Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Elegance and beauty defines the E-Class.
Call us today to schedule your test drive!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
2013 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG First Drive
To serve as a reminder that this is still an incredibly capable vehicle, Benz also rolled out a G-Class Professional model -- the bare-bones version sold to peacekeeping organizations and adventurers -- for us to evaluate on a tight trail before we got busy with the G63 out on the twisty country roads. Both models utilize the same four-wheel-drive system and three locking differentials (one of the G's hallmark features) but the Professional doesn't get all the fancy electronics. It's set up to appeal to buyers who want their G-wagens to be as uncomplicated as possible. And no, it isn't sold in the U.S., either. Predictably, the Professional G excelled off-road and easily conquered mud, off-camber sections, and bulky rocks. Driving the G63 back-to back with the Professional highlighted the difference in interior amenities. The most noteworthy new design features inside are the steering wheel and seven-inch HD screen. There's also an upgrade to the COMAND system that changes the look of the center stack. More significantly, Mercedes has fitted the G-Class with a new electronics architecture that allows the inclusion of new-to-the-G features like blind-spot assist, Distronic Plus, and Parktronic. Both the G550 and G63 receive electromechanical steering and hill-start assist. On the outside, there are new LED daytime running lights, a new grille, and a red brake caliper option for the G63. The modern-day Mercedes-Benz G-Class is loaded with contradictions. It's an incredibly capable off-roader, but few ever see so much as a dusty trail. Relatively inefficient, truck-based SUVs are a dying breed, but the G-Wagen just had one of its best sales years ever in 2011. And given its utilitarian origins and mission, models like the 2013 Mercedes G63 AMG we just hustled around continue to make very little sense, but remain a heck of a lot of fun.
Every AMG model in the stable has been getting a heart transplant, and the new G63 AMG (replacing the G55 AMG here in the U.S.) deploys a version of AMG's new 5.5-liter V-8 twin-turbo tuned to make 544 hp and 560-lb-ft in the G63. The engine is mated to an AMG-optimized version of Benz's seven-speed automatic. Also like the other AMG models, the G63 gets a stop/start system to help it gulp a smidge less gas. The G550 is also still available and continues with the naturally aspirated 382-hp, 5.5-liter V-8, fitted to a seven-speed automatic. There's also a V-12-powered G65, but that one isn't coming to the U.S. 
While the G63 and the Professional have the same basic underpinnings, it's probably best to avoid conquering rocks in the AMG version (wouldn't want to scratch it!). The G63 has a nasty, deep engine growl, and makes this big, blocky body-on-frame truck genuinely fast. AMG quotes a 5.3-second 0-60 mph time, plenty quick for a vehicle approaching three tons. The engine is equipped with a start/stop system thatkills and starts up the engine surprisingly well, and the transmission responds quickly, making it feel lighter than it is. The ride is compliant, but there is no question you're driving an old-school truck. Mercedes worked hard to add new features to a platform with origins that predate the crash and emissions standards that exist today, while maintaining the right balance of capability and luxury. At first it may seem amazing that people spend six figures on a vehicle like this when they know they're never going off-road, but when you shut the vault-like doors, hear the rumble of the big V-8, and then the mechanical "clack" of the power door locks as you accelerate, it suddenly makes sense.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Under 30k miles, this fantastic vehicle awaits a new owner.
If you demand the best, this superb 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the car for you. 
It could be you! Check it out today at Mercedes Benz of Fort Wayne!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Mercedes-Benz GLK Photo Gallery and Overview
17 May 2012 | JDavis
Following the world premiere in April 2012, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK is displaying its full credentials on- and off-road. Its claim to leadership of the compact SUV segment is underscored by trailblazing assistance systems, engines matching efficiency with agility, a new design and an extended range of equipment and appointments.
The newly designed exterior lends the GLK added dynamism. The body combines classic elements of all-terrain vehicles with the design idiom of the current Mercedes-Benz models. Stringent lines, expansive surfaces and the smooth-surfaced, volume-emphasizing front and rear areas harmonise with the hallmark GLK body features which are typical of classic, functional all-terrain vehicles. Apart from the attendant benefits in off-road terrain, this design also offers concrete advantages in day-to-day use. The high seat position provides a commanding view of the traffic situation, with the body lines also designed for excellent visibility.
