| Mercedes-Benz' Slick new SLK
Mercedes-Benz sporty SLK is back with a new, third generation version that's attractive, luxurious, and fun to drive.
And the two seat, retractable hard top "vario-roof" car looks and works better than ever, with a new exterior that's reminiscent of the company's SLS AMG supercar, and with enough performance and technology to please the discerning driver. more...
GLK 350 4MATIC
Mercedes-Benz' "entry level" SUV offers a lot of benefits for the luxury-minded consumer. The midsize GLK goes head to head with such worthy competitors as the Volvo XC60, VW Touareg, Lexus RX 350, BMW X5 and Audi Q5. And 'twould be tough, indeed, to decide between 'em if it were my money.
The GLK 350 (as do many of today's vehicles) gets its motivation from a 3.5 liter, 24-valve V6 engine. This particular power plant could use just a smidgen more oomph than the 268 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and 258 lb.-ft. of torque @ 2,400-5,000 rpm provided, but it's hardly a deal breaker – and regardless of my oomph angst, it's competitive in its class. more...
2011 Mercedes Put Author At "E's"
Mercedes-Benz' E Class vehicles offer some compelling choices for drivers looking for a car that's state-of-the-art innovative, comfortable and classy.
I got to spend about a week in each of the E 350 4Matic sedan and the E 550 Cabriolet – proving once again what a great job I have – and, while both E class cars look, act and feel very different from each other, I came away liking both of them more than I thought I would.
Not that I didn't think they'd be great cars. After all, Mercedes-Benz needs no excuses. more...
smart fortwo - Smart? Or Just Politically Correct?
There are many, many good and economical cars on the market today. The "smart" fortwo is not one of them.
The "smart" fortwo is easily the worst new car I have driven. I knew within five minutes, maybe less, of having taken possession of the thing that my week would be an ordeal. And when my time was up I was very happy to turn in the stupidly-designed "black icons on a black background and therefore virtually illegible" key fob. more...
Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy
Take some world class cars from one of Germany's top marques, add a day on a road course race track learning and honing your driving skills, and what do you have?
Well, besides one of my ideas of heaven, you have the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy. more...
Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic
Mercedes-Benz' C class is the most affordable of the German carmaker's sedan line, but that doesn't mean it feels like an entry level vehicle. It is, after all, a Mercedes. And that means even its lower end cars are upper echelon in the grand scheme of things.
So it is with the new C. Mercedes-Benz says the fourth generation C300 has a greater emphasis on agility, safety and comfort than before, and with "a sportier flair." more...
Mercedes-Benz E280 4Matic
How can a sedan with a well-earned reputation for excellence leave a reviewer feeling ambivalent after a week behind the wheel?
It couldn't have been the fact that the 2007 Mercedes-Benz E280 4Matic is the "entry level" version of the popular E-Class; heck, a "lower end" Benz (which is about as close to an oxymoron as I can think of!) is still an important vehicle in the automotive world, a car that lets mere mortals know you've arrived. And when I drove the even more "entry level" B200 Turbo a while back, I loved the little critter. What gives? more...
Mercedes B200
Turbo – A Little Car
that Can
Maybe Nissan shouldn't have cancelled its Axxess so many
years ago.
That old car, long dead now, may have been ahead of its
time because it almost seems like a "down market prototype" for
the new Mercedes-Benz B 200 "Compact Sports Tourer."
While one could make the argument the B is really more like
a miniature minivan than a "Sports Tourer," it's
actually a fairly apt description of the beast. It's definitely
compact and surprisingly sporty – and during my week
of touring around the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in
it I really started to like the little critter: it's fun
to drive, roomy, efficient, classy – and features a
wonderfully expansive sunroof through which you could very
nearly parachute. When it's open, of course. more...
Mercedes Benz R – Class,
in Minivan Clothes
Mercedes Benz may not want its new R Class to be known as
a minivan, but it sure seems like a minivan to me – and
a darn fine one at that.
The only real difference I can see between the R 350 I drove
for a week and a garden variety minivan (other than M-B’s
high end trappings and technology, of course) is the fact
that its center passenger doors are hinged to open outward
like the front doors instead of sliding backwards the way
most minivan doors do.
On the other hand, it looks a lot like those so-called crossover
vehicles that are becoming more common – vehicles that
supposedly blur the line between minivan and SUV or SUV and
wagon such as the Chrysler Pacifica or maybe GM’s models
such as the Saturn Relay. DaimlerChrysler seems to want the
R to be known as a “sports tourer,” and while
I agree with the “tourer” part, I’m not
sure a big vehicle like this has a lot of “sports”
in it. more...
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