Here we go again. Me whining why I haven’t blogged as much as I’d like. And for the most part, it’s because I’ve been obsessed and paralyzed by my own search for the successor to my beloved 2010 Mercedes S600 I sold in September. If you’ve been on this journey with me before, you’ll know that it’s not just about the next car, but also how it complements my daily driver (2013 BMW M3 and my wife’s car (2022 Kia Sportage). If she hates my cars, we always have to take her car on road trips. Her car’s not bad, but it’s not a unicorn. My pursuit is also complicated by my best friends recently buying a BMW X3 M40i, a BMW X5 45e, and a BMW X5 M50i – great SUV’s and now they are all off the table as options for me. And in addition to the search for a unicorn, I split for Austin in October to take in the US Grand Prix. Throwing that in at the bottom here just because. Let’s get started.
Surprise! I am absolutely intrigued with this 2017 Mercedes GLA45 AMG. I love these little buzz bombs and this one is cheap and well appointed with both adaptive cruise control and Apple CarPlay. I could easily see myself leaving home everyday in this to run errands, stop by the office, and throw music gear in the back for my gigs. Unpretentious sleeper.
While traveling I-95 between Baltimore and Washington I stopped by the Laurel, Maryland CarMax to test drive the GLA45. While waiting for the sales rep I sat in the car. Squeezed in and hit the seat adjustment button. Seat went back…and back…and back. The GLA45 has more front leg room than an S-class. Fact. I looked it up and for sure – 1/2 inch more leg room! Unfortunately, the sales rep never showed up and after a half hour of wandering the lot trying on cars I had to leave.
Before this stop I couldn’t explain why I like these cars. It’s not because it is allegedly a crossover “ute” of some sort – it’s not. The car has a really, really low ride height. Like lower than most sedans, not just crossovers. One critic complained that Mercedes took a CLA and raised it to create the GLA platform, then lowered it again to make the GLA AMG. Nonsensical. On the drive home I saw a Volkswagen GTI on the interstate and it finally hit me why I like the GLA45 so much.
The Mercedes GLA45 AMG is nothing more than a hot hatchback, and ever since I owned a pair of 70’s era Ford Fiestas (West German cars with the 1.6 liter Kent engines used in Formula 3) I’ve loved screaming around the back roads in unusual econoboxes. How much more fun in a modern one with 4WD and Apple CarPlay?!
The 2017 Mercedes GLA45 AMG is powered by a 375 hp 2.0 liter turbocharged four cylinder. It’s the most horsepower you can get in a gas-only four banger in the USA. The car sprints to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. It would be quicker than my old S55, S600, 911, and the M3 I’m driving now, although not as refined at high speeds I suspect. It would damned sure get better mileage. Why am I not buying it? If I could have the M3 as my convertible/sports car combo and a big luxury vehicle for long drives, this GLA45 would be perfect as a daily driver. That said, I (foolishly) agreed with the wife to be a two car guy again vice three cars, and I’m at a point in my life where I have a shot at splurging on that second car that I may not have next time around. This isn’t it. This GLA45 sold for over $50,000 five years ago and it’s not cheap at $36,998, but it sure is fun. Find it here in Laurel, Maryland.
Stock # 23516917 VIN # WDDTG5CB7HJ333732
So let’s turn our gaze to something more unusual, a real SUV with an unusual pedigree, rare trim, and near legit unicorn status. A 2020 Jaguar F-Pace SVR. The “SVR” stands for Special Vehicle Racing”. It’s got pizazz and performance and it’s not a BMW like my buds have. The F-Pace was introduced by Jaguar in 2016 and is based on the XF platform, shared with the Range Rover Velar. It’s roughly the same dimensionally as the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee I bought last year and sold to make room for the Cadillac CT6 that didn’t work out. Full circle.
Yes, I’m no longer reflexively rejecting red interior cars. I still cringe at garish bright reds, but my M3 got me over that with the “foxblood” subdued red. This interior is acceptable over the SVR that’s got all red seats and red dashboard and red carpets.
And it’s the seats themselves that nudged me away from this car. The seat bottoms don’t extend as they do in similar BMW’s and Mercedes and as with the Jeep, leaves my long legs unsupported, I tolerated that in the Jeep since I paid less than $40,000 – I don’t want to make too many compromises for $75,000. The seats also have no massage feature – unacceptable! It’s also unclear to me if this SUV has much in the way of autonomous driving (more than just lane keeping assist) and I’m still intrigued with that since my SuperCruise experiment.
