Reflection moment
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From: Colorado
'21 AMG53 wDPP & ARC, 19 GLC300 - Former-03 C240,2 ML BlueTecs,20 GLE450 E-ABC,15 Cayenne D,17 Macan
A Grand Highlander will fall flat on it's face in an emergency maneuver. Yikes.
Now put a 7,000 trailer behind it. Scary.
I also won't pull with a pickup, even 3/4 ton, (average new price $64k - luxury(?) purchase) because of their inadequate brakes and suspensions.
None of this is luxury to me. Might be for others.
No reason to argue about this that I can see.
Now put a 7,000 trailer behind it. Scary.
I also won't pull with a pickup, even 3/4 ton, (average new price $64k - luxury(?) purchase) because of their inadequate brakes and suspensions.
None of this is luxury to me. Might be for others.
No reason to argue about this that I can see.
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From: Maryland
2024 S580
None of this is luxury to me. Might be for others.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,058
Likes: 2,214
From: Colorado
'21 AMG53 wDPP & ARC, 19 GLC300 - Former-03 C240,2 ML BlueTecs,20 GLE450 E-ABC,15 Cayenne D,17 Macan
By my definition, my 53 isn't a lux vehicle - it doesn't rrach that mega dollar threshold.
It's a well-designed, capable utility vehicle that does a lot of things well, and it's the best looking of the current crop.
And when that refrigerator falls off of the delivery truck directly ahead in heavy traffic at 70mph, it brakes, steers around, and dodges cars in the adjacent lane.
While the Highlander just plows onto the bouncy fridge.
Missing bouncy fridges is a NEED for me.
(Actually happened, and the 53 acted exactly as I pointed, braked and accelerated, without hesitation or ruffled feathers. Also big potholes to avoid in that three seconds.)
There's no way I'd Need a Highlander, but I can see someone Wanting one.
Different Strokes.
It's why there is more than one brand sold.
It's a well-designed, capable utility vehicle that does a lot of things well, and it's the best looking of the current crop.
And when that refrigerator falls off of the delivery truck directly ahead in heavy traffic at 70mph, it brakes, steers around, and dodges cars in the adjacent lane.
While the Highlander just plows onto the bouncy fridge.
Missing bouncy fridges is a NEED for me.
(Actually happened, and the 53 acted exactly as I pointed, braked and accelerated, without hesitation or ruffled feathers. Also big potholes to avoid in that three seconds.)
There's no way I'd Need a Highlander, but I can see someone Wanting one.
Different Strokes.
It's why there is more than one brand sold.
Last edited by mikapen; Oct 3, 2023 at 08:45 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Maryland
2024 S580
You’re entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts. A Grand Highlander would be perfectly safe in the emergency maneuver you have described.
When I was a kid we had a 95 Ford Explorer and a car fell off a car transport in front of us on the highway, my father avoided it and we were just fine, and a Grand Highlander is a much much better handling vehicle than that old Explorer with a live rear axle. You can watch reviews of such an emergency maneuver, Google moose test results.
You do not need a $100,000 Mercedes to be able to safely avoid a road hazard. If you did everybody who ever encountered such an experience would be dead.
When I was a kid we had a 95 Ford Explorer and a car fell off a car transport in front of us on the highway, my father avoided it and we were just fine, and a Grand Highlander is a much much better handling vehicle than that old Explorer with a live rear axle. You can watch reviews of such an emergency maneuver, Google moose test results.
You do not need a $100,000 Mercedes to be able to safely avoid a road hazard. If you did everybody who ever encountered such an experience would be dead.
Last edited by SW20S; Oct 3, 2023 at 09:12 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
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GLE 580
By my definition, my 53 isn't a lux vehicle - it doesn't rrach that mega dollar threshold.
It's a well-designed, capable utility vehicle that does a lot of things well, and it's the best looking of the current crop.
And when that refrigerator falls off of the delivery truck directly ahead in heavy traffic at 70mph, it brakes, steers around, and dodges cars in the adjacent lane.
While the Highlander just plows onto the bouncy fridge.
Missing bouncy fridges is a NEED for me.
(Actually happened, and the 53 acted exactly as I pointed, braked and accelerated, without hesitation or ruffled feathers. Also big potholes to avoid in that three seconds.)
There's no way I'd Need a Highlander, but I can see someone Wanting one.
Different Strokes.
It's a well-designed, capable utility vehicle that does a lot of things well, and it's the best looking of the current crop.
And when that refrigerator falls off of the delivery truck directly ahead in heavy traffic at 70mph, it brakes, steers around, and dodges cars in the adjacent lane.
While the Highlander just plows onto the bouncy fridge.
Missing bouncy fridges is a NEED for me.
(Actually happened, and the 53 acted exactly as I pointed, braked and accelerated, without hesitation or ruffled feathers. Also big potholes to avoid in that three seconds.)