The designers at the Centre of Competence for Interiors have undertaken a thorough makeover of the dashboard, for example: a wide trim in aluminium or optionally in wood spans the entire width of the dashboard. The new round vents and additional trim elements in silver shadow also catch the eye. A high-end colour display is optionally available for the instrument cluster. A three-spoke sports steering wheel, new upholstery colours and seat designs plus indirect ambient lighting featuring LED fibre-optic technology, which is available on the GLK for the first time, further enhance the feel-good atmosphere inside the car.
Clean machines: the GLK engine range
The range of engines provides for drive comfort and attractive performance in all GLK models in conjunction with low emissions and fuel consumption. In all, there is a choice of six diesel models and one petrol engine. The GLK 250 BlueTEC 4MATIC features a four-cylinder diesel engine generating 150 kW (204 hp) of power and 500 Newton metres of torque from a displacement of 2143 cc. Despite its formidable performance, this model is extremely frugal when it comes to fuel consumption: on average, the compression-ignition engine consumes 6.1 to 6.5 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres (159 – 169 g CO2/km, NEDC combined mode).
The two rear-wheel-drive models GLK 200 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY and GLK 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY with six-speed manual transmission are even more fuel‑efficient. Both versions get by on 5.5 – 5.6 litres of diesel per hundred kilometres (143 – 147 g CO2/km, NEDC combined mode). The top performer among the diesel versions is the GLK 350 CDI 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY. Despite the 25 kW (35 hp) power increase, the top diesel model runs on around 17 percent less fuel, at 6.9 – 7.0 litres per 100 kilometres (179 – 183 g CO2/km, NEDC combined mode). The GLK 350 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY petrol-engine model featuring the trailblazing engineering of the leading generation of V-engines deploys BlueDIRECT technology to make its mark in terms of performance and fuel consumption.
The excellent fuel economy of all GLK models is underpinned by a comprehensive package of BlueEFFICIENCY measures as well as by this state-of-the-art engine technology. In addition to the ECO start/stop function that comes as standard, these measures include the seven-speed 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission. Low-friction axle drives, electric steering and tyres with low rolling resistance also play their part in reducing fuel consumption.
Exemplary safety as standard
Assistance systems familiar from the S- and E-Class feature as standard to enable a further improvement in active safety and driver-fitness safety and take the compact SUV to the top of its market segment. Electric steering with STEER CONTROL, which supports the driver in unstable driving conditions by triggering an impulse which can be felt on the steering wheel, prompting countersteering by the driver in the correct direction, Brake Assist (BAS), which provides additional brake power when emergency braking is detected, and ADAPTIVE BRAKE featuring Hill-Start Assist, HOLD function, brake drying in the wet and priming of the brake system all support the driver. The high standard of active safety is ensured by the AGILITY CONTROL suspension with selective damping system, the ESP® Electronic Stability Program with integrated trailer stabilisation and tyre pressure loss warning and, on the 4MATIC models, by permanent all-wheel drive and the 4ETS electronic traction system.
Optional equipment includes the ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection system and the PRE-SAFE® anticipatory safety system. Additional assistance systems, including active variants, are optionally available. One example here is Active Parking Assist, enabling automatic manoeuvring into and out of parking spaces. To facilitate manoeuvring when visibility is poor there is a backup camera with guide lines or – for the first time from Mercedes-Benz – a 360° camera. Additional systems are optionally available as individual items or in special packages. The Driving Assistance package Plus comprises DISTRONIC PLUS including BAS PLUS, PRE-SAFE® Brake, Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist. The Parking package combines the described 360° camera including Active Parking Assist and PARKTRONIC. The Lane Tracking package includes Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist. Another new development is the Offroad Engineering package in combination with the Intelligent Light System (ILS). Offroad Light is available here for trips in difficult terrain. Specific headlamp settings provide for better off-road orientation by more widespread illumination of the field of vision.
