GFerg

I thought this piece was hilarious. Nice review, and I really like the new CL-class.

mmarshall

First, like Clarkson in the article, I'm talking here about Mercedes as a world manufacturer, not just the American market, but even the U.S. market line-up is not simple, especially in the C and S-class lines, as I explained above. Second, silver and black, like you say, are indeed the two most popular Mercedes colors (and Mercedes pioneered classic silver paint jobs decades ago), but of course many other colors are available, too....White Pearl is popular here in the DC area where I live, especially on S-Class models.
Third, other European models ARE easier to decipher, in their marketing and classification, than Mercedes. You mention BMW.......virtually all of the BMW's sold in the U.S. except the Z4 roadster are built on one of three platforms.....3, 5, or 7....and are labelled as such in their numbering. Volvo uses a comparably simple and linear layout....the 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 series.....with the V50 wagon being the only exception. The higher the number, the more upmarket it is and the more it costs, with the XC-90 being a purpose-designed SUV.

I could give more examples, but I think you get the picture.........

AzNMpower

lol The BMW lineup and model designation USED to make sense. That is, until they started messing with the engine displacement versus badging and marketing. There's no such thing as a 328i in Europe. Their 325i gets a real 2.5 litre engine. The 335i doesn't have a 3.5 litre but a 3 litre that just happens to have twin turbochargers. Ditto for the terrific 3 litre diesel offered in the 535d. The 328i also gets a 3 litre in the US that's actually the same as the 330i engine but detuned for less power. Yet in Europe, the 255hp 330i continues to be offered alongside the aforementioned 325i and 335i. Ditto for the 5-series.

WHY MUST YOU (BMW) DO THIS?

mmarshall

You didn't need to LOL......I agree that the BMW's engine numbering doesn't make a lot of sense, but I wasn't referring to that. I was referring to the basic car and the 3, 5, and 7 numbering series.......in its present form, even with the engine size mis-matches, it makes more sense than the Mercedes system. That's part of what Clarkson was getting at in the article.
And...yes, BMW should be marketing diesels in the U.S. but doesn't. Same with other manufacturers

AzNMpower

True. I saw a C300 in person today, thought it looked rather bland. If anything, the rear end reminds me of the Lexus ES350, which isn't a bad thing........if it was a Lexus. I expect a Mercedes to look a bit more........Mercedes-ish.

And yes, MB has a heckuva lot of models that do end up being a bit confusing. For many years, the only models I clearly knew were the C, ML, E, S, and SL class. The remaining combinations of Ls and Cs and whatnot......um yea I just ignored and pretended they didnt exist.

LexFather

I like the choice Benz makes. It might be confusing but I like the fact if I want I can get lamb hides with crap color leather and a pink exterior!

mmarshall

Hey.....nothing wrong with that. Macho singers Elvis Presley and Bruce Springsteen were both known for pink Caddys.

zzzzdoc

LOL. A guy at work was asking me about a 500 yesterday. Glad I didn't read this first. I would have spit out my coffee.