Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

andres3

@abacomike The Silver paint looks well done on the Mercedes. I hope you never have to find out how a Florida body shop would replace the "silver paint" and call it "as good."

andres3

In case your all wondering how the Virus is affecting crash and/or fatality rates the early reports are very positive.

1. We have increased speeds due to less congestion.
2. We have less collisions due to less congestion.
3. We have less death due to less congestion.

Even when accounting for "rates" this seems to be true. We have shown improvements, even if the improvements could be as little as 15%, it could be much higher. The potential for light bulbs to go off is good.

Admittedly, these reports are not the most exact, but the figures are promising.

https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/california-saving-40-million-a-day-thanks-to-reduced-road-traffic-due-to-coronavirus/

https://foxwilmington.com/headlines/california-car-crashes-decreased-by-over-50-percent-saving-taxpayers-1b-report/

fintail

Congrats. Get us some interior pics too. Funny, I also use blue for my ambientlighting color.

Beware, the app is insanely buggy and crashes a lot, at least on Android. MB has apparently spared every expense on that one, not a good look when trying to be high tech.

I keep my car in "E" most of the time, as the engine has so much torque, it just kind of loafs off the line in 2nd gear and still is faster than almost any other driver here.

abacomike said:

I sure signed an awful lot of paperwork, that's for sure. I decided to put $10,000 down (they let me use my credit card so $100 cash back always helps), total out of pocket, and financed the rest at 0% interest. They gave me a credit of $750 toward the first month's payment - first payment is not due until 8/3/20, or 90 days.

There is no doubt, whatsoever, that the S450 is a marvelous, beautiful and great handling car. The E450 is much less of a car, but I have to get used to it. The seats are a bit stiffer, but I am able to get in and out of the car with ease. They have a new Mercedes "Me Connect" (like onstar) which I am going to have to get familiar with. It shows oil level, engine temp, notifies me if I forget to lock the doors (which it already did today) and will notify me if motion is detected in the car or if someone tries to tow it. It is going to take some time to get used to the new system. But the rest of the buttons, apps, etc., will be a snap because it is almost identical to the S450.

The car has a head-jerking acceleration from a stop - the power curve is phenominal. 362 horsepower with 273 torque coupled with the 4MATIC AWD system. Audio system is the same as the one in the S450 with 2 sub woofers somehow attached to the body to provide true base reproduction.

The inside is very, very light - almost an off-white with black leather trim all around and textured black wood in the doors, console, and dashboard. Ambient lighting gives you the choice of hundreds of color combinations - I chose a deep blue. I will take it out for a spin tomorrow up the turnpike to get a feel for the road. Hope you guys like it.

abacomike

fintail said:

Congrats. Get us some interior pics too. Funny, I also use blue for my ambientlighting color.

Beware, the app is insanely buggy and crashes a lot, at least on Android. MB has apparently spared every expense on that one, not a good look when trying to be high tech.

I keep my car in "E" most of the time, as the engine has so much torque, it just kind of loafs off the line in 2nd gear and still is faster than almost any other driver here.

abacomike said:

I sure signed an awful lot of paperwork, that's for sure. I decided to put $10,000 down (they let me use my credit card so $100 cash back always helps), total out of pocket, and financed the rest at 0% interest. They gave me a credit of $750 toward the first month's payment - first payment is not due until 8/3/20, or 90 days.

There is no doubt, whatsoever, that the S450 is a marvelous, beautiful and great handling car. The E450 is much less of a car, but I have to get used to it. The seats are a bit stiffer, but I am able to get in and out of the car with ease. They have a new Mercedes "Me Connect" (like onstar) which I am going to have to get familiar with. It shows oil level, engine temp, notifies me if I forget to lock the doors (which it already did today) and will notify me if motion is detected in the car or if someone tries to tow it. It is going to take some time to get used to the new system. But the rest of the buttons, apps, etc., will be a snap because it is almost identical to the S450.

The car has a head-jerking acceleration from a stop - the power curve is phenominal. 362 horsepower with 273 torque coupled with the 4MATIC AWD system. Audio system is the same as the one in the S450 with 2 sub woofers somehow attached to the body to provide true base reproduction.

