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  • CAR REVIEW | Mercedes E220d convertible AMG line

    CAR REVIEW | Mercedes E220d convertible AMG line

    ★★★★★ | Mercedes E220d convertible AMG

    Mercedes are masters at creating luxurious and stylish convertibles. They have a long and distinguished history of making beautiful and timeless convertible cars.

    One of their latest is the E Class convertible. We were fortunate to have been given an E220d AMG line recently for a week of effortless and stylish cruising in the lap of luxury.

    Mercedes currently offer 3 convertible models. The C class, E Class and S class. The E Class sits right in the middle with a starting price of £45,960.

    Our test car was the E220 convertible diesel, which means it was powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 194 hp and 400 Nm. 0-62 mph takes 7.7 seconds and the combined mpg is quoted as 57.7 mpg. I wouldn’t dispute this, it was great on fuel, particularly at motorway speeds. For the company car users, the E220d emits 126 g/km of CO2.

    A modern Mercedes is a very nice place to be and with ours being the AMG line with a few of the optional packages ticked; Premium package, parking package, driving assistance package, night package.

    It was very well equipped and particularly well appointed car. 

    Premium package includes; memory package (Memory package allows the driver’s seat, front passenger seat, steering column and exterior mirrors to all be electrically adjusted & stored), parking package (searches for a suitable parking space for you and then helps you with accurate parking) including 360° camera, comand online (media interface, widescreen 12.3-inch cockpit display and touchpad), multibeam led intelligent Light System (To ensure the best possible vision, the LED Intelligent Light System adapts automatically to the prevailing weather, light and driving conditions) and wireless charging. 


    We also had the benefit of the driving assistance package, including: active brake assist, active distance assist distronic, active speed limit assist, active lane keeping assist, evasive steering assist and pre-safe plus (initiates occupant protection measures if a rear-end collision is imminent).

    Our car was the AMG line and in addition to the AMG bodystyling had the night package, which included: 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels painted high-gloss black with high sheen finish, diamond radiator grille with integral, Mercedes‑Benz star and a single louvre and some high-gloss black exterior highlights. 


    A really neat feature of the E220d Cabriolet AMG line is the way the multi-layer acoustic fabric roof can be folded down on the move. It can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph and opened or 

    closed in just 20 seconds. It’s great if you’re in traffic and the weather takes a turn for the worst.

    Mercedes airscarf neck-level heating and aircap are standard on this car and another welcome feature for when the sun doesn’t have his hat on. 

    How does it drive? 

    There are a few engine options across the range; In the diesels the E220 that we had, had the 1,950cc, 4-cylinder diesel which produces 194hp/143kW. There’s also a 2,987cc, 6-cylinder diesel producing 340hp/250kW in the E400

    In petrol form there’s a 1,991cc, 4-cylinder petrol engine producing 245hp/180kW in the E300 or 299hp/220kW with EQ Boost of 14hp/10kW in the E350, and a 2,996cc, 6-cylinder petrol producing 367hp/270kW in the E450. If this doesn’t quench your thirst for power, there’s a 2,999cc, 6-cylinder petrol, 435hp/320kW with EQ Boost of 22hp/16kW in the AMG E53 4MATIC+.

    Our test car also had the the excellent 9G-TRONIC PLUS 9-speed automatic gearbox which was great, particularly when cruising and so smooth.

    Mercedes make beautiful cars with stunning interiors and this is no exception. Our AMG line car had a black artico leather/dinamica microfibre upholstery and black open-pore ash wood trim on dashboard and centre console. Brushed aluminium highlights and accents such as the air vent nozzles, door handles and seat controls.

    Ride and handling are superb as you would expect. The AMG line has AMG ride control sports suspension, based on air body control air suspension. The multi-chamber air suspension system with a sporty spring/damper set-up continuously adjusts damping to ensure excellent driving dynamics and a high level of ride comfort. 

