AF
09-25-2004, 10:15 AM
Mercedes held an event called the Love tour which basically had 3 different things to do.
One of them was an Autocross track which was VERY big. It was at the same location I've done BMWCCA events and the track was the same size if not bigger. Plus they REALLY let you get on the cars with a straightaway that let you hit 60 to 70 mph :thumbup:
They had 3 SLK350's, 3 or 4 SL500's, 1 CLK320 Coupe, 1 CLK320 cab, 1 CLK500 coupe & 1 CLK500 Cab.
Obviously the fastest lines were the SLK & SL so I took 2 SLK's around the track, 1 SL500 & I took the CLK320 Coupe twice
The SLK350 is FAST, Nimble and feels like it can't be benz ... I was so surprised by how good this car felt. It really handled the slalom with ease, it handled the sweeping curves like a sports car, felt very predictable and the engine had excellent power. The interior is very sharp looking but the first one I sat in wouldn't let me recline the seat back since it kept moving the bottom cushion forward so I wasn't too comfy, the 2nd SLK350 allowed me to get much more comfy but keep in mind this car is very small. I would say it has one of the smallest interiors of almost any car I've been in. The SL500 feels huge in comparison and by the way the SL500 is one fast mutha but you definitely feel the weight of this thing, nimble is not in this car's vocabulary though on the sweeping turns are about 30 to 40 mph it handled pretty well. Just don't do a slalom with it as you turn the wheel, the front wheels turn, then the weight shifts, then it turns and this is with the sport package and that ABC handling thing they have.
The CLK320 is a great car but with the stock base wheel's and tires it is mushy as can be and understeers like crazy, kinda feels similiar to a premium package 325xi ... Too bad they don't have a sports package for this car because my fathers CLK500 feels much better then it though the 320's engine is more then good for me.
BTW driving an Automatic around the track was a first for me and I have to say it was much better then I could have ever expected. The transmissions held the gears when I needed them to and I think of my 5 different vehicles, there was only once I had to wait for it to downshift at only one straight away. The new transmissions adapt beautifully. plus with an automatic you can really concentrate completey on driving and handling.
One other quick note, I drove the E320 Deisel which was very quick and sounded nothing like a deisel. When I got out of the car I actually looked at the emblem on the back to make sure I wasn't driving a regular E320. I can't beleive how the engine sounds like a normal gas engine :yikes:
I also drove an E500 4 matic on this tiny little course showing off the traction on wet slippery ground and the steering was so much more responsive then the E320 gas powered car I jumped in afterwards. It stinks that you have to spend over $61k to get such a great mid size sports sedan with good steering ...
Actually all the Benz's have gotten very expensive, it seems Mercedes became almost reasonable for a number of years but have slowly crawled there prices up to some crazy numbers .. what happened to the day an E320 was $49k ... which now comfortably equiped without sport package is now around $55k, go for the sport package and your at $59k :yikes:
The most reasonable car is the C230 Sport sedan, unfortunately they had none ther to test drive but you could sit in one ... the new interior is pretty sweet ...
One of them was an Autocross track which was VERY big. It was at the same location I've done BMWCCA events and the track was the same size if not bigger. Plus they REALLY let you get on the cars with a straightaway that let you hit 60 to 70 mph :thumbup:
They had 3 SLK350's, 3 or 4 SL500's, 1 CLK320 Coupe, 1 CLK320 cab, 1 CLK500 coupe & 1 CLK500 Cab.
Obviously the fastest lines were the SLK & SL so I took 2 SLK's around the track, 1 SL500 & I took the CLK320 Coupe twice
The SLK350 is FAST, Nimble and feels like it can't be benz ... I was so surprised by how good this car felt. It really handled the slalom with ease, it handled the sweeping curves like a sports car, felt very predictable and the engine had excellent power. The interior is very sharp looking but the first one I sat in wouldn't let me recline the seat back since it kept moving the bottom cushion forward so I wasn't too comfy, the 2nd SLK350 allowed me to get much more comfy but keep in mind this car is very small. I would say it has one of the smallest interiors of almost any car I've been in. The SL500 feels huge in comparison and by the way the SL500 is one fast mutha but you definitely feel the weight of this thing, nimble is not in this car's vocabulary though on the sweeping turns are about 30 to 40 mph it handled pretty well. Just don't do a slalom with it as you turn the wheel, the front wheels turn, then the weight shifts, then it turns and this is with the sport package and that ABC handling thing they have.
The CLK320 is a great car but with the stock base wheel's and tires it is mushy as can be and understeers like crazy, kinda feels similiar to a premium package 325xi ... Too bad they don't have a sports package for this car because my fathers CLK500 feels much better then it though the 320's engine is more then good for me.
BTW driving an Automatic around the track was a first for me and I have to say it was much better then I could have ever expected. The transmissions held the gears when I needed them to and I think of my 5 different vehicles, there was only once I had to wait for it to downshift at only one straight away. The new transmissions adapt beautifully. plus with an automatic you can really concentrate completey on driving and handling.
One other quick note, I drove the E320 Deisel which was very quick and sounded nothing like a deisel. When I got out of the car I actually looked at the emblem on the back to make sure I wasn't driving a regular E320. I can't beleive how the engine sounds like a normal gas engine :yikes:
I also drove an E500 4 matic on this tiny little course showing off the traction on wet slippery ground and the steering was so much more responsive then the E320 gas powered car I jumped in afterwards. It stinks that you have to spend over $61k to get such a great mid size sports sedan with good steering ...
Actually all the Benz's have gotten very expensive, it seems Mercedes became almost reasonable for a number of years but have slowly crawled there prices up to some crazy numbers .. what happened to the day an E320 was $49k ... which now comfortably equiped without sport package is now around $55k, go for the sport package and your at $59k :yikes:
The most reasonable car is the C230 Sport sedan, unfortunately they had none ther to test drive but you could sit in one ... the new interior is pretty sweet ...