Pabs1

I'll tell you a funny story:
When we had our first dog, we decided to get an SUV ( this was back in the early 90's) so we went to the Range rover dealer and asked to see a Range Rover and the chauvinistic salesman said " is this for the little woman " and both My Wife and I said NO this is for our dog, so he said would you like to do a test drive , and we said wait a second We are getting our dog from our car, at this point the salesman was a little confused , We brought our dog to the back door, open the door and he looked at us , he looked at the HIGH seat and he looked back at us , and WE got it , there was no way We were going to lift a 120 Pound dog every time into the car ( yes he was stubborn and he did what he wanted)
anyway We said to the salesman that our dog doesn't like the car , and he shook his head and we were on our way , as we were driving away , I can see trough the mirror as the salesman was telling other salesmen there , " I can't believe this ....the dog didn't like the car ...."
We'll we tried almost every SUV company and the same story , our stubborn dog will not go jump up to the seat ( besides that it is no good for their backs anyway ) , so We went to the Volvo dealership, we told the salesman the same story and he showed us a Volvo 850 Turbo wagon he open the back door and our dog jumped right in and that was it we bought the car right there, he stayed in the back really happy.
So from then on just Wagons for our dogs, and actually the reason We got the Mercedes, is because one of dogs has a bit of arthritis and we needed a Lower wagon ( we had a Volvo XC70 ) which is a and allroad type of car very high, and the Mercedes with the " Sport package is very low so it makes it easier for our furry one to get in and out.

Hope didn't bore you with the story.

Vik888

he told the other salesman that clearly the dog is not the b---ch in that family.

Buy a tazer .. or train your dog.

NorseWagon

Nope, good story.

Before previous dog got old and a bit lame, she would happily jump into the SUV. (Grand Cherokee Limited) but a few years after we got it, had to lift her in, then last year she went to doggie heaven.

Now a new dog: Long legs, athletic Doberman and he would have jumped into a Mack truck if I had one.
He sits in the rear compartment of the Wagon looking directly at traffic behind. No tailgaters with that guy staring at ya.
Will get a picture.

Looked at Volvo Wagons too, but always had a thing for Mercedes as I drove them as taxi cabs in Europe while paying for school.
Got a few hundred thousand kilometers in the diesel MB 220, 240 and 300s.
Thought I was going to get myself a Diesel Wagon, but no such thing anymore. (Not the W211 E-class anyway)
The E-500 Wagon fits the bill quite nicely...Glad I got it, so is my dog.

Pabs1

There is nothing in the World that We wouldn't do for our
" Furry love ones "

Mahatma Ghandi said :

" The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man. "

My wife and I are very involved in Animal Welfare , in the Legal and Academic fields.

NorseWagon

Yeah true, we all get attached to them fleabags..

Cruelty to animals is done by the lowest forms of scum, not humans..

(On the other hand, I do enjoy a good pork chop and a fine steak now and then, not sure where that would rate me on an animal welfare scale? )

Keep up the good work..

Taiwanese

Pabs1,

If you don't mind, what was the MSRP and what did you pay before tax?

Pabs1

With Premium package 1 and 2
Sport Package
Panorama SunRoof
Leather seats
Wheel Package/ includes Steering wheel with paddles and AMG Wheels

MSRP= $ 67,625.00

What I paid is different because they discounted the car another $2600.00

Taiwanese

So you paid $65,xxx plus ttl.

Pabs1

I leased it so it doesn't really matter

NorseWagon

Good rates on lease these days..?

Probably the way to go, as nice as the MB are, they seem to drop in value faster than a free-falling rock.

My 2004 Wagon had a sticker price of $68K and change.
I paid $17.7K in August 2009.
$50K less than sticker and $840.00 per month drop in value since new.

Pabs1

I am the kind of person that gets bored with cars a little too fast, and even though I am 52 years old , I am still a kid that likes cars , so it really doesn't matter , residual values, how much is going to be worth or anything like that.
As it is said " you buy what appreciates and lease what deppreciates "

NorseWagon

NorseWagon

Not only you Bro.

I am 53 years old and like new cars and all that just like you, but having made a few wrong career choices along the way, I have to watch the pound and the penny and the sticker and/or lease price on a 2011 Wagon is pretty important...With a good deal and a discount however I could probably swing it. Reason being, we live only once and money in heaven is no good.

Pabs1

Our Babies, Fred & Wilma

Taiwanese

Good looking dogs.

And you have good taste in cars. Is the blue car a 997?

Pabs1

Thanks

Yes that was a 911 CarreraS, Now I have a BMW 550IS and a New Beetle.
The reason I got rid of the Carrera is because what I wrote before, it is impossible to enjoy , and I mean enjoy a car to the fullest and the way it suppose to be enjoyed in this town, so I figure with a BMW 550IS I can still have fun but a little more docile.

Vik888

Pabs1,

I was just joking btw and thanks for the great quote!

Pabs1

I figure that because you used the smiley faces at the end of your sentences, otherwise......................................... .To the Moon ................

murman

Hopefully us Canadians don't get sucked into the same crossover pit as the Americans.

NorseWagon

Hope so for your sake:

Cross-Overs has a look that only a mother can love...

Pabs1

I don't think even mothers can love that look.
Have you seen the BMW one ...............OMG !!

NorseWagon

Pabs1

You beat me to it, I was going to post also a picture of this incredible
" sexy " and " fun " design .
Who the F... thought this car was going to make it ????

NorseWagon

Them guys was smoking crack in Detroit.

Same crowd who rolled out the Hummer just before the $140.00 per barrel fuel penalty and with their design-taste way up their tail-pipe..

Vik888

reminds me of the crossover/minivan version of the Wagon Queen Family Truckster (if it had one) from National Lampoon's vacation.

So hideous it had to be created for a movie .. well except the Pontiac Aztec was a production vehicle. haha.