Go back a long ways to the W116, W123, W126, etc, Mercedes, and those things were indestructible tanks. BUT, even way back then, the electrical bits were their weak points. Not uncommon to have inoperable radios, electric antennas, etc. The AC systems sucked - they were unreliable and couldn't blow cold anything like a Big 3 car. The cruise control systems were usually on the fritz.
But, the rest of the car could last a nuclear war.
One hing that's changed is the pricing. MB products used to be WAY more expensive. They were much more exclusive. Even back in the late 90's, I'd occasionally see another MB driver. Today, I probably saw 20-30 just on my drive to the gym and back.