He's Baaaack...!
 

Hi guys. What a trip...the specs are:

Departed 5/7/06
Returned 5/19/06

5,111 miles total door to door.
82 hours total driving actual driving time.
25.8 mpg (all driving included)
63 mph average speed.

The car is absolutely perfect. I can drive this thing for almost 12 hours and not feel exhausted. It handles like a baby carriage, tracks straight and true and nothing puts a strain on it. Get the Multi Contour Dynamic Seats!!!! They are the finest car seat in the world. Not a glitch anywhere and it was the star of the show where ever we went.

The only problem on the entire trip was a blown rear tire on I 40 about 40 miles west of Knoxville, TN. Must have been something in the road but I heard a bang and the car started to make some strange noises. Pulled over and the left rear had a three inch gash in the sidewall...the rim was not touched.

I hit the Telaid button and they were great. Had a tow truck to change the tire there in about 30 mimutes. Called MB of Knoxville and when I arrived they took it in and put on a new tire and I was on my way in about 45 minutes. They would not warranty after calling MB. Inspection showed no defects and the gash indicated a hit by some kind of sharp object.

I know I promised pictures but the only ones I shot were of family and friends. When I get on a highway on a long trip...I drive until I drop with very few interruptions

All in all, this is the most exciting car I have owned and if there is a better one out there...it has not been built or designed yet:)

Got a lot to do but will check the thread tomorrow or later tonight.

I can testify to that! During my short drive around here we had a guy yell out his window to tell us what we already knew...."nice car!"

Welcome back friend. Glad you're safe and sound.

Thanks Jack...enjoyed the dinner and talking in person. Forgot to tell them I let you drive it and you didn't want to give me the keys back...:)

Welcome back!

Glad you made it through the whole trip safe and sound. I can not get enough of your little reviews about the S550. Glad to hear that it handled great (except for the blown tire), and that you averaged great gas mileage too!

Well, I hope to hear more of your adventures with the S550. And it looks like you can finally release the beast within (break-in period over)! :) :zoom:

Thanks...the beast within has been released...cracked 100mph one time just to see how it rides and it gets smoother...wind noise is almost undetectable at any speed.

haha, we get that ALLLL the time.....always brings a smile to my face.

and when we're sitting in a restaurant (usually by the car), I always see people coming by the car and trying to peek inside, pointing at it. ITS SO COOOOL!

Stats from the display
 

Here is the trip mileage which I did not reset yet and it started at 0 on May 7th.

http://www.nevadajack.us/albums/user...1/IMG_2194.jpg

Hey Jack...glad you are back. I just took an unexpected trip to North Alabama last weekend myself. My wife's twin passed and I flew her up and I drove up a day later. I drove 865 miles in 11 hrs ,15 min. I can tell you one thing sir...for you to maintain an average speed of 63 MPH over that distance tells me that you were near "triple digits" quite often. Your new S550 must really be a serious "Road Eater".

One of the things that I have noticed is that if I set my cruise on 85~90 after awhile I start to become the "kite with a tail" if you know what I mean. I have found that by squeezing the throttle slowly and gently approaching the speed limiter, that I shake off the followers. I then can return to my pace. I don't like driving in crowds.

I am now planning to go back to Birmingham this weekend for a wedding so I get to do it again under better circumstances...broke 20K miles on the return...almost time for service "B".

Glad you had a great trip. It's always entertaining to read you reports.:cool:

Hey sprink...sorry to hear about the circumstances of the trip. My condolences to the wife.

I was at 70-80 most of the time...I-40 was really lightly traveled except around the cities as was I-20 on part of the return. I was able to set the cruise at 79 and not worry about the cops. I also do not like crowds...I try an find a void and run ahead of the slow ones and behind the really fast ones. I hate it when you approach a line of trucks and someone decides to past at 1 mph faster than the trucks are moving. I get by those monsters as fast as I can.

Nothing like an S to take a trip in...most enjoyable of all my many cross country jaunts in past years.

I have about 6600 miles now and am hoping to get the Phone/voice kit installed in the next couple of weeks. I really missed that feature on this trip.

Good hearing from you....