    In combination with AMG dynamic select, three pre-set modes (Comfort, Sport and Sport+) are available to deliver a tailored driving experience. 

    In summary, the E220d convertible is a beautiful, stylish and very well engineered car. It’s great to drive, looks amazing and is a practical 4 seat car with the added bonus of being a stunning convertible when you want it to be.

    Prices for the E class convertible start at £45,960.00

  • CAR REVIEW | Mercedes X-Class

    CAR REVIEW | Mercedes X-Class

    ★★★★★ | Mercedes X-Class,  The last vehicle you’ll ever need

    It had been 3 months since Z day and at least a month since we last heard gunfire.

    Peeking through the boarded up windows, the first signs of sunlight were showing through the black skies.

    Our supplies were almost gone, it was time we hit the road and began our fight for survival.

    I kicked open the door to the house and we emerged into what used to be the lush, green garden of the house we had been hiding in while the chaos absorbed everyone outside.

    The garden was lifeless and black, dead like everything else.

    There was a garage at the rear of the house. If we were lucky there would be a vehicle inside that we could use to get the hell out of here. We forced the door open and through the darkness, saw a Mercedes badge.

    “A Mercedes is nice but not much good to us now. Look at the state of the roads”, said Troy. He was right. Abandoned cars littered the roads, tarmac scared with debris from the fighting and shelling.

    As we opened the door further, we saw it was a pickup.

    “But Mercedes don’t make a pickup” exclaimed Sarah.

    “They do now thank god,” said Dutch as he threw his bag in the back of the X-Class, opened the rear door and slid into the sumptuous leather upholstered cabin.

    “Damn this is nice” i said, adjusting the electric drivers seat. I selected ‘D’ on the automatic gearbox and we slowly pulled out of the garage, down the driveway and out into the street. The huge load bed was packed with our remaining supplies. Lucky for us the X-Class can haul a huge payload of up to 1.1 tonnes. That is enough to transport 17 full 50-litre barrels of clean water in the cargo area. It’s able to tow up to 3.5 tonnes, it can pull a trailer containing three horses or easily pull an abandoned truck out of the way.

    The roads were littered with debris from the battle. Burnt out cars, makeshift barricades, ruined buildings. We couldn’t have hoped for a better vehicle than the Mercedes X-Class. It was the X250 Power D 4MATIC AUTO with a powerful and torquey 2.3L biturbo 190hp diesel engine. The permanent 4MATIC all-wheel drive and the seven-speed automatic transmission got us out of trouble more than a few times. When the road ahead was blocked, i’d select 4WD low and head off road. The X-Class has serious off road ability so didn’t struggle. Our Mercedes X-Class apocalypse escape vehicle had great road manners and serious off road ability, but how did it manage to be so good on road but so good off road too? It has a double wishbone front axle and a rear multi-link solid axle which allows for great axle articulation. No old school leaf springs here. The Mercedes rolled on 225/55R19’s which certainly helped with the subtle ride.

    Fortunately the X-Class X250 was really good on diesel meaning we could travel for hours without having to refuel. It really was the perfect vehicle. On road, smooth, quiet and comfortable, with 2WD engaged to save fuel. When the going got tough, select 4WD or even 4WD low range, engaging the differential lock on the rear axle and nothing could stop it. The Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) made things even easier.

    The electronic safety systems saved us on more than one occasion. With burning cars and buildings belching smoke and restricting visibility, it was hard to see what lay ahead. Active brake assist provided a welcome backup.

    We drove for hour after hour and were all exhausted. Fortunately, the awesome Mercedes X-Class X250 has lane keeping assist which meant when we struggled to keep our eyes open through exhaustion, the safety system kept us on the road when we had the cruise control engaged.

    Rough roads can mean unforeseen punctures. Our X-Class had a tyre pressure monitoring system to help us and LED headlamps with six LEDs to show us the way.

    The 360-Degree camera made manoeuvring around burnt out cars or through partly collapsed building easy and safe. In our life before the apocalypse, features like traffic sign assist, trailer stability assist and emergency call system would have helped, but in a crumbling and uncertain world, traffic signs were the least of our concerns.

