Have you any plans to take it all apart yet?

**** no. I’m done with that. There’s a chance I may swap wheels or something like that, or smarten up the interior, but I’m not getting involved again. Its a curse. You listen for every tiny noise, and you want to do everything because it’s there and you decide it needs doing. And given I made a few mistakes I start to worry if the noises are because of a mistake I’ve made. It’s frankly awful, and it leads to me doing stuff to the car the day before a holiday which is insanity. So no.

I’m not getting involved again.

Hallelujah….. He’s seen the light!!

(Re the car…. Isn’t there a cooling off period if you’ve not been allowed to test drive it?)

Seriously, if you’re not happy with it and you feel there is a legitimate reason to get shot, do it! You’re probably never going to be happy with it so why try and convince yourself otherwise? Frankly I’d have told them where to go and just hired a van when they said no test drives, it’s been allowed for a few months now so there isn’t any excuse.

it leads to me doing stuff to the car the day before a holiday which is insanity

Nah sounds fine to me. Of course it’s just discs and pads on mine but still…

One thing I did notice was slught kangaroo-ing whilst trundling around a car park in 1st.

Mine took a lot of getting used to. From a stop you have to be really gentle on/off the throttle or you end up kangarooing.

Mine is the C350 3L petrol with a 7g+ box. It has over 300bhp and I get mid thirties MPG. Yours should be much much much better than that.

Apparently I can only return the car in the 30 days if there’s something wrong with it. The online selling regs don’t apply as technically I test drove it. For about 3 miles, but still.

Torch it!

It would seem to me to be well worth getting the gearbox serviced /oil change. Often neglected I believe.

They aren’t run flat tyres as far as I can tell.

Apparently I can only fit 18s rather than 17s. Might be worth doing.

Apparently I can only fit 18s rather than 17s. Might be worth doing.

That would be even slimmer rubber for cushioning though?

What you are after is a smaller rim size and deeper tyre wall size. Our Ovlov rides on 225 50 17’s vs Seat on 215 40 16’s. The Seat is noticeably more crashy and noisy….

The idea is that bigger rims on the same car come with thinner tyres. According to the handbook the specified tyre sizes are 30/35 on 19s and 40 on 18s.

ahhh, I understand now – you have 19s currently….

Look at the tyres to see if they’re marked up as runflats/RFT. My 3 series is a lot nicer with regular tyres.

Low profile to the extent we have on road cars is styling. Race/track cars don’t go as low profile, there is a sweet spot and it’s not 30!

Stupid tyres are a vanity thing.

Also blame Audi for a stiff ride is good handling bollocks that they’ve successfully peddled

Yep funnily my track car that 40/45 profile tyres and my “sports” car has 30 section tyres. Tis all fashion!

Well I just went for a drive on the A40 between Fishguard and Haverfordwest on my own, roof bars off and I have to say it’s growing on me a bit.

1. The drive is remarkably good. Even the firm ride isn’t so bad now I’ve got the tyres at the right pressures. Its firm but supple. It doesn’t make you want to thrash it like a sports car but it just feels perfectly solid and secure all the time.

2. The stereo is great (the earlier problem seemed to be the Amazon music app rather than the car)

3. The aircon is also pretty good now I found the recirc button.

4. I like the column mounted gear shifter.

However still a few observations and questions.

1. I overtook someone and despite the gearbox reset thing it still didn’t feel that quick.

2. Gearbox still jerky.

3. How do you enter a destination from the map on the satnav? I can put a point into my ‘previous destinations’ list then I have to back out and go into that list to retrieve it to navigate to it. Eh?

Ref dislike #1. Its not far off a 2 tonne car with the smaller 4 cylinder engine. It wont be a rocketship (You are pushing the throttle past the ‘click’ of the kickdown switch to overtake, arent you?)

HEADLINE!
New car feels different to old car shocker!

🙂

Oh and, based off my experience with my similar car, then yes I think you’ll find its a grower, and over time you might appreciate the subtle qualities and things it does well. Column shifter is great as you say and allows for a nice useful centre console.

(Family camping trip next week, where mine always makes me smile, still drives well fully loaded up, loads of storage, still rides correctly due to the self levelling, it as a ~600 mile range due to the long range tank being fitted, its got a good steror, very good HVAC etc etc….).

Apparently I can only return the car in the 30 days if there’s something wrong with it.

Did you start this thread to tell us about your fully working new car?

It’s been a while since I owned an S212 and it depends on whether you own a APS50 or comand Sat Nav but I remember it wasn’t difficult to load a destination or previous destination. I presume – as a male – you havent got/read the manual yet? The eariler APS50 didnt load full postcodes which was a pain but yours should load a full postcode. Also have you tried the voice commands instead?

Its not far off a 2 tonne car with the smaller 4 cylinder engine. It wont be a rocketship

It says on the internet that 0-60 is 7.2s compared to my old car at 9.8 it should feel loads quicker, shouldn’t it? I booted it past a 50mph car and was doing about 70 by the time I pulled back in. Would have expected similar from my old car.

Re the manual, I do for car stuff but the satnav manuals are so appallingly slow to read I haven’t had time yet. I tried voice to call my wife when my phone had somehow been disconnected. Rather than saying “oh your phone’s disconnected” it gave me a list of local POIs that sound vaguely like “Call Mrs Grips”. FFS

It’s not going to be breathtakingly fast in a car weighing approaching 2 tonnes.

