As many of our clients have noticed, we are in the beginning stages of a full scale renovation of our Mercedes-Benz facilities.  From the showroom down to our Master technician’s tool boxes, we are doing our best to elevate our already awarding winning service for our customers.

When finished, our facility will meet or exceed the Mercedes-Benz ‘Autohaus’ blueprint – detailed with very subtle but extraordinary elements that distinguish the Mercedes-Benz brand.

About one third of the dealers in the United States have opted to support this endeavor and we are excited as to its completion.  In the meantime, please excuse our work in progress.  There has never been a better time to purchase, lease or service a Mercedes-Benz at Crown Eurocars.

As the summer draws to a close and the kids are going back to school, there is still no end in sight to the high temperatures. If you’ve noticed that your vehicle’s A/C is having trouble keeping up with the rising temperatures outside, Crown Mercedes-Benz of Dublin can help.

Your air conditioning unit is made up of several different components that must work together in harmony to keep you and your passengers cool on even the shortest journeys. Often times a simple recharge of refrigerant can solve any cooling problems, but there are often larger issues lurking.

• Dirty condenser — The condenser is the heat exchanger mounted in front of the radiator. It cools the high pressure refrigerant vapor after it exits the compressor so it can condense into a liquid. If the condenser is full of leaves, bugs and road debris, air flow through the unit may be blocked to the point where little cooling occurs. Cleaning the condenser should cure the problem.

• Inoperative condenser cooling fan — The condenser often has its own separate electric cooling fan. This fan should come on and remain on when the A/C system is operating. If the fan motor, motor relay or wiring is defective, the fan may not be working.

• Air or moisture contamination — For the refrigerant inside the system to do its job properly, it must not be contaminated with air or moisture. Air reduces the cooling efficiency of the system while moisture can freeze and form ice that causes blockages in orifice tubes and metering valves. Air and moisture contamination may be the result of unrepaired leaks in the system, or failing to vacuum purge the system prior to recharging it with refrigerant.

• Blockages — Debris or rust in the system may plug up the orifice tube or metering valve that admits refrigerant into the evaporator. If this vital point becomes obstructed, the flow of refrigerant may be restricted or blocked causing a loss of cooling — and possible compressor damage as well in systems that rely on oil circulating with the refrigerant for lubrication.

• Mechanical problem — These include things like metering valve failures, compressor wear, a compressor clutch that fails to engage, bad pressure switches, etc.

No matter what symptoms your A/C is experiencing, the competent A/C technicians at Crown Mercedes-Benz of Dublin will pinpoint the problem and have you back on the road in no time.

Source: [Yahoo Autos]

When Mercedes-Benz showed off its new SLS AMG supercar at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show, the company said it would also build an electric version of the SLS. We promptly ignored that claim as lip service to green pressure, and proceeded to drool over the truly stunning SLS AMG.

But now Mercedes-Benz has released photos and specs for the SLS AMG E-Cell, teaching us not to dismiss Mercedes-Benz’s intentions as idle plans.

This vehicle uses the SLS AMG’s body and most of its original suspension, but replaces the 6.3-liter V-8 engine with four electric motors, one positioned near each wheel. Combined with a 400-volt lithium ion battery pack producing 48 kilowatt hours, the SLS AMG E-Cell gets to 60 mph in 4 seconds, just .3 seconds slower than the gasoline-powered version.

The four electric motors and battery pack give this electric supercar 526 horsepower and 649 pound-feet of torque, a little less than the 563 horsepower afforded by the gasoline engine. Unlike the SLS AMG, the SLS AMG E-Cell has all-wheel-drive due to the four electric motors, which could give it a cornering advantage.

Mercedes-Benz has not mentioned the SLS AMG E-Cell’s range.

The SLS AMG E-Cell keeps the ceramic brakes of its gasoline equivalent, but also gets regenerative braking. Further, liquid cooling and a heating element keep the battery pack at optimum temperature for long life.

Mercedes-Benz has not announced plans to produce the SLS AMG E-Cell. The car serves as an early attempt by Mercedes-Benz’s performance division to show it can remain relevant in a post-fossil-fuel era.