There's no way I'd Need a Highlander, but I can see someone Wanting one.
Different Strokes.
Last edited by wildta; Oct 3, 2023 at 11:03 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Colorado
'21 AMG53 wDPP & ARC, 19 GLC300 - Former-03 C240,2 ML BlueTecs,20 GLE450 E-ABC,15 Cayenne D,17 Macan
And here on this Forum of all places, someone found one of the many papers have been published about my singular avoidance maneuver. Horrors. The FACTS are out! I've been Exposed for hiding the ..... never mind.
Actually I don't think a Highlander could make ONE lane change in three seconds and end up straight, even in perfect conditions.
Definitely NOT at that speed, in that traffic, on that pavement, with inches to spare on all sides. Chicago. Rush hour.
Few cars can.
It was violent.
Far moreso than a simple Moose test with cones in a parking lot at 45mph.
Last edited by mikapen; Oct 3, 2023 at 10:02 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Maryland
2024 S580
I can see your side. It would be like ABS, Airbags, and AC when they were first introduced. You didn't need ABS/Airbags when they were first introduced but if safety was important to you, like driver dynamics and handling, then I can see it as a necessity. Same with AC if you lived in Florida , Texas, or anywhere with hot humid summers.
It’s not a question of safety, and the statement that you cannot make an emergency maneuver safely and successfully in anything but a Mercedes is completely absurd. I sleep very well at night with my family in a very similar Chrysler Pacifica. Would I rather have a GLE or GLS? Yes. Do we need one to be safe? No.
Last edited by SW20S; Oct 3, 2023 at 11:28 PM.
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Super Member
Joined: Nov 2014
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From: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
2021 AMG GLE53 | 2013 SLK350 Sport
We’re not talking about a feature, we’re talking about vehicle design. All modern vehicles are extremely safe and are more than capable of handling an emergency maneuver. It’s simply the difference between a car that delivers above and beyond what is required for safety and competence to really provide the driver with an excellent driving experience. For that you need what the Mercedes has vs what the Grand Highlander has.
It’s not a question of safety, and the statement that you cannot make an emergency maneuver safely and successfully in anything but a Mercedes is completely absurd. I sleep very well at night with my family in a very similar Chrysler Pacifica. Would I rather have a GLE or GLS? Yes. Do we need one to be safe? No.
It’s not a question of safety, and the statement that you cannot make an emergency maneuver safely and successfully in anything but a Mercedes is completely absurd. I sleep very well at night with my family in a very similar Chrysler Pacifica. Would I rather have a GLE or GLS? Yes. Do we need one to be safe? No.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,058
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From: Colorado
'21 AMG53 wDPP & ARC, 19 GLC300 - Former-03 C240,2 ML BlueTecs,20 GLE450 E-ABC,15 Cayenne D,17 Macan
We’re not talking about a feature, we’re talking about vehicle design. All modern vehicles are extremely safe and are more than capable of handling an emergency maneuver. It’s simply the difference between a car that delivers above and beyond what is required for safety and competence to really provide the driver with an excellent driving experience. For that you need what the Mercedes has vs what the Grand Highlander has.
It’s not a question of safety, and the statement that you cannot make an emergency maneuver safely and successfully in anything but a Mercedes is completely absurd. I sleep very well at night with my family in a very similar Chrysler Pacifica. Would I rather have a GLE or GLS? Yes. Do we need one to be safe? No.
It’s not a question of safety, and the statement that you cannot make an emergency maneuver safely and successfully in anything but a Mercedes is completely absurd. I sleep very well at night with my family in a very similar Chrysler Pacifica. Would I rather have a GLE or GLS? Yes. Do we need one to be safe? No.
Now you're starting again.
You've done this in the past.
You have made your own statement and attributed it to me. Your words not mine.
Not only is it a total lie, you have started arguing with yourself, somehow thinking that the words you wrote were mine.
I believe this is the fourth time you've done this.
Then, newcomers to the thread think that your words are mine, and start arguing with your s****d comments.
Since you keep arguing with yourself, (an unusual practice) they start calling me out for your strange and uninformed drivel.
The last time you did this was over Car Wax. Of all things.
Quit misquoting me. If you want to argue with yourself, do it. But leave me out of your illusion.
You've even shut down threads with this tactic.
Please stop.
I've used the term "Your words not mine" in dealing with you in the past. If you're curious about how many times you've done this, do a Forum search on that 'exact phrase,' by 'mikapen,' and there you'll find your history of what might be called 'lies and deceit.'
I apologize to the forum for responding to your silliness. I validated it and prolonged the agony.
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: CT
Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, Tesla
I'm going to play devil's advocate here.
