2005 Mercedes-benz C230 Kompressor Sedan 4-door 1.8l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Least satisfying vehicle rankings seek to highlight the worst cars of the year

Consumer Reports polls its members on all sorts of topics related to how they buy and use products ranging from mobile phones to humidifiers for indoor plants. Cars are regularly one of CR’s most interesting topics, and its recent study on the least satisfying vehicles to own offers insights into the cars people wish they hadnÂ’t purchased. CR polled thousands of members with questions about what they liked and disliked about the vehicle theyÂ’d owned for a few years. When asked if they would definitely repurchase the same car, the following vehicles came back as the least likely to be purchased a second time: Kia Forte: 51% would buy again Nissan Altima: 51% would buy again Nissan Kicks: 49% would buy again Volkswagen Taos: 48% would buy again Kia Seltos: 48% would buy again Jeep Compass: 46% would buy again Mercedes-Benz GLA: 45% would buy again Infiniti QX50: 40% would buy again Mercedes-Benz GLB: 39% would buy again Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport: 38% would buy again When Autoblog tested the VW Atlas Cross Sport in March 2022, we liked the styling and the price was right, but it lagged rivals in driving excitement and interior quality. A number of recalls donÂ’t help the Cross SportÂ’s cause much, either, as some models have more than a dozen actions by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Even the 2023 model already has four recalls. The annoyance of recalls and the hassle of just-average reliability ratings could have played into the Cross SportÂ’s place as the least satisfying vehicle. On the other end of the spectrum, the Chevrolet Corvette earned the top spot as CR's most satisfying car. The Porsche 911, Rivian R1T, Ford Maverick Hybrid, and Hyundai Ioniq 5 round out the top-five most satisfying vehicles to own. Given the rabid following the 911 has built over the years and the insane performance Chevy derived from the latest Corvette, itÂ’s not surprising to see them in the top spots. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Green Infiniti Jeep Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Volkswagen Car Buying Used Car Buying Consumer Reports worst cars

Geely wants to be a tech-sharing 'friend' of Daimler in $9B bet

Chinese carmaker Geely has built up an almost 10-percent stake in Daimler in a $9 billion bet by its chairman that he can access the Mercedes-Benz owner's technology in the growing battle for the future of automotives. The purchase by Li Shufu, Geely's founder and main owner, means China's largest privately-owned automaker is now the biggest shareholder in Germany's Daimler. Geely said on Saturday there were no plans "for the time being" to raise the stake further. Instead, it will seek to forge an alliance with Daimler, which is developing electric and self-driving vehicles, to respond to the challenge from new competitors such as Tesla, Google and Uber. "No current car industry player is likely to win this battle against the invaders from outside without friends. To achieve and assert technological leadership, one has to adapt a new way of thinking in terms of sharing and combining strength. My investment in Daimler reflects this vision," Li said. "Daimler is pleased to announce that with Li Shufu it could win another long-term orientated shareholder, which is convinced by Daimler's innovation strength, strategy and future potential," the German company said in a statement. Geely officials plan to travel to Stuttgart to meet Daimler executives early next week and also hope to meet top German government officials in Berlin, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Chinese firm plans to use the meetings to underline that it intends to be a supportive long-term investor, they said. Daimler had no immediate comment on any meetings. Geely and the German economy ministry declined to comment. Chinese investors in German technology companies have tended to take a consensual approach, buying incremental stakes in companies such as robotics firms Kuka and Kion, typically after long consultation with management and other stakeholders. In November, Geely asked Daimler to issue new shares so it could buy a stake, as a way to access Mercedes-Benz technology for electric cars and trucks, including battery technology, to help Geely comply with a Chinese crackdown on pollution. But the German company turned down the offer saying it did not want to dilute existing shareholders, sources at the time told Reuters. Li changed tactics, and quietly amassed a stake of 9.69 percent worth $9 billion at Daimler's current share price.

Mercedes-Benz G500 4x4 squares up for production

After showcasing the G500 4x42 in concept form at the Geneva Motor Show this past March, Mercedes has confirmed that it's putting the monster truck into production. The Mercedes G500 4x42 is a more extreme take on the legendary Gelandewagen. It ditches the extra set of wheels from the earlier G63 AMG 6x6, but keeps its wider track and jacked-up suspension, complete with portal axles, 22-inch wheels, 325/55-section tires, and a good foot and a half of ground clearance. It also loses the AMG-spec engine in favor of a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 422 horsepower, based on the unit in the C63 and AMG GT. The smaller engine (and smaller axle-count) makes its list price a little easier to swallow than the half-million Benz commanded for the 6x6, but it'll still be a rather large pill. Pricing in Germany is listed at ˆ226,100 – equivalent to over $250k at current exchange rates. That makes it the second most expensive version of the G-Class currently available, behind the G65 that retails for ˆ271,915 (~$309k) in Germany and $217,900 in the US. MBUSA tells Autoblog that there are currently no plans for bringing the G500 4x42 to North America. But if it were to ford the Atlantic, it would likely carry a price tag in the neighborhood of $200k for the privilege of riding higher than just about any other commercially available passenger vehicle on the road. Alle Neuheiten der legendaren G-Klasse ab sofort bestellbar: Der Mercedes-Benz G 500 4x42 geht in Serie Stuttgart, Jun 19, 2015 Stuttgart - Outstanding response to the "Extreme-G": the G 500 4x42 show car proved hugely popular with many customers and is set to enter series production. In the superlative-studded history of the G-Class, the G 500 4x42 is the new highlight in the model range. The technical package consists of the all-wheel drive powertrain including portal axles and the new 4-litre V8 engine with twin turbocharging and an output of 310 kW (422 hp). All the other G-Class models have further improved interiors and powertrains, and meet the highest emissions standard Euro 6. The G 350 d, G 500, AMG G 63, AMG G 65 and G 500 4x42 can be ordered with immediate effect. A new addition to the extreme G-Class model family: the AMG G 63 6x6 is gaining a sibling in the form of the G 500 4x42.