The real reason to want this SUV, though, is the supercharged 5.0 liter 550 hp motor. Last year I was passed on the Pennsylvania Turnpike by a Range Rover SVR with the same motor and the shriek and growl were frighteningly awesome. The F-Pace SVR is a low four second 60 mph runner (as quick as the GLA45!). It sold new for over $80,000 and is not much discounted here.
Stock # 23062735 VIN # SADCZ2EE4LA621893
But wait – there’s a real special vehicle that just became available, also at my Dulles location, because CarMax got tired of my dithering and removed my hold. I can’t complain. I paid a small fee to have this transferred in after car buddy Mustafa declined on it in Kentucky and then I pondered, and pondered some more, and made up excuses to delay the inevitable – I had to also decline to buy this beauty.
It’s a 2015 Mercedes S65 AMG. Probably sold new for over $200,000 a few years back. It’s quite special. I thought it had everything one could get on a Mercedes in 2015 but I understand it’s missing some things – like the fridge in the back seat. Sigh.
That said, the S65 is a wonderfully loaded car and was a pleasure to drive. I made my case for a 24 hour test drive and CarMax again said no – no cars over $60,000 and most muscle cars are still limited to the 20 minute loop around the neighborhood. I know until 2020 or so all we ever got was short loop test drives, but once we got 24 hour rides that was THE thing to do. Learned so much more about a car bringing it home, parking it in the driveway, and making a few local stops to see what real life is like in these cars.
So I did what I do almost every day – go through the Chick-fil-A drive through and order an ice cream cone. Only this time I parked, put the right side in “chauffer mode”, and climbed in the back for part of my 20 minute ride. The right front passenger seat slides forward and an ottoman unfolds from the right rear…and I was supposed to feel like I was in business class I guess. What I noticed was the map pocket in front of me was busted, and worse, the right rear seat with ottoman up would not accommodate my 6’4″ frame – not even close. When I returned the car my favorite service tech Ryan came out to see it and despite being considerably shorter (no offense if you’re reading this, Ryan!) he couldn’t sit comfortably back there either. Bummer. Also found the under seat storage bin broken on the driver’s side and the “V” in “V-12” on the right front fender busted. So far CarMax has only fixed the rear map pocket.
The S65 packs a whopping 621 hp in this 6.0 liter V-12. Punching the throttle can be as violent as you want it to be, or “Glatt wie ein Babypopo”. It handled well. It did not feel gigantic in the drive through line. So why is it not in my driveway? The Cadillac cursed me. I still want Apple CarPlay, and while I think it can be retrofitted with aftermarket parts I’m reluctant to do that. Also after SuperCruise I want some autonomous driving for the cross country trips. The lane keeping assist in the Mercedes was dated and not very useful. I’m stuck in no man’s land – I want modern features and yet I treasure depreciation – these are still incompatible until the 2019 and 2020 cars come off lease and onto CarMax lots at cheaper prices. And finally, despite how much I loved my S55 and S600, buying a car with a big back seat and luxury features for passengers is a bit silly when almost always I’m driving solo. Maybe an S65 coupe? The 2016 S65 coupe just sold in Tennessee for $88,998.
By the way, MaxCare was available up to 125,000 miles an 60 months, and the $50 deductible plan was $$7,599 – about what I paid for MaxCare for the S600 in 2019. For now, you can still find this 2015 Mercedes S65 here at Dulles. It’s been on the move before, and suspect it will again. It’s a special car and someone is going to take the plunge. Please do so I can stop thinking about it.
Stock # 22615477 VIN # WDDUG7KB0FA087122
Oh yeah, my last excuse for yet another blogging lag. Made the journey with good friend Jerry to Austin last month to take in the US Grand Prix in Austin. Been to the German Grand Prix a number of times and even the Belgian Grand Prix once. This was a first. Even got to wear my gaudy race day attire. Have to admit with Verstappen already wrapping up the championship beforehand I was not terribly excited about the race. And for years I’ve bitched and moaned at how boring F1 “racing” is – astoundingly high-tech cars, and yet (in my head) so little racing – first one into Turn 1 almost always wins the race. Look it up and tell me I’m wrong?
I blew off practice for the biergarten for the most part, and didn’t want to watch qualifying but Jerry encouraged me and so I did. And it was really interesting to watch qualifying stints and tactics! And on one hand I was right (again) – first one into Turn 1 won (Max), and yet there was a whole lotta racing and passing going on – sometimes right in front of us! Maybe the best F1 race I’ve seen in years and got to see it live, with a friend.
Our ride for the three days at the track – a Cruise America rental. Maybe a 10-15 minute walk at most to our seats. Expertly grilled burgers (not by me) and cold beer. Haven’t used my RV spot at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in a few years – maybe I will again. Now that’s racing! Back to blogging. I promise.