The revamped GLK-Class incorporates the integral safety concept in keeping with Mercedes-Benz’s brand philosophy, which is based first and foremost on real accident scenarios. The GLK’s highly robust occupant cell provides an effective basis for occupant protection in conjunction with the front and rear deformation zones. The GLK comes with numerous standard-fit items of equipment to protect its occupants. In addition to airbags, pelvisbags and sidebags for driver and front passenger, there are also windowbags for the driver, front passenger and rear passengers as well as a kneebag for the driver. The crash-responsive pedals and the crash-responsive NECK-PRO head restraints for driver and front passenger further bolster the level of protection. An active bonnet serves to reduce the risk of injury for the more vulnerable road users.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
This 2012 C-Class 250 is looking for an owner!
It could be you! Stop in & take a look at this marvelous looking car. 
Call us today for a test drive!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Mercedes-Benz brings the power with newly redesigned SLK 350
The SLK-350 comes with three different engines – a 4-cylinder turbo, a V-8 and my tester, a V-6. Prices start at $54,800 for the base engine, and naturally rise from there as you move up in power. The list of SLK goodies is long and luxurious, too. Smart-looking 18-inch wheels, fine interior wood trim, LED daytime running lamps, adaptive bi-xenon headlamps, heated seats, keyless start, leather seats, 8-way power sports seats all come with.
And where to visit, once in New Paltz? Mohonk Mountain House. One doesn’t merely arrive at this turreted seven-story structure, stretching nearly 1/8 of a mile and surrounded by more than 28,000 acres of state park land and private preserves. One instead wafts gently out of 2012 into 1869, when the property was first built. Horses clip-clop past the front entrance. Guests row boats and paddle canoes and kayaks on the lake around the back of the building. Mohonk’s architects, bricklayers and first guests have long since departed the building but their work lives on, and it is masterful. There is much to do and things to see as well as specials galore, and they got that internet, too. www.Mohonk.com
When you’re done visiting your castle, will you be revving the SLK 350 through a snowstorm, helping a pal move a pool table, or lugging a set of drums to a gig? No. But that’s not the point when your top comes down in a mere 20 seconds and you’ve got crisp metallic trim on your gauges, controls and air vents reminiscent of Benz’s SLS AMG supercar. This is a here-now car – or, rather, here and gone.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Check out this great deal!
This month only, purchase Mobil 1 esp 5W40 Synthetic Motor Oil for only $6.50/QT!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
MERCEDES-BENZ SL550: Icon of innovation
"The styling has the same heritage but the 2013 introduces a lot more technology and safety," said Arthur Diaz, Sales Manager for Mercedes-Benz of North Palm Beach. "The new model is also lighter, smoother, faster and more fuel efficient than any SL we've ever had."
This two-seat iconic roadster is powered by a new, 4.6-liter, twin-turbo V8 engine that generates 429 horsepower and 516 ft. -lb. of torque. Not only does it have 46 more horsepower than the 5.5-liter V8 that was used in the previous model but, according to Diaz, it has as much power as the Mercedes-Benz SL63.
There's certainly no shortage of power under the hood of the new SL550, but when you consider that the roadster is also 275 pounds lighter than its predecessor, you get a better understanding as to how much the performance has been elevated.
The new generation of the SL550 is composed of 89 percent aluminum, which is how it shed those excess pounds.
"This is an extremely lightweight car, but also extremely strong," said Diaz.
The lighter weight, coupled with cutting-edge technology, has also made the new SL550 the most fuel efficient version of the roadster ever introduced by Mercedes-Benz. For 2013, the SL550 achieves 16 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.
These are truly impressive figures for a car that produces nearly 430 horsepower and goes from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds.
"Mercedes-Benz has offered 60 years of sports-car firsts, and the legacy continues with the new SL550," said Diaz. "It is pure driving fun."
The two-seat roadster has a retractable Panorama roof that, when open, reveals a remarkably spacious interior, which has also been completely redesigned.
In addition to the finest leather, aluminum and wood finishes available, you will also find a 14-speaker harmon/kardon audio system (a Bang & Olufsen BeoSound system is also available) and the new Mercedes-Benz mbrace2 system, which offers not only open Internet access, but many apps including Facebook, Yelp and Google.
