What are the pros and cons of Mercedes Benz?

This article will answer the following questions: what are the pros and cons of Mercedes Benz? and Should you buy a Mercedes Benz car? Lastly, we explain some Mercedes Benz programs which can be beneficial for the customers.

What are the pros and cons of Mercedes Benz?

The pros and cons of the Mercedes Benz are listed in a table below:-

The Mercedes Benz motto is ‘best or nothing ‘and the company stays true to it by offering some of the best cars the customer can buy today.

The pros of the Mercedes Benz are explained below:

• Great built quality

The Mercedes Benz cars are famous for their built quality and use the best parts to assemble their cars. The foundries and main production plants are located in Germany. As the majority of production takes place in Germany and all the cars go through many stringent quality checks to ensure only the best products are manufactured.

The materials used in the production of cars are selected after years of research and testing. Mercedes Benz also excels in using the most advanced manufacturing techniques which results in a product that can last more than 10 years. 

The engines used in Mercedes Benz are also rigorously tested during the development phase. 

Mercedes Benz uses NANOSLIDE coating on the cylinder walls. This is an extremely thin coating applied to the inner surface of the cylinder to reduce friction between the piston. Twin-wire arc spraying (TWAS) is used to spray an extremely thin coat of iron-carbon alloy on the cylinder walls.  The friction between the piston and piston rings is reduced by almost 50 percent.

• Advanced features

Mercedes Benz is rich in automotive history and the company has always been at the forefront of technological innovations in the automotive field. Mercedes Benz cars have many advanced driver assistance systems like Distronic plus, steering assist and drive pilot which uses radar sensors and cameras that can only reduce the strain on the driver over a long journey.

Some models also have level 3 vehicle autonomy. Mercedes Benz E class is capable of driving by itself on highways at a speed of 210km/hr(130mph) for 2 minutes. The driver must stay alert to the surroundings.

Attention assist records the total journey time and monitors steering angle. If the driver’s steering inputs are inconsistent, attention assist reminds the driver to take a break. 

Mercedes Benz cars also provide maximum safety to the occupants. Many active and passive safety systems are continuously monitoring vehicle movements.  

Long-range and short-range radar sensors located on the front and rear sides of the vehicle monitor the distance between the other vehicles on the road. If the vehicle in front brakes suddenly, active brake assist can warn the driver with the beep and proceed to brake if the driver does not respond to the warning.

• Mercedes Benz EQ vehicles

Mercedes-Benz EQ brand is focused on developing fully electric cars, all EQ models can be charged with mode 2 chargers and a huge network of fast chargers is present to charge the cars in a few minutes. This enables using electric cars every day without any range anxiety.

The company has a wide range of full-electric models in different body styles to meet customer requirements. EQV is the first fully electric Van, EQS is setting new benchmarks in luxury and comfort for EVs.

Mercedes Benz EQ also comes in the high-performance AMG version. EQE sacrifices little range but the electric motor generates more than 600 bhp and it can launch the EQE from 0-60 mph in under 3.5 seconds.

• Special order and  Service intervals

Mercedes Benz also allows customers to configure their car and make it unique to the customer. The special order can be done in many ways depending on the car model they choose

Models like the Mercedes Benz AMG can even be painted in the colour desired by the customer. The  Mercedes Benz special order is also known as the Designo Manufaktur program. 

It allows the customer to select different exterior paint for the vehicle from the designo catalogue. Customers can also customise the interior colour and select the material of seats. Designo offers customers the following choices to select.

In Mercedes Benz, passenger cars’ service intervals are every 15000 km or 1 year, whichever comes early. During service of the engine, the engine oil and oil filter is replaced. If the vehicle is used in dusty areas, air filters are also replaced.

What are the cons of Mercedes Benz?

• High price

Mercedes Benz produces the most expensive car on the road today. Although they offer a maximum amount of comfort and luxury, even purchasing entry-level models can be out of budget for most customers.

Since the cars are produced in Germany and shipped many countries also levy additional taxes which further adds up to the cost of the vehicle.

Due to its high price and availability of cars in some markets, Mercedes Benz cars are considered a status symbol or an icon. It is a matter of pride as not everyone can afford to buy Mercedes Benz cars.

Mercedes Benz sub Brands like Maybach even push the boundary further. S600 Maybach or GLS 600 Maybach are some of the most expensive models currently on sale.

• Maintenance cost-

Mercedes Benz cars are probably the most reliable cars- provided they are maintained properly. The cost of maintenance is also not cheap, complex systems and engine components are present on the vehicle which can take the cost of a simple oil change somewhere around 400 $. 

If the cars are not operated properly unexpected faults can occur in the advanced driving systems present onboard. Accidental damages are expensive to fix especially if the vehicle is not under insurance.

If the vehicle is driven through the water, the engine can suck water from the intake port and as water is an incompressible fluid, it will damage the engine and cause the hydrostatic lock.

Such an engine needs to be rebuilt, and authorised parts and labour costs are among the highest costs in the automotive industry. Engine blocks with NANOSLIDE coating cannot be reused if the coating is damaged and the complete engine must be replaced. Major engine repairs can be as much as half the price of the car.

• Difficult to operate

Mercedes Benz is very complex to operate especially if the driver is inexperienced with the assistance systems. Active brake assist, Active steering assist can surprise the driver while he is driving. The sheer number of switches present on the dashboard can be overwhelming. 

Customers usually need special training by the product expert to understand certain systems like the active parking assist and remote park pilot. Mercedes Benz no longer provides full-size spare wheels with the car.

The spare wheel is collapsible, and it is difficult to install if the customer experiences a flat tyre. The wheels on bigger models like GLS are torqued and can be tough to loosen.

Other articles about Mercedes Benz you may be interested in

What is the engine oil capacity of the Mercedes Benz C230?

Is Mercedes Benz expensive to maintain?

What is the maintenance cost of the Mercedes Benz C 300?

Conclusion

Despite its high price and complex operation Mercedes Benz cars are very desirable and sales figures indicate Mercedes Benz is number 1 in the luxury passenger cars segment. Mercedes Benz has programs like advanced assurance which increases the warranty on the vehicle and service packages like star ease to help keep the maintenance cost low.

FAQs: What are the pros and cons of Mercedes Benz?

What are the disadvantages of a Mercedes?

Mercedes Benz cars are very complex and there are tightly packed components in the engine compartment that can make the simple task of changing engine oil into a very complex job.

Do Mercedes have a lot of problems?

Mercedes Benz does not have a lot of problems if they are properly looked after and used as per the instructions in the owner’s manual. 

Is Mercedes-Benz a reliable car?

Yes Mercedes Benz cars are very well designed and they can last long without any reliability concerns