Mercedes launches smaller line of luxury vehicles as Mini competitor

A cheaper smaller MB, yep it's called VW.

German cars I avoid like the plague, low reliability, expensive to repair, poor mileage, just all around crappy cars.

Just my opinion. I owned one German car in my lifetime and it was a big problem

 

I don't think hybrids will apear in this lineup. E-class just started now (bit shy), and C-class does not have one yet...

 

C class in 2015. I don't think the hybrid goes with this A class either. AMG says hybrids are the future of the fast expensive Mercedes though.

 

Ferrari just announced a hybrid but it costs a Million US.

When your buying MB and Ferrari my guess is your not thinking about reducing your fuel costs

 

Cost is not an issue with MB and Ferrari but fuel consumption is. Many don't want guzzlers.

We get the prototype green desirable sports car Porsche 918 phev (918 to be built, sold for 700,000 euros each, sold out), and Ferrari realized that that hybrid was the best way to improve their car. I have no idea if the 918s goodness will trickle down into a $20,000 upgrade to a boxer, it may never do that because that would hurt 911 sales. But it will move in the VW group, and the phev golf is coming next year. BMW is also on this track.

MB is behind, they had been pushing hydrogen fuel cells, instead of working hard on hybrids. I think the writing is on the wall that fuel cells are even more expensive than phev technology. MB is slowly getting in the game. These lower priced smaller MB aren't part of that strategy though.

 

So, they are going to expand the SMART Brand, it is luxury isn't it?.

 

How Smart is that?

 

Have you driven a smart car? I do, as part of car2go, and the only luxury is special spaces down town, which is quite a luxury some days. The engine is harsh, the handling poor, only the ev version has any luxurious feel at all.

 

I have zero interest in MB.

If I won a car in some contest I would take the cash as an option or sell the car and buy a Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura or even a GM.

If MB purchased every car company in the world I'd start walking.

 

I also don't really want to buy a MB car either, but ... they have a great history of innovation. Without mercedes many of the safety devices in cars might not have made it.

Mercedes-Benz History of Innovation | Mercedes-Benz

 

Sure and you pay dearly for that my friend. When you visit the service representative and he hands you the quote say. I was expecting some flowers, chocolates and champagne and a Kiss before you F-ck me

 

Ah, you are a previous owner. Didn't know, and I don't really know about reliability. I like having MB around since there innovation makes it into other cars. I don't want one of my own.

 

Some luxury brands have gone down market in recent years, question is until what price point can a car still be considered luxury.

 

Yeah, I bet many folks (and many MB buyers) in the US are unaware of their lesser vehicles like the A-class.

I sure didn't know about it until I went to Tokyo Motor Show years ago and saw them on the show floor. I believe that was in 2003. If they brought a vehicle like the one I saw to the US and put a Mercedes badge on it, that'd tarnish the brand, at least in the mind of US consumers.

I just found this random video at

. That should give you an idea of its styling and interior quality vs. that of say the C-class. Also see Mercedes-Benz A-Class - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

 

Multiple brand names from one manufacturer is more of a North American thing than a European thing. I think Europeans don't need different brands to be able to tell the basic cars from the luxury cars.