Stick or twist?

It can, although not as often as the marketing department might like us to think. But I think it is here: I’ve got used to the 19in wheels on the CLS, which are an ‘AMG Sport’ feature (there was also, briefly, a plain CLS with 18in wheels and a two-bar grille, but hardly anyone bought it and it was dropped.)

Anyway, this GT is, as you can see, taller than my CLS but on wheels a size smaller, and it doesn’t look quite right. The multi-spoke design is a bit fussy too, perhaps better suited to a 7-series airport limo than a family transport. The M Sport gets 19in wheels with five double spokes, which look more purposeful, with the bonus that Michelin makes the Crossclimate Plus in a size to fit them, which isn’t the case with the 18s — or indeed my CLS.

I’ve done some Vić-like reflecting on our likely use case for this car, which makes the case for owning a big car at all a bit shaky. The CLS has done barely 3,000 miles in the last 12 months. OK, you say, pandemic. But it barely topped 5,000 in the 12 months before that; it went three full months in spring 2019 without visiting a filling station. It has earned its place on the drive with university runs, where the CLS’s load capacity has worked well, and long holiday road trips, where the GT’s extra passenger space might have been welcome.

But that’s history. This year’s holiday road trip will be a couple of hours to the near edge of Wales — not worth changing cars for; the CLS will cope just fine, and there will barely be time for anyone to moan about space behind me. By the time we might go to France again, our sons will have a combined age of 40 and their own ideas of what to do for a holiday. They might consent to join us at a venue we pay for, but they’re likely to want to travel independently. Sad to think it but we may have done our last European family trip.
Then Boy2’s first-choice university is Up North, but it seems unlikely we’ll do many — or any — four-up trips, and three-plus-luggage will go about as well in the CLS as the GT.

So buying a GT would leave us with a drive ornament even larger than the CLS, with the attendant risk that it looks a bit silly tootling about with only one or two people inside. Much as I like the idea, it’s probably the car that would have been perfect for us in 2017 but we’ve moved past the time when it would be useful.

I like that interior. Brown. I like brown.

I had occasion to vist a certain prestigious Thameside town a few miles away on Sunday, to take a child to a sporting fixture. I spotted 2 Polestar 2s whilst there. Now that's an EV I can get on board with. Very handsome, and no unnecessary SUV pretentions. Will there be a non-SUV, long distance, larger hatch/estate from them I wonder?

I charged up my Leaf for free in the local supermarket car park whilst there (bought some snacks so not taking the Michael), all the charge points were being used, which is nice to see, but everything else charging there was a plug-in hybrid SUV, which was *sigh*.

Seem to remember that your CLS isn't terribly miley? It should have years of useful life in it you'd think? Unless it's ULEZ non-compliant? I'm sure the GT would be a lovely thing too mind, but as you point out, how much real use would you be buying, and how much better would it be at that than what you already have?

Not to suggest that it's not nice to have something new just because you sort of want to and can of course. That's a good enough reason on its own. Only live once sort of thing.

Good thinking in my view. Experiences make memories. "Stuff" less so. I've had some of the best trips of my life in my worst cars. Pal of mine who used to be a bit of a city high flier retired about 5 years ago. Handed back the company 911 and bought a tatty but sound 2001 Suzuki Vitara convertible which he still has. He and his wife just tool about in that now and go on "adventures" all over Europe together in it. Bikes on the back on one of yon racks like you have. Happy as a pig in fertiliser. Well, he was until, y'know, that...Still, shouldn't be long now.

We are all different of course, but I've always taken the view that the best holidays are formed around a shared experience. A learning to do something new version being the best of all. Whether it's horse riding, or diving, or wind surfing or skiing whatever it is you all hanker to try or try next, or revisit.  Could even be cooking or something if that all sounds too strenuous, but the point is, those are the things that create the memories that will bind you as people and be talked about at Christmas for years. 

Being the only child I had great adventure holidays when young. Various long and I mean long trips to the USA being the highlights. I still remember almost every individual day. First trip was 45 years ago. Last one with my parents 34 years ago and several in between totalling about six months. Some great stories I still dine out on.