[4.0i OHC]

As well as Fords, I regularly drive my father's 1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK. It's an absolutely deplorable car.

The V6 is absolutely gutless, with approximately zero low down power, but it makes a lot of noise, giving the driver the illusion of it being 'fast' (a characteristic I have observed with many V6s, such as those in a Commodore). My grandfather's AU Futura (with only 2 more kW in a much heavier car) just seems to have so much more urge, making it a dream to drive. Tell me again why manufacturers decided to replace the inline six and replace it with the supposedly more 'technologically advanced' V6?

As well as this, I have major problems with the way the car handles. I'd say that it is a great pain to drive it at freeway speeds, as you're constantly having to make corrections just to keep the damn thing going in a straight line! In comparison, the AU actually goes where you point it! The steering is also over assisted, providing absolutely zero feedback. It is also far too indirect.

Mercedes-Benz has a reputation within the general public of being a manufacturer of 'quality' cars. To me, the word 'quality' has connontations of a well-built product which will simply keep on working, and a low chance of things going wrong. This particular Mercedes-Benz simply doesn't fit that description. It is the automotive embodiment of Murphy's Law; everything that can go wrong, has gone wrong. The rear seats no longer close, the electric driver's seat does not move at all, pieces of trim within the cabin are falling off (ashtray lids no longer close, and we never even used the ashtray!), and there are a whole host of little electrical gremlins. The engine has been nothing but a source of problems. It has run rough since day one, and at less that 100 000 kilometres, decides to blow a head gasket. It's not like the car was treated poorly; it has done only 100 000 kilometres in 13 years, and always serviced to the regular intervals. How much did this thing cost new? $140 000? Where did all that money go to?

I hate to keep harping on about the AU, but I feel that it needs to be mentioned. It's odometer reading is nearing 250 000 kilometres, and has been treated with far less respect than the Merc (it certainly hasn't been serviced at every interval!). Not a single thing has gone wrong with it, and it goes and handles much better than the Mercedes. You could say that there are more electronic items in the Mercedes to go wrong (but the only real feature that the Merc has over the Falcon is electric seats, and those failed years ago), but my mother's old BMW travelled 200 000 kilometres, had more electronic gadgets, and the only item to go wrong is the rear left electric window.

The worst part is, before owning the Mercedes for 13 years, my father owned an E36 M3. For only two years. I will never know what he was thinking the day he traded it in. Saying that I prefer driving the AU is quite a large understatement.