New Year / New Dealership : Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale - previously Phoenix Motor Company

Phoenix Motor Company just moved and changed its name to Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale.

For you that are not familiar with the valley of the sun (phoenix metropolitan area) this is prime location for any business, and particularly for the car dealership of Mercedes-Benz. Major cross streets are Scottsdale Rd & Camelback. It is in the hart of shopping, dinning, gallery area of the valley. We just moved three days ago, and the whole building smells like new. So far we have opened Sales and Service department and in the coming days we should have most of the departments fully functional. Some parts of it are still under the construction, and grand opening is scheduled for February. Great news is that we are now an AMG center...we have entire floor dedicated to AMG vehicles.

Please do come to visit me at our new location;

Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale
4725 N. Scottsdale Rd
Scottsdale, Az, 85251

H A P P Y N E W Y E A R

2014 S-550

“Our entire automotive philosophy set in motion”, are the words of Mercedes-Benz for new 2014 S-class. Brand that invented the car and still leads the automotive industry has just come out with the new car that is also known to be “the best car in the world”.
So, after this introduction, what more can I say? What more can I add to enhance it’s dominance, beauty, comfort……or anything else….well…nothing. There is nothing that I can really add to this, but try to describe what is feels to be in S-class and drive one.

Before I go any further, I want my reader to know that this vehicle is very much introverted, meaning, most of its beauty is on the inside and not on the outside. Outside design of the car, might not impress you instantly, and it seems like it is purposely designed not to impress you on the first look, but rather intrigue you to come back for more. You will be covering it’s lines with your eyes from front to back, over and over again, looking for the “beauty” parts of it…..you will do it more than you first anticipated. After a while, you will still be looking, but rejecting the notion that you had enough. You will come back for more, and discover that more you look at it, more you like it. After a while, you will come to same conclusion, beauty of this car can’t be absorbed at once....…it takes time….and just than…you will understand and share its beauty. I would say that proportions of the car is what makes it a great design. There is no parts that are over-pronounced, apart from the front grill (but what would you say then for Rolls Royce) From hood, bumpers, windshield, side windows to trunk everything fits so well with the whole theme of the car, that communicates one message to the bystanders; confidence.
Interior of the car gets your eyes wondering everywhere from the moment you open the door. Of course everything is where you would expect it to be, but the refinement and the detail of the workmanship is noticeable in absolutely every part of its interior. My guess would be that steering wheel is going to be the first to grab your attention (smiley face), and later on, the size of the two screens on front dash (12.7 inches each), together with seat design & stitching of the leather (I’m referring to premium leather). Just like previous models, great effort is dedicated to integrate technology into the car, but at the same time to minimize its appearance. This is the car that is meant to project the beauty and design as well as its technological accomplishments, but certainly not one to overpower the other. Design of the door interior grabbed lot of attention from advertisers and you have probably seen the picture of the speaker, seat adjustments with part of the front dash. Once you see it for yourself, you will understand where they got the courage to advertise the speaker & part of the front dash as a sales image for a car. Once you take a seat and look around you will be impressed with its beauty and its classic design....luxury styling of the car interior just pushed the bar higher. Once you have a chance to sit inside of an S-class please notice that designers tried hard to display only necessary controls, and wrapped the cabin in flowing lines of wood and leather stitching. Cabin gives impression of perfect marriage of art & tecnology.
Besides impression that car design is going to make on you, technology advancements will leave you breathless. PRE-SAFE break with pedestrian recognition, BAS (Break Assist System), Distronic Plus with Steering Assist, Collision Prevention Assist,…..this list can go much longer, but I think it is more beneficial for you to see video rather than me describing technology on “paper”. Much of the new technology is entirely new to the industry…but I assume that you already knew that….since….the company moto is; The Best or Nothing and S-class was and is called “the best car in the world” Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Besides the safety technology, there is plenty of “new to the car business” comfort & convenience technology; cabin fragrance system, executive seating for back passengers, hot stone massage for front passengers, multi-color/multi-zone LED ambient lightning….and again, I can go much further, but many of these features are much better when seen, felt, and experienced. It is hard for me to describe the fragrance, but here is the link for the article in Forbes magazine.
And now is the time for me to tell you about the ride of the vehicle (some would say that is the most important feature of the car). Car comes standard with AIRMATIC Suspension, what is no surprise for many previous S-class owners, and here is the link for those new to it;
New for the previous S-class owners and the rest of the world is introduction of MAGIC BODY CONTROL. In a nutshell; system uses front cameras that monitor the road and take notice of all imperfections on the road, and inform the shock absorbers of the car what is coming ahead. Speed, distance, shape of road inconsistency is reported to suspension which makes adjustments so the car can take minimal interruption from the road to the driver/passengers. This is funny advertisement from Mercedes-Benz to describe MAGIC BODY CONTROL for European market.
This is the data that on many vehicles takes the top priority. I don’t want to say that horse power & torque is not important, but we all have to agree that HP is not the only thing that makes the car. Improved 4.6L Twin-Turbo produces 449HP / 516 LB-FT Torque and still able to achieve 17/26 mpg. Impressive. Acceleration 0-60mph 4.8 sec. Impressive. All this on vehicle that has curb weight 4.729 lb, just outstanding. Buckling your seatbelt, grabbing the steering wheel, and pressing down on accelerator paddle, make one thought stand out from the others; effortless acceleration. Car doesn't make any fuss while accelarating to......well this part is up to you....40,60,70mph or......but the point is how smoothly this vehicle takes you to your desired speed. When we are talking about luxury ride, this is very important. Smooth acceleration, quick yet unintrusive breaking is a must for every luxury car, and 2014 S-class certainly dominate in this category. While the comfort of the ride, trip, makes you feel like you really floating on air with standard AIRMATIC suspension, than MAGIC BODY CONTROL will leave you absolutely speachless.
My purpose here is just to spark your interest in automobile, and not to tell you everything about it, because that would just be very impractical. People get excited about the car when they see it in front of them, when they sit in it, and when they take it for a test drive, and not by me “telling” you about it. Computer screen or you would not tolerate extremely long article about the car, not even for the S-class. So, it’s time for me to invite you to the dealership so I can help you with getting yours “best automobile in the world”.