The inside is very, very light - almost an off-white with black leather trim all around and textured black wood in the doors, console, and dashboard. Ambient lighting gives you the choice of hundreds of color combinations - I chose a deep blue. I will take it out for a spin tomorrow up the turnpike to get a feel for the road. Hope you guys like it.

Yes, fintail. I feel they tried to do too much with the new "Mercedes Me Connect"! I don't need an app to tell me how much gas I have in the tank or how many miles I can drive until I need to add fuel. I don't need to know if my engine is running or what my oil levels are. It collects almost all the data the car puts out - probably extracts all that info from one or more of the car's computers.

I do like the alert I got when I went up to my condo in the elevator - "doors are not locked"! So I just pressed "lock" and the doors were locked in 20 seconds. It not only shows you where your car is parked on a map, but also it predicts the mileage to my next destination based on my driving habits. TMI (too much information). I probably won't even use the multitude of functions.

roadburner

abacomike said:

I do like the alert I got when I went up to my condo in the elevator - "doors are not locked"! So I just pressed "lock" and the doors were locked in 20 seconds. It not only shows you where your car is parked on a map, but also it predicts the mileage to my next destination based on my driving habits. TMI (too much information). I probably won't even use the multitude of functions.

I'm happy with the ConnectedDrive app on my 2 Series; I particularly like being able to send destinations to the nav system from my phone. It has a predictive feature as well; I've been driving it to work a couple of times per week so the app will tell me at approximately 5 minutes before I leave for work or home, "Your drive to work/home will take approximately XX minutes."

abacomike

roadburner said:

abacomike said:

I do like the alert I got when I went up to my condo in the elevator - "doors are not locked"! So I just pressed "lock" and the doors were locked in 20 seconds. It not only shows you where your car is parked on a map, but also it predicts the mileage to my next destination based on my driving habits. TMI (too much information). I probably won't even use the multitude of functions.

I'm happy with the ConnectedDrive app on my 2 Series; I particularly like being able to send destinations to the nav system from my phone. It has a predictive feature as well; I've been driving it to work a couple of times per week so the app will tell me at approximately 5 minutes before I leave for work or home, "Your drive to work/home will take approximately XX minutes."

The best feature on my app is "Send To Benz" which, like your app, sends a destination to the GPS in the car from my iPhone or from my computer (PC). I use that more than any other feature. When I get in the car and start the engine, the destination pops up and the voice command asks me if I want to start route guidance. If I don't it saves it to my previous destinations. Nice feature.

stickguy

I just do that with google maps. spec it all out on my phone, leave it up, then plug the phone in when I get in the car and it pops right up in Carplay. Same process.

roadburner

stickguy said:

I just do that with google maps. spec it all out on my phone, leave it up, then plug the phone in when I get in the car and it pops right up in Carplay. Same process.

Except I never have to plug in a phone.

abacomike

I am collecting rubber bands because if I can't get a haircut in the next week or two, I am going to put my hair into a ponytail. It's been 10-12 weeks since my last haircut. Never, ever had such long hair. Maybe hair curlers would help - who knows?

driver100

Great looking car Mike....the silver with the pano roof really makes it...along with the simple smooth lines.
Proud of you for taking some pretty good pictures.
Do you have the light in the grill?

jipster

abacomike said:

I am collecting rubber bands because if I can't get a haircut in the next week or two, I am going to put my hair into a ponytail. It's been 10-12 weeks since my last haircut. Never, ever had such long hair. Maybe hair curlers would help - who knows?

Now that you have posting photos down, how about one with you and that ponytail?

Luckily for me, my wife took cosmetology in high school, and has been cutting my hair for over 25 years.

stickguy

my wife and daughter have been discussing what they should have done different on the top of my head last time, and planning changes for the next attempt. If they get it right, I might let them do it going forward. Hey, $20/month saved is better than nothing!

abacomike

driver100 said:

Great looking car Mike....the silver with the pano roof really makes it...along with the simple smooth lines.
Proud of you for taking some pretty good pictures.
Do you have the light in the grill?

