Drove this one pretty much coast to coast. A bit more, if you count diversions and side trips. Didn't hiccup once. Gave us an excellent ride. Stable, solid, quick, quiet, nice view out of the big greenhouse.

If you've got a 500E and intend to let it stretch its legs, a radar detector is pretty much mandatory. I finally caved in and bought a Valentine One for the drive (this car has an integrated K40, but I figured that was not up to modern low-signal Ka-band radar).

The V1 probably paid for itself several times over. Valentine Research hypes their product pretty hard, and I don't like hype, but I have to admit that the design is excellent. One key thing which a V1 does is to tell you the *directions* from which signals are coming. Very helpful in making tactical decisions.

If you encounter laser, you're probably going to get a loud "you're ticketed" announcement from any detector out there, V1 included, unless you're a very lucky guy.

We had only one laser alert in the entire width of North America, out on I-70 in the middle of nowhere. Bright sun, semi about 200m ahead of us, polished rear door on the truck. No cops anywhere nearby that we could see. My best guess is that the V1 false-alerted on a polarized light bounce.

Unfortunately, laser scatter is so minimal that one can drive right up to a laser trap with no warning, whereas a radar trap would have the detector alerting usually long before. Hateful stuff, lidar.

s/b

Well, I made it; 2400 miles, and no tickests, thanks to my Valentine One! What a car! When I took it to my tech, he said it was the nicest 500E he had seen, that it was close to a 10. My only complaint is the inordinate amount of road noise, due to the 17 inch wheels and aggressive tires. I may change them out.
Thanks, guys, for the help.

Tom

As I am close to picking which 17 inch rim to slap on a foursome of Michelin Sport Z 45/45/R17s to, could you tell me what brand of tires are on your newly found friend?

TIA

TOM

tell us more Tom,how was the ride you gotta love these babys...... they ROCK!!!!!!,as for your noise,research different types of sound reducing material you can put on the tank and inter trunk quarters.ive see it in car hi fi shops,ive see it placed on the doors ,behind the door panels.(its like sheets of playdoo.
congrats on the new addition to the family

__________________
1992 500E silver
1990 300ce AMG
1993 500e smoke silver-sold
1992 500e sold pearl black-sold
1966 mustang converible 289
1969 camaro x11
1991 ZR-1
1972 corvette roadster
2000 dodge cummins 4x4 sold
1994 e320 sold
1987 560sec Brabus
1987 300E (my first benz)

OK, the trip. When I picked up the car in Memphis, I was abit ticked off because some of the things I had asked them to do had not been done-oil change, wheel alignment and tires balanced. However, they had replaced the power steering pump, and the MB dealer had replaced the nitro cells. Labor much cheaper than the SF Bay Area. So, at 6:00 PM, I had them change the oil and filter. However, the car pulled significantly to the right, and i stopped in Denver at Stur Ritter's shop; Mark said it needed an alignment. However, by the time we got to Steamboat Springs, we picked up what sounded like wheel bearing noise, and, sure enough, both front bearings were scored. (Going through the old receipts, they appeared to have been serviced, incorectly, which the St. Springs shop confirmed. So we had a two-day wait for parts, but with new bearings and an alignment, we wqere on our way.
Almost the entire trip was done in 95-100 degree temp, and the car stayed, for the most part, right at 100degrees c. Once in awhile, I would have to turn off the a/c momentarily, but It nerver went over 110, and then only rarely. Here in the Bay Area, it stays at 90, 10 higher than my 300E, but fine.
The fasted I went was 120; I got nervous at the last minte about taking a chanc until my techj looked all the way through it. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be anyplace soon where I can let it go all the way.
The car did not burn any oil in 2400 miles of hard driving, which I was quite relieved to find out. I hope to get 300,000 m out of her, and, unlike my 300E, its a bit more than $3000 to rebuild. So, it will be oil changes every 2500 m.
I had some reservations at first about the seats, but the last day I drove straight through from Salt Lake City to SF, and my back was fine. The extra hardness seems to pay off on long trips.
So, I love my 500E! it was worth the wait for the right one that I could afford. And I'm realloy glad I went to get her.

Tom

Nice Tom...glad you are pleased...it was a long search for ya'

BTW...why do you call the car "her"? Does it have a vagina? Mine's got balls , hence...its a "he"...

__________________
Jim

1992 500E
2007 CLK63
2003 Audi RS6
2001 Audi allroad

Good one, Jim!

Did I tell you guys of my recent trip through the mountains of upstate NY? 248 miles, 2 hrs 25 mins., with 15 minutes of backroads on each end. V1, no tickets but several bogeys, wild nutso sustained autobahn kinda stuff-thoroughly entertaining.

And I think I finally gained a true appreciation for what these cars were specifically built for, and that's big numbers on empty stretches of road.

(In case Tangas is reading, that was 148 miles, or um, 4 hrs 25 mins )

__________________
"If God had meant for us to walk, why did he give us feet that fit car pedals?" Sir Sterling Moss

Michael
2014 E63S Estate
2006 SLK55
1995 E500
1986 Porsche 944 turbo

Hi Tom-

...just did a 1300 mile Cannon Ball Run to S Cal and back to N Cal and averaged around 17-18mpg highway w/ a/c on doing 80+++mph.

The E500 ran like a champ the entire way even through 101-107 degree temps on the I5!

-fad

PS- nice little gadget there....that V1!!!