JD Power reliability survey 2012 - the best car brands

I have owned 4 Mercedes cars and 2 Jaguar XJs.  I had the guts to change from Mercedes to Jaguar.  I must admit I was nervous.  I had problems with 3 out of the 4 Mercedes cars I owned from poor quality manufacture, unreliability to arrogant dealers.  Both Jaguar XJs I have owned have been a delight. 

Yes, if you want a taxi and you drive 40,000 miles a year maybe a Mercedes has the edge.  But if you want class, distinction and great looks choose a Jaguar.

What is a Mercedes? I have no idea.  Is it an A class, B class, C class, M class, S class, a Smart car (which is anything but smart), a Maybach?  The list is endless.

I've owned german and always found their subsidiary electronics to be second rate such as electric windows that all drop when parked and locked and you are not in attendance, this being something you'd like achieve yourself on a hot day with the remote yet it's not on the 'can do' list yet it seems to manage it well enough as soon as there's an electrical storm near by; lightning! I could have had everything in the car stolen, not to mention the whole car. This on a four year old VW Golf 1.6 FSH. The clutch has always juddered as well but is intermittent. It also bottoms out under the front exhaust section on the slightest unlevel road. VW dealership left a bolt and a screw cap off the engine, my friend found it for me as he thought it wise to check, stating that; "you can't trust any of them - they're all 'cowboys' at some time or other," as he'd collected his BMW in the 80s after a full service only to find they had not replaced the rear pads as they were supposed to; that was BMW at Archway, North London. Another time they sent the BMW off after service with under minimum level engine oil in it. In the middle of the countryside the warning light came on! Electronics have improved since the eighties but the 3 series alarm an lock remote was a pain only working from 5 feet away while Nissan and others were reliable and the Toyota MR2 could even close all the windows and sunroof for you to add insult to BMW's injury.....   ...But of course YOUR german car is different!

Other than these annoying things they were / are both great to drive and feel sturdy and taught. The VW's gearbox is definite and precise. Sometimes you can't find the brake pedal though, it's as if your medium sized foot gets caught - for both of us! Scary! When you do find it 99.9% of the time it's well known that the brakes are over assisted and take getting used to for fine smooth delivery of braking. For all that it feels good, solid and yet delivers excellent fuel figures with it's six gears. Extra urban 40 plus miles per gallon definitely 46 - 48 on a motorway at around 67mph loaded with kit boot and back.

I have to say VW's positioning doesn't surprise me.

 Have bought vehicles and parts from them and have always received a first rate service from my local dealership. They (on the face of it) treat my 23 year old as well as they do my 4 year old in terms of service and assistance. Don't get me wrong the cars have had their niggles but having previously been a Peugeot customer (god why? will never know the answer to that question) VW is head and shoulders above in terms of service, price and product. Can't rate mine highly enough.