Anybody know of an MB list?

[JSoult@aol.com]

I feel like I have to put my 2 pfennigs in on this one.  When I was buying my
first real car (10years ago - I was 25), I did alot of soul serching.  I
began separating cars by country:

American - No way - no longevity - some are fast and handle well - but if you
push them  they don't last

Swedish - Sabb's are a great drive -  but service is a nightmare
                Volvo - no guts and wrong image

English - For every day?  Right

Japanses - Never - they have no soul (although my wife had a CRX Si which I
  loved)

It was obvious to me that I wanted a German car for longevity, safety,
appearance, driving pleasure, and yes, I admit it, a small bit of snobisim.
 Thus the choices:

Volkswagen possible:  The 16 V Jetta was a very nice - fast, utilitarian, and
 very durable 

BMW never:  For image concious boomer posers (one who poses).  A fashion
accessory for those who couldn't afford a Benz.  All of which would have been
fine if the were a good drive.  I, however, logged quite a few miles in
318's, 325's and 528's - and never liked any of them - too heavy/stiff
feeling and the ergonomics nerver seemed right to me.  They just flat out
weren't fun to drive (although I almost bought a used 635 which really was a
nice car and fun to drive - but not a good choice for me at the time)

MB  - Truely wonderful cars and I would have loved to own one - unfortunatlly
cost and a stuffy image ruled them out. (and they never made many 4matic's)

Porsche - I needed an every day car 

Audi - The cost was reasonable - especially considering the uninteded
acceleration flap at the time (people were giving them away).  Driving feel
was German w/out MBW's 10 ton feel.  Styling was very good - longevity
excellent - safety excellent - plus the magic Quattro.  The ability to drive
in bad conditions with confidence is priceless.  I can't understand why this
isn't standard on all cars.  I see no drawbacks other than a little extra
cost and service.  Even fuel milage suffers little with Quattro.

Anyway, at the time I could not find a suitable Quattro - so I bought an '87
CGT which I loved and put almost 200k on.  It was a fantastic car - bright
red with lots of character (I feel that the design and styling of those cars
still holds up).  I now own an 91 80Q - which I also love. My next car will
be a 100/200/A6QQQ or a QWagon -depending on what is available. 

I feel that all of this holds up today, and I would venture that this was the
reasoning for most people on this list buying our beloved.  While there are
exeption in all catagories, Audi's are the only cars (sedan) to own for
people who make rational decisions about such things - IMHO   - YT(hinking)MV
 : - )

Jeb Soult
JSOULT@aol.com

87 CGT gone but not forgoten
91 80Q 
69 TR-6 Everybody needs a toy
95 Grand Cherokee - my wife's - yes we do use it off road - it does get dirty
- and it is a nice vehicle - but you can't burn down the interstate all day
at 100MPH+++ and not do irreparable harm