No light in grille - but I got the Mercedes Benz logo projections that light up the ground with the Mercedes Star at night when you open the front doors - another waste of $250 along with the heated steering wheel which was also $250 - I didn't even ask how it switched on or off - I'll never ever use it.

fintail

I also have the logo projectors, dealer-installed bric a brac, profit center. I wouldn't have chosen them, but they were on the car. Thankfully, as my car has the formal grille, it can't have the illuminated grille star - not something I like.

My car has the heated steering wheel too, along with heated armrests and console lid (and seats, of course), in the "warmth and comfort" package. Seemed like a gimmick, but I took a liking to it fast and love it on a cold morning. Of course, I don't live in FL

Control is on a small stalk just below the turn signal/cruise stalk.

ab348

I like the blackout roof on your new E450, Mike. Watch out for that curb at the front of your space though! Looking forward to some interior pics.

imidazol97

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Great looking car Mike....the silver with the pano roof really makes it...along with the simple smooth lines.
Proud of you for taking some pretty good pictures.
Do you have the light in the grill?

No light in grille - but I got the Mercedes Benz logo projections that light up the ground with the Mercedes Star at night when you open the front doors - another waste of $250 along with the heated steering wheel which was also $250 - I didn't even ask how it switched on or off - I'll never ever use it.

Heated steering wheel? Sounds like an Ohio option.
But then it might get below 60 some mornings and you could turn it on to try it.

abacomike

ab348 said:

I like the blackout roof on your new E450, Mike. Watch out for that curb at the front of your space though! Looking forward to some interior pics.

Yes - that front curb is always on my mind when pulling in to park. I usually engage my Auto Park system which brings up a front view of my car and front bumper - as I get closer to the curb pylon, it begins to beep and I can navigate to avoid going in too far so as not to damage the underside of the bumper. Great feature with 360 degree image of the car and its surroundings.

venture

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Great looking car Mike....the silver with the pano roof really makes it...along with the simple smooth lines.
Proud of you for taking some pretty good pictures.
Do you have the light in the grill?

No light in grille - but I got the Mercedes Benz logo projections that light up the ground with the Mercedes Star at night when you open the front doors - another waste of $250 along with the heated steering wheel which was also $250 - I didn't even ask how it switched on or off - I'll never ever use it.

Don't the logo projections light up when you get near the doors? Usually you don't have to open the door for the light to come on.

graphicguy

Michaell said:

As the girls prepare to reopen the cooking studio later this month, they are concerned about the lack of yeast. Many of their recipes call for it, so they might have to scramble to come up with alternatives.

I make bread and pizza crust all the time. Need Yeast? Make your own. 1:1 ratio of water to flour. Wait a few days until it bubbles. It will smell funky after a few days. Then, it may smell a little like beer. That’s when it’s ready. You have to feed it a little more flour and a little more water after the “smells like beer” stage.

I use a washed out pickle jar with a lid to make mine. After it’s “fermented”, keep it in your fridge for when you need it. Just remember to “feed” it. It should keep for a very long time.

graphicguy

Mike....very nice car. I like it. Big Congrats!

@roadburner ....what I found out when buying my Stinger, their sales people are mostly inexperienced and pretty much are little more than greeters to qualify an “up”. Unless you’re right in front of them, they aren’t very motivated to help. I almost think it’s a Kia Sales Training “thing”. Don’t expend much energy until the prospect is right in front of you to close.

Probably not the best way of doing this given the current situation.

Qualifying my statement given I don’t know how different one dealership is from another, once you’re in front of them at their store, and have a car picked out, they get VERY serious about making deals.

Not ideal, and certainly not like going to the BMW or Acura dealership, but that seems to be the situation with Kia. For good or ill, I view it as a brief inconvenience to get what is a sterling car. I actually had some fun with the sales person asking her obscure data about the car and its features, which sent her scrambling off....somewhere...assuming to a sales guide of some sort, to get the answers.

graphicguy

@jipster....if you can feel some grit on the finish, then yes, clay it. Last car that had that sort of “grit” feeling on it was my CTS. It took me about 30 minutes to get it clayed. But, that was a big car.

graphicguy

Mentioned this briefly before, but Costco is offering deals via their membership for Mercedes, Volvos, Chevrolets, Hondas, plus some deals on services.

