We broke it, with Fifth Gear!!! :D

[Cruzz563]

I'd say Mercedes started going downhill in quality sometime in the mid-'90s with the cost-cutting, starting with the previous-generation E-Class.

thats what I noticed as well, I started to tell people and they said I was nuts, Mercedes would always still have excellent build-quality... until they had numerous problems (e.g. Hydraulics Failure, power window failure, screws-coming loose and making irritating sounds......), then they shut up.

But I guess these days, all the big car manufacturers all use this to increase profits, its obvious toyota is going through cost-cutting as well, just compare the old gen Lexus RX and the latest RX interior, the old one is much more well-built

Well I think for Mercedes now, its certainly not a matter of build quality anymore, but more of a matter of reliability. After seeing that test of the
A-Class next to the SL on Fifth Gear, I feel asthough Mercedes is back on track...they just need to ensure their reliability is up to scratch.
I'm interested to see what the R-Class interior is like next to the A-Class.