I’ve got an XF Sportbrake that weighs 1.7 tonnes with a 250ps 2 litre petrol lump with an 8 speed gearbox. It’s quick but not mind bogglingly so. The 250cdi has less power than the XF but a chunk more torque.

Think the 0-60 times are 6.8 vs about 8 seconds for yours – but the mid range pull of that diesel should be better I’d have thought – particularly from low revs.

I tried voice to call my wife

Do any voice activation in any car work ever?

How do you enter a destination from the map on the satnav?

Count yourself lucky, I drove a Peugeot around for a few days a couple of years back and the Satnav would only except Street names, didn’t recognise postcodes at all!

1. I overtook someone and despite the gearbox reset thing it still didn’t feel that quick.

2. Gearbox still jerky.

I can’t speak for Mercs but after a reset the gearbox adaptation on a BMW takes a couple of hundred miles to settle in.

3. The aircon is also pretty good now I found the recirc button.
> — The pollen filter might not have been changed (almost certain)
oh and on a work colleagues s/h mercs over the years the main dealers never changed the Air or pollen filters unless they were quick/easy to access.
Clogged air filters might be a source of limited performance.
I think they are inside the top engine cover and need about 25 screws to undo,
there might be 2 paper filters.
You could probably do these on your vacation if there is a motor factor nearby.

2. Gearbox still jerky.
> — just not right.

AMG CLS: Another Mol Grips Cartastrophic Loss Story?

😅😅😅😅 nice acronym

0 to 60 isn’t really relevant its 30 to 80 where it’s at!

On my C-wagen with the 7G-Tronic+ it depends on what mode setting you use. I mostly just drive in C or E for long distance motorway driving on cruise, but for overtaking I’ll move into S+ or i* as it doesn’t need to decide to change down several gears.
If you’ve got COMAND then you should be able to choose address or post code in Navi.
I also changed from Hankook to Cross Climate+, the tyres have lasted twice as long to date with plenty of life left, and they’re much more reassuring in rain and in winter.
But being a Merc, main dealer servicing is not cheap, I’m weighing up the advantage of having Merc European rescue against cheaper bills, I suspect that on it’s next service I’ll go for the cheaper bill.

Guessing it’s not Ulez compliant either ?

How do you enter a destination from the map on the satnav?

Do people actually use their cars Sat nav? Aren’t they all just varying degrees of shite?

Surely you’re better off just sticking your phone on the dash on one of those mounts that cost a fiver from any garage and loading Google maps?

I only have eco, sport and manual gearbox modes.

Surely you’re better off just sticking your phone on the dash on one of those mounts that cost a fiver from any garage and loading Google maps?

Not usually.

– They fall off occasionally
– If you don’t want a flat battery you need to either wire in a plug or trail wires all over the dash
– Music doesn’t get muted when it pipes up
– Phone is in a more distracting line of sight
– Built in sat navs have a simplified display by the dials and a full map in the centre
– Built ins also are designed to be operated whilst driving so you (in theory, practice isn’t always like this, looking at you Hyundai) don’t need to stab at a touch screen whilst trying to keep your eyes on the road

I’ve done both for ages, I definitely prefer built-in. That said:

– it’s not worth the £1500 optional extra really, back in the day when it wasn’t standard
– Google maps is good and updates are free

Built ins also are designed to be operated whilst driving

I think I know why you can’t program the destination in…try it stopped.

Act in haste, repent at leisure…

@frankconway don’t be a knob.

Do people actually use their cars Sat nav?

Yup. The one in my S213 Merc is genuinely good. Responsive, live traffic info powered by TomTom, displayed on a 12” screen and HUD. Option to use Apple CarPlay for Waze or Other alternatives.
Far better than a mobile in a cradle.

Sat nav in the wifes kia is excellent.

I’ve done both for ages, I definitely prefer built-in. That said:

– it’s not worth the £1500 optional extra really, back in the day when it wasn’t standard
– Google maps is good and updates are free

I prefer the built in screen but I have CarPlay and I like the simplicity of the Apple Maps satnav so works perfectly for me.

@frankconway don’t be a knob.

+1

Because this forum has always been great when people are struggling I’m willing to take one on the chin and help out Molgrips with a once in a lifetime offer.

Basically I’ll do you a straight swop for your unsuitable, unlovable, bought on the spur of the moment Mercedes for the entire RNP fleet of vehicles!

This includes;
2007 Transit van with towbar. Awesome towing ability with free caravan entry to Appleby Horse Fair for the annual staycation. With some myopic eyesight it could be become an Instagram shitting-in-a-layby vanlife camper.

Also includes a 2004 Golf Tdi. One careful owner then lots who didn’t give a **** about it. Our dog likes it though. Includes enough dog hair to make a life size replica of Bert or knit some underpants with.

Lastly, also includes a 2004 Volvo V70 in as new/timewarp/barnfind condition. Cavernous boot for hotdog munching trips to Ikea, dogging orgies and transporting bikes. Wipe clean leather seats for those inevitable hotdogs spills.

how much pixels is my screen

All three cars are from an era when they could be fixed with large percussive tools and a range of expletives. You are almost certainly guaranteed too have at least one working the day before a major family holiday.

When you are next coaxing a teenager into your car to set the satnav or crashing through potholes with your drug dealing wheelz have a think and let me know.