    Strangely, our phones were still working although no one ever answered any calls we made. This meant we could use the Mercedes me app to access the vehicle by smartphone, calling up useful information such as fuel level and tyre pressure, find the X-Class’s location when it is parked or being driven by someone else and even program the navigation or remotely read vehicle diagnostics. This was invaluable when on a recce for supplies, split up, scattered amongst the rubble, searching.

    After four full weeks on the road, hardly stopping, crossing the war-torn country from side to side looking for any signs of hope, we finally arrived at the military installation we had heard about on a radio transmission. We found other survivors who had also found their way here and had begun to rebuild their lives.

    It was a relief to find other people and to hear the familiar sound of laughter.

    As we sat in the canteen enjoying a simple but welcome home cooked beef pie, my phone buzzed to let me know the X-Class was on the move. When we arrived we surrendered the vehicle to the motorpool. It seemed perfectly reasonable then, but now it was like hearing that my wife was on a date with someone else.

    All four of us looked at each other then looked around at the other survivors for a moment.  

    We’d all grown fond of the X-Class, it had literally saved us. Without speaking, without even a moment’s hesitation, in one swift move, we all got up, grabbed our bags, headed for the motorpool and for the safety and comfort of our Mercedes X-Class. We’d take our chances in the wilderness and see where the road took us. Wherever it was, the X-Class would look after us.

  • CAR REVIEW | Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Break

    The Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake is a bit of a mixture. Based on the A-Class Hatchback, the normal CLA is a four-door saloon with the swooping roofline and dramatic looks you’d expect from a coupe. So what does the Shooting Brake bit mean? This is an old term that has come to mean an estate car that puts style on an equal level of importance to practicality. Think of it as a four-door coupe with room for a short dog.

    From the windscreen forward, you can clearly see the Shooting Brake is based on the A-Class; not necessarily a bad thing. From the windscreen back, the roof sweeps gently down as it approaches the tailgate which itself is heavily raked. Despite this and a narrow opening, there is a decent amount of space in the boot however back seat passengers may feel a little claustrophobic. Taller occupants in the rear may feel their head brushing against the roof too.

    Up front there are no complaints. Despite this being towards the lower end of the Mercedes range, fit and finish is excellent with everything laid out in a logical and easy to understand manner. Some may find the steering wheel column mounted stalk that controls the seven-speed automatic gearbox a little odd (it took some getting used too), but this is normal for Mercedes.

    Not only is the interior well put together, it’s a fantastic place to spend time in. Even after a few two hour journeys with plenty of traffic, I was still more than happy to jump back in the Shooting Brake. The infotainment system proved easy to use with its rotary controller although it could be a little slow to respond to inputs at times. The menus were clear and attractive while the sat-nav worked faultlessly though.

    A range of petrol and diesel engines are available but I decided to try the most powerful diesel, the 220 d. It’s the same size as the lower powered 200 d at 2.1 litres but here produces 175 bhp to give a brisk 0-62 time of 8.3 seconds. Coupled to a fast acting seven-speed auto, it felt a lot quicker than those numbers suggest. Not only was it quick, it proved capable of around 50mpg on a long trip if you were careful with the throttle.

    It was under gentle loads the diesel engine felt most at home. Should you demand hard acceleration, the gearbox could sometimes prove a little too keen to change down a few gears revealing a coarse edge to the diesel motor. It was pretty loud too. There was a ‘sport’ mode but this tended to leave the car in too low a gear which exacerbated the problem. In the end I just left it in ‘eco’ and enjoyed the low to mid-range torque rather than let the engine rev.

    As for the handling, the Shooting Brake cornered quickly with little roll but never felt like it was happy to be hustled along. Ride comfort was good on smooth motorways but elsewhere it was less impressive. Despite being fitted with the smallest available wheels, rough surfaces and big bumps caught the suspension out causing a rough ride. I would have happily traded some of that roll resistance in corners for a softer ride.

