We should shelve the fantasy of manned flight to Mars and send a series of better and better robot explorers.
I wholeheartedly agree, more and better robot explorers. OTOH, manned flights to Martian orbit, and establishment of an orbiting permanent station around Mars would be a good first step *toward* human landings on the planet, and an ideal location from which to directly operate surface robotic rovers and robotic construction machinery to build the first surface habitats.