I was at a wedding yesterday and part of my duties was to drive the happy couples car from the church to the reception which was about 35 miles away. They have a new Mercedes GLE SUV thingy (not available in the drop down options)
Wow, huge car, side steps (which were handy when you're wearing a kilt) and an absolute joy to drive. I felt like the guy in the gameshow with the speedboat "this is what you could have won". Was depressed handing the key back at the end of the journey.
9 speed auto diesel, every conceivable toy and electronic aid. Reminded me how much I like driving automatics and definitely want one as my next car. Wanted one for use in stop/start rush hour traffic for a while but even on the country roads down to Biggar yesterday, it was just such an easy, lazy drive.
The only criticism that I can make is the wiper operations. I realise that, like many functions, they would just be left on auto anyway, but felt that they looked like an afterthought. We have made the indicators on the left but have used the right stalk as the gearbox selector so lets just put the wipers on the end of the stalk of the indicators. Oh and the rear wiper, we can't make it a push back function or twist function so we will put another wee rocker switch in the middle of the stalk to do the back wiper.
Of course, this is a stereotypical "Chelsea tractor" . The happy couple have a baby and the pram wouldn't fit in the back of their Focus with all the associated stuff that you need. So the obvious choice was to get a GLE to have enough space .......... She has bumped two other cars trying to maneouvre it in supermarket car parks and that is with all round cameras, bleepers etc etc!
How times have changed from when I had newborns - wife was asked yesterday to make up the bottles for the baby. In our day you poured boiling water into 6 bottles, added the scoops of powder and shook till mixed. Now its a machine that resembles a fancy coffee machine that everything gets added to and then it mixes them!! Unbelievable!
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I really like those Bobby, my boss suggested I have one this last time I changed the co car but the bik was a bit too steamy so I stuck with the E estate. Not disappointed with it at all but the GLE is a very nice thing.
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I'm sure they are nice inside, and nice to drive. But they look hideous on the outside (IMHO) - not that far removed from a Ssang Yong Rodius! The previous M class looked far neater. And as with all these SUVs, there is precious little room inside given their considerable external bulk.
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Yeah true, had a run out ( as a passenger ) in one of those new Bentley SUVs. Hideous styling in my opinion but you know what, a lovely lovely thing to travel in.
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>> But they look hideous on the outside (IMHO)
>>- not that far removed from a Ssang Yong Rodius!
>>
I was about to comment the same but add that it appears to be in competition
with the BMW for the joint worse appearance.
Horrible, Horrible!!
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>> I really like those... the GLE is a very nice thing.
It's happened hasn't it, you've gone full blown Cheshire ;)
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Thanks for the warning. I'll get some pills. 😉
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Runfer, is that the same gearbox you have in yours? 9 speed?
I genuinely didnt know how many gears it had until I finally got it up to about 60 ish and realised the little indicator said it was in 9th gear. I just soooooo loved the relaxed feeling of sticking it in auto and going.
My previous concerns of slow manoeuvres etc were ill founded. Very easy to edge slowly and the stop / start thingy worked great although it does encourage you to sit with your foot on the brake which I would guess could annoy the driver behind you!
A little display told me that I earned 5.3 bonus miles with my eco driving, whatever that means!!
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No Bobby, mine has a 7 speed box. I think the 9 speed was on the 350s. The 7 is ok, if a bit hesitant sometimes. Smooth enough though. I actually preferred the 5 speed on my old one. Just always seemed to be in the "right" gear. And the gear selector was where it should be, not on the column.
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>> The only criticism that I can make is the wiper operations. I realise that, like
>> many functions, they would just be left on auto anyway, but felt that they looked
>> like an afterthought. We have made the indicators on the left but have used the
>> right stalk as the gearbox selector so lets just put the wipers on the end
>> of the stalk of the indicators. Oh and the rear wiper, we can't make it
>> a push back function or twist function so we will put another wee rocker switch
>> in the middle of the stalk to do the back wiper.