I had 7 Lexuses and now have moved to Mercedes. I have no desire to go back to Lexus. I also own mainstream family vehicles, we have had 4 minivans, a Kia Sedona and 3 Chrysler Pacificas. We just replaced our 2020 Pacifica with a new 2023 Pacifica Hybrid. If my wife would have agreed to it, I would have replaced it with a GLS in a second. The latest Pacifica is a hybrid Pinnacle and its beautiful, drives great (hybrid drives much nicer than the gas one), but its not a Mercedes.
Fancy interiors are beautiful, so is ambient lighting. My S560 makes me smile every time I sit in it, I look forward to driving it every morning when I get up, and I'm 3 years in. I also enjoyed my Lexus vehicles, but I would have a hard time going back to that now that I have experienced this. Maintenance cost is not much cheaper at Lexus, trust me and that cost is mitigated by finding a good independent mechanic. Premium fuel? $80 more a month in fuel if you fill up once a week. Non issue. Fuel economy? Couldn't care less.
I looked at the Grand Highlander and the Pilot and the Atlas and the Telluride and Palisade and everything you are looking at, and while they are very nice...none of them is a Mercedes (or a BMW or an Audi etc), and none of them appeal to me on the same level as a GLE or GLS would. None of them have the same level of refinement. They are all transverse FWD vehicles on cheap macpherson strut suspensions that don't deliver anywhere near the driving finesse of the german SUVs. Grand Highlander and Pilot are full of crappy cheap plastic inside...
If a luxury car doesn't appeal to you, then for sure don't spend the money on one...but none of those vehicles is a replacement for a vehicle of this caliber to somebody who does appreciate and value what something like a GLE or GLS brings to the table.
I had 7 Lexuses and now have moved to Mercedes. I have no desire to go back to Lexus. I also own mainstream family vehicles, we have had 4 minivans, a Kia Sedona and 3 Chrysler Pacificas. We just replaced our 2020 Pacifica with a new 2023 Pacifica Hybrid. If my wife would have agreed to it, I would have replaced it with a GLS in a second. The latest Pacifica is a hybrid Pinnacle and its beautiful, drives great (hybrid drives much nicer than the gas one), but its not a Mercedes.
Fancy interiors are beautiful, so is ambient lighting. My S560 makes me smile every time I sit in it, I look forward to driving it every morning when I get up, and I'm 3 years in. I also enjoyed my Lexus vehicles, but I would have a hard time going back to that now that I have experienced this. Maintenance cost is not much cheaper at Lexus, trust me and that cost is mitigated by finding a good independent mechanic. Premium fuel? $80 more a month in fuel if you fill up once a week. Non issue. Fuel economy? Couldn't care less.
I looked at the Grand Highlander and the Pilot and the Atlas and the Telluride and Palisade and everything you are looking at, and while they are very nice...none of them is a Mercedes (or a BMW or an Audi etc), and none of them appeal to me on the same level as a GLE or GLS would. None of them have the same level of refinement. They are all transverse FWD vehicles on cheap macpherson strut suspensions that don't deliver anywhere near the driving finesse of the german SUVs. Grand Highlander and Pilot are full of crappy cheap plastic inside...
If a luxury car doesn't appeal to you, then for sure don't spend the money on one...but none of those vehicles is a replacement for a vehicle of this caliber to somebody who does appreciate and value what something like a GLE or GLS brings to the table.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
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From: Maryland
2024 S580
And back on ignore mikapen goes lol
Appreciate it. I think we have all at one time or another asked ourselves if we could really be happy with something cheaper...if you appreciate the tangible ways in which this vehicle is superior though, you won't be. If its all about badge and status for you then thats a waste of money I agree.
Originally Posted by QuadBenz
Very well said
Appreciate it. I think we have all at one time or another asked ourselves if we could really be happy with something cheaper...if you appreciate the tangible ways in which this vehicle is superior though, you won't be. If its all about badge and status for you then thats a waste of money I agree.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 279
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From: US-PNW
GLE350(V167) C300(W204)
This thread has gone from reflection to aspersion lol. What happens with general automotive enthusiasm where we understand what each car / auto manufacture's vision and design?
Regarding the vehicle handling, the overall car's design and engineering matters but what matters even more is all in the driver's skill and their capability. A good skilled driver can drive a Grand Highlander faster in a track than a beginner driver driving a GLE63 😜 as well as avoiding a fridge on the highway.
Regarding the vehicle handling, the overall car's design and engineering matters but what matters even more is all in the driver's skill and their capability. A good skilled driver can drive a Grand Highlander faster in a track than a beginner driver driving a GLE63 😜 as well as avoiding a fridge on the highway.
MBWorld Fanatic!
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Posts: 7,058
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From: Colorado
'21 AMG53 wDPP & ARC, 19 GLC300 - Former-03 C240,2 ML BlueTecs,20 GLE450 E-ABC,15 Cayenne D,17 Macan