For those interested....

https://www.costcoauto.com/special_offers/

tjc78

I remember using clay on my 04 Grand Marquis after my Grandfather passed and I took ownership.

I had waxed it a few times while he had it but it wasn’t done all that often.

Went through two whole clay bars and a bottle of spray. Really looked amazing when done. Ford’s white paint sucked during those years and it had a tendency to flake off in sheets. Luckily this car only had that happen on the hood and that was repaired many years prior.

tjc78

graphicguy said:

Michaell said:

As the girls prepare to reopen the cooking studio later this month, they are concerned about the lack of yeast. Many of their recipes call for it, so they might have to scramble to come up with alternatives.

I make bread and pizza crust all the time. Need Yeast? Make your own. 1:1 ratio of water to flour. Wait a few days until it bubbles. It will smell funky after a few days. Then, it may smell a little like beer. That’s when it’s ready. You have to feed it a little more flour and a little more water after the “smells like beer” stage.

I use a washed out pickle jar with a lid to make mine. After it’s “fermented”, keep it in your fridge for when you need it. Just remember to “feed” it. It should keep for a very long time.

Interesting. We will have to try this!

stickguy

That’s basically sourdough starter. Various recipes for that. Many videos on YouTube.

tjc78

I really never thought to do it at home. What else are we doing, lol.

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Great looking car Mike....the silver with the pano roof really makes it...along with the simple smooth lines.
Proud of you for taking some pretty good pictures.
Do you have the light in the grill?

No light in grille - but I got the Mercedes Benz logo projections that light up the ground with the Mercedes Star at night when you open the front doors - another waste of $250 along with the heated steering wheel which was also $250 - I didn't even ask how it switched on or off - I'll never ever use it.

Switch for heated steering wheel is along the left side of the steering column, kind of a tiny gear shift closest to the instrument panel.....you turn it around a bit. Heated steering wheels must be a godsend for people with arthritis. I sure like it on colder days.

driver100

fintail said:

I also have the logo projectors, dealer-installed bric a brac, profit center. I wouldn't have chosen them, but they were on the car. Thankfully, as my car has the formal grille, it can't have the illuminated grille star - not something I like.

My car has the heated steering wheel too, along with heated armrests and console lid (and seats, of course), in the "warmth and comfort" package. Seemed like a gimmick, but I took a liking to it fast and love it on a cold morning. Of course, I don't live in FL

Control is on a small stalk just below the turn signal/cruise stalk.

That heated console surprised me. It gets pretty hot, and one time I thought the console was burning up because I put my arm on it and it was really hot, and my bum heater wasn't on...but, Mrs D100's warmer was on...heats up if passenger's is on.

driver100

graphicguy said:

Mentioned this briefly before, but Costco is offering deals via their membership for Mercedes, Volvos, Chevrolets, Hondas, plus some deals on services.

For those interested....

https://www.costcoauto.com/special_offers/

Costco announced they are limiting the sale of meat today.
People are probably stocking up....like they did with toilet paper.

abacomike

abacomike

Took the above pics this morning.

stickguy

They sold you a lemon if you aren’t allowed to roll down the passenger window!

abacomike

Couldn't put windows down yet - the tint is still curing - can roll them down tomorrow.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

Mentioned this briefly before, but Costco is offering deals via their membership for Mercedes, Volvos, Chevrolets, Hondas, plus some deals on services.

For those interested....

https://www.costcoauto.com/special_offers/

Costco announced they are limiting the sale of meat today.
People are probably stocking hoarding up....like they did with toilet paper.

There. I fixed that for you.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Great looking car Mike....the silver with the pano roof really makes it...along with the simple smooth lines.
Proud of you for taking some pretty good pictures.
Do you have the light in the grill?