    There’s a lot to love about the CLA Shooting Brake. It’s a good looking take on the estate car while the interior really is quite special. That Mercedes could combine such potent performance with a lack of thirst is impressive too. Unfortunately, while I could live with the narrow boot opening and occasionally noisy engine, the tuning of the car’s suspension really lets it down. At nearly £31,000 before options, it’s also pretty expensive. Even so, I’d still be tempted.

     

    LOVES

    Looks

    Economy

    Cabin ambience

    LOATHES

    Expensive

    Noisy

    Crashy ride

    LOWDOWN

    Car – Mercedes-Benz CLA 220 Shooting Brake

    Price – £30,930

    Power – 175bhp

    0-62mph – 8.3 seconds

    Top Speed – 142mph

    Co2 – 108g/km

    Find out more at Mercedes-Benz

  • CAR REVIEW | Mercedes AMG A38

    As potential performance cars go, the first generation Mercedes A-Class is not a vehicle that immediately springs to mind.

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  • Top 10 Cars From The Detroit Motorshow 2015

    Held in the Cobo Hall, the North American International Auto Show 2015 saw a number of genuine surprises, especially for performance car fans. Here’s my pick of the new metal.

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  • Geneva Motor Show Preview: Ten Star Cars

    Between the 5th and 15th of March, Geneva in Switzerland will be home to the first major European auto show of the year. Although we are still a couple of weeks away, there have already been some major announcements. Here’s my top ten.

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  • MOTORING: Ten Soft Tops For Summer Under £5k

    You might think I’m insane for suggesting you buy an open car in the middle of winter but there is method to my madness.

     

    Quite rightly you’ll be thinking that you’ll barely ever get the roof down and you might as well get something with more than a bit of canvas between you and the elements. Unsurprisingly, everyone else will be thinking the same ensuring demand is low as are prices. Just £700 will get you into the cheapest car on the list while others have hard roofs that leave them feeling very similar to a regular car. Whether you just want to look good and catch some sun or if you want something that carves through corners and devours straights, there’s a car on the list for you. If not, please feel free to share what you’ve found!

    1. Volkswagen Golf Mk3 Convertible – £700

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/volkswagen/golf-mk3-mk4/volkswagen-golf-2-0-avantgarde-convertible-manual-only-two-owners-good-condition-mot-till-october-2015-electric-hood/2688004

    Topless thrills don’t have to cost thousands, this Golf is cheap to buy, cheap to insure with a classic policy and should prove pretty reliable too. Although it’s 20 years old it still has plenty of toys although don’t expect it to be the most exciting car to drive. With an MOT till October, you could use it until autumn next year and sell it for what you paid for it. Alternatively, tidy the car up and it could be a reliable retro ride for many years to come.

    1. Ford StreetKa – £1476
      http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/ford/streetka/ford-streetka-1-6i-2dr/3035341

    Don’t just think of this as a regular Ka with the roof sawn off, Ford spent a lot of time and money re-engineering this with a bigger engine and wider, stiffer suspension. It’s no rocketship but it’ll still feel quick enough around town and be a hoot round bends. You do lose 2 seats compared to the hatchback but you gain a much more stylish rump. Being a Ford, it should be cheap to run and pretty reliable. If it does go wrong, parts are cheap.

    1. Fiat Barchetta – £1950

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/fiat/barchetta/fiat-barchetta-convertibl-1998/2441591

    Fancy a sexy Italian for the summer? How about the Fiat Barchetta? A rare sight on UK roads, probably thanks to them being left hand drive only, they’re a good looking alternative to the ubiquitous Mazda MX-5. Underneath it’s based on the Fiat Punto meaning predictable front wheel drive handling and fairly cheap running costs. It also means that if it does go wrong, which it might, bits are cheap. A lively 135 bhp engine makes the car pretty nippy and they handle well too.

