You've heard the Mercedes-Benz clichés before – big, comfortable, high-quality, and expensive. That last one always seems to be the thorn in the side of a good time, though, doesn't it? A brand-new or ...

The on-paper recipe was basically perfect. One thing I've learned after almost a decade of doing this job-and the hundreds of cars later-is that my real-world tastes diverge from those of the ...