"The SL550 is Mercedes-Benz's flagship roadster, and it now has many innovative electronics that connect the driver to the vehicle," said Diaz. "However, with advanced technology such as the new cloud-based in-car Internet features available with the mbrace2 system, the SL also connects you to the world."
Diaz says the new SL550 is extremely popular with previous SL owner, but that it is also attracting a great deal of conquest business.
"With its look, feel and performance capabilities, the SL550 embraces all the senses, and drivers of all ultra-luxury cars have definitely taken notice," he said. "How can you not be excited?"
2013 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550
Type: Two-door, two-passenger, rear-wheel-drive roadster
Engine: 4.6-liter, twin-turbo V8 (429 horsepower)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters and ECO-Stop/Start System
Safety: Front airbags, front side-impact body airbags, front side-impact head airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, rollover protection bars, drowsiness monitor, stability control, crash-responsive exit aid
Fuel mileage: 16 (city)/24 (highway)
MSRP: Starting at $105,500
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Call us today to schedule a test drive on this beautiful car!
Check out this all new 2011 C-Class that we have! It's got a great listing price. 
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class SL63 AMG
Disaster averted, we're back to enjoying the scenery. It looks familiar but slightly different. The palm trees are shorter and stockier and the sea ahead of us is a milky blue instead of the deep blue-green Pacific we see at home.
This could be Southern California. We could be minutes from home. If we weren't paying close attention, the roads leading into the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azure region of France look like California. And if you're not paying attention, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG looks like a normal SL550.
Stronger and Stiffer, Not Heavier
The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 is based on the new 2013 Mercedes SL550 and thus gets all of the same treatments. The body-in-white of both cars is down by 220 pounds versus the previous model, yet rigidity is up by 20 percent. The latest SL chassis contains some 200 feet of robot welding and nearly 2,000 rivets; the firewall is the largest cast piece in the automotive industry. Stiffness is important when you've got a car with 429 horsepower from a twin-turbo V8.
It gets even more important when you, as AMG has done here, rip out that motor and fill the void with a 530-hp 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 hand built in Affalterbach.
Stiffness is also an issue when that same car doesn't have a roof. The magnesium power-folding roof is not only very sturdy, it shaves 13 pounds from last year's steel-framed roof. The old SL would shudder as the mechanisms whirred and the roof origamied itself into place, but there's none of that here. Hold the button for the top and, like a good stagehand, the SL63 changes the scenery without reminding the audience of the intricacies at play. We said it of the SL550 and we'll repeat it here: It's one of the tightest convertibles we've ever driven.
With the additional bodywork and larger wheels, Mercedes estimates the SL63 tips the scales at 4,068 pounds — only 100 pounds heavier than the SL550 and nearly 400 pounds lighter than a 2011 SL63 AMG we tested last year.
It All Starts With the Engine
Starting the engine begins with a familiar snarl, but from a different body. Gone is the lustworthy naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 from the outgoing SL63 AMG and in its place is a new forced-induction power plant that promises to satisfy our love for power and the government's love for fuel efficiency.
Tobias Moers, chief engineer at Mercedes AMG, is quick to remind us that this is not the first application of AMG's new M157 5.5-liter turbocharged V8. It already sits in the E63, S63, CL63 and the CLS63 AMG cars and we've had our hands on nearly all of them. As with the S63, the SL63 AMG makes 530 hp and 590 pound-feet of torque in its standard tune.
Mercedes didn't provide them in their normal state, however. The cars we were driving were equipped with the AMG Performance package — a $9,000 option that "relimits" the top speed to 186 mph, increases power to 557 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque (via cranking the boost to 18.5 psi from 14.2 psi) and adds a limited-slip differential. Equipped with this pack, Mercedes estimates that the SL will hit 60 mph in under 4 seconds.
Controlling the Launch
Achieving this number, however, isn't as easy as smashing the go pedal and riding the wave of boost. Try it that way and the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 drags itself to about 10 mph before the turbos drop their full payload and the 285/35ZR20s out back scorch the asphalt. Fun, but not fast.