No light in grille - but I got the Mercedes Benz logo projections that light up the ground with the Mercedes Star at night when you open the front doors - another waste of $250 along with the heated steering wheel which was also $250 - I didn't even ask how it switched on or off - I'll never ever use it.

Switch for heated steering wheel is along the left side of the steering column, kind of a tiny gear shift closest to the instrument panel.....you turn it around a bit. Heated steering wheels must be a godsend for people with arthritis. I sure like it on colder days.

I do like the heated steering wheel on the BMW however I don't seem to miss it on the other cars. Now on the motorcycle on cool days the heated hand grips are a godsend.

roadburner

graphicguy said:

Mentioned this briefly before, but Costco is offering deals via their membership for Mercedes, Volvos, Chevrolets, Hondas, plus some deals on services.

For those interested....

https://www.costcoauto.com/special_offers/

Great; that would be a grand total of two cars for me- a 2SS 1LE and a Type R

Edit: I clicked on the link- make that a grand total of zero(0) cars I would have any interest in owning.

suydam

I love the Chevy app on my Volt. It’s really nice to put in an address and send to the Nav. It’s also useful if I’m charging the car away from home. I can check the charge level to see when it’s done or close to it.

imidazol97

abacomike said:

Need to get that green sticker out of the passenger armrest.

I like the purple lights accents. My Malibu has light accents across the dash
and into the doors along a chrome trim peace. It's a beautiful aqua color.
Same color is used in the HVAC and radio entertainment controls for accent lighting.

snakeweasel

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

Mentioned this briefly before, but Costco is offering deals via their membership for Mercedes, Volvos, Chevrolets, Hondas, plus some deals on services.

For those interested....

https://www.costcoauto.com/special_offers/

Costco announced they are limiting the sale of meat today.
People are probably stocking hoarding up....like they did with toilet paper.

There. I fixed that for you.

If you're going to fix it fix it correctly, there shouldn't be an "up" after "hoarding". People are hoarding, not hoarding up.

imidazol97

Now I've done it!
I changed out of my Wrangler jeans for a new pair. Threw the mix of clothes into the laundry in the washer. Started it. Sitting at the counter reading Edmunds, and started to get myself ready to go to Meijer. No car keys.

I ran to the washer. Hit the off button. It had already been filling with the stream of water that contains soap from the beginning (it has the automatic soap dispenser). Jeans were on top but still were wet. At least they weren't on the bottom under some of the depth of water as the rinse and fill procedure goes.

Both key fobs still work. Both sets wet. I dried them with a towel. The pocket layer seemed to have protected them and slowed the water getting onto them. $10 eBay would replace the Cobalt fob, and $50 including a new retractable key would replace Malibu fob which I can program myself.

carnaught

abacomike said:

Took the above pics this morning.

Really like it, Mike. The lighter interior, IMHO, is brighter and richer than black. That digital dash is very cool.

Are your wheels 18’s? What make are the tires?

ab348

Mike's interior is tres posh. I like the lighter leather so much better than the usual black that comes with silver, and the accent lighting is very cool. Does M-B still offer a porcelain or very light grey color choice inside? I like the open-pore wood trim too.

abacomike

venture said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Great looking car Mike....the silver with the pano roof really makes it...along with the simple smooth lines.
Proud of you for taking some pretty good pictures.
Do you have the light in the grill?

No light in grille - but I got the Mercedes Benz logo projections that light up the ground with the Mercedes Star at night when you open the front doors - another waste of $250 along with the heated steering wheel which was also $250 - I didn't even ask how it switched on or off - I'll never ever use it.

Don't the logo projections light up when you get near the doors? Usually you don't have to open the door for the light to come on.

You could be correct, but since I can't remember the last time I drove a car after sunset, I'll never know if the logo projections light up when approaching the car!

abacomike

ab348 said:

Mike's interior is tres posh. I like the lighter leather so much better than the usual black that comes with silver, and the accent lighting is very cool. Does M-B still offer a porcelain or very light grey color choice inside? I like the open-pore wood trim too.

