Post by WDB on Aug 8, 2019 6:18:45 GMT
I touched on this in the ‘Needs, wants...’ discussion but the long holiday trip has prompted me to reflect on it some more. On paper — or browser— it’s looking rather appealing. Here’s why.
We spent a few very long days in the CLS, two where we covered more than 500 miles. [Insert musical accompaniment here.] I don’t need to repeat what the CLS does well here; let’s look at the grumbles.
These emanated entirely from the rear seat, mostly when I was driving and there were two leggy teenagers back there. When I wasn’t driving I sat there myself, dozed a little and felt fine, but I was sitting behind the shortest member of the party. I concede that when I’m driving, the space behind me gets a bit limited; I can still fit into it but wouldn’t want to be there all day. And the seat base is quite low, which limits thigh support. The complaints still sound prissy and entitled to me when I think of childhood holidays in a vinyl-upholstered Renault 12 — but then, North Wales was as far as we ever went in that.
A university friend, whose own sons are a stage ahead of mine, assures me that as long as I keep paying for holidays, they’ll keep coming. So we may yet need one more big car. And I can think of only two candidates. There’s the Škoda Superb, which has the space but falls short mechanically; and there’s the big, swoopy BMW.
It certainly has the space, being 135mm longer than even the CLS, a bit taller and with 200mm more wheelbase, which mostly benefits those in the back. 40 litres more boot too, which is a useful amount of wine to bring home. If the little blighters still can’t get comfortable, they really have had life too easy. It’s wide, of course, but only as much as the CLS, so not enough to put me off.
Rear-wheel drive, too, which makes me more confident about putting a load on the towbar.
The internet loves to disparage the GT — and the old 5 model was an awkward-looking beast — but the 6 looks quite svelte to me, especially in lighter colours. The first I saw was a white one the day we collected the i3 and it looked very handsome to me. And the interior is gorgeous, combining the good bits of the 5 with some touches taken from the 7. It wouldn’t feel like a letdown after the CLS.
So do I need one? Probably not. The CLS does all I want, brilliantly, for 360 days a year. It’s paid for. . And it’s old enough to escape the punitive VED rate on newer £40,000 cars. MrsB1 and I use it for weekend trips in the UK, and I do longer solo trips in it. Carrying even more empty space on those might feel excessive, especially once the nest is properly empty in two years’ time. But, y’know, shiny…
We spent a few very long days in the CLS, two where we covered more than 500 miles. [Insert musical accompaniment here.] I don’t need to repeat what the CLS does well here; let’s look at the grumbles.
These emanated entirely from the rear seat, mostly when I was driving and there were two leggy teenagers back there. When I wasn’t driving I sat there myself, dozed a little and felt fine, but I was sitting behind the shortest member of the party. I concede that when I’m driving, the space behind me gets a bit limited; I can still fit into it but wouldn’t want to be there all day. And the seat base is quite low, which limits thigh support. The complaints still sound prissy and entitled to me when I think of childhood holidays in a vinyl-upholstered Renault 12 — but then, North Wales was as far as we ever went in that.
A university friend, whose own sons are a stage ahead of mine, assures me that as long as I keep paying for holidays, they’ll keep coming. So we may yet need one more big car. And I can think of only two candidates. There’s the Škoda Superb, which has the space but falls short mechanically; and there’s the big, swoopy BMW.
It certainly has the space, being 135mm longer than even the CLS, a bit taller and with 200mm more wheelbase, which mostly benefits those in the back. 40 litres more boot too, which is a useful amount of wine to bring home. If the little blighters still can’t get comfortable, they really have had life too easy. It’s wide, of course, but only as much as the CLS, so not enough to put me off.
Rear-wheel drive, too, which makes me more confident about putting a load on the towbar.
The internet loves to disparage the GT — and the old 5 model was an awkward-looking beast — but the 6 looks quite svelte to me, especially in lighter colours. The first I saw was a white one the day we collected the i3 and it looked very handsome to me. And the interior is gorgeous, combining the good bits of the 5 with some touches taken from the 7. It wouldn’t feel like a letdown after the CLS.
So do I need one? Probably not. The CLS does all I want, brilliantly, for 360 days a year. It’s paid for. . And it’s old enough to escape the punitive VED rate on newer £40,000 cars. MrsB1 and I use it for weekend trips in the UK, and I do longer solo trips in it. Carrying even more empty space on those might feel excessive, especially once the nest is properly empty in two years’ time. But, y’know, shiny…
