newbie owner R500 impression/questions

[bzliteyear]

hi guys, we've had the R500 for about 500 miles and i wanted to share some general impressions. overall, very pleased w/ the car and certainly feel it's very practical and comfortable(although i don't agree w/ some owners who feel it's as comfortable as an S-class). so 2 major thoughts: 1) the engine isn't quite as smooth as i was expecting, especially around 1500 to 2500 RPM...when accelerating from a stand still. it just sounds like it's working very hard and a bit rough - very different than my S55 as it loves to rev. even compared w/ our old X5 and similar weight, the V8 sounded better then the R500. 2) from a complete stop, angled toward left or right, there's a funky sound from under the front-end when we initially accelerate. during the CPOs, the dealer had replaced many suspension items including bushing/control arms/boots. could this have anything to do w/ it being 4-matic, or are there are factors? we're going to take the car in soon to get it checked out since only 2 yrs old and 41k CPO warranty, but wanted to check w/ you guys first. thx to everyone for help. p.s. i'd still like to get rear-view mirror, but so far $1500 is going price and that seems too much for me at this point for value. Patrick

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[R. Reyes]

The R500 is a great platform, but I think it would have been better with the 5.5 liter like the S55 as well.

I personally thought the 500 was pretty good performance wise and in sport mode was strong off the line.

Are you turning left right or just have the wheel angled and then go straight? What kind of noise as well? If your turning I would have them check the work they performed to verifty all is well.

I think most people are talking about comfort in the 2nd row relative to the S-class, I personally think so as well.

[rosswell]

Only when car is cold at start up, I get a "funky" noise that is more of a vibration and, I had previously thought it was the 4matic gearing in one of the front drive wheels. It reminded me of two meshing gears. Only lasts for about 2 minutes and then it's gone for good.

I've since realized it's probably due to exhaust and related heat expansion. My car had warranty work early on to put a bushing in part of the exhaust to remove a vibration. I've since not paid any attention to it since the car is solid in the driveline department at a variety of speeds.

[R. Reyes]

Yep. I get the same "vibration" noise at "cold" start-up.

Once I start driving I don't hear it anymore and after it's warm I don't hear it either. It must be the same type of noise. I have not had any work done in the exhaust area, but this sounds like the same.

[bzliteyear]

here's my update:
dropped my R500 today at MB Pleasanton.
the svc advisor suspected something as soon as i drove up, but he waited until the mechanic went on a test drive w/ me to confirm. apparently there was something on a recall recently related to the front axl. i'm still not sure what's wrong, but they're ordering the part and i'm supposed to get the car back tmrw.
as for engine roughness, i couldn't duplicate the problem when the mechanic went w/ me on the test drive. however, the engine was already warm so that could have been the reason. the mechanic is going to drive the car tmrw morning after it's cold.
so far, fairly impressed w/ the CPO after-purchase service.
p.s. they're replacing my driver side visor - it's sagging.
p.p.s. the C300 loaner is quite nice(enterprise onsite) as far as the way it drove...i like the platform. however, the i'm still SHOCKED at the low quality of the materials used. can nicer plastic really cost that much more that MB can't put it into a $37k MSRP? after all, VW and Audi seem to do a decent job, especially compared w/ $40k MB, BMW, and Porsches.
Patrick

[melvinh]

I had my 06 R350 CPO left front axel replaced due to bad C/V joint. When I make a left turn, I can hear the clucky/griding noise about 50% of the time. After fix, it's fine.

Can you update what's your dealer finally do to fix yours?

Originally Posted by bzliteyear

here's my update:
dropped my R500 today at MB Pleasanton.
the svc advisor suspected something as soon as i drove up, but he waited until the mechanic went on a test drive w/ me to confirm. apparently there was something on a recall recently related to the front axl. i'm still not sure what's wrong, but they're ordering the part and i'm supposed to get the car back tmrw.
as for engine roughness, i couldn't duplicate the problem when the mechanic went w/ me on the test drive. however, the engine was already warm so that could have been the reason. the mechanic is going to drive the car tmrw morning after it's cold.
so far, fairly impressed w/ the CPO after-purchase service.
p.s. they're replacing my driver side visor - it's sagging.
p.p.s. the C300 loaner is quite nice(enterprise onsite) as far as the way it drove...i like the platform. however, the i'm still SHOCKED at the low quality of the materials used. can nicer plastic really cost that much more that MB can't put it into a $37k MSRP? after all, VW and Audi seem to do a decent job, especially compared w/ $40k MB, BMW, and Porsches.
Patrick

[bzliteyear]

long story, but i'm still puzzled.
supposedly the CV boots were replaced prior to car getting certified.
however, the grinding sounds got worse.
even more frustrating, the selling MB dealer said part was on back order so i waster 3 days going back/forth for nothing.
tmrw, i'm taking the car to a different MB dealer...will let everyone know.
this is not a big deal, but it is VERY disappointing due to the supposed CPO process that was done prior to my purchase.
p.s. it grinds when turning on both directions - left side louder than right side.
Patrick

[melvinh]

I brought my R350 to the dealer in the morning, it's done in the afternoon. The tech verified the noise, but they still put a "body ear" or some sort of noise differentiation device to confirm the noise. From what I understand, if griding is there from both left and right turn, it's probably the differential or front axel, or both. Keep us update!

Originally Posted by bzliteyear

long story, but i'm still puzzled.
supposedly the CV boots were replaced prior to car getting certified.
however, the grinding sounds got worse.
even more frustrating, the selling MB dealer said part was on back order so i waster 3 days going back/forth for nothing.
tmrw, i'm taking the car to a different MB dealer...will let everyone know.
this is not a big deal, but it is VERY disappointing due to the supposed CPO process that was done prior to my purchase.
p.s. it grinds when turning on both directions - left side louder than right side.
Patrick

[JTReeves]

I had the left front half-shaft replaced on my 2007 R500 about two weeks ago. We had noticed a grinding sound, more on right turns than left. The dealer made the repair at no charge. The car has about 33k after 18 months of driving. My wife drives it to work daily. I get to drive it on Sundays to church and on road trips (1 roundtrip from No. VA to Key West in September, two roundtrips from No. VA to Tallahassee).

I've autocrossed it twice, once with the OE all-season tires, once with brand new Michelin Alpin summer tires. I tied with an E430 for first with the summer tires. Now that I know the difference the summer tires make, I plan to autox it a few times next summer. Check out www.gws-mbca.org for the times at the last autox of the season.

BTW, I test drove a 2009 R320 CDI at that autox. It had run-flat all season tires. I never got a chance to see what the torque advantage was since there was never a chance to downshift to a low enough gear. There was no comparison between the two cars under autox conditions.

JR

[bzliteyear]

Originally Posted by melvinh

I had my 06 R350 CPO left front axel replaced due to bad C/V joint. When I make a left turn, I can hear the clucky/griding noise about 50% of the time. After fix, it's fine.
Can you update what's your dealer finally do to fix yours?

just got car back - no more grinding from front end.
"noise matches description in DTB T-B-33.30/23A.
release pressure in air suspension, R/R lower engine compartment panel, replace left axle shaft."
that's it.
btw, i got 19.7mpg coming back to SF from LA hwy going about 80mph.
what i notice is that mileage around town is TERRIBLE - probably closer to 11-13mpg, so average getting about 16-17mpg blended.
Patrick