mercmancdi
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2012
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- 1,205
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- Templepatrick
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- mercedes E320 cdi sport ,vw Tiguan R line , M B cls , bmw convertible
Looks nice , enjoy. But time will tell if you miss the badge
Wot? No Mercedes!
- Thread starter Mactech
- Start date
OP
OP
To be honest, I've only driven the 160 miles back from the dealers in mostly heavy traffic. The 8 speed box is one ratio short of the 9 in the GLE, but the integration with the torquey engine seems well chosen and it will lock into 8th at a little over 50mph on light throttle making for relaxed cruising. It does also seem urgent and swift with a quick prod of throttle.
Yes, I'm happy with the deal I got the only caveat being I had to pay (almost a grand!) and collect the car before the end of the month....no real hardship
To be honest, I've only driven the 160 miles back from the dealers in mostly heavy traffic. The 8 speed box is one ratio short of the 9 in the GLE, but the integration with the torquey engine seems well chosen and it will lock into 8th at a little over 50mph on light throttle making for relaxed cruising. It does also seem urgent and swift with a quick prod of throttle.
Yes, I'm happy with the deal I got the only caveat being I had to pay (almost a grand!) and collect the car before the end of the month....no real hardship
It's a pretty rare car. In fact I can't say I've ever seen one. Everyone round here seems to go for the 4x4 one. I presume it's because that's what the laydeeez prefer.
Personally I'd have the estate every day of the week.
Anyway, it's now on my list as possible alternative to the E somewhere down the line.
OP
OP
Yeah, they do seem a bit rare, and I certainly have not see any on the road since I bought this one.
Here are just some of the reasons I like it. Would you believe it has a leaf spring rear suspension? Composite of course!
7 Reasons Why The Volvo S90 And V90 Might Make You Cheat On The Germans
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grober
MB Master
A bit more on those composite springs- could this herald the end of coil spring stress corrosion failure?
Volvo adopts composite leaf springs on more models
Volvo adopts composite leaf springs on more models
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grober
MB Master
I knew I had heard of composite leaf springs before. Fitted a standard on the Chevy Corvette as far back as 1981!
And since this is a Mercedes forum fitted to the front of some models of the Mercedes Sprinter!
Composite leaf springs: Saving weight in production
quote:-
When Henkel approached Benteler-SGL with its polyurethane process, the latter was developing a front-axle composite leaf spring for the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, a lightweight cargo van manufactured by Daimler AG (Stuttgart, Germany). The Sprinter has sported a composite leaf spring for a number of years. As with previous iterations, the part was designed with glass-reinforced epoxy. “Benteler-SGL had already designed the orientation and density of the fabric,” says Simmons, “and we presented an alternative resin that could work with the design already in place.”
“Replacing the existing epoxy system with Max 2 polyurethane was appealing to Daimler because polyurethane is tougher and can withstand bending and flexing better than epoxy,” he maintains. “It also offers improved resistance to crack propagation, meaning that if a rock pops up and strikes the leaf spring, any chip or crack that might occur is less likely to propagate.”
You beat me to it - Corvettes are famous for it.
I knew I had heard of composite leaf springs before. Fitted a standard on the Chevy Corvette as far back as 1981!
”
Good piece. Interesting how they thought about where to pitch the ride/handling compromise.
I often think of LJK Setright's view from the 80's that the car to go for in any given range was often the one down from the fastest as its characteristics will be far better for day to day use. In today's terms not optimised for the ultimate 'Ring lap.
I think there's a lot in that.
OP
OP
Yes! Can you believe that one of the first criteria Porsche put on the board when designing the Cayenne was a projected lap time round the 'ring.
It's an SUV for goodness sake!
Whilst I plead guilty to developing the Eterniti car based on a Cayenne, I certainly don't want to be peeling a collie from the inside of the rear windows of my own road car.
I spotted a V90 and an S90 this weekend. Both very handsome and well-proportioned to my eyes. They look wide and low. Like that look.
OP
OP
Still not spotted one on the road yet, only in the drive as my wife returned from a few days down in Bucks.
After the cars first 400 miles on a full tank, she topped it back up still reading 3/8 of at tank (without having to remove a fuel filler cap
) with just 36 litres! That's over 50mpg.
