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This is why you use the parking brake!

September 26, 2012 by

I suspect most drivers have gotten out of their car and forgotten to put the shifter into park or apply the parking brake if the car is stick. I know I have, but when you have parked on a hill, you might put a little more thought into it.

If watching this young lady back up the driveway isn’t painful enough, what comes next is unreal. At the top of the driveway, she gets out of the car and walks back to pick up something on the driveway. Somehow she manages to avoid being crushed by the runaway Mercedes-Benz, only to get smoked by the driver’s door.

This one came VERY close to becoming a Darwin Award winner!

Filed Under: darwin award, Featured Stories, Funny stuff, mercedes, mercedes benz, runaway car, runaway mercedes, Video

Review: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe

June 4, 2012 by

Here at The Garage, we not only talk about the cars we review, but try to offer our readers some insight on what goes on behind the scenes in the business of automotive journalism. To close my son’s Spring vacation from school I had scheduled a Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan from our friends at Mercedes-Benz North America. Later, I was notified from the press fleet manager that car was earmarked for duty at the 2012 New York International Auto Show, just before my loan. From experience, I’ve been burned from cars getting damaged in New York in the past, so we agreed to find another car from Mercedes. When I got the e-mail that it was a C-Class, I felt I was demoted from first class. Once I got the C-Class, those feelings vanished immediately.

Our test car is the new C350 Coupe. While the current generation C-Class has been around since 2008, for 2012 the car received a thorough update, and the C-Class Coupe is a new addition to the family. Finished in Lunar Blue, the C350 was a class act, and garnered many compliments for its handsome, sophisticated looks.  The shape and styling of the car is timeless, and like many Mercedes coupes from the past, I suspect the C350 Coupe will look just as spectacular decades from now as it does today. There just is not a single bad line on the car. The optional AMG 18″ wheels added a sporty look that complimented the car well.

The improvements to the 2012 C-Class included upgrades to interior materials, and an improved integration of Mercedes’ COMAND infotainment system. That said, I will say the C350 Coupe’s interior is at the top of its class. The quality of materials, feel of the surfaces you sit on and touch are exactly on par with what one would expect from Mercedes-Benz. Our C350 was laden with the latest technological features but the controls were fairly intuitive. I often found myself at odds with the advice the GPS was giving me, however.

Our C350 Coupe was to be our mode of transport from our home on the coast southern Connecticut to Baltimore Maryland’s gorgeous Inner Harbor. I knew I was getting a C-Class, but I got nervous when I saw Mercedes drop off a coupe, and not the four door. My concerns were without merit. For a weekend getaway the C350 offered just the right amount of trunk space, and in spite of being a coupe, my six year old son had plenty of room to stretch out. The standard panoramic sunroof and airy cabin made the C350 a great road trip car.

The C-Class coupes are available with two engines. The C250 offers a 1.8L turbocharged four cylinder rated at 201hp, while the C350 is equipped with a 3.5L V-6 rated at 302hp. C-Class coupes are rear wheel drive (Proper) and have 7-speed automatic transmissions. Acceleration was strong and linear, the shifts nearly seamless. Bombing down I-95 and the New Jersey Turnpike, the C350 proved to be a fantastic tourer, not even breaking a sweat as I checked my speedo to find traffic moving at 90mph.

Although we drove to Baltimore in perfect conditions, coming home to Connecticut was a different story. A massive rain storm was coming up the east coast, and would be a menace to us the entire ride home. The C350, with over 300hp powering its rear wheels, was a model of composure. Whether in gridlock traffic or horrible visibility at highway speeds, the C350 was always composed. Over the course of our journey, I cannot over-emphasize how the blind spot monitoring system saved our skin multiple times. It was white knuckle driving in poor conditions, but the C350 was ideal, and got us home safely. The C350 also boasts impressive fuel economy, with 19/28 MPG city/highway. I was shocked the car got us from Connecticut to Baltimore and then to the top of the Chesapeake Bay on a single tank of gas.

The Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe has a starting price of $42,370. Standard equipment includes a panoramic sunroof, dual zone auto climate control, Harmon Kardon surround sound with HD and Satellite radio. Options on our test car included the Lunar Blue paint, rear view camera, Advanced Agility Package (sportier steering/handling, shift paddles and the AMG wheels), S32 COMAND (7″ color screen, Navigation, voice control, XM Traffic and weather and Zagat restaurant guides), Leather seating package (10-way power passenger seat with memory, leather), Lighting Package (bi-xenon headlights with active curve illumination, headlamp washers) and Lane Tracking Package (blind spot assist, lane keeping assist). The tally for our C350 Coupe came to $51,555USD, including delivery.

As a car journalist, I have the opportunity to drive a lot of cars over the year, but I think the Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe may be the best I have driven this year. Sure, it is a stylish, luxurious and quick grand tourer, and it excelled at that role in perfect weather conditions. But taking the same car, and being able to take my family home safely in a relentless downpour in awful conditions proves that Mercedes-Benz is on-point and at the top of their game. While initially feeling bummed I had been demoted from an S-Class to a C-Class, in the end the C350 Coupe was the ultimate road trip car, rain or shine.

Filed Under: C350, C350 Coupe, Featured Stories, mercedes, mercedes benz, Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe, New car reviews, New cars, Reviews

Got Torque? Mercedes Unveils SL65 AMG

April 9, 2012 by

The 2012 New York Auto Show was Mercedes-Benz’s stage for the world premier of the ultimate iteration of the SL roadster-the SL65 AMG. Available this November, the SL65 packs a 6.0L twin-turbo V-12 packing 621hp, with an asphalt ripping 738 lb ft. of torque paired to a new 7-speed automatic. Mercedes-Benz claims 0-60mph times of 3.9 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 186mph. Despite offering more power than its predecessor, the SL65 is lighter in weight and offers greater fuel efficiency.

AMG decided to celebrate 45 years of business with the SL65 AMG 45th Anniversary Edition, and I suggest you take a good look at the SL65 AMG pictured here, since you’ll never see one again. Only 45 SL65 AMG anniversary cars will be built, and are distinguished by a unique silk matte Designo magno graphite paint finish. Although no pricing was announced at the show, buyers can expect to dig deep for this V-12 brute dressed in a Saville Row suit.

Filed Under: Auto Shows, Exotic Cars, Featured Stories, mercedes, mercedes benz, Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, New cars, new-york-auto-show, News, SL65 AMG, Super Cars

Review: 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550

October 7, 2011 by

Or, How My Family, the Mercedes E and Me Survived Tropical Storm Irene

Weather is for sure an uncertainty. At summer’s end, and with our son about to start Kindergarten, I had planned a weekend in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for some quality family time before the school year began. Those of you unfamiliar with New Hampshire should note the ‘Live Free or Die’ state has but thirteen miles of coastline facing the Atlantic Ocean, and the small city of Portsmouth, described by some as “Boston in miniature” was to be our destination. Our companion for the trip would be a 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 4MATIC sedan. When I planned this trip, and booked the Mercedes, I was not planning on Hurricane Irene.

As a card carrying member of Generation X, I grew up in an era where Mercedes-Benz automobiles were built like tanks, and were practically without peer when it came to build quality. I was thirteen years old when the first E-Class Mercedes started rolling off the line, and I can recall the articles I’d read, which had described the car as a masterwork of Mercedes-Benz engineering. In the 1990′s, the E-Class’ reputation was tarnished by so-so interior materials and reliability issues. With a long weekend that would take us from the Connecticut shore to the coast of Maine, this was a chance to see if Mercedes had restored the E-Class to its former glory.