Source: [CNET]

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of working in retail or the service industry, you already know how much fun secret shoppers can be. Over the past four years, the folks at America’s auto dealerships gotten in on the party, too, thanks to Pied Piper Management’s annual customer experience study. Results from the 2010 survey have just been released, and while some of the findings were foregone conclusions, there are a few surprises on the list.

Between July 2009 and June 2010, Pied Piper sent 3,658 secret shoppers to new car dealerships across the country.

Those shoppers — who ranged in age from 21 to 65 — rated each dealership on 50 different criteria, like:

Did the salesperson offer the customer a test drive?

Did the salesperson ask the customer how she/he would be using the vehicle?

Did the salesperson seem knowledgeable about the vehicles on the lot?

Pied Piper then compiled those responses and ranked each brand according to how well its dealers performed.

In the “not surprising” category: luxury brands fared much better than their non-luxury rivals in overall customer experience. Sitting pretty at the top: Mercedes-Benz, followed closely by Lexus, then Land Rover. Acura and Jaguar tied for fourth, and Audi, Cadillac, and Lincoln tied for fifth. It only stands to reason that luxury brands would fare best, since pampering is one of the things that luxury automakers often tout when they talk about “the showroom experience”.

In “surprising” territory, we luxury brands BMW, Infiniti, and Volvo hovering just above the industry average, caught in a nine-way tie with Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

Also surprising: Porsche came in with a Gentleman’s C, level with the industry average, alongside current “It” brands Hyundai and Kia. The former is more of a mystery than the latter, since Hyundai and Kia don’t sit in luxury territory — though with the impending arrival of the Equus sedan, Hyundai should probably consider upping its game. That said, both Hyundai and Kia were up from last year, while Porsche’s spot on the ladder remained flat.

And then, there are some findings that confuse us. For example, Pied Piper was critical of the fact that fewer dealerships are offering take-home brochures to shoppers: the figure now sits at 57% of all outlets, down from 62% in 2007. Fran O’Hagan, Pied Piper’s CEO, is “absolutely certain that paper brochures help sell cars” — and that might be true for certain demographics. Still, it seems a little presumptuous to hand out demerits for a lack of brochures when information delivery is heading in the digital direction. In other words, not having brochures might negatively impact the customer experience for some buyers, but for others — probably younger ones — it’s far less of a concern.

UPDATE: O’Hagan wrote to us with some useful clarifications — particularly with regard to the brochure issue. The focus of the study, according to Hagan, is not to determine whether customers had a pleasant experience in the showroom. Rather, the study is meant to determine whether salespeople are doing things that are likely to result in a sale. So basically, it’s more useful as an assessment tool for dealers than as a guide for customers.

Hagan explains:

David Ogilvy’s famous statement that “long copy sells,” remains true today.  His point was that if a customer is willing to keep gathering information to learn more about a product, then the moment the customer runs out of information to consume, there’s no more selling going on.  Similarly, a customer who walks out the door of a dealership holding a brochure in his or her hand has something to keep selling later on when the customer is sitting on their couch.  In contrast, there’s no selling going on after a customer leaves the dealership holding nothing in their hand….

A favorite quote of mine (no, not another Ogilvy one) is when Henry Ford said, “If I had asked my customers what they wanted they would have asked for a faster horse.” That quote is SO true when it comes to car shoppers and car dealerships. Many of the most important salesperson behaviors – most likely to turn car shoppers into car buyers – just aren’t very important to car shoppers.

Capisce?

Hagan was also kind enough to send over a full chart for the 2010 survey. Behold:

Source: [The Car Connection]

In Affalterbach, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was victorious over some tough competitions. In the “Sportiest Cars of 2010” reader’s survey arranged by the famous car magazine Sport Auto, the gullwing model bagged the award in the “super sports”category. The vehicle garnered the 17.2 percentage of the votes, which left all other competing vehicles behind. The SLS AMG defeated various competitors from different countries like Germany, Italy, Japan, Great Britain, USA, Sweden and France, which clearly shows how famous the SLS AMG is amongst the readers.

