[Foxbat]

Congratulations on the new Merc! Wishing you a many wonderful years with the new vehicle. The interiors are 1-2 levels above BMWs of the same level.

Looking at the range are you planning to use primarily as a city vehicle and the X3 for longer trips?

I was looking at AutoCompanion and they are were also giving huge discounts on this vehicle but not sure if its for your State. I was toying with the idea of changing from the 530i to the i5 but I think I prefer the gas version

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Nobody buys a new car to save money. But again, money comes and goes so the main thing is to enjoy some scenic drives in a nice new Merc.

Your definition of saving money can be different from mine. Isn’t it?

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

I am surprised that a 77.5 kWh battery only yields 350km or range though. Maybe the lower speeds in India or maybe it's the AWD factor because many EVs here have lower capacity batteries but still manage more range (e.g. Ioniq 5).

Could be all the reasons that you mentioned. The single most downside of this car is the lower range.

But, for my use-case, it’s perfectly alright as I won’t be travelling beyond 200 miles at any given point.

My perimter with an EV is Vancouver, Canada (110 miles) or Portland, Oregon (200 miles) which is what I travelled most with my Tesla as well and there are plenty of Electrify America charging stations in this route. I don't like waiting for charging and try to avoid taking an EV car for longer distances so it does not really effect me too much.

Originally Posted by visionrider

Hey Avi wonderful addition to your garage. Just realised that you have come a really long way or rather a circle from owning the white annihilator ( Chevrolet) to this new white beast. Congrats and a great write up to. But I will be honest I will surely miss the 'Rosso Diablo' and those travelogues around the twisting mountain roads .BTW what have you named this new beast ?

Thank you. Name is in the title !!!

Haha! Nice that you remember my White Annihilator. God has been kind and I have only been going “up” in my car ownerships so I feel lucky for sure.

Tesla was a superb ownership and hopefully will go back to a Tesla in future.

Do keep following this thread as White Blizzard will also go into the mountains (albeit the closer ones) as we have mountains starting from as early as 50 miles to all the way to 125 miles.

So, if I need to go on a single charge, then I can enjoy some snow capped mountain locations in the 100 miles range.

Originally Posted by Dippy

Congrats on the EQB Avi.

Except the range, its quite the nice package overall. Had the chance to drive the EQB300 and 350 here in India and its very sorted to say the least.

The electric Mercedes and ICE BMW make for a perfect garage.

I know the Mercedes purchase just happened out of the blue, but did you consider any other car when you decided to sell the Tesla?

Wish you many happy miles with the new Benz. Looking forward to your updates

Thank you Dippy. Great to see your message. Hope you are doing fine and enjoying “Amchi Mumbai” and also enjoying driving exotic cars that you enjoy doing the most.

You are right, it was a pleasant surprise that this car drove so nice.

I test drive too many cars out here and it would have been an easy choice to get an Electric BMW but, I was not impressed with their cheaper offerings and I loved only their expensive ones like the i4M450 and IXM60

Coming out of a financial rut, I didn’t want to spend a fortune again on a fast depreciating asset like an EV car. Wanted to stick to a certain budget and also look for deals that will roll over my negative credit that got accumulated because of the Tesla’s falling resale prices.

I have driven the following EV’s either in the past or recent past :

Polestar 2
Polestar 3
BMW i4
BMWi4M50
BMWIX50
BMWIXM60
Audi Q8 E-Tron
Volvo XC40
Ioniq 5
Kia EV6

All are nice cars but, it didn't strike the chord with me.

I missed driving the Mustang Mach E and Cadillac Liriq. Actually, Liriq was high on my list but, nobody is wiling to roll over my negative credit which means I would have to shell out a large sum of money out of the pocket to fill the gap which I was not willing to do.

Mercedes offered me a great deal apart from two other key factors- Mercedes Brand Value & Decent Fun to Drive

Hence, my decision to go for it even though it’s not a fast or performance car which is always my first choice whenever I'm car shopping. But, I traded the performance in for some nice comfort and luxury.

Keep an eye on the thread, like all my other ownership threads, Will keep posting updates regularly. Cheers !!

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Congratulations on the new Merc! Wishing you a many wonderful years with the new vehicle. The interiors are 1-2 levels above BMWs of the same level.

Looking at the range are you planning to use primarily as a city vehicle and the X3 for longer trips?

I was toying with the idea of changing from the 530i to the i5 but I think I prefer the gas version

Thanks.

You are absolutely right about the interiors and to be honest, that was also one of thing that floored me and swayed my decision.

Range answer I gave above in this post itself. Hopefully, that answers your doubt.

BMW GAS cars are leagues ahead of their EV cars. Pls don’t buy an i5 unless it’s an M version of the i5.

If you are toying with an EV, try the Model 3 Performance as now the prices are really month watering with 0% APR offers from Tesla. I will guarantee, no other car in EV will give you the thrills that an M3P can give.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by mobike008

BMW i4
BMWi4M50

BMW GAS cars are leagues ahead of their EV cars. Pls don’t buy an i5 unless it’s an M version of the i5.

