Car Review: A bad case of love at first sight

Karen Worely takes a new Mercedes for a drive. Photo/Andrew Warner

Karen Worley, group sales and marketing manager for Eves and Bayleys, took a Mercedes-Benz E-class Cabriolet for a spin and fell in love.

OH LORD, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz" - a great Janis Joplin song and I can't get the words out of my head after being exposed to my first Mercedes-Benz experience.

Waiting in the immaculate showroom of Ingham-Sears I had already had a quick glance around the yard to see which car might be mine for 24 hours - which car looked like a "me" car. When the receptionist said: "This car was made for you - look at the colour," it was love at first sight.

"My" E-Class Cabriolet, gleaming red, top down on a glorious spring day, had pulled up at the front door.

Jason from Ingham-Sears took me through some of the many, many features. For starters, the keyless entry is a godsend to a woman whose handbag is full of girlie rubbish. The plush, cream leather sports seats and dash, and black high-gloss ash trim are a match made in heaven.

With the keyless start, seatbelts feed forward for easy access and we are off for a little reccy trip around the block. Immediately noticeable is the smooth transition from whoa to go and the pick-up is instant.

Jason shows me how to turn on the collision-avoidance systems. As the car in front of me slows down, so does Grace, my new name for this red convertible This takes total trust in the car - it is tempting to brake but no, the car is in control.

As I indicate to turn left an alarm sounds warning me of a car sitting in my blind spot. It is comforting knowing that your motor vehicle has the intelligence and the sensors to cover everything.

Within the first few minutes of driving, the car has measured more than 70 parameters to assist when you wander, miss seeing something or require wipers, lights, light dimming and so on.

But this isn't just about driving a car. This is about an experience. You get looked at differently driving this car.

For example, after Jason jumps out and lets me loose, I pull up to the traffic lights at the corner of Totara St and Hewletts Rd and wait for the lights to change. I glance up from the cockpit-like dash and to my left is a guy looking at me with a very lusty expression on his face. I realise at that point that all the money I spend on hair, makeup and weight-loss programmes is totally unnecessary.

All I needed to do to get that look was own an E-Class Mercedes. At the next traffic lights on the corner of Elizabeth and Devonport Rd I hear the sound of revving next to me.

Two young guys in a sporty-looking car have pulled up and are grinning at me from ear to ear and urging me to race them.

A lady further down the road screams out "Hey sister, can I have a ride in your car?" This car brings a smile to people's faces.

At 2am that night I am up in the kitchen trying to justify spending $118,900 excluding on-road costs on this little number. Sadly, I think I'll have to stick to the hairdressers and makeup counter.

But Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?

Eves Realty is sponsoring the People's Choice Award in indulge Bay Model. Vote for your favourite of the 15 finalists each week in indulge. Voting form on page 13
Ingham Sears Totara St, Mount Maunganui is a proud sponsor of indulge Bay Model. For tickets see bayofplentytimes.co.nz

Fact file
*1991CC, 4-cylinder, 155kW, 350Nm (What girl cares about this?).
*Direct injection, turbocharged (that sounds better)
*7G-Tronic plus (checking my nails now)
*Air-scarf neck-level heating system for the front seats (feels like someone is blowing on your neck)
*Heated front seats (Lid down on the coldest of days and you are still really comfortable)
*Roll-over protection system with roll bars integrated into rear head restraints (definitely an "Oh my!" moment)