In this cut-throat market, looks count, and the E550 acquits itself as one serious automobile, no doubt helped by its Steel Grey paint job and optional Sport Package, which adds 18″ AMG twin five-spoke alloys, M-B stamped brake calipers and LED daytime running lights. The E550 is a substantial car, and is arguably the most aggressively styled E-Class ever. Most importantly, it is unmistakably Mercedes from every angle. And as any proper Mercedes should, it oozes class. Once in Portsmouth, I was pleasantly surprised to find what a car-savvy city it was. Sitting at a cafe, well-worn Land Rover Defenders mingled with mint Jaguar E-Types and 1950′s Americana, yet in this odd mix of autos, people took notice of the Benz. Not a point and look sort of thing, but a look of respect I hadn’t seen people take to a Mercedes in some time.

Inside the E550, it is all things you would hope, and expect in a premium German luxury car: exceptional build quality, outstanding materials, and as on the exterior, a serious demeanor. A roomy, airy cabin, highlighted with beige and black leather and burl walnut trim made for a warm, welcoming place to spend a few hours. However, I was initially spooked at the optional Drive Dynamic multi-contour seat. Lean into a turn, and the seat bolsters activate to help hold you in place. It was strange at first, and you can disable it, but it never bothered me to the point I felt a need to. The option also includes a massage feature, but to be honest I was so comfortable I never felt a need to use it.

The COMAND system controls the navigation, audio, and other controls. While there is a bit of a learning curve, I’d argue it is much easier to use than BMW’s iDrive, but not on par with Lexus. But being in an unfamiliar area and leaning on the navigation all the time, the COMAND system became more familiar and easier to use. I appreciated the Real Time traffic data, but it seemed superfluous to keep telling me it was changing my route due to traffic conditions while I’m in the middle of nowhere. The Harmon Kardon audio system with Dolby Digital 5.1 and HD Radio were a welcome accompaniment on our trip, and the Sirius satellite radio kept us entertained.

Speaking of entertainment, under the hood lurks a 5.5L V-8, rated at 382hp, paired to a seven-speed automatic. Mercedes claims a 0-60mph time of 5.3 seconds, and I believe them. I’ve said it before, and I will say again the current crop of Mercedes V-8 engines are one of the sweetest sounding engines out there. Passing power is prodigious, and for a good stretch of the trip a guy in a late model Porsche 911 Turbo was the perfect interstate assault companion. And the E550 never even broke a sweat keeping up with him. The E-Class was built for this sort of travel-high-speed, eating up mile after mile of interstate. It would be hard to imagine a finer automobile to pilot for such a trip-the driver with plenty of power at his disposal, the passengers gliding along in quiet serenity.

As we went back and forth from downtown Portsmouth to Maine, we were transfixed on the Weather Channel, which had predicted Hurricane Irene would hit ground pretty close to our home in Connecticut. On what was to be our last night in New Hampshire, our cell phones were buzzing with emergency messages from our town. Our street was told to evacuate. We weren’t going anywhere. Which was fine by me-although I had no doubt in the E550′s all-wheel drive system, I had no interest in driving through Irene, even if she had been downgraded to a tropical storm. While New England got pummeled, Portsmouth was at the very edge of the storm. It rained heavy in the morning, but we were walking the streets in the afternoon.

The E-Class is available in a dizzying array of styles. Sedan. Wagon. Cabriolet. Coupe. Power? Pick from gas V-6 or V-8, and there is a diesel available. Rear or all-wheel drive. And of course, an AMG version. Our test car, an E550 4MATIC has a starting list price of $59,600USD. Our well-equipped car, including delivery costs, rang in at $72,145. Affordable? No. But this is a top-tier, no excuses luxury sport sedan. Sure, you might buy a Lexus or Infiniti for less, but the E-Class carries with it a weight, a presence, and a history neither brand can match. The current E-Class, especially in E550 form is proof that Mercedes-Benz has once again established themselves as the benchmark against which all other luxury sedans are judged against. A positively exceptional automobile, which is exactly how I first got to learn about Mercedes-Benz cars when I was a kid.

