this not a product line in need of some simplification?

As i understand it:-

Supermini:
MB A-Class

Compact MPV:
MB B-Class

Compact Hatchback:
MB C-Class Sport

Small Executive Saloon/Estate:
MB C-Class

Medium Executive Saloon/Estate:
MB E-Class

Large Executive Saloon:
MB S-Class

Small Coupe + Convertible:
MB SLK-Class

Medium Coupe/Cabrio:
MB CLK-Class

Medium Sports Saloon:
MB CLS-Class

Large Coupe:
MB SC-Class

Large Coupe + Convertible:
MB SL-Class

Large 4X4:
MB M-Class

Large MPV:
MB R-Class

Super Sports Coupe:
MB SLR-Class

dahamsta

bazz26 wrote:

Small Executive Saloon/Estate:
MB C-Class

AKA "Mockeyah Merc".

MercMad

Thats pretty much it Bazz................except there is no "SC" class..........its "CL" instead !

The "Classes" really only started in 1972 when the W116 cars (280S-450SEL) came out to replace the stack headlamp W108 series.

The term "S" Class has been used retrospectively, as has "E" Class which arrived with the facelift of the W124 series !

................actually I wont go any further ..................it'll confuse EVERYONE !!

Funny to think that back in the 60's there were only 3 bodyshells and 3 engine options !

Ernie Ball

If that's the number of classes, how many models do they currently have?!? I understand it's all about niche marketing, but frankly that's a ridiculous number of models no matter how you slice it.

mike65

Some folks blame hooking up with "Crysler" for the slide in quality from Mercedes Benz, the truth is they went west when they decided to fill every market niche they could think of, including some that had'nt been invented (well nearly!).

Heres the horror in full.



Mike.

unkel

Thanks for the link, Mike. I blame it on both myself. Sad state of affairs, but not as bad as those customer satisfaction surveys would lead you to believe imho. Why?

It's all about perception. Buy an expenisve brand new E-class and you expect total reliability and you expect to be treated like a king by the dealer. Instead the car develops a few problems, the dealer is arrogant and the service is poor. Expectations are not met and satisfaction is way down

On the other hand buy an unbelievably cheap and fairly reliable Skoda Octavia (which is better specced, has a bigger boot and is thousands cheaper than it's nearly identical VW sibling - all of which the Skoda buyer knows very well) and the buyer is absolutely delighted. Expectations are exceeded and hey, the Octavia is top of the list in the family size car category for 5 years in a row

BrianD3

mike65 wrote:

Heres the horror in full.

Looks like they forgot about the SLC

(maybe not different enough from the SL to get a mention)

Guy:Incognito

unkel wrote:

Thanks for the link, Mike. I blame it on both myself. Sad state of affairs, but not as bad as those customer satisfaction surveys would lead you to believe imho. Why?

It's all about perception. Buy an expenisve brand new E-class and you expect total reliability and you expect to be treated like a king by the dealer. Instead the car develops a few problems, the dealer is arrogant and the service is poor. Expectations are not met and satisfaction is way down

On the other hand buy an unbelievably cheap and fairly reliable Skoda Octavia (which is better specced, has a bigger boot and is thousands cheaper than it's nearly identical VW sibling - all of which the Skoda buyer knows very well) and the buyer is absolutely delighted. Expectations are exceeded and hey, the Octavia is top of the list in the family size car category for 5 years in a row

The type of person buying high end mercs are a different breed to us mere mortals ( not etting at any rich folk here) and would probably be more inclined to moan on about any slight problem, whereas mr working class joe is not adverse to a problem or too and wont go screaming at everyone for the sake of it when the problems are being rectified anyway. I've noticed a big difference in attitudes towards parting with money, in that the people who have it (99% being the ones that always had it) dont like to part with it. An example is that I do a few av installs on the side, when people ask how much to get something done and, if for example you say you'll drop out to them and sort it for €50 they baulk at you as if your holding them up at gunpoint wherea sothers will see it as reasonable.

Now what I've noticed is that if you roll up to a big house and the person is someone who obviously has money and has come from money, they can be awfull stingy with parting with it.Whereas if its amn average joe they see it as reasonable for something that they need done. The same applies to the like of wealthy builders (ie people who have made their own money) they tend to throw you a bit extra becaus ethey appreciate hard work. Sorry bout going off on somethign that may not seem relevant but it kinda is. Its all about people attitudes. didnt mean to offend any of the upper classes, just using it as an example.