MB sales pitch
Peoples reactions to S-class

2014 CLA -250

First official advertisement for the car appeared for Superbowl in February.....and that is when visits, phone calls, e-mails started....but the wait is over.

The car is finally here. Mercedes-Benz that is starting at $29,900 states that expressive doesn't have to be expensive. After months spent talking about the car, checking websites, sharing youtube videos, writing down phones and e-mails, I finally have the pleasure of calling back and announcing that the vehicle is here and available.
How does it look, well....to me the car looks much better than on pictures. After walking around the car few times, I just agreed with everybody else. This is very good looking car. Everything is amazingly proportionate, wheels fit nicely into wheel well(one on the photo has upgraded wheels), roof line-window-door proportions are perfect, sloping design lines on front & rear door give the car it's athleticism, and headlights with front grill really give this car strong, expressive personality. The rear of the vehicle has a lot more styling then you would expect. It looks like the whole design of the rear end is based around taillights, trunk lines are everything but average, or what you got used to, and rear apron gives it extra sportiness. Design of the car is fresh Mercedes-Benz theme from CLA lead designer Mark Fetherstone. Now, please keep in mind that this is the standard model, without sport package, and those of you that are looking for more spice, you should (as well as I do) wait to see the one with sport package. As far as we seen on the pictures and videos, CLA-45 AMG is supposed to top it all out, sharp design and thrilling performance.
CLA-250 is powered by 2.0L turbocharged motor producing 208 hp / 258 lb-ft torque. It will get you to 62mph in 6.7 sec. and give you 26 mpg city and 38 hwy WOW. This is partially thanks to front-wheel-drive design of this car. First for U.S. market. Another major contributor to good fuel economy is ultra-aerodynamic body with drag coefficient about 0.23, in English = cuts through air better than Toyota Prius.
Interior of this car has no surprises. For those familiar with Mercedes-Benz it is a mixture of C-class & GLK details with a touch of G-Wagon with it's tablet style color display, what creates unique style for CLA. Once you pass the point of staring at display that is sort of "sticking out" you will realize that interior is everything that you would expect from Mercedes-Benz, quality workmanship and top notch fitting. For part of population that is short/tall Mercedes-Benz solved problem in CLA by allowing unbeliavable traveling space for driver seat, but I guess you have to come and try it for yourself...it is really amazing. Meticulous attention to detail is what made this company what it is today, and design of interior as well as exterior proved once again that Mercedes-Benz brings you instant classic and new bench mark for those who think that they can follow.
As it would be expected, CLA is equipped with plenty of active safety systems; Collision Prevention Assist, Attention Assist, Adaptive Breaking w/ Hill Start Assist, ESP, and plenty air bags (8) to keep you safe with advanced body structure.

2014 ML-350 Bluetec (Diesel)

This is an SUV that is easy on you when you stop at refueling station (notice that I didn't write "gas station") city 20 and highway 28 mpg. Yes, the full size SUV that does not rob you from the power delivery in return. Vehicle is rated 240 hp and 455 lb-ft Torque. And yes, that means you can tow the boat, towing capacity of 7,200 lb with this Mercedes-Benz and not be slow. But I am not done with the benefits of this vehicle just yet. You can go without refueling for 600 miles, that means that you would need a break before the Benz does. Now you might ask; Can I tow this boat in the mountains where there is snow ? Right. Sure you can, however....... people will never have the same opinion about you, but 4 matic (all-wheel-drive) system will handle it without a judgement. Anything else ? Of course there is. I will tell you now about the "other stuff"....there is more to this car than just power-train.