    1. Toyota MR-2 MK-3 – £2795

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/toyota/mr2/toyota-mr2-mk3-roadster—————–2003/3021610

    If your main reason for buying a sports car is that you love driving, the MR-2 needs your attention. Although it’s not the prettiest car here, it’s light, mid engined and rear wheel drive. Add feelsome steering and an engine with just enough power to make things interesting and you have the ingredients for serious fun. Being a Toyota, it’ll be endlessly reliable and servicing shouldn’t be too costly either. It won’t be overly practical and there’s only room for one passenger but hey, your friends can always take the bus.

    1. MG Midget £3450

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/mg/midget/1979-mg-midget-1500/3088628

    You don’t have to spend a great deal to get a proper classic like this MG Midget. You do have to be careful to avoid buying a rusty old money pit, however this dry stored example should be a good bet. The mechanicals are simple (the engine is shared with the original Mini) so don’t expect modern levels of grip, braking or safety. The upshot is that you don’t have to go fast to have fun and the kind of looks that you just don’t get anymore. Be prepared to get your hands dirty though, MGs can be temperamental.

    1. Smart Roadster £4500

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/smart-car/roadster/smart-roadster-80-rhd-2dr-auto-fsh-low-mileage/2826209
    In many respects this Smart Roadster is the modern day MG Midget. It’s similarly tiny, shares its engine with an economy car and is cheap to run. Available only as a semi-automatic, it could be argued the slow witted and clumsy gearbox ruins the car. Learn to work with it and you’ll find a chuckable chassis, accurate steering and a great sounding turbocharged engine. The looks are Marmite and storage limited but they are bloody good fun. It’s easy to squeeze a few more horsepower from the engine too.

    1. Jeep Wrangler – £4450

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/jeep/wrangler/jeep-wrangler-4-0-petrol-limited-edition-65k-mileage/3222334Just because you’re buying a car to enjoy in the summer doesn’t mean it won’t prove invaluable in winter. This Jeep Wrangler offers a removable roof for the sun and 4 wheel drive with chunky tyres for the snow. The brick like aerodynamics and massive 4.0 litre engine will mean you’ll be very friendly with your local petrol station attendant but they are at least pretty reliable. Wranglers are very much an old school 4×4 so don’t expect the best road manners either.

    1. Mercedes SL320 £4490

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/mercedes-benz/sl/mercedes-sl-320——————1994/3102387

    If I was picking the classiest drop top from this list, the SL would win every time. This immaculate 1994 car comes with one of the smaller engines of the range which should save a few quid on petrol and servicing. Besides, the SL is not really about going fast, it’s about looking good. It also comes with a removable hard top to keep the heat in and car thieves out. Classic insurance won’t be expensive and old SLs tend to go up in value if you look after them….

    1. BMW M3 Evo – £4995

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/e36-m3-92-99/bmw-e36-m3-evo–low-mileage–3-keys/2895944

    Here’s a convertible that’ll really put the wind in your hair thanks to over 300 bhp from a brawny straight 6 engine. This 1996 example has been well looked after and comes in the best colour too. Inside is leather and luxury while you can even seat 4 at a push. Being an M3, parts and servicing will be on the expensive side as will the fuel bills. If you like the looks but don’t need the performance or expense, consider the lower powered 318i, 320i or 325i, they’re much cheaper to buy and run.

    1. Renault Wind – £4988

    http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/renault/wind/renault-wind-1-6-vvt-dynamique-s-2dr/3199982

    Once you’ve stopped laughing at the stupid name, the Wind is well worth your consideration. For a start, this is only 4 years old with just 36000 miles. For seconds it shares a lot with the Renaultsport Twingo, a great little hot hatch and for thirds it’s actually practical for a 2 seat roadster. A clever folding hardtop gives plenty of boot space that isn’t impacted when the roof is stowed (unlike a Merc SLK or Peugeot 308CC) and avoids a massive arse. The name killed sales in the UK so they’re rare but well worth tracking down.