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Mercedes CLK430

SaxMan

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Mrs. Saxman pranged our Corolla against a guardrail on I-70 over Labor Day weekend. She's okay, and the Corolla will live again, but we've been without a second car since September 1st. I let my wife drive my Nissan Rogue, as it has the parking permit for the high school where she works. Unlike when I pranged my VW, I chose not to daily drive the Sprite this time around. I first borrowed a 2014 Camry from my parents. It was the most utterly viceless car that I've ever driven. It was a perfectly pleasant car. I did have to return it, so I'm now driving my boss' 2000 Mercedes CLK 430.

I had driven the car before, but not since I owned the Sprite and learned to drive a car that oversteers. With my experience in the Sprite, I discovered the CLK also has quite a bit of oversteer. The 4.3 Liter V-8 feels and sounds like a bigger American V-8. It has torque up the wazoo. I'm having fun flinging it around, and my Sprite experience definitely has helped me really understand what the Benz can do.

Of course, it is a later Mercedes that is 17 years old, so it has more than its share of gremlins. Biggest issue is the convertible top no longer retracts. The most annoying of the issues is the blower fan only operates at its highest speed. I told my boss I'd give the car a top to bottom look-see and give him a report of what needs to be addressed.

Hoping the Corolla will be back this week. Yes, I could have taken a rental, but this is a lot more fun.
 
That is a good boss; one of the best road cars I have owned was a 79 450 SEL that just effortlessly went down the highway but could handle turns quite nicely as well.
 
I've worked for him for 29 years this October, so it's a bit more than your usual boss / employee relationship. But, yes, he really does have my back. When I first showed him the pictures of the Sprite, I asked him "Should I do this?". He responded "Absolutely!!!!"
 
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