Originally Posted by Streamliner

Well, my wife and I are currently driving said car on a 1,000 mile road trip. Hopefully, it will be uneventful, but you never know, right?

Originally Posted by Streamliner

Just got the call. The repurchase of my 2022 S580 has been approved. Now I await a call from Sedgwick, the company that handles buy-backs for MBUSA.

Originally Posted by wildta

If the buyback goes thru, please post the VIN so any future buyer might Google it and see this journey of a thread and know a little more about the history of it before their purchase.

Originally Posted by chassis

@Streamliner Is this your second consecutive S-Class buyback?

Originally Posted by Frenetic

Was the repurchase offer based on the mileage deduction formula I shared earlier?………….

Originally Posted by js_cls

Stream are you financing or leasing? The days of discounts seem to have returned. It shouldn’t be difficult to find an S580 (or S500) with a discount. Same for the new 7er, both gas and EV 7er’s are sitting on lots and already discounted by me, and the G90 doesn’t sell at all, so I’m sure you could get some cash off there.

I know you also said you’re looking at the GV80, RX, X5, etc, but those seem to be in high demand, so expect less of a discount and maybe even the possibility of a custom order. My local Benz, BMW, and Lexus dealer pretty much have no SUV’s in stock and the lots are looking a bit more empty again, although things may be different in Cali.

Originally Posted by Wolfman

Enjoy your trip and let's hope for no repeat!

Originally Posted by Frenetic

Interesting. What did they offer you? Can you disclose it as a percent of the purchase price if you don’t feel comfortable stating a dollar value and how many miles on it?

Originally Posted by jsoloddss65

It finally happened. I have had 2 tires with significant bubbles with freeway driving already (21's). However, I just was driving on a freeway entrance and went over a pothole. Both my left tires dropped to zero immediately. I am currently having the car towed to the dealership. It has been a week wait to get tires previously. It is sad that I paid 150k for a car I don't trust driving.

Originally Posted by Wolfman

Moved some posts to a new thread. Please stay on topic. Thanks...

Originally Posted by Streamliner

Really? Where did you move my post on my recent experience with the steering wheel controls on my S580, the car that is the "star" of this thread???

Originally Posted by Streamliner

IF they come across with some really great incentives, I may go for a new S500, GLE or GLS, or possibly a CPO S560, IF I can find one to my liking, which is just about impossible. I’m going to press the issue, as soon as Sedgwick gets back to me with their offer.

Originally Posted by Quietride

Agreed. The journalists are 100% reliant on the car companies for income.

"Automakers spent more than $15 billion on advertising in 2018, according to Ad Age, and these nine award givers get cuts of that big pie: Automobile, Car and Driver, Edmunds, Green Car Journal, J.D. Power, KBB, MotorTrend, Popular Mechanics, and U.S. News & World Report all carry advertising from automakers."

https://www.checkbook.org/national/a...-Interest-7318

And we're supposed to trust these people despite the glaring conflict of interest? It's just insane.

Originally Posted by Streamliner

That is a very interesting article. Not being a really technical guy—but a reasonably practical & common sense type—I’ve always had similar thoughts on the whole EV thing. I’m all for “saving the planet,” but I believe the politics of it have caused a knee jerk reaction to the problems and we are now starting to experience some of the consequences.

In L.A.—a city where I was born & raised, where I built my business, that I will rarely venture into anymore because of the lawlessness—they have this “road diet” program, where they have taken some busy, major thoroughfares and devoted one lane to busses only and another for bicycles only, turning the one remaining lane into a virtual “no man’s land” for other vehicles. Businesses on those streets have been decimated, all in the name of what some feel is just SO environmentally responsible.

I think I’m staying with an ICE vehicle for now, maybe a hybrid. The whole environmental movement is just moving too quickly and too haphazardly for me right now. I believe there are potentially massive, unintended consequences with all of these batteries being manufactured.

Originally Posted by Streamliner

Yep! I’m truly amazed when I read ANY negative comments on any brand vehicle. I was absolutely amazed when Motor Trend raked the Genesis GV80 over the coals for having a horrible ride quality. Then, Car & Driver says the GV80 is the THE best midsize, luxury SUV. Go figure.


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...811eb2e12.jpeg
P.S. By the way, look where the 2024 GLE ranks:


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...ac6424308.jpeg

Originally Posted by Streamliner

I certainly don’t have the answers, but a few things come to mind:

1. Limit horsepower on passenger vehicles & light trucks. Nobody needs more than around 350hp for the street, NOBODY!
2.. Above limit would apply to electric & hybrids as well. 800hp electric cars are not helping the planet. “Track Ready” cars should not be allowed to operate on public streets & highways.
3. Crack down on brake pads that produce dust in enormous amounts. Lexus vehicles make way less dust than German makes. It can & should be done.
4. The size & weight of passenger vehicles & especially light trucks should be reeled in. Every Toby Keith wannabe out there is using a lifted F350, with monster tires as his daily driver. It really has gotten way out of hand.
5. All gasoline powered mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers, etc. should be banned in favor of rechargeable or plug-in electrics.
6. We should immediately restart our nuclear power plant industry. It is our absolute, very best shot at safe, clean, renewable energy. The waste can be safely dealt with.
7. We need a “Robert Moses” type transportation tsar to get mass transit projects done. The absolute folly that is the California High Speed Rail Authority, is a great idea, but NOT if every single decision needs to be litigated in court. For the greater good of the many, a few should be forced out of the way, properly compensated, of course. Robert Moses was hated, but he got the job done and billions of people have benefited over the decades. You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

OH LORDY! Am I going to catch hell now!

Originally Posted by Quietride

I know you're asking Stream, but on a whim I bought an ebike this summer. I now use it for 95% of my trips. I actually enjoy riding it so much more than driving.

Some of them are spendy ($5-10k), but as you know a nice ride costs money!

Originally Posted by Streamliner

We all will continue buying the bigger, more powerful vehicles, as long as so many others are. Frankly, I would actually prefer a smaller vehicle, but driving on roads where there so many pickups & SUV’s that are simply monstrous, I feel I need to “stay competitive” size & weight wise, just for safety concerns. Love those B7’s by the way!

Originally Posted by Streamliner

I might have prefaced my “thoughts” by saying we cannot achieve much of anything, unless and until law and order are restored. I’m especially referring to many of our bigger cities where respect for law enforcement has fallen to new lows and police officers are leaving in droves. L.A., which I know about, is at a point where most law abiding citizens won’t ride public transportation, due to the dangers on the busses & trains that seem to be rampant and that go unchecked. Criminals that are apprehended are given a slap on the wrist and set free, so they turn around and keep offending, over & over. San Francisco, where they had some pretty decent public transportation, is rapidly becoming a failed city, with residents & businesses fleeing to the suburbs or leaving California entirely. Don’t even get me started on our virtually wide open borders where drugs & criminals flow into the country to perpetuate and exacerbate the already horrid situation.

We cannot even think about new mass transit systems, until we get our country on an even keel. When will the thugs figure out that folks stuck for extended periods of time at EV charging stations might be good targets?