The leading series-production and performance-tuned automobiles are faced off against each other on a yearly basis in the sport auto reader’s survey. The total number of cars that took part this year reached 260 vehicles in 25 categories, with a total of 10,000 magazine readers casting their votes. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG did not only win the polls but it was also triumphant when put to the test. The AMG 6.3 litre V8 front-mid engine with dry sump lubrication and 420 kW (571 hp) plus a torque totaling to 650 newton metres, a seven speed dual clutch transmission with a transaxle modification.  Additional details include its sporty double-wishbone sports suspension, summing up to an exceptional high tech design, with a guarantee of top of the line driving dynamics.

These specs became even more evident at the “super test” which is very highly considered between the Sport Auto readers and industry experts. The SLS AMG recorded a remarkable total lap time of 7.40 minutes on the highly regarded Nordschleife of the Nürburgring. The reaction received succeeding the sports vehicle’s “super test” was quoted to be – “Respect! The Mercedes sports brand AMG has put a magnificent machine on the road”

Since the SLS AMG was unveiled at the 2009 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main, the SLS AMG has already received various recognitions such as: “GT Car of the Year” (Top Gear, GB), Golden Steering Wheel 2009” (Bild am Sonntag and Auto Bild) and Design Award 2010 (Auto Bild) among others.

Source: [Benz Insider]

Remember the Ford Explorer/Firestone tire debacle from a decade ago? Thousands of the ‘utes rolled-over and much of the blame fell on insufficiently inflated tires, costing the Blue Oval billions of dollars to replace the tires on just about every Explorer still left on the road. The other fallout from Explorer-gate (or Firestone-gate) was institution of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System that’s now a legal standard on every car and truck built since 2008.

TPMS sensors constantly measure the pressure in all four tires, and when one or more tires is more than 25 percent below the recommended amount, a light illuminates on the gauge cluster. Most of us know the light (on right) and if you do, you’re among the 54 percent of drivers who know what it means. But more importantly, less than half of the population doesn’t.

TPMS maker Schrader recently surveyed drivers to see if there were knowledgeable about all things TPMS, and the results had to be a bit disappointing. First, the good news: 96 percent of all drivers surveyed felt that under-inflated tires were a serious safety problem. Now the bad news: Only 44 percent of drivers polled regularly check their tire pressure. Furthermore, one third of drivers surveyed didn’t know what TPMS was or what it was used for. Another 44 percent were unaware what the symbol was supposed to represent, while still another 14 percent thought the symbol identified a problem of the non-tire variety.

In order to combat some of the ignorance among motorists about one of its main products, Schrader has introduced its TPMS Made Simple website. While it’s not exactly riveting stuff, the site is chock full of information about TPMS, including what to do when that (apparently) inscrutable warning light in your gauge cluster illuminates (Hint: check your tires) and the economic benefit of properly inflated rubber, including improved fuel economy and longer lasting tires. Head over to the site to become a TPMS expert.

Source: [Auto Blog]

The temperature is rising, the kids are officially out of school and it’s time once again for summer vacation. Before you head out on your next adventure, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle is ready to take on whatever the road throws your way.

Tires – Be sure to check both the tire pressure and tread on all 5 of your tires (don’t forget about the spare). If you are unsure what your tire pressure should be, look for the manufacturer sticker when you open the passenger side door. To check your tread life, take a penny and place it in between the tread with Lincoln’s head pointed down. If you can see the top of the former President’s head, it is recommended that you replace your tires before embarking on your trip. Many regions have patterns of afternoon rain storms that could be dangerous on tires without adequate tread. Also, be sure to check the valve stem for cracks.

Fluids – Heat will wreak havoc on an engine. Make sure your vehicle has plenty of vital fluids to keep your engine cool and vacation on track.

Be sure to change your oil before hitting the road and consider using thicker weight oil than you might normally use as the summer heat will thin the oil. Check and replace or refill each of the fluids under your vehicles hood, including: transmission fluid, differential fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, windshield wiper fluid and coolant.

Motor Engine Components

Battery and cables – Inspect the terminals on your battery. If they are corroded, clean the terminals with a mixture of baking soda and water. Also be on the lookout for any cracks or dirt. Hot weather drains the life from your battery quickly. Be sure to have it tested before setting out on your road trip to ensure your battery will make the trip with you and your family.

