Built like a Mercedes (?)

top posting corrected

Not so, unless you are using one of those stupid bread machines or something. Hell a cake is far more critical than bread, and I don't EVER worry about getting the flour flat across the top, mainly because most of my measuring cups are 2-cups.

When I first started baking from scratch, I tried to adhere to precise measurements, and had lots of failures. Now I don't worry about it and everything works fine. I think it is the analness that causes the problem.

************************* Dave

If you are, factor in 4 hours in Gunter's Garage for every 1 hour on the road.

:-) no kidding, feels like that sometimes with my mercedes'. On and about 250k km, seems to me from my experience, is when many items need to be repaired. Moreover, just can't bring myself to always go to the dealer.

If you have to ask how much one costs, you can't afford to maintain one. They have a reputation in some parts of going forever - but they ar a bit like great great-grand-dad's axe. It's the same axe he brought with him to this country 150 years ago. The head's been replaced 3 times, and it's on it's 10th handle - but it's still the original axe!!!!

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All joking aside, I DO appreciate cars engineered so that you CAN keep replacing parts that wear out instead of having to pretend its a Bic Disposable and throw the thing away. American cars were like that until the 70s, and trucks still are (in most cases). Japanese cars were

*never* like that, which is why I'll never own one.

That's a 190 for you.

I bought my 300SD 7 years ago for $1800 with 189K miles on it. It's been in the shop 3 times since then, about $350 per and has 400K miles on it now. I did work on it myself for 2 weeks 2 years ago.

I _assume_ you are suggesting that one should throw them away when problems develop.... are you kidding me? that's why I bought Benzes in the first place. My 300 has had _NO_ problems (well except the evaporator and the waterpump I recently replaced) for the past 250k km. The car is in like show room condition. Sure I can let the dealer do it, but hey, I actually enjoy fixing the easy stuff (water pump, not evaporator).

Do I need a brand new mercedes? No, why should I. I couldn't be happier with the one I've got...... and it has nothing to do with any nostalgia. there is nothing the newer cars offer that I really want..... well, my wife does complain about the absence of cupholders... I give the cup to her and suggest to her that 'she' might be the 'cupholder' :-) ,.... she doesn't see the humour

cheers

In theory/on paper, it blows up in your face because you're dividing a number by zero. But in practice, in the real world, human beings are not computers who can only emit showers of sparks, wave our arms spastically and endlessly repeat "ERROR! ERROR! ERROR!" in a monotone when faced with such a situation. Instead, we say the worst economy possible is "zero".

It's one of those things that works in practice, but'll never work in theory.

Again, you're getting hung up on irrelevant theory. In the real world, so far, fuel economy is always considerably worse than 1 litre/100km, so the problem you mention here does not exist.

Speak for yourself, Stern.

I know, I have friends with Mercedes too, and some have had EXCELLENT luck. Particularly the older 300 series etc - but the E-Class? later model cars have been as bad as Cadillacs - spending more time in the shop than on the road.

And I definitely do NOT suggest you throw a car away when problems develop - unless they are either way to expensive to fix, or the problems arrise too often. ANd then I don't advocate throwing them away. One man's garbage is another man's treasure - so find someone who wants what you don't want and is willing to pay you good money for it. He might have better luck than you have had - or just be more willing to spend time and money on it because of his infatuation with that particular make/model, or whatever.

My Pontiac Transport has 334,000km on it. The previous owner replaced all the suspension parts before I got it. I put in a new engine at

275,000, because I bought it when the previous (original) owner decided to stop pouring money into it. I put a rebuilt tranny in at about 300,000.I replaced the windsheild. About all that's left of the original is the (plastic) body and interior. Oh yes, and still the original exhaust.

It's still the original axe though!!!

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Actually, they were. The old rear drive corollas,Coronas, celicas, hilux, and land cruisers could be kept on the road virtually forever. I've seen many of each well over the 1/4 million miles. The old cruiser was basically a late forties or early fifties Chevy. Half of it was made under licence from GM. The old "F" engine was a metric stovebolt, and an early chevy engine would basically drop in.

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And ironically at the same time (mid 90s) that many Mercedes models turned into unreliable money-pits, the Cadillacs started getting incredibly reliable again after a 25 year journey through hell. Credit for the improvement goes to the Northstar drivetrain. Nice piece of engineering there. Of course, they cost darn near as much as the Mercedes now....

3 customers of mine - lifelong caddy owners and also friends, have gotten rid of their Caddies in the last 2 years and got Lexus'. After the last 3 caddies, including an escalade and a CTX? spent more time at the dealership than at home, and he had to spend too much time chasing them back and forth, the first friend bought a Lexus 450 SUV.

After having the caddy let him down just about every time he took it out of town - just about everything but the engine, and between Ontario and Florida, or between Ontario and North Carolina, the second friend bought a 300 series Lexus sedan.

Third one just got fed up with all the little stuff that kept failing

- again, and again, and again. Got a lexus sedan as well.

Another friend - who just celebrated his 60th anniversary, is replacing his wife's caddy with a new Avalon. He currently has a Lexus

300 series that replaced his old BMW LWB. They used to use the caddy (it's 3? years old now) going back and forth to Michigan State for the college football games (his alma mater) and they've had suspension problems let them down 4 or 5 times - they don't take it out of town any more -haven't for over a year - none of the dealers who've looked at it have been able to pin down the problem. 3rd or 4th caddy, and he says it's the last one. At 85 he can't waste time with an unreliable car.

The engine's have not been totally without problems either. The first guy has has 2 northstars go south under warranty, and he takes good care of everything he owns.

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No, you are absolutely wrong. Baking requires precise measures, and I am not talking about bread machines. But you are obviously not going to believe me and I haven't got the time to convince you of something everyone else already knows. Ask a chef.

I must be a very lucky person. My '83 300SD is at a bit over 338k miles with no majors, nor do any majors appear to be needed. Still looks (almost) like a new car when washed and waxed, too.

< my wife does complain about the absence of cupholders... I give the cup to her and suggest to her that 'she' might be the 'cupholder' :-) ,.... she doesn't see the humour>

You had better be careful. If I said that, she'd probably hand me back my cup--upside down! :-)

top posting idiocy corrected...

UI don't need to ask a chef, I bake often enough to know. Simple logic will suffice. You claim that if one is not precise, the item will not come out right. I am never precise in baking, and everything I make comes out just fine. Obviously your baking skills are as bad as your posting skills.

************************* Dave

You are not a cook, and obviously not a good baker saying what you are saying. To deny that baking does not require as precise measures as other cooking is absurd. I suppose I could quote from chefs I've studied under or from a couple of cooking textbooks, but obviously, you've made up your mind and wouldn't listen. I certainly don't need to prove the obvious. As far as posting skills go, you are the one who feels the need to resort to personnal attacks, which is an obvious ploy when one can't use facts or truth to back up their argument.

Never precise and everything comes out fine. Yeah, right.