What was wrong with the i4? I thought they would be similar to the 3 and 4 series in handling ?

[mac187]

Congratulation on the new ride Avi.

I am holding on to my Model Y as I paid of the loan in 8 months. It does hurt when I check the resale price or the new car price. My friend got a model 3 for 0% APR this month!!!

Do you have a Tesla wall charger at home? Is it compatible with the Merc?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

What was wrong with the i4? I thought they would be similar to the 3 and 4 series in handling ?

This isn't the question about handling. Firstly, Just ask yourself, why would I buy an electric sedan from BMW? I would choose a gas sedan each and every time.

If you still want a sedan from BMW, then get their M version as at least they are fun to drive and your ownership experience will be lively.

If I really want a BMW then I would get the SUV version of the BMW like the IXM60 as it's truly luxurious and hoot to drive.

Besides above, BMW and Audi have a strange loud noise during acceleration which is quite annoying.

Originally Posted by mac187

Congratulation on the new ride Avi.

I am holding on to my Model Y as I paid of the loan in 8 months. It does hurt when I check the resale price or the new car price. My friend got a model 3 for 0% APR this month!!!

Do you have a Tesla wall charger at home? Is it compatible with the Merc?

Thanks buddy. I hear you man.

It must hurt like hell considering I know the full story....You are in even bigger trouble than me. But, since you paid it off the best thing for you is to drive it to ground.

I have a Tesla wall charger ever since we bought the home. It came pre-fitted.

Bought a $120 adapter (J122) from Amazon to use it with the Mercedes and it works flawlessly at home (Read my battery and charging post).

Got a simple & sober floor mats to go with the interior theme.

[landcruiser123]

Congrats Mobike008.

Sad to hear about your Tesla, but seems like you've got a great EV for city use and a little monster for those PNW highways.

Wish you many miles of happiness with the new Merc.

[Aditya]

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of cars have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also gone here. Thank you so much for sharing .

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Congrats Mobike008.

Sad to hear about your Tesla, but seems like you've got a great EV for city use and a little monster for those PNW highways.

Wish you many miles of happiness with the new Merc.

Thanks. Nice to see your message. How are you doing and which care you are driving now in Chicago? Do you guys still do the Michigan drives and good 'ol 555?

Originally Posted by Aditya

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of cars have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Thanks Aditya. Nice to know about this. Much appreciated !!


Folks,

I just cannot tell you how much I'm loving the MBUX features and especially the Augmented Reality Navigation. It's absolutely fantastic !!

I have not used Apple Car Play till date (Apple Maps, Google Maps or Waze) as I am totally enjoying the MBUX Navigation.

It has some nice graphics both on the main screen plus the odometer screen.Sharing some pictures and a video.

Do check out the video to see the augmented reality in action.

https://youtu.be/oKzWhxrgZsM

Augmented Reality in action. Check how nicely the real-time videos come whenever there is an action needs to be taken (merging, exiting, going under a bridge, taking a turn etc)















Blessed to view these snow capped mountains wherever we are driving in Washington.

[mobike008]

Life is full of coincidences.

This work from home situation has stolen so many things from us and one of them is the basic joy of meeting each other.

One of my techie colleague who is mostly remote happened to be at work this week and I was surprised to note that he too drives an EQB..Albeit an older model and the 250.

Two EQB's in a frame.



His 250...



White Blizzard in the work place parking. I'm slowly liking how it looks...



Crossed 500 miles mark earlier this week.

[mobike008]

Last Saturday, the White Blizzard visited the beautiful and spectacular Cherry Blossoms of Seattle, Washington.

Pictures here : https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ml#post5952976 (Cherry Blossoms (April, 2025) - UDUB- Seattle, Washington)

Post that visit, we went to catch a movie and I happened to park next to an Audi Q5.

Here are some comparison shots of EBQ vs. Q5. Which one looks prettier?

EBQ vs. Audi Q5...I never realized they are almost same size







This is how my new widgets on the phone look like. Tesla Widget now replaced with Mercedes Benz Me App.

[mobike008]

Life is good with the "3-Pointed Star"

Yesterday, as usual after work, I hit the gym and some grocery shopping and encountered a fabulous sunset.

Well, as we are in Spring and approaching summers, the sunsets will keep getting spectacular by the day till the summers are over.

We are all geared up to enjoy these beautiful sunsets on a regular basis.

Some pics of the White Blizzard in a gorgeous sunset background and some scenic back roads near home.

Cheers to EQB !!!

Video of the sunset

https://youtube.com/watch?v=JYwTMuR5WGc

[mobike008]

1000 Miles Completed- A few observations.

Earlier this week, I completed 1000 miles on the White Blizzard and it has been a smooth, uneventful and beautiful experience.

Missed clicking at 1000 miles.



Odometer as of yesterday.



