i was asked that question today by the regional tech rep for mbusa.

after he asked what models i owned.

i think he knew, but since he was working with me today to add the passenger turn-down mirror function on my recently acquired 2006 cl55amg, i suppose he needed to know why he was doing something for me that wasn't being done for other owners.

i told him that it was because all my benzes had been designed by individuals who drove them. they all offered me perfect driving positions[enough leg room, arm extension]. and even more to the point, easier ingress, egress than any of the other manufacturers' cars.

i don't own a c class benz as it doesn't get it.

most of mine are sonderklasse cars with the exception of a 1995 e320 cabriolet. still, they all are easy to get in and out of.

i evaluate cars by their ease of ingress and egress.

the worst of the new populars is the porsche panamera. the popularity of this vehicle is inexplicable.

and i am just talking about the driver's seat. that is all that is important to me.

and let us stop pretending that this porsche is a 4-place vehicle. no more than any of my benz coupes. i am 74 inches tall. when i have the driver's seat in position, there is no leg room behind me. no matter what any reviewer says, benz coupes are not 4 person cars unless the front seat passengers are midgets.

that is true of my 560sec, s500c, e320cab, my cl500, and this latest edition, a cl55amg.

for all practical purposes, these are hard-top roadsters with extra wheelbase, trunk space, interior room. but they are not 4 adult passenger vehicles.

but, for 1 or 2, they are the best coupes ever designed, manufactured.

thank you bruno.