I think I'm going to like this car
Now sporting a shorter and more refined number plate
After the cars first 400 miles on a full tank, she topped it back up still reading 3/8 of at tank (without having to remove a fuel filler cap
) with just 36 litres! That's over 50mpg.I think I'm going to like this car
Now sporting a shorter and more refined number plate
OP
OP
What has really made me smile is an identical car (but with 1000 rather than 7 miles on the clock) for £7k more than I paid.
Volvo V90 D4 Momentum Pro Automatic (Pilot Assist, Head Up Display, Volvo On call, Heated Steering Wheel, Keyless)
Do people not shop around?
I've no idea who my local dealer is, but I will probably have moved back to Norfolk (and even further from Wales!) before I need one.
Volvo V90 D4 Momentum Pro Automatic (Pilot Assist, Head Up Display, Volvo On call, Heated Steering Wheel, Keyless)
Do people not shop around?
I've no idea who my local dealer is, but I will probably have moved back to Norfolk (and even further from Wales!) before I need one.
- Joined
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- Smart ForFour AMG Black Series Night Edition Premium Plus 125 Powered by Brabus
A colleague at work has one, and I would tweak your sentence as follows:
They look really wide, really low and really, really, really long. Like that look.
Lovely looking car, inside and out.
OP
OP
Haha! Not quite as long as an S class, but no by much. I knew it was big when I swapped the ‘dog box’ over from the GLE at the dealers and found there was 4” additional length in the load bay. The dog box was bought for an 06 E class and has now fitted every estate I’ve had (apart from a C class) since then.
OP
OP
I got to drive the Volvo for it’s intended use as a long distance car yesterday on a 200 mile trip from home to Norfolk. Loaded with wife, luggage and dogs it is a trip I have covered in a wide variety of vehicles from modern Bentleys, via most types of Mercedes to motorcycles when I’m travelling alone.
The V90, as expected, covered the miles comfortably, swiftly, economically and safely.
The journey was outstanding in a way I really had not expected. It was probably one of the most stress free ever, and that was due to one outstanding feature of the car.
I have driven a number of adaptive cruise systems on various cars over the last 15 years including the efforts of Bentley, Mercedes, Porsche, JLR and BMW and never really felt that they drove with the anticipation and smoothness of a ‘real’ driver.
Amongst the 4 levels of the completely ‘standard on all models’ of automation’ on the V90 are: Speed limiter, Cruise control, Adaptive Cruise Control and Pilot assist.
The first two and fairly good versions of what is common on most cars now, but the ACC is complete gem.
With just the setting of your target speed and the time interval to the car in front the car blends with the traffic with all the smoothness and apparent anticipation of a skilled driver.
None of the sudden accel or decel of the systems I have experience of previously and does not ‘panic’ if cars pull into the lane in front of you, just blends the speed and distance as appropriate. It is almost as though it reacts to the brake lights of cars some distance ahead (although I know it’s only looking at speed and distance!) as I would with just a gentle lift and then reacts as required.
In almost 100 miles of use yesterday, it neither caught me out, or I caught it out in light to medium dual carriage way traffic. A totally useable and well developed tool.
The next level of Pilot Assist, which steers for you as well, does actually work, but I would consider it still very much ‘work in progress’.
Whilst the throttle and brake control is very smooth and progressive, the steering is very ‘binary’ with short sharp inputs as the car endeavours to remain in the centre of the lane.
I’ve no idea if that is the limitations of the lane sensing or lack of processing power, but for the time being, I’ll be doing all the steering!
I never expected to be so impressed by the ACC, but to find it as standard fit on a new car I virtually swapped my three and a half year old GLE for has come as a very pleasant surprise.
The V90, as expected, covered the miles comfortably, swiftly, economically and safely.
The journey was outstanding in a way I really had not expected. It was probably one of the most stress free ever, and that was due to one outstanding feature of the car.
I have driven a number of adaptive cruise systems on various cars over the last 15 years including the efforts of Bentley, Mercedes, Porsche, JLR and BMW and never really felt that they drove with the anticipation and smoothness of a ‘real’ driver.
Amongst the 4 levels of the completely ‘standard on all models’ of automation’ on the V90 are: Speed limiter, Cruise control, Adaptive Cruise Control and Pilot assist.