Here are Top 15 Observations- A few highs, lows and everything in between :

1. The Looks- Sheesh I used to hate it before but, as it usually happens, it is growing on me. This body style is more suited for European driver than a US driver. I don’t know why I say that but, that’s what came to mind.

2. Acceleration- It does not pop my eyes out like the Tesla Model 3 Performance but, it has plenty of oomph and I have configured the car to start in ‘Sports” every time and that mode punches well above it’s belt and I’m maintaining my record of shooting off the traffic signals like a “bat out of hell” thanks to this invention called “Electric Motors” and ofcoourse, my “lead foot”

3. Interior Cabin- It is luxurious and deathly silent. As mentioned before, it’s more silent than the Tesla. Thankfully, there are no rattles and everything seems well built. The beige leather and brown wood adds to that element of luxury.

4. The MBUX is a gem compared to the iDrive as there are just too many features and gimmicks to play around. Initially, I 
was shocked that I need to tap into screen to change songs in music till I discovered it can be done through the steering. It took me a few days to understand all the features as there are quite a few.

5. Charging- I found a sweet spot when to charge at Electrify America location near home. If I go anytime after 7pm, I will find at least 2/4 slots available and the charging time is 
30 mins from 10% to 80% which is not too bad. All this for a total cost of “$0”. Talk about the benefits of free charging.

Yesterday at Electrify America charge location near home. Always a wait due to just 4-spots for charging. Best times is post 7pm when it's usually empty.



6. I can charge at Tesla Charging stations too using my home adapter which I need to carry if I am travelling long distance like Portland or Vancouver but, my primary use case for 
this car is driving around Greater Seattle for which it’s 225 miles range is more than enough.

7. Even though my usage is majority city limits but, I do need to call out that for a $70K car, the range is pathetic at just 230 miles to a full charge. Come on Mercedes, Wake Up as everyone these days are coming up with minimum 300 miles range as an average.

8. Mercedes service is excellent. They have been calling me to check how the car is doing, do I have any complaints, asking for survey. Today, the sales advisor called me and mentioned my number plates have arrived, should I FEDEX it, Will I drop by or Should someone drop to your home to fix the plates. Wow! Now that’s something else. I told him I will drop in whenever I am passing their dealership which I do at least twice a week.

9. Wish the steering wheel was a size small and the seating position is tad bit high even at the lowest point. I’m spoilt by the near perfect seating, steering wheel position and size of the steering wheel in the BMW.

10. There is a small annoying noise each time I reverse as the “Mercedes Logo” flaps open to expose the camera.

11. I’m not a fan of the “Soft Touch” steering wheel function as it’s so delicate to use any function. You need to gently swipe right, left, up or down on steering wheel which feels odd. I love the tactile feel of “real buttons” or switches.

12. Tesla Insurance used to be high and I was confident with the Mercedes the insurance costs will get lower but, nope. I am still in the same zone - Costs me around $150/month.

13 Handling is surprisingly better than I expected. I have only corners and twisty roads around home so it’s like a daily routine for me to understand how the car handles. it feels a tad top-heavy going around corners, but the steering feel is well matched to the size car, In good hands, you can still do pretty decent speeds around corners with a perfect understanding that it won’t be flat nor sticky to the road.

14. Mercedes ME app on the cellphone is not the best. It is not intuitive and its UI is pretty basic. The biggest challenge with the app is there is no option to stop charging midway which is ridiculous. I mean if the charge is set to 50% (which is minimum) then I have to wait till it reaches that point and I cannot unplug cable from the car (this experience is for home charging). Charging and range features is way behind a Tesla.

15. While the ambient lighting is fabulous with 64 different color options and mix and match but, is not available for back seat passengers which is a big miss as my BMW has it even for rear passengers.

[mobike008]

Damn, I have a new dilemma in life.

When heading out to the gym, I don't know which one to grab. Talk about getting spoilt for choices.

This..



Or, the other one.

[WheelD]

Doston ko party nahi de tho kya gaadi khareedi (If you don’t treat friends for a meal, why buy a car..lol). We met at a nice biryani joint for a meal.

If I may ask, is this Bothell, WA? Seems to me. The Biryani House which you shared, was earlier Mayuri Indian Restaurant and had a general store behind it. That was 2011. Things seems to have changed a bit but not much.

Lot of visits and fond memories there

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by WheelD

If I may ask, is this Bothell, WA? Seems to me. The Biryani House which you shared, was earlier Mayuri Indian Restaurant and had a general store behind it. That was 2011. Things seems to have changed a bit but not much.

Lot of visits and fond memories there

You are spot on. That's Royal Biryani House in Bothell. I know it used to be MIR before.

If your last visit was in 2011, then things have changed quite a bit. Bothell back then used to be like a forest area, now it's the heart of the suburbs and really busy and bustling area and is one of the prime locations for Indians.

Nice to know you visited Seattle and enjoyed your visits. Cheers !!