Radiator and hoses – Overheating is the leading cause of mechanical breakdowns on our nation’s highways. Check fluid levels in your radiator and for any cracks in the hoses connecting your radiator.

Other Components

Air Conditioning – The summer months bring the hottest temperatures in even the mildest climates. Checking to make sure your air conditioning is functioning properly before leaving will keep everyone smiling on your vacation. Turn the air conditioning on and cover a vent with your hand to check the fan speed and temperature of the air that is being produced. Be sure to listen for any unusual noises while it is running and then shut it off and listen for any noises.

Lights – Checking all interior and exterior lights on your vehicle will help keep you and your family safe on your journey. Have someone help you to check your headlights, high beams, turn signals, hazard lights, license plate light, brake lights, and interior lights.

Indicator lights – It’s never a good idea to drive with a check engine or other malfunctioning indicator light illuminated on your dash, especially on a long trip. Engine problems should be diagnosed and fixed prior to departure to keep your vehicle running smoothly throughout your trip.

Safety Kit – You never know what the road might bring, so be sure to prepare for common breakdowns with a small safety kit. Here is a list of items to include: basic tools (screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers), a flashlight with fresh batteries, first aid kit, jumper cables, tire iron, jack, cell phone charger and drinking water in case you have to wait in hot temperatures for an extended period of time.

At Crown Mercedes-Benz Dublin we want to make sure you are safe on the road this summer. Feel free to bring your vehicle to Crown Mercedes-Benz Dublin for a road trip inspection before you embark on your journey if you are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with any of the safety checks described here.

Mercedes-Benz’s R-Class serves as the brand’s multi-passenger flagship. With room for the whole family, this executive express crossover-wagon-minivan has long made a great vehicle in which to be hauled around in luxury.

Nose job and more
The 2011 R-Class had a bit of nip and tuck treatment in the off-season. Receiving both a nose job and a butt-lift, the R now boasts the brand’s more modern style. With a newly redesigned expanse of sheetmetal forward of the A-pillar, the R350 now appears to be from the same family as the rest of the cars in the M-B stable.

In addition to the grille, the front end features daylight running lights or new chrome-ringed fog lamps in the grille’s lower bout. Overall, the appearance is newer, wider, and, in M-B speak, more assertive. In the rear, the exhaust finishers are integrated into the rear fascia. Among the safety features, Mercedes-Benz Blind-spot assist, Pre-Safe and Neck-Pro front seat head restraints.

Beyond that, the R-Class features the same profile as seen in last year’s car. The R is available in Europe as a short and long wheelbase car. In North America, it will only be available as a long-wheelbase model. All US models will be 4Matic-equipped, with Mercedes-Benz’s all-wheel-drive system.

Stylistically speaking
As a long wheelbase vehicle, the R350 and R350 BlueTEC are identical save for BlueTEC badging on the sides and the rear. With its stylized two-box design, it cuts an imposing shape (because, truth be told, it is big) that we have even seen adopted by many forward thinking New York City-based limousine companies. Goodbye Town Car, hello R-Class.

Configurable as a four, five, six or seven-passenger vehicle, it can be equipped with center consoles between the middle row of seats, as well as a back row that reclines. The amount of cargo space depends only on how many seats you fold forward, or order in the first place. R-Class vehicles ordered without third-row seating are equipped with an under-floor storage area. Overall capacity is 15.2-cubic feet with all three rows in the upright position. Fold them flat and capacity tops out at 85-cubic feet.

And luxury abounds inside. An AMG sport package with custom seats and trim is one way to go. A refreshed interior with aluminum and chrome highlights and extravagant wood trim dresses up the cabin. The seating configuration is also good.

A mover or shaker?
North American models of the R-Class offer a choice of two different types of engines both mated to the same 4Matic all-wheel drive system.

Leading off is the 3.5-liter V6 gas engine producing 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque. EPA estimates rate this engine at 14 mpg city/19 mpg highway, hardly impressive figures.

