***TESTDROVE: A150, A170, E350 T-Modell, S320-

[BMWDave]

Author:cawimmer430

Full credit goes to Christian Wimmer

Well since Monday, I've been working at the local Benz dealership as an internee!!!
 
And today, I was asked to drive some cars around. The A150, A170, B170 (which I have driven properly already) and a new E350 T-Modell with the Sports Package were to be moved around on the dealer lot, so it wasn't a proper testdrive in that sense. Here are some quick thoughts:
 
A150: This was the base gasoline A-Class with a horsepower rating under 100 for sure. It was quipped with the Autotronic, Mercedes' first CVT automatic transmission. I had to park it somewhere on the dealer lot so I probably only got it up to 30-40 km/h. Well, steering feel is nice and weighted. I was very impressed with the new A180 CDI and A200 CDI I drove last winter. The gas pedal was very responsive and the Autotronic, despite me not liking it very much, was smooth and silent. I pushed it a little to see the engine response and it appeared agile, the type of agility useful in the city, but not for sporty driving in the countryside. Didn't take pictures of this car. It was greenish-yellowish metallic and a coupe A-Class model in Classic trim level.
 
A170: Same story here. I was asked to park it on the dealer lot. This one was a 5-speed manual and had the same engine as the B170 (see my B170 review). The 5-speed was greatly improved here. I only used 1st and 2nd gear but shifts were smooth and short. Something you'd never have expected of a Mercedes manual. The cabin was wonderfully furnished with HQ plastic and creamy leather. Seats were covered in some creamy colored cloth, but very HQ in appearance. This A-Class was also a coupe and colored red. It was an Elegance trim level and really looked upscale.
 
B170: Read my 'B170 & B200' review for this... but if I had to choose, A-Class any day over the B-Class.
 
E350 T-Modell: Oh boy! I was asked to drive the E350 estate to the dealer shop so that the mechanics could go over it and prepare it for the showroom. You know what? That new steering wheel isn't that bad really. It may not look good in pictures but it certainly doesn't look bad in real life. The 3.5 V6 was smooth and quiet. I'm telling you guys, this engine is a gem and has V8-like power. Of course, I didn't get to experience the E350 T-Modell was I had hoped, but I've already driven this engine in the CLS350 and SLK350. The engine response is noticebly better here than in the E320. The steering feel was heavy and more direct than in our E320. And God I loved those rims!  This car was worthy of some pictures. Here they are... it doesn't say 'E350' at the rear but the cars papers were in the passenger seat.
 

 

 
^Driving that estate model was fun! I prefer wagons over sedans because they just look so damn hot.^
 
Now the fun begins!
 
After doing this task, I was asked to drive a W220 S-Class down to a Mercedes dealer in Burghausen right on the Austrian border. It was an alabaster white S320 L (long version) (224-hp) and it looked absolutely sexy in white. I'd change the rims though. The good news was that I would be taking an AUTOBAHN to Burghausen so I couldn't wait to test this S-Class. Even better, once at Burghausen, I was to pick up an SLK200 Kompressor and bring it back to M?hldorf.
 

 
It's the same engine under the hood of the S-Class that powers our E320: a 3.2-l V6 with 224-horsepower which is NOT UNDERPOWERED at all. Except here in the S-Class, it was a little overworked, but not underpowered. Driving off the lot, the car felt like a boat. The suspension came across as 'ultra-soft' to me and was very comfortable. Rough roads couldn't be felt on the inside. The steering feel was very light but with just enough response to provide for a good sense of control. Being a 2002 model, it was still an S-Class with a cheaper interior. Ok, the materials weren't that bad (wood and some plastics seemed perfectly fine to me) but the dashboard plastics didn't look that good for the most part.
 

 
Well the drive to the Autobahn was very nice. I didn't push the car in any way since the car was sold to a buyer in Burghausen and I wanted it to arrive there safe and sound. The V6 motor pulled the big S nicely along roads. Relaxed acceleration was smooth and steady: no slugginess detected. Even if you pushed the accelerator a little in a sporty mode did the engine respond right away and moved the car with eagerness. At this point, handling wasn't an issue since I drove the car in a stately and elegant manor. The steering was still light and a little vague but it wasn't going to bother me because this car wasn't meant to take curves like a go-kart. If this was C&D reviewing this car, here's what they would say: 'It doesn't handle like a Corvette, so it sucks.'  
 
