1984 Mercedes 300d Turbo Diesel One Owner All Records Florida Car W123 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Genesis cars win accolades, offer value — so why are sales so bad?

My high-school buddy Brent Cormier was so smitten with the Genesis G80 when he saw it at an event I hosted at SXSW in 2016 he bought a used 2013 Hyundai Genesis a short time later and fell in love with the car. "It surpasses my every expectation," said Cormier, a self-described "renaissance man" who owns and runs a real estate agency with his wife Laura, is a food service executive chef and part owner of Austin-based Thin the Herd Guitars. "I was locked into Mercedes and Audi for 10 years," he added. "And felt trapped in an endless pit of maintenance costs." After owning the Genesis over the past two years — including using it as an Uber and Lyft driver to earn extra cash — Cormier learned what some frugal luxury sedan buyers and a handful of car reviewers have discovered: Genesis offers great bang for the buck compared to other premium brands and can compete with the best in terms of performance, features and comfort. Hyundai's luxury brand also earned a prominent third-party endorsement last week when for the first time Genesis topped J.D. Power's 2018 APEAL study, surpassing German luxury-performance icon Porsche. The APEAL study (which stands for Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout) "measures owners' emotional attachment and level of excitement across 77 attributes," ranging from performance to comfort, and asks nearly 68,000 owners of new 2018 models to score vehicles on a 1,000-point scale. In its second year ranked as a stand-alone brand, Genesis earned an APEAL score that bumped it up 15 points to 884 and helped push it past Porsche — and past BMW, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo, Cadillac, Land Rover and Lexus, in order of ranking. Last month, Genesis also topped J.D. Power's Initial Quality Survey (IQS) for the first time this year. And both its models were awarded Top Safety Pick Plus ratings by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, among 11 Plus ratings in all for Korean vehicles. Despite high J.D. Power rankings and great reviews, Genesis U.S. sales were off 50 percent for the first six months of 2018 compared to 2017, and in June Genesis sold only 796 vehicles — the first time U.S. numbers dropped below 1,000 in a month. Part of Genesis's APEAL and IQS success can be attributed to its small product lineup: just two models, the G80 and G90 sedans, with a third, the 2019 G70, launching later this year. And while those numbers may help in J.D.

Mercedes recalling 33k C-Class and CLS-Class models in separate campaigns

Mercedes-Benz is recalling over 33,000 vehicles in the US in separate actions affecting two of its model lines. The larger campaign covers 30,141 examples of the 2015 CLS400 and CLS400 4Matic; 2012-2015 CLS550 and CLS550 4Matic; 2012-2014 CLS63 AMG and 2014-2015 CLS63P AMG. On these vehicles, the LED taillights do not sufficiently illuminate around the sides, and therefore they run afoul of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. According to documents posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (as a PDF, here), "this is due to a software coding issue which leads to the non-activation of a certain LED in both taillamp units." An update of the programming by the dealer fixes the problem. The other recall covers 3,039 units of the 2015 C300 4Matic and C400 4Matic for two possible problems with the fuel delivery module of the fuel tank. First, the locking plate for the part might loosen on some of these vehicles, and that can cause a fuel leak, which is obviously dangerous. Also, the electric wires going into the component might be pinched, which can lead to failure of the fuel pump. Dealers will inspect the models for both issues and will repair any faults they find. Mercedes did not tell NHTSA when owners would receive notification about either of these campaigns when the company submitted the documentation to the agency on March 10. Autoblog reached out to company spokesperson Christian Bokich via email for more information. "We currently expect to be in touch with customers by late March. Customers may continue to drive their vehicles until the recall is performed," he said. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Rear Side Marker Illumination/FMVSS 108 Report Receipt Date: MAR 10, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V137000 Component(s): EXTERIOR LIGHTING Potential Number of Units Affected: 30,141 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) MERCEDES BENZ CLS400 2015 MERCEDES BENZ CLS550 2012-2015 MERCEDES BENZ CLS63 2012-2015 Details Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. SUMMARY: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2015 CLS 400 and CLS 400 4matic, 2012-2015 CLS 550 and CLS 550 4matic, 2012-2013 CLS 63, 2014 CLS 63, and 2014-2015 CLS 63P. The affected vehicles have LED tail lights that may not light on the sides, reducing the rear side visibility of the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No.

Mercedes previews new C63 DTM racer alongside Edition 1

The new C-Class Coupe will undoubtedly be one of the main points of focus at the Mercedes-Benz pavilion in Frankfurt this year. But the Silver Star automaker will have more than just the base version to showcase. There's be the new AMG C63, and now two additional versions. First up is the Edition 1, the designation Mercedes often applies (in some markets anyway) to launch versions of exciting new models. For the C63 Coupe, the Edition 1 features a raft of upgrades, available in either standard (476 horsepower) or S (510 hp) states of tune. It's done up in one of two exterior appearance packages, in matte gray with either yellow trim or black. The Edition 1 also wears special 19-inch wheels in the front and 20-inchers at the back, ceramic brakes, enhanced aerodynamics package, more chrome and gloss-black trim, and an optimized interior with racing buckets. Alongside the Edition 1, Mercedes will also reveal the new DTM racing model in Frankfurt. And following the teaser sketch released the other day, it's giving us our first proper look at the new touring car right here. The new C63 DTM will replace the existing C-Coupe DTM (as it has been formally styled) that has represented the automaker in its local tin-top racing series since 2012 – winning seven races over the past four seasons, but not a championship yet. If looks are anything to go by, the new racing coupe could be up to the task. Special Model to Market Launch: Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe Edition 1: Inspired by Motorsport Affalterbach. Mercedes-AMG is bringing the C 63 Coupe Edition 1 special model to the starting line. The exclusive colour combination in designo Magno Selenite Grey with yellow film coating and black wheels with yellow painted rim flanges reflects the graphic design of the Frankfurt International Motor Show launch version of the Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM racing coupe which will be used in the DTM next year. The special model is equipped with Performance seats and an aerodynamics package, highlighting its proximity to motorsport. The new Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe and C 63 S Coupe are also available as "Edition 1" special models from market launch. The extraordinary combination of exclusive design and equipment characteristics is inspired by the optical appearance of future Mercedes-AMG racing coupes which will compete in the popular DTM series in 2016. Two exterior designs address different customer wishes.