My roommate hear in Seattle had a 2001 Saab, and it handled and felt
like a GM.  I used to regularly drive an older Saab 99 as well as a 900
and this new (93 I think), didn't feel like european vehicle at all to
me...

My wife drives a 2001 Volvo and that still has the appropriate feel IMO.

Mercedes quality is improving, but the cars aren't functional as they
used to be. I find the CLS rather ugly, tiny windows, submarine like.
I'm surprised at how many find it beautiful. And the functional Mercedes
of the 80s would never make such a compromised-function style design.
Road manners are fine, some of the tanklike firmness has been softened.

BMW's styling is now at least controversial, but solid and well built
with excellent handling and class-leading dynamic qualities. Maybe
overkill with electronic steering and a bit too much stuff inside. I'd
like to see them go back to functional.

Audi has had questionable reliability in the past. The interiors are
some of the best in the business. Cars feel like planted German cars to
me. Handle well, quattro is great.

Volvos handle better, look better, use quality materials (with some
exceptions), plastic was first used by Mercedes in the 80s--I remember
the S class using plastic on the lower bodies. I think Volvo is fine,
the s40 is very understated and goes well, so is the xc90, but I miss
the visibility of all of the European cars of the 70s and 80s. Spotty
reliability, especially early s80, s60, and some issues with s40s and xc90s.

Jaguar is hard to guage. Jaguar is in a rut of sorts, I don't find the S
and X to feel like sumptuous Jags of the past. Only the XJ feels this
way. There's more Jag components in the Ford platforms, so maybe Ford
learned its lesson that Jag can't have too much Ford content.

I like the Saab 3, but the other Saabs are questionable. I hope this
very individual brand gets back to being unique, but I'm not counting on
GM to keep it this way. Losing the hatchback loses at lot of
individuality and carrying capacity.

VW's feel great, but the new Jetta looks Corolla-like in some ways,
inside and out, and they've softened the handling a lot. New Passat
looks like it will overtake Camry/Accord quality.

Overall, European cars are still desirable, Japanese cars keep them on
their toes. Also, some Japanese cars, like Infinity M45, which used to
have pathetic interior and exterior styling, now has wow styling and
feels more cutting-edge than the more conservative European designs.
But, new Mercedes S looks good, BMW took chances, Volvo's s40 has some
interesting features, Audi's A6 is wonderfully modern and integrated.
Competition is yielding interesting designs.

Worst thing I did was to buy a Z3.
US manufactured with burrs under the hood and everywhere there's an edge.
Hoses too short to fit with the nipples, Inverted wheels (V drawingd turned
towards the rear !!!)

Fortunately Other Bimmers are made in Europe.

I had same of experience with rental Neons and Chryslers some years ago.
Finished like crap and crap they are. Definitely.

Regards

I've long had a soft spot in my heart (and wallet) for European cars.
I've purchased two Volvos and two Volkswagens brand new over the past 20
years, yet my most recent purchase was a Honda.

Durability of most modern European vehicles is not very good.   The
number of failure on my '96 Volvo 850, for example, have been far higher
than I expect for a premium class vehicle.  Things like chronic ABS
controller failures, cupholders which constantly self destruct and trim
bits which fall apart for no good reason are all part of the experience.

I had expected to drive my '960 Volvo trouble free except for scheduled
maintenance and wear parts for at least 150,000 miles.  Hah,
not.gonna.happen.com.

John

It's a global market, and all the makers must compete with the Hyundais
and Kias, even if they aren't targeting the same market.  The object is
"most car for the money spent."  Even with Porsche and MB.  If you're
looking for a performance convertible, why buy a Boxter if you can get
an S2000?  And absolutely why buy a Z3 or Z4?  Maybe an M Roadster, but
still, you're buying the badge.  So, BMW, MB, VAG, and the others have
to compete somehow.  And still have to return profit to shareholders.
So, costs get cut.  And to do that, carmakers will do what needs to be
done.  Sometimes they will get overzealous and cut costs stupidly -
like the plastic clips VAG used in some of the electric window
applications - the clips would break, and the windows would fall into
the doors.  Surely they only saved a few pennies by not using metal.
But a few pennies, times four, times the number of cars produced -
that's some manager's salary.  But the pressure is still to push costs
down, such that Audi can compete with Lexus, or Infiniti, or Acura.

Having said all that, I do think that some Euro carmakers have retained
their essential character, even in this era.  Porsche, BMW and Audi are
still essentially true to their roots.  I'd like to see Audi return to
the bullet-proof drivetrains of the past, over-engineered and
under-powered, rather than where they've gone lately.  But they have a
ways to go before they end up like Mitsubishi, with their on-the-edge
of design power:displacement.

E.P.

Passion?

My guess is that you will get more passion
from your girfriend in the back of a Maybach
versus anything made elsewhere.

This is not a trivial criteria.

.