The issue is, not really. When you manually operate the doors they feel like you are pushing them against an electric motor. I like the executive package because of the crystal headlights and the suede headliner but to get the headlights you have to accept the power doors. You can get the headliner separately...

 

I love my power doors! I also like how I can open the doors preemptively in the idrive display when passengers are approaching the vehicle as well as close all doors while walking away by holding the BMW symbol on the key fob.

Our Model X had the best implementation using proximity and no human intervention as well as closing all doors and windows as you walked away from the vehicle.

 

What would they do in a tight parking spot?

 

True, I also forgot about the weight the motor adds.

 

There were ultrasonic sensors on every door and the roof so there was never an issue.

 

Personally I just dont see the issue with opening and closing doors myself. I like the concept for my kids, they run off and leave the doors open...being able to close them is nice there...

 

Once you have them they’re hard to give up. Like a power trunk or hatch.

 

I drove a bunch of i7s with them on extended test drives, just not a feature I care about and I find them more annoying than helpful.

 

Wife had total shoulder done and constantly complains about gorilla doors on 223. Deliberating about jumping ship for that feature.

 

Sounds like in your situation thats an important feature

 

Living with them becomes a game changer. Just like how foreign it feels to close a trunk or hatch on your own. Just simply pressing the brake pedal starting a car and going. As well as welcoming passengers into the car. Just heightens the luxury experience.

Additionally it brings back stepless doors which we haven’t seen since early W222.

 

Those "gorilla doors" is an issue with coupes and cabriolets, didn't know it was also an issue with the W223, that said didn't W222 used to have hinges that stops at the same spot you let go of the door? Heard the W223 got rid of those and just swings back hence why heavy doors became an issue now?

 

Mrs Crab couldn't close the door without reaching up and holding the overhead handle leftie, and then doing an ape hanger to reach the door pocket with her right hand, pulling it close enough to reach the thing which is not a handle but is meant to be used as one, exiting the ape hanger position, and then with both hands now available, closing it the rest of the way with the handle that isn't a handle. This didn't really come up much because I'm old, and open and close the doors for her, in most circumstances. She loved the car, it was one of the few things she didn't like, the attack doors.

 

Ugh that does sound like a struggle.

 

Guys…my 9 year old kids can close the doors lol. They’re 4 feet tall.

 

I would definitely use that if I forget to pre-cool the car on a hot day.

 

What you’ve just described is basically the concept of the “Summer opening” feature on the S-Klasse taken even further. As far back as at least the 2009 W221 facelift, holding down the unlock button on the key for several seconds would open the sunroof and all the windows.

 

Yes and on my 2019 SL450, it takes things a step further, by actually retracting the hardtop as well.

 

Doesn't matter on the summer opening. You're driving an EV, the car can hold it's temp, with little battery drain, something on the order of less than a percent to 2 depending on how long you were out of the car. At that point your looking at a couple hours in a store, restaurant, or whatever and further means you may be better off just shutting it down and then contacting the car 15 minutes or so before you're ready to go, and having it go to your set temp.

It's one of the perks of an EV; it should seldom be anything other than perfect, when you get in it. I'd say never, but it's possible an emergency arises, you forget to call the car before you head out, etc. I've been considering picking up a Lucid Air, and following their forums. Some of those guys leave that thing holding temp over long periods; they're not going to be close to running out of juice, and they're going to plug in when they get home like they do every night. That it's ending the day at 43, instead of 45, or 48, is meaningless to them.

 

Wow this ride is nice, quite spectacular!

 

Thank you. It’s a shame that these 2013-2020 R231 SL’s aren’t appreciated more. Of the now 61 new cars I have had over my many years, this one ranks right up there as one of my all time favorites. Why they ever did away with the retractable hardtop, I’ll never understand.

 

Makes all the sense in the world. I’ve got to learn how to do that with the app. As it turns out, I have been unable to get my electrician out to install my wall charger and have been plugging my car into the 110 volt charger. It works great. I came home with 76% yesterday and this morning it’s at 85%.

The 110 volt charger comes with the car as standard equipment. The wall charger is $600.00 extra, but when I ordered my car, there was a promotion going on and it was included free of charge, along with 3 years of charging at any Electrify America location. I “tried” to charge at the EA location near my home, but it is at an outdoor mall with angled spaces across from each other. To get the cable to reach, I would have had to do a very tight “back in” maneuver, but only one space was open and I’m not there yet to feel comfortable trying something like that with this huge saloon, especially with many eyes watching the show. It is a BIG car.