>>
Had my MB nearly 12 yrs and I still sometimes operate the indcators when trying to press the screen washer button!
I do love this kind of large SUV though - was very disappointed to miss out on a cheap lease deal on Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland a few months ago. That had everything from air suspension to air cooled seats.
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How times have changed from when I had newborns - wife was asked yesterday to make up the bottles for the baby. In our day you poured boiling water into 6 bottles, added the scoops of powder and shook till mixed. Now its a machine that resembles a fancy coffee machine that everything gets added to and then it mixes them!! Unbelievable!
Doesn't that just get on yer *its.
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>> Now its a machine that resembles a fancy coffee machine that everything gets added to
>> and then it mixes them!! Unbelievable!
>>
>> Doesn't that just get on yer *its.
>>
Do you /can you take it on holiday abroad of does little un starve ?
!st grandchild due next year so am on a steep learning curve again after several decades.
I guess a lot of things have changed. Help! I need Isofix retrofitted in my X type.
One of the very best baby bouncer type device that we had seems to be no longer made.
IMO a backward step :-) ( excuse the pun)
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>> One of the very best baby bouncer type device that we had seems to be
>> no longer made.
>>
orat least not on sale in the UK as far as I know.
In case you are interested in this type of thing.
It is called a " Jolly Jumper" ( with stand) and available in USA/Canada
Remiss of me to not know the name !!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZaO1L-FYzM
I do note how thinks advance/ improve.
Some of these brands have an extra - a musical mat.
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>> One of the very best baby bouncer type device that we had seems to be
>> no longer made.
>> IMO a backward step :-) ( excuse the pun)
The current equivalent seems to be the "Jumperoo".
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Never could be doing with all that.
I used to carry a ziplock bag of powder in my pocket and an empty bottle. Rarely did the girls get hot milk, it got made up with whatever water was available, although I did usually avoid chilled.
All this dicking around with water temperatures and additives and the rest is just silly.
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My recollection of making the stuff in the early seventies was that you had to blend the formula with a little water in a jug making a smooth paste and then adding water a little at at a time a little like making a bechamel sauce or Birds custard. To much liquid too early made it go lumpy and you had to start again. Not good when you were dog tired.
The stuff that you could blend by shaking it in a bottle came in a little later.
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My first child had bottles made freshly and allowed to cool down on the elbow temp until it was right for her. Even in the middle of the night.
When child 2 came along, six bottles were made at once and put in fridge and then put in the microwave to heat!! Especially in the middle of the night!
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What's wrong with Breast?
Bottles!
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>> What's wrong with Breast?
>>
>> Bottles!
>>
I was thinking the same, all of ours were breast fed and there is nothing more convenient than just slipping one out when required.
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>> I was thinking the same, all of ours were breast fed and there is nothing more convenient than
>> just slipping one out when required.
Convenient for you or the mother? So in the middle of the night who feeds the baby?
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The Mother. What's yer problem you fool.
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What's your problem MD, you fool. You miss my point - the mother has to feed the baby in the night when she might prefer the father does his turn.
:-)
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And if like me he has just done 10 hrs on site followed by office work and is going to bed Now at 22.32 snip you know why! knackered and is up again to do more of the same at 05.00 she can feed the bairn. Geddit you fool?
Some of us work for a living, but then again the benefits of such stuff pay off.
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 18 Oct 16 at 01:45
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I thought you were a bit old to be having babies with your wife MD. I didn't realise you had young ones/babies. Apologies.
I too work for a living you know. Most of us on this forum do. I have colleagues with babies... you know what the husbands get up in the night to do their share of feeds. And still work. Geddit?
Last edited by: rtj70 on Tue 18 Oct 16 at 00:54
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>> Convenient for you or the mother? So in the middle of the night who feeds
>> the baby?
Both. Mrs B works nights so used to leave "pumped" bottles as required.
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Mercedes Benz - Mercedes Benz GLE SUV car - Runfer D'Hills