But order the BlueTEC diesel-powered version of the R350 and you end up with the who’s-your-daddy of crossovers, producing a mere 210 horsepower but 400 lb-ft. of tree stump-pulling torque. Turbocharged and intercooled, it produces the bulk of its power in the 1,200-2,400 rpm range, while the gas shows its oomph further up the power band in the 2,400-5,000 rpm neighborhood. In BlueTEC trim, look for numbers in the 18/24 mpg range.

Both R350 engines share the seven-speed automatic transmission. Do-it-yourselfers can row the tranny with plastic steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The R 350 rides on a suspension comprised of upper and lower control arms, coil springs, shocks and stabilizer bar in front and a load-leveling air suspension out back.

We found the hydraulic-assisted, rack and pinion steering to give very good road feel, especially given the vehicle’s bulk. With a fully loaded curb weight of 5,280 pounds, the BlueTEC achieves 0-60 mph in 8.6 seconds. Shave off 231 pounds for the gas-powered version, and you’ll see a 0.6 sec improvement.

According to M-B, the 4Matic permanent all wheel drive is where perfect traction lives for all conditions.

In many ways a traditional definition of a Mercedes-Benz, the R-Class benefits from a modest refresh that should keep it relatively relevant through the rest of its product cycle.

Source: [Left Lane News]

Victory for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG over some strong competition. In the “Sportiest cars of 2010” readers’ poll organized by the renowned car magazine sport auto, the gullwing model took the title in the “super sports” section.

The very best series-production and performance-tuned vehicles compete against each other on an annual basis in the sport auto readers’ poll; taking part this year were 260 vehicles in 25 categories.

Attracting no less than 17.2 percent of the votes cast, the SLS AMG left all the other super sports cars trailing in its wake. With over 13 competitors from Germany, Italy, Japan, Great Britain, the USA, Sweden and France – the win underlines just how popular the SLS AMG is amongst the readers.

A total of 10,000 readers cast their vote. Not only did the super sports car from Mercedes-Benz win over the judges’ hearts – it was also victorious when put to the test.

The AMG 6.3-litre V8 front-mid engine with dry sump lubrication and 420 kW (571 hp) plus a torque of 650 newton meters, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with a transaxle configuration – not to mention its athletic double-wishbone sports suspension – add up to a unique high-tech blend, ensuring driving dynamics of the highest calibre.

These were very much in evidence at the “super test”, too, which is very highly regarded amongst the sport auto readers and industry experts alike: a lap time of 7.40 minutes on the legendary Nordschleife of the Nürburgring is an impressive performance indeed.

“Respect! The Mercedes sports brand AMG has put a magnificent machine on the road” was the reaction following sport auto’s “super test”.

Since its world premiere at the 2009 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main, the SLS AMG has already been showered with a plethora of major awards:

- “Red Dot Design Award”

- “iF product design award 2010”

- Design Award 2010 (Auto Bild)

- Plus X Award

- “Golden Steering Wheel 2009” (Bild am Sonntag and Auto Bild)

- “The Best Cars”, super sports car category (auto motor und sport)

- “Auto Trophy 2009” and “Design Trophy” (Auto Zeitung)

- “TOPauto 2010” (Motor Information Service)

- “Best New Product 2009, International Motor Show in Frankfurt” (AutoScout24)

- “GT Car of the Year” (Top Gear, GB)

- “Best Dream Machine” (MotorWeek TV’s Driver’s Choice Award, USA)

Source: [The Auto Channel]

Premium car maker Mercedes-Benz has officially announced Apple’s iPad tablet PC as a tool to support its dealers in business by providing mobile access to its proprietary point-of-sale dealer system called MB Advantage to its dealers. Additionally, iPad will provide a competitive advantage to the dealers by increasing their service levels through a more flexible financing process.

MB Advantage on the iPad will give instant access to marketing programs for specific models; quicker turn time on the credit application process, and increase speed and efficiency on the return of lease vehicles to all the dealers.

It is being reported that first 40 U.S. dealers will be using Apple iPad following the company during the summer to communicate and interact with their customers. The people equipped with iPad for business is part of Mercedes-Benz new strategy which aims to enhance business efficiency. In October of last year Mercedes implemented similar application for the iPhone and so far 5,000 payments were made and $3.6 million in payments received through it.

Source: [Gadgets DNA]