My 2016 Mercedes CLS400 had porcelain leather seating - almost pure white. This machhino beige leather is almost as light as the porcelain was. I would imagine that since I wear shorts 99% of the time down here, I will have to have the leather cleaned and refreshed a couple of times a year. The porcelain interior was not one of the optional leather choices for the S Class or the E Class. They may have discontinued it because the machhino beige is almost the same.

As for the open pore wood trim, it has a nice texture to it. It won't show all the scratches like the polished wood trim used to on the console. There are so many buttons on this car (on the console, on the dashboard above the console and on the steering wheel, not to mention the distronic buttons on the left side above the light swivel. What I really like is the ability to control both left and right sides of the screens with the touch of my thumb on the left and right spoke of the steering wheel. Don't have to take my eyes off the road to do that.

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

abacomike said:

Need to get that green sticker out of the passenger armrest.

I like the purple lights accents. My Malibu has light accents across the dash
and into the doors along a chrome trim peace. It's a beautiful aqua color.
Same color is used in the HVAC and radio entertainment controls for accent lighting.

I will take the green stickers off the right and left armrests tomorrow morning. They are there to prevent you from dropping the windows. When I tried to get into the community yesterday afternoon and this morning, I almost dropped the window at the gate - to show my ID card to the security person. I opened the door instead.

Since the covid-19 onset, the offices for our condo community have been closed so I have not been able to get a new vehicle bar code to put on my right rear passenger door window. I just got a call from the on-duty clerk at the main office who took my voice message. She told me to take a photo of my new registration and attach it to an email and send the email to the guy in charge of our community relations. Once he gets the registration, they will issue me a new bar code and one of the security guards will put it on my car during the night shift. Which night is the big question.

coldinohio

nice E class !
love the ventilated seats in Florida
like the display screen configuration

graphicguy

tjc78 said:

graphicguy said:

Michaell said:

As the girls prepare to reopen the cooking studio later this month, they are concerned about the lack of yeast. Many of their recipes call for it, so they might have to scramble to come up with alternatives.

I make bread and pizza crust all the time. Need Yeast? Make your own. 1:1 ratio of water to flour. Wait a few days until it bubbles. It will smell funky after a few days. Then, it may smell a little like beer. That’s when it’s ready. You have to feed it a little more flour and a little more water after the “smells like beer” stage.

I use a washed out pickle jar with a lid to make mine. After it’s “fermented”, keep it in your fridge for when you need it. Just remember to “feed” it. It should keep for a very long time.

Interesting. We will have to try this!

@stickguy is right. Plenty of recipes....

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-sourdough-starter-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-47337

Personally, going through all the gyrations of weighing, etc never netted me anything better than using my recipe of 1:1 ratio of water to flour. Then, the only thing you need is time. You can get results in as little as 2-3 days. I let mine go for about a week to 10 days to get more flavor depth. Just replace any flour/water in it whenever you use some in a recipe and "feed the beast" (yeast).

abacomike

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

Mentioned this briefly before, but Costco is offering deals via their membership for Mercedes, Volvos, Chevrolets, Hondas, plus some deals on services.

For those interested....

https://www.costcoauto.com/special_offers/

Costco announced they are limiting the sale of meat today.
People are probably stocking up....like they did with toilet paper.

I don't eat red meat or pork very often, so it won't affect me. It's not that I don't like those meats, but I try to stay away from fresh meats lately. I eat white meat chicken and turkey if I am having any meats for dinner or lunch. I haven't been to Costco since the onset of this pandemic, but the new store in Coral Springs is very nice. I just get my gasoline at Costco.

driver100

Mike...inside is gorgeous. You know you can have different sets of speedometers. I use traditional...there is a racing one that features the tach more, and I have one that I call Star Wars...pretty space like.

abacomike

carnaught said:

abacomike said:

Took the above pics this morning.

Really like it, Mike. The lighter interior, IMHO, is brighter and richer than black. That digital dash is very cool.

Are your wheels 18’s? What make are the tires?

I got the 19" AMG 5 double spoke option - they are Goodyear Run-Flats. Don't have the size handy, but I know all 4 wheels/tires are the same size - I can have them rotated so I don't have to replace the front tires every 10,000 miles or less.