Filed Under: E-Class, E550, Featured Stories, mercedes, mercedes benz, Mercedes-Benz E550, New car reviews, Reviews

Review: Mercedes-Benz ML550 4Matic

December 29, 2010 by

It may seem hard to believe, but the M-Class has now entered its thirteenth model year. The first ML350 was introduced as a 1998, and was the first SUV Mercedes sold in North America. Sales were brisk, as the M-Class stood alone. It would be another year until the BMW X5 went on sale. While the demand for a premium, German-engineered SUV (M-Classes are built in Tuscaloosa, Alabama) was certainly present, there were some problems. Critics complained that for an SUV, it had a minivan look to it. Worse, the M-Class debuted at a time where many felt Mercedes had lowered its standards of quality, particularly with the interior.

The second generation M-Class was introduced as a 2006 model, and was refreshed in 2009. While the M-Class is well into its life cycle, this is The Garage’s first chance to spend some quality time with the Mercedes SUV that started it all in North America. But there are lingering questions-have the problems that dogged the first M-Class been addressed? Four years into its life cycle, is the current M-Class still competitive? Click continue to find out!

First off, Mercedes learned its lesson. If you make an SUV that reminds some people of a minivan, you are going to turn off buyers-specifically men, who flocked to the BMW X5. Our ML550 more than makes up for mistakes of the past. To start, you have all the hallmarks of Mercedes design done right-class, elegance, and style. Distinctly Mercedes-Benz, and not at all overdone. With the ML550, you get AMG goodies, like the 19″ wheels, and AMG designed front and rear bumpers.

The delightful result? Our ML550 was absolutely menacing. I found myself biting my lip as did my first walk around. This is a serious looking vehicle. But that’s just the beginning. The ML550 has remarkable road presence. Barreling down I-95 at an effortless 80mph, the ML parts traffic like Moses parted the Red Sea. Of all the cars I have ever tested, none make slower traffic step aside like the ML550.

Ok, so Mercedes took care of the exterior, what about inside? I’m pleased to report that Mercedes listened to the critics. In fact, I am tempted to go so far to say that Mercedes have redeemed themselves. Quality, high grade materials, and excellent workmanship are evident all over. While basic controls for audio and climate control are intuitive enough to use, there are enough buttons and whatnot that cracking open the owners manual might be a good idea to understand how to work all the car’s features. The turn signal, whose stalk rests lower than what most are accustomed to takes some adjusting. Otherwise, the ML550′s interior is well executed, and quite comfortable.

The ML550 is powered by a 5.5 liter V-8, pumping out a healthy 382hp, mated to a 7-speed automatic. ML550′s are available with 4Matic all-wheel drive only. Mercedes is currently producing some of the best V-8 engines out there, in terms of performance and sound. For a fairly substantial SUV, acceleration is almost astonishing, and the soundtrack that accompanies the rush of acceleration makes the experience all the sweeter. Mercedes confirms the quickness-0-60 mph in a scant 5.6 seconds.  Obviously, all this fun, combined with considerable heft, makes for a thirsty car. EPA ratings of 13/18 city/highway MPG may turn off buyers, but Mercedes will happily sell you a V-6, hyrbid, or diesel M-Class if that is a concern. Meanwhile, us hedonists will continue to enjoy the magic of the 5.5L V-8.

Like Toyota/Lexus, Mercedes has received some criticism for offering too many options for crossover/SUV shoppers. Having reviewed the GLK350 over the summer, the M-Class is the ‘just right’ SUV from Mercedes. A roomy, comfortable cabin, plenty of room in the rear for luggage, gear, or whatever your fancy, and enough engine choices to please most any buyer.

Of course, all this fun and opulence comes at a cost. The ML550 starts at $57,590USD. Our heavily optioned test car rang in at a considerable $$70,175. Before you start howling at the price, consider that the insane ML63 AMG has a starting price of $92,590. The ML550 provides all the performance you need and then some, so in that light, the smart Mercedes SUV buyer will take the ML550, it’s wicked V-8, and AMG styling touches, and laugh themselves all the way to the bank.

Filed Under: In The Garage, M-Class, mercedes, mercedes benz, mercedes-benz ml550, ML550, Road test
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