The first two and fairly good versions of what is common on most cars now, but the ACC is complete gem.
With just the setting of your target speed and the time interval to the car in front the car blends with the traffic with all the smoothness and apparent anticipation of a skilled driver.
None of the sudden accel or decel of the systems I have experience of previously and does not ‘panic’ if cars pull into the lane in front of you, just blends the speed and distance as appropriate. It is almost as though it reacts to the brake lights of cars some distance ahead (although I know it’s only looking at speed and distance!) as I would with just a gentle lift and then reacts as required.
In almost 100 miles of use yesterday, it neither caught me out, or I caught it out in light to medium dual carriage way traffic. A totally useable and well developed tool.
The next level of Pilot Assist, which steers for you as well, does actually work, but I would consider it still very much ‘work in progress’.
Whilst the throttle and brake control is very smooth and progressive, the steering is very ‘binary’ with short sharp inputs as the car endeavours to remain in the centre of the lane.
I’ve no idea if that is the limitations of the lane sensing or lack of processing power, but for the time being, I’ll be doing all the steering!
I never expected to be so impressed by the ACC, but to find it as standard fit on a new car I virtually swapped my three and a half year old GLE for has come as a very pleasant surprise.
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Really want intelligent cruise on the next car, amazing that it’s standard on these- some crazy cheap lease deals out there. A V90 is cheaper on PCH than the V60, presumably down to residuals and substantially cheaper than an XC60/90.
Might have to add it to my list to consider.
It's amazing how all tech gadgets 'trickle down' the car heirarchy. SWMBO and I recently rented a small / mid-size Vauxhall van and even it had ACC fitted as standard!
OP
OP
Yes, I could easily have paid another 20k for a taller, heavier, slower and thirstier version of what is essentially the same car in the form of a XC90!
But my name and fashion have never been mentioned in the same sentence so I'm happy to plough my own furrow.
The only real advantage the 4x4 holds is that of the commanding driving position, but as we have seen, that is surmountable...and anyway if makes an welcome change not to have to get 'up' into the car (Defender) or down into it (MX-5), but merley across into car, especially for my elderly mother.
I'm fortunate to not have any parking restrictions (apart from the Defender being too tall to fit in the garage!) so can make full use of the unfashionable, big, long, luxurious and highly cost effective estate car.
Darrell
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2006
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- 13,393
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- Gixxer 6, Citroen Berlingo, 911 C4S, Dacia Duster and lots of bicycles.
Volvos these days are very good cars, especially with that ‘blonde’ interior.
My wife works for Volvo North London and she’s brought quite a few of them home.
My wife works for Volvo North London and she’s brought quite a few of them home.
OP
OP
Well I'm over 6 weeks into Volvo ownership now and over the 'hire car honeymoon' period when a car seems better just because it's different, and your ears are still ringing with being sat on a plane for hours!
It's actually the first new car I've owned since my S class in 07. Had plenty of new cars whilst working for car companies (about one every 4 months on average) but when funding my own vehicles I tend to buy 2nd hand or very lightly used. This one was just 6 miles old, pre-reg (69) and came with a massive discount.
I enjoy cleaning the factory fresh surfaces.....oh! and so far driving the car as well.
The biggest change has come when it is time to fuel the car. The GLE would normally take between £90 and £100 pounds to fill.
this one has yet to cost over £60 for a comparable range.
And I don't even have to remove the fuel cap! Just push the nozzle through two flap valves to fill.
I'm not sure I'll ever get to like fuel stations, but this car is helping me despise them less
It's actually the first new car I've owned since my S class in 07. Had plenty of new cars whilst working for car companies (about one every 4 months on average) but when funding my own vehicles I tend to buy 2nd hand or very lightly used. This one was just 6 miles old, pre-reg (69) and came with a massive discount.
I enjoy cleaning the factory fresh surfaces.....oh! and so far driving the car as well.
The biggest change has come when it is time to fuel the car. The GLE would normally take between £90 and £100 pounds to fill.
this one has yet to cost over £60 for a comparable range.
And I don't even have to remove the fuel cap! Just push the nozzle through two flap valves to fill.
I'm not sure I'll ever get to like fuel stations, but this car is helping me despise them less
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