Hey Wimmer thanks for the response.
No problem.
A-Class: I stand by what I have said. I have in fact driven the A and it’s got nothing on the Golf or Mazda 3, let alone the 1-series, apart from practicality. Its ride and handling has not reached an optimum balance. The cars steering was very light, the brakes were slightly spongy and not at all confidence inspiring, as you would expect the brakes on an MB to be, and the vehicle hopped, skipped and thumped over bumps. Maybe the suspension set up works great in Europe, but on our roads down here it is less than ideal. This is a big deal since in the past MB’s received consistent praise for the way they handled our local conditions. It simply does not set class benchmarks the way and MB should.
The A-Class isn't a Golf, Mazda 3 or 1-Series challenger. The A-Class competes against the VW Touran from the brands you mentioned above. BMW and Mazda have nothing here to offer. The B-Class competes with the Mazda 3 I would think. The A-Classes I have driven all had sharp steering and a sporty suspension that still provided decent comfort but moreover, a sporty ride. What you are describing sounds like the B-Class to me. I didn't like the B-Class at all, but the A-Class, I can only report positive experiences with it. 
C-Class: Your right, I recently drove a facelifted C and the driving experience is vastly improved. That said I still feel the new 3 is still notably better to drive. Also, the 200k engine showed some characteristics I would not at all expect in a car of this price. On take off their was resonance and slight vibration. I find this completely unacceptable in a car costing AUS $70000-00. Also the facelift still did not life the interior to where it should be, right next to Audi.
The C-Class was never meant to be a 3-series killer. BMW and Benz customers expect different things. Your typical C-Class customer wants a blend between sport and comfort, which the new C-Class satisfy's without problems. The interior is newly improved and materials feel premium, but you're right, it's not class-leading and the Audi A4 IMO has the best interior in this class, even better than the overrated Lexus IS interior. Again, I only have positive news to report with the C180K and C200K's I've driven. I suppose you may have driven an "older" C200K engine without MB's TWINPULSE system, which balances out the inherent 4-cylinder instability. It works pretty well on the new 1.8-l 4-cylinders, since they have a 6-cylinder feel and refinement to them. I've driven the C230K Sportcoupe and that engine was just awful. Unrefined, though powerful, but the vibrations were horrible.
E-Class: Quality on our E was still very much a problem. Rattling headrests, creaking ashtrays and seat cushions, foul smelling air-conditioning. These are very much quality and not reliability concerns I would think. No doubt the E’s coming out of the factory now would be completely different. But still our E ownership experience has added to my frustration with MB.
We have a 2002 E320 in Germany, one of the first ones delivered. It's been 100% reliable and there are no shakes or rattles at all. Sorry to hear about your E-Class though. What model and what year is the E-Class you have? W210?
B-class: Same problems with the A on our local roads, and rather pointless really. There’s only a $2000-00 price difference between the B and A here.
The European A-Class has sharper steering than what you guys in AUS get I would assume. However, the B-Class was pretty dull to drive overall compared to the A-Class, which was fun. I don't like the B-Class much either, though it looks pretty nice.
M-Class: It’s widely acknowledged, even MB, that less than 5% of buyers take these vehicles offroad. On road dynamics, where the X5 excels, are far more important in this SUV class of vehicle. But even in terms on interior design and quality, the X5 is still very much competitive with the new M.
The new M-Class has pretty good onroad dynamics. I live out in the Bavarian countryside where we have some really tight twisty's etc. and the M-Classes I drove performed confidant on these roads. The M-Class is no twisy's eater, but it didn't feel nervous or unsafe unlike the last W163 M-Class, which was horrible to drive. Even though not many people will take their M-Class offroad, the ML has the added advantage of being very capable offroad and good onroad. Most people I am sure would be more than satisfied with the current W164 M-Class handling.
S-class: This car really has me confused. It’s a love hate relationship at the moment. Sometimes it looks great, others not so. The driving experience is nothing short of stunning though!
The driving experience is superb, I agree. Don't like the rear aspect and the BMW rip-off interior, although the materials are first rate.
) so maybe that’s where the Achilles heal of the A is, in its inability to cope with these rougher conditions. 
