No longer the Merc of status?

Menswear designer Kuwar Raj Singh loves his Merc E-230 for its sturdy looks, good grip & spacious interiors.

A Which? magazine survey has stunned car-lovers by declaring that German cars like the Mercedes-Benz no longer rule the roads. They are in the ‘average’ category. Rather, the Japanese make the world’s best cars. High garage bills and bad after-sales service have gone against the Merc. Is the dream machine losing its sheen?

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Fashion designer Neelam Saxena, who has been driving a Merc E-Class for five years, agrees Merc spare parts are expensive. When her AC conked out, she had to shell out Rs 1 lakh. “It’s like owning an elephant,” says Saxena, who prefers a Hyundai Sonata for daily use.

Soumitra Kumar Nahar, consultant with Ballarpur Industries, has his reason for calling the car “pathetic”: Just two days after buying his Merc E 252, there was a silencer problem. “The dealer also said Indian diesel isn’t suitable for the car,” he says. His other Merc, a sports model SLK, developed a gear problem within the first 10 days. Marina Hotel’s Shasank Bhagat, who drives an S-Class, agrees Japanese technology is unbeatable, “but I’m a Merc loyalist, so I keep upgrading my car”.

Others, however, swear by the status symbol. Take menswear designer Kuwar Raj Singh, 22. “I love my E-230 for its sturdy look, good road grip and spacious interior. Korean or Japanese cars with all their gadgetry can’t replace a Merc,” he says. Businessman Satyakam Pahuja, 28, who owns a C-200 CDI, says once you’ve driven a Merc you’ll never want to drive another car.

Adds beautician Shehnaz Husain’s son Sameer, who owns three Mercs (a 190 E, an E 200 and a stretch limo): “With authorised service centres all over India, garage bills are lesser now.” His mother sums it up: “The Merc is a habit. Like with all habits, it could be good or bad.”

— With inputs by Malvika Nanda