Unibody ML-350 diesel offers all advanced safety features as a gasoline ML-350. Only difference between two is that Diesel version comes standard with 4 matic.
Since this is not the first year for this model, I am not going to bore you with the stuff that you probably know. So far this model was awarded;
Top Safety Pick; IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) 2012
Vehicle Satisfaction; Premium Luxury Crossover SUV - AutoPacific 2012
2013 Residual Value Award; Premium Alt-Fuel Vehicle - Automotive Lease Guide (ALG) 2013

Besides the standard interior color options for MB-Tex and Leather you can order Desgno Nappa Leather upholestry that is a sort of "off-menu" choices; Designo Auburn Brown, Porcelain, and designo Black leather that you can pair with designo Piano Black Lacquer wood trim.

For the standard suspension your are getting; 4 wheel independent with AGILITY CONTROL and you have an option for AIRMATIC SUSPENSION as a special order item from Mercedes-Benz.

While you are burning diesel in cleanest way possible, you cabin is library quiet. For the trip not to be boring you can turn on massaged seats as well as heated/ventilated feature depending on the season. Your drink in cup-holders can be heated or cooled and internet access can give you update on weather, stocks, news, facebook.......future....wait, not that....I get carried away....but Mercedes-Benz internet apps can tune you in the world outside your protective sheet metal.
Many more features of convenience & luxury are available, but I think it would be the best to talk about it when we standing in front of the ML-350 Bluetec.
ML-350 Bluetec a.k.a W166 in Benz talk, for 2014 offers; Sport Styling Package, Parking Assist Package with Surround View Camera System, Splitview, and On/Off road package as a special order. Some of these options were not available for 2013, or withing certain packages.
Now it's your turn.......talk to me.

2013 GL-63 AMG

2013 GL-63 AMG made its way to dealerships and its owners. The one you see in the photograph, is the one and only of its kind in Arizona, and there is not that many of its bothers/sisters in U.S. Total output for MY2013 is about 120-ish. Let's get the obvious out of the way.

Quick Facts; 550 hp, 560 lb-ft Torque, 5.5L Bi-Turbo AMG engine, 0-62 mph in 4.7sec., Quarter mile 13,1 All-Wheel-Drive with towing capacity of 7,500lb

So it's big, powerful, well dressed SUV that many of us would like to have if the price was............different...........(126k+). MB didn't offer 7-seater SUV before 2007, and this is the first year that a performance model is offered on the market. The Body is manufactured in the U.S.(Tuscaloosa-Alabama), the heart and soul (engine & transmission) from Afalterbach & Stuttgart-Hedelfingen,Germany. Your choice when it comes to big & powerful SUV's are not that vast. Mercedes-Benz GL-63, Infiniti QX-56, CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV, Lexus LX-570….....they even post on website 0-60mph.....guess what it is ?

So, what are the options on the car....well, it comes pre-loaded with just about everything, but you could customize it with designo interior colors & a few options; towing package, bang & Olufsen sound, NightView Assist Plus, Split-view, Rear seat entertainment....etc

Here is what I find amazing about this vehicle; this is a sleeper. Architects and designers of this product didn't want it to look too flashy. It does not have aggressiveness on its styling, but rather sharpness. As the lines of the vehicle indicate its enhanced styling while hiding it’s true nature, it almost blends in with the crowd. The term “wolf in sheep’s clothing” can be properly used in this case. The GL-63 is an extremely capable SUV ready to handle anything on the road in its heavy-weight category (...about 5,600lb), but it is not limited just to heavyweights. GL-63 is very multi-talented. Comfort of the ride is not compromised. Superiority of Airmatic suspension makes this vehicle exceptionally smooth, and it does offer Sport & Sport plus suspension settings. It will spoil you in it's very, very comfy AMG design seats, massage you, warm or cool you, while reaching your destination of 60, 80,110….miles per hour. The real reason you would consider this vehicle is your desire to show your spouse, kids, and grandparents that 0-60mph is possible in less than 5 sec. with 7 of you in the car. Yes, I meant three car seats and four adults.
Yes, I know, the answer is 104 feet....60mph to stand-still. How good is this; Corvette 427 convertible needs 101 feet.

You would not take pleasure leaving in the dust small sports cars. You would consider it as a right of an GL-63 owner. Also, you would consider as unethical receiving speeding tickets……..well..….that is a stretch, but you got the point.

While driver comfort is as guaranteed as the sticker shock price is, passengers will find a few luxuries for themselves such as; rear heated seats, rear a/c controls & vents, second row seats movable with the press of a button, as well as the third row seating. When passengers are in their seats, panoramic roof provides a chance to find their lucky star that gave them opportunity to enjoy the GL-63. In order to please your eyes anywhere you look, the GL-63 roofliner is upholstered with alcantara roofliner, which is almost irresistible to the touch.

Mercedes-Benz incorporated all the latest safety innovations in the 2013 GL-63as part of the standard equipment.

Bottom line; GL-63 doesn't have friends, it is sitting all alone on top of the world, as the only one of its kind……..ready to lead the way……….higher...no….sorry……..….FASTER !!!

Oh, I forgot, …..……GL won the award as “2013 SUV of the year”