Hi all...been away for a while, but I've been busy. Our third son was born recently, which has been another fantastic experience. Just awesome seeing my other boys greeting their young sibling!
As far as cars go...my trusty E430 served me well for several years, but it was time for a new(er) Benz. Wanted an E55/E63 but I will be doing some longer commuting this winter and my practical father side kicked in and went for a compromise in the form of a 2007 E550 4Matic. MB Canada has a good sale this month. I picked up the Extended Warranty as well given this car has a lot of expensive toys (including Airmatic suspension).
I'm loving it! Iridium silver with black leather interior, my favorite combo. Car came with both the sport and premium packages and has the wood/leather wheel which I love. Gauges are white and it has the keyless go start (button on top of shift lever) which is cool.
Car drives absolutely beautifully, hands down my favorite Benz yet in terms of overall feel and performance. Two tranny settings, Comfort and Sport, and three airmatic suspension settings - comfort, sport 1 and sport 2. I use sport 2, which feels just right for me. Tight enough for some spirited driving yet you don't feel every road bump. Brakes are back to normal hydraulic (no SBC thankfully) and they feel perfect - powerful, smooth and firm.
The engine is just fantastic. Incredible power (388hp, 391 ft-lb), and it just goes and goes. Highway passing is effortless and it rockets from a start as well. Plenty of grinning on my drive home from picking it up.
I think Benz really nailed it with this one, the steering was apparently tweaked for this model (07) and it shows. The feel is firm and precise. Handling with the 18" rims is great and cornering is tight with limited roll on S2 suspension.
Mileage on the highway is similar to my E430, which is impressive for an engine with over 100 hp more...I got about 10.1-10.5L/100Km. City driving...don't ask.
So Hattie I didn't get the AMG yet, but I think perhaps I got an even better fit...what's that Stones song again?
Anyway, I'm a happer camper with everything that has been going on and I'm feeling quite fortunate. Some pics...
