Yes, many MB models here are junk, too. It's unbelievable that they managed to squander one of the finest reputations for reliability in such a short time! And if I hear one more European try to blame MB's lousy build quality on Chrysler...
We too are absolutely smitten with Audi after 25k miles of A3 ownership. That little rocket rides like a dream but dances like the devil. A friend with an A4 2.0T just had his ECU flashed and has been trying to get me to do the same on the A3, but I just can't imagine what kind of trouble that will get us into.