I've joined the Merc brigade
Discussion
Well I've spent more time choosing my next laptop than I did choosing our new car 
and it all came down to boot size...
With a new baby joining the two of us my wife's mini had to go (she is gutted), so on Saturday we went to half a dozen dealers - with the giant pushchair - and asked if we could throw it in the boot.
First up was a Citroen DS5 - this has to have one of the coolest cockpits going so we were disappointed to find that rear legroom is worse than the mini and the boot is only a smidge bigger than a Golf
Next in very quick succession were Mercedes, Nissan, Volkswagen, BMW (that's the order of the forecourts).
Wife likes the Quashqi(SP)but the boot is only mid size. Golf was quickly dismissed because the buggy didn't fit.
Having owned a BMW 530d M Sport previously we were both keen to have a look, the shape of the boot was slightly less ergonomic but it was a very close call.
So....My wife is changing from a Cooper 1.6 to an......E350 CDI Sport Saloon....There's logic in there somewhere.
Criteria was - No rep mobiles, no fun buses and no estates, I think we did rather well
Oh, and I still can't decide what laptop to get...
and it all came down to boot size...With a new baby joining the two of us my wife's mini had to go (she is gutted), so on Saturday we went to half a dozen dealers - with the giant pushchair - and asked if we could throw it in the boot.
First up was a Citroen DS5 - this has to have one of the coolest cockpits going so we were disappointed to find that rear legroom is worse than the mini and the boot is only a smidge bigger than a Golf
Next in very quick succession were Mercedes, Nissan, Volkswagen, BMW (that's the order of the forecourts).
Wife likes the Quashqi(SP)but the boot is only mid size. Golf was quickly dismissed because the buggy didn't fit.
Having owned a BMW 530d M Sport previously we were both keen to have a look, the shape of the boot was slightly less ergonomic but it was a very close call.
So....My wife is changing from a Cooper 1.6 to an......E350 CDI Sport Saloon....There's logic in there somewhere.
Criteria was - No rep mobiles, no fun buses and no estates, I think we did rather well
Oh, and I still can't decide what laptop to get...
keemaklan said:
I wouldn't call a E350 cdi a sales rep car,especially not with that engine! C200/C220 are sales rep!
Exactly and the 250 as well as they're all 4 cylinders 
I like the new estates, wifey not so keen...yet..
Will post pics as soon as we've got it.
I can tell you its Palladium in colour;)
Serious question, as I have a C Class estate which my wife refuses to drive as it's "too big" (yet she used to happily drive her Dad's XJ6) but won't your missus find the E Class a pain to park at supermarkets and in multi-storey's etc?
On another thread someone was saying his 5 Series was a bit of pain around town as he had to drive past many parking spaces. At least the Merc is reputed to have a better turning circle (but I don't knwo if it really has).
On another thread someone was saying his 5 Series was a bit of pain around town as he had to drive past many parking spaces. At least the Merc is reputed to have a better turning circle (but I don't knwo if it really has).
Deva Link said:
Serious question, as I have a C Class estate which my wife refuses to drive as it's "too big" (yet she used to happily drive her Dad's XJ6) but won't your missus find the E Class a pain to park at supermarkets and in multi-storey's etc?
On another thread someone was saying his 5 Series was a bit of pain around town as he had to drive past many parking spaces. At least the Merc is reputed to have a better turning circle (but I don't knwo if it really has).
My wife drives the Range Rover with no problems, and she used to like driving the 530d too, I got her trained to not try and park right outside the shops, however, we can now use the parent & child spaces most of the time. The parking sensors help and the rear view camera in the RR is a god send.On another thread someone was saying his 5 Series was a bit of pain around town as he had to drive past many parking spaces. At least the Merc is reputed to have a better turning circle (but I don't knwo if it really has).
She's driven the Mercedes without any issues, albeit not for very long, she's looking forward to driving it.
She was certainly nervous when she drove the big cars at first but she took to it very well. I think if we were inner city dwellers it might be tricky but we're not so it's grand.
Deva Link said:
Serious question, as I have a C Class estate which my wife refuses to drive as it's "too big" (yet she used to happily drive her Dad's XJ6) but won't your missus find the E Class a pain to park at supermarkets and in multi-storey's etc?
On another thread someone was saying his 5 Series was a bit of pain around town as he had to drive past many parking spaces. At least the Merc is reputed to have a better turning circle (but I don't knwo if it really has).
Nonsense! Throw your wife in the deep end. Make her drive the Merc when she HAS to go somewhere and make sure no other cars are available. She'll get used to it. My mum drives a W221 S class around London no problem and parking in Leytonstone Tesco's small sOn another thread someone was saying his 5 Series was a bit of pain around town as he had to drive past many parking spaces. At least the Merc is reputed to have a better turning circle (but I don't knwo if it really has).
tty car park is a doddle now she's used to it. If you be to soft they'll never push themselves to drive anything out of their comfort zone.
keemaklan said:
Throw your wife in the deep end.
Dream on - she'd crash it and it would be my fault!I'm not bothered really - it's only a bit of pain if we're going out somewhere that involves drinking, we have to go in her car if I want her to drive back.
If the S Class visits Tesco's a lot I dread to think what the sides of it must look like.
Deva Link said:
Dream on - she'd crash it and it would be my fault!
I'm not bothered really - it's only a bit of pain if we're going out somewhere that involves drinking, we have to go in her car if I want her to drive back.
If the S Class visits Tesco's a lot I dread to think what the sides of it must look like.
Cars getting wider, spaces getting smaller = not a good formula for bodywork preservation.I'm not bothered really - it's only a bit of pain if we're going out somewhere that involves drinking, we have to go in her car if I want her to drive back.
If the S Class visits Tesco's a lot I dread to think what the sides of it must look like.
My wife parks the RR in a multi-storey without issue,you've just got to pick your spaces.
It's kerbing the wheels that I'm more worried about - big cars & tight turns don't bode well.
You should park the Merc next to something of similar size but smaller looking to give your wife the confidence that it's not that big really. The extended roofline makes it look worse than it is really on an estate.
Driving in the city isn't a big deal either it's parking that's a bit of a mare.
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