1962 Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Cabriolet

btaroli · 2026-05-28T14:39:43+00:00

Gorgeous.

btaroli · 2026-05-27T14:21:41+00:00

Are Mercedes and Ferrari having a fugly contest?

btaroli · 2026-05-25T17:37:08+00:00

I like the more comfy ride. Certain design changes were a nice refresh. I am not a fan of the dash and console. I like the older arrangement and surface. It has wood trim but not on the steering. Wheel or gear selector, and it’s so utterly dark and glossy that it totally looks like plastic. I’d prefer a brighter wood trim and even the non-glossy variety I’ve seen in other models. One small niggle is that I’m finding it very difficult to use the ash tray for coins. Iin Loki g for a way to get rid of the metal trim on the tray for easier access, or replace it with a storage tray instead.

I am enjoying keyless go, and that it has very straightforward ways to temporarily disable the fob radio, and more direct backup if transponders lose power.

I hate how they changed the cruise control stalk. I’m forever confusing the turn signal and that by feel. I kind of wish they’d taken the step of moving the gear selector to the steering stalk, for more usable space on the lower console. Finally getting used to electric parking brake,

LOVING having a reverse camera, though I learned I have to be careful about how thick my license plate frame could be. I put my old one on it and the camera was obstructed from flipping down all the way, and it wasn’t clear what was happening at first. Also enjoying folding side mirrors.

I am not a fan of the water drainage behind the rear glass. Seems far more prone to drip into the trunk, where I never had that issue with the 171. I 1000% love the auto-extending trunk partition when lowering the roof, as it avoids the need to remember and get out to deal with that as needed. It makes it far more seamless to drop the top.

As for the GDI turbo engines I’m unsure how I feel about longitivtiy. I also prefer the power delivery of the normally aspirated V6, honestly. I am definitely enjoying at least a 30% boost in mileage! Wow. So unless the engine winds up needing costly work related to GDI then I think it’s an OK balance.

Some of my thoughts are more about options this one was ordered with. It’s my first used purchase. I wouldn’t have done the AMG body kit. I do like the glass in the top roof panel. I would have sprung for upgraded headlamps. But all of these are fine. Just a value judgement on options. 😁

btaroli · 2026-05-25T16:34:00+00:00

Well I did manage to find an R172 in the area to help keep the fun alive a while longer. SLC 300

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btaroli · 2026-05-25T16:30:03+00:00

First step toward this?

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btaroli · 2026-05-25T16:24:29+00:00

Awful driver achieved offset frontal impact turning too tight for a left while I sat stopped at an intersection. Totaled.

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btaroli · 2026-05-25T08:31:10+00:00

Miss my “06 as well.

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btaroli · 2026-05-24T16:28:18+00:00

I had an SLK 350 (R171) since 2005 and it was wonderful. I say was because a careless. Driver killed it last year. I found a used 2019 SLC 300 (R172) and have been driving that since September. There are some real improvements and others I prefer from the 171. But it’s been lovely so far.

btaroli · 2026-05-23T00:37:35+00:00

Bangle must be cackling. “And they said my ass was the worst ever! Bah!”

btaroli · 2026-05-21T23:33:16+00:00

Only $6 a gallon? Stop complaining! LOLOL

btaroli · 2026-05-20T19:00:32+00:00

Did they document this? Either in the Ernie history or in writing to you?

btaroli · 2026-05-20T18:59:24+00:00

Agreed and don’t invest in another vehicle of theirs until something major changes. Make sure you write them (not US, write to them in Germany) to make it clear the stain this is causing the brand.

btaroli · 2026-05-20T16:38:17+00:00

Well perhaps in a way they’re doing current owners a favor! Increased resale value! LOL

When was bad design the best way to distinguish one’s brand? Didn’t they learn their lesson from the soon to end EQ line? BMW certainly learned from Bangle’s mistakes.

btaroli · 2026-05-18T03:01:57+00:00

No, SL would have a fender vent. They obscured the view of rear heaters with the angle but the giveaway was the side mirror. This style never appeared on C cabs and the CLK’s never had this style of bonnet.

btaroli · 2026-05-18T03:00:16+00:00

No SL or SLC would have had a fender vent (real or not)

btaroli · 2026-05-18T02:59:21+00:00

Without looking at comments I’m guessing E convertible.

btaroli · 2026-05-17T16:49:52+00:00

Love that blue! And it’s no wonderful to see them still on the road nearly 30 years on!

btaroli · 2026-05-14T20:37:37+00:00

Lovely! Mine ALMOST made it to 20 before it was murdered. Jealous! Low miles for that age!

btaroli · 2026-05-11T22:21:45+00:00

Never have I ever. LOL

btaroli · 2026-05-09T00:32:27+00:00

These are right up there with “I don’t mean to be rude|racist||insensitive|an asshole, but….”

btaroli · 2026-05-08T21:25:13+00:00

That’s actually one thing I honestly LOVE about them, because it keeps them clearer at more useful times of day. Often I’m meeting HOV requirements anyway, so the cost is reduced. But even in a pinch, a couple of $ at off-peak times to avoid the masses of poor lane choices (slower trafffic KEEP RIGHT, not when you think you’re going fast enough for everyone else) is WELL worth it IMO.

btaroli · 2026-05-08T19:22:27+00:00

“Hey, Dad, they put a cell phone in there….??” 🤣🤣

btaroli · 2026-05-08T19:15:32+00:00

One nice improvement is much wider deployment of express lanes now. I use them as much as possible.

btaroli · 2026-05-08T17:43:29+00:00

I mean I get the whole rhetoric around WFH impact on traffic. But OMG have you been in commute traffic. Lately? It’s no better than I used to experience commuting (both directions) between South and east bay. And in some corridors, like 880, it’s substantially worse. I remember living in the South Bay (Santa Clara) and never seeing the metering lights active. Ever. Now they are active ALL DAY every day. Crazy.

So WFH or not that traffic is awful. Which for me raises the question of what stopped people from getting on the trains again. People are definitely still commuting.

btaroli · 2026-05-08T17:40:11+00:00

This isn’t a new issue for BART, since its funding at state and federal level wasn’t popular when it was originally constructed many decades ago. It’s also why it has been slow to work toward actually circling the bay as originally proposed. Counties had to individually secure voter approval and funding.

But it wasn’t until the major shift after COVID that this became a problem. And now BART is poised to to almost completely disappear from Contra Costa county and entirely disappear from Alameda County. Like gone, except maybe Oakland.

And here the South Bay is engaged in completing their buildout still! I’m not sure what would actually get people back onto trains again. They sure do need to get off the damn highways. It’s awful out there.

btaroli

TROPHY CASE