So, now I'm on the Autobahn...the first thing I do is a kickdown to gain some speeds. The engine goes to work immediately. Acceleration is respectable but nothing brutal. Even the shove-back factor isn't as brutal as the S320 CDI I drove. This is where I felt that the 3.2-l V6 was a little overworked: on the Autobahn. Midrange power was good, but the engine felt a little overworked here. I brought the car up to 180 km/h (113 mph) on the completely empty Autobahn and settled into a nice cruise towards Burghausen. I noticed for the first time how quiet it was inside the S-Class. Hardly any exterior noises could be detected. It was like a whole new world inside the S-Class cabin. The vague steering came into its element on the Autobahn though. Here, it inspired confidence for high speed handling. The suspension too was soft and comfortable. Once near Burghausen, I came off the 'Bahn and I did a little photoshoot on a parking lot near some local roads.
 

 
Overall, a very satisfying car. Not sporty in any way but very comfortable and perfect for long journeys. If driven in a relaxed manor, the S320 will suffice. Sporty driving and brutal acceleration are out of the question as the V6 isn't ideal for this. Verdict: a real long distance cruising car. Get the S320 CDI if possible, the best real-world S-Class hands down.
 
 
 
^Yeah, I felt like a pimp driving this car. I stopped at some parking lot once near Burghausen and had a truck driver take a picture of me with the S. That guy probably thought to himself 'Man, kids and their S-Classes these days...'. ^
 
So I arrive in Burghausen, hand over the S-Class, and pick up the SLK200 Kompressor. It was a black '06 model with a beautiful interior and a 5-speed automatic transmission. I've already driven the 6-speed SLK200 Kompressor and it's not a bad car at all. This SLK was BRAND NEW. Only 88 km on the odometer!!! Being a hot day, I decided I was going to go back via local country roads where the SLK200 Kompressor would be in its element, not the Autobahn.
 

 
Again, the base SLK200 Kompressor isn't underpowered my American friends! Though in this case, the automatic transmission hampered a little bit of what the 163-horsepower supercharged 1.8-liter engine could do. Starts in first gear were a little slow but once you got up to 2nd and more torque became available, it drove really nicely. I didn't push it though since it was a new car with 88 km on the odometer. It wasn't as cramped in the SLK thanks to the automatic transmission. With the manual version, I tended to bump my left knee against the steering wheel when shifting. Here, though, I could just cruise lazily around.
 

 
The interior was beautiful. A very creative and pleasing combination of colors IMO. I've seen similar-colored interiors on new C-Classes and they look gorgeous. As soon as I was gone from the dealers sight, I flipped the switch and transformed the SLK into an convertible. Pulled over into a supermarket parking lot and took some pics (and had one of me taken with the car). Beauty. My dream car but since I am such a big freak, I need to go with the CLK.
 

 
The drive back wasn't very interesting. Max speed I drove was the legal 100 km/h (62 mph). The SLK makes a good cruiser, but I felt that this car wanted to be exploited and taken through curves. Needless to say, the '200 Kompressor felt solid on the road and solid in terms of build quality. Handling was very impressive thanks to the strong suspension and extremely heavy steering feel (it was so heavy that in city traffic, it took muscle power to turn the wheel ), which responded quickly to input at higher speed.
 
I couldn't contain myself and did a kickdown on a long straight road...but just once. You have to believe me!  Well, the acceleration was a little dissapointing but the 1.8-l engine has enough guts to work just fine and dandy with the 6-speed manual. It was the 5-speed automatic that hampered power. I think it did 0-100 km/h in something like 8.3 seconds, maybe even less but the manual version felt noticebly more quicker. For the rest of the journey, I just simply cruised along in the SLK.
 
In the end though, it was a great car. The new SLK is a superb vehicle deserving of some praise and respect. My ideal SLK would be the '350 6-speed, but in this case, I wouldn't mind the 7Gtronic at all. Sport? Yep. Leicht? You bet. Kurz? Um...can't you see.
 
Tomorrow, I'll be driving cars to Landshut and back. There is a black CLS55 ///AMG that needs to be driven from there to here. Maybe I'll come here one day and yep, I drove the CLS55 AMG.
 
S320: http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=2124891856
 
SLK200 Kompressor: http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=2124892647

[R33 GT-R]

Wimmer is a lucky fella.

[BMWDave]

Wimmer is a lucky fella.

Yea, he gets to drive all these amazing cars.

[280Z Turbo]

 

Ah yes...good old C&D. :D

Might as well just go over there and respond.

[R33 GT-R]

lets do it.

[BMWDave]

 

Ah yes...good old C&D. :D

Might as well just go over there and respond.

Yea, I wonder why that stuff comes up, and I am too lazy to delete it