Instead, this SL, like the other AMGs is fitted with a Race Start (RS) feature that manages wheelspin, gearshifts and rpm to get the perfect launch. But it's a multistep process. Trying to use RS for light-to-light racing is like using an over-under shotgun to mow down zombies; you may get the first few, but eventually you'll get caught.
On the open road, the twin-turbo V8 has startling midrange. Passing a slow-moving Dacia — and the six cars it's holding up — is a non-event that requires zero forethought. All of that torque we wanted at launch is available and only too happy to get things moving.
Whether we shift the seven-speed automatic (a wet clutch replaces the torque converter in AMG cars) via the upgraded aluminum paddles or dump it in Sport Plus mode, the shifts are lightning-fast and send just enough shock through the system to make you feel like something happened. Along with the shift comes a distinct pop. Less a pop, per se, than a huff covering a yelp. Sound matters to AMG. Just because they can't get overrun on deceleration anymore doesn't mean they can't make some inappropriate noises.
The ABC of AMG
There are three buttons on the center console next to the shifter in the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG. The first is the familiar skidding car representing traction control. The third is the AMG button that sets all systems to a preset level of attack. Between them is the familiar graphic of a shock absorber that allows for adjustment of the suspension.
In normal mode, the SL63 glides with the solidity and effortlessness of the megayachts moored in the St. Tropez bay below us. Impacts flow through the suspension and into the cabin to remind us that the car is still connected to the road in the traditional Germanic way. The goal isn't isolation; it's control. As the road tightens, the body pitches over in reaction to the precise but finger-light steering.
Press that shock absorber button and the Mercedes-Benz Active Body Control springs into life. Immediately the steering changes. There's more weight in the wheel and the SL63 is far more reactive. The ratio never changes. Rather, Mercedes simply tinkers with the levels of assist as the ABC adjusts the suspension to simulate a quicker ratio. Turn-in is immediate in this mode and takes some getting used to, as does the ultra-flat cornering.
Peerless?
"There aren't any," a representative for Mercedes tells us when we ask about competitors. "Buyers don't cross-shop the SL."
According to the company, SL buyers are also, on average, 56 years old, predominantly male (84 percent), college graduates (77 percent), married (75 percent) and earn an average household income of $516,000 per year. Up to 40 percent of these buyers opt for an AMG version.
They're also repeat Mercedes-Benz buyers and often repeat SL buyers. The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG is better in every measurable way than its predecessor — something we look forward to proving on our track back home — and Mr. $516,000-per-year will count himself deserving to park one next to his S- or CLS-Class AMG.
We'll mourn the loss of the naturally aspirated V8. We always liked the way it would pop and burble under engine braking, explode with natural sound on an upshift and fly through its rpm range with a wicked quickness.
Mr. $516,000 will briefly mourn the loss of $181,240 (as tested) and bask in the Mediterranean sun while his car slowly depreciates as he waits to buy the next best SL63 AMG ever.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Mercedes-Benz to pass Audi in sales by 2015, become world's second-biggest luxury car maker
The famous tri-star brand was the world's best-loved luxury automaker until 2005, when it lost the title to rival BMW, which has held it since.
In 2011, it suffered another blow when it slipped behind Audi into third place, selling 1.26 million vehicles compared to 1.3 million for Audi and 1.38 million for BMW.
Now, though, the fight back appears to be beginning, with German newspaper Handelsblatt reporting new sales projections from the Center of Automotive Research at the university of Duisburg-Essen.
According to the researchers, BMW will sell 1.76 million vehicles in 2015, compared to 1.68 million for Mercedes-Benz and 1.63 million for Audi.
That will put Mercedes-Benz within striking distance of its well-publicized goal to become the world's best-selling luxury automaker again by the end of the decade.
It won't, however, be an easy fight -- Audi is planning to push 2 million cars out of its factories by 2020 and wants to take the crown for itself with the help of the U.S. market, where it is currently ramping up in a bid to take on its two dominant competitors.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Looking for a great used vehicle with low mileage?
Come on down today and get into this superb 2009 Mercedes-Benz R-Class! This SUV gives you all the luxury features that you would expect, and more. 
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
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