My Brother-in-Law Was Going to Buy a Panamera…

The other day, I wrote that “my brother-in-law might come home one day with a Panamera Sport Turismo.” As it turns out, he apparently won’t be buying one after all. What a shame… (-_-)

→ In the end, my brother-in-law did buy a Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo after all.
Four Key Differences Between the Panamera and Panamera Sport Turismo, Plus Our Verdict — Comparison Test, Vol. 2

Incidentally, when my husband recently visited a Porsche dealer about car insurance, he saw a Panamera Sport Turismo. Apparently, you have to step over the rear-seat console to get into the back, which led him to say, “That’s not a five-seater—it’s more like a 4.5-seater.”

Fair point. If you want five people to ride comfortably in a Porsche, a Cayenne or Macan is probably a better choice. The Panamera seems better suited to four passengers enjoying plenty of space.

A Mercedes-Benz SL500 (R129) Arrives at Our Home

So, my husband recently brought home a Mercedes-Benz SL500. It’s a 1997 model, and it definitely has the feel of a classic car. A 5.0-liter engine was something else in 1997, in more ways than one. Here are my husband’s impressions.

1) Ride Comfort

You can drive it without getting into the same focused, ready-for-action mode you do in a Porsche. It’s relaxing all the time. It feels great cruising along on long, open roads. The Porsche is enjoyable too, but with that car, the excitement tends to take over.

2) Handling

There’s a fair amount of play around the center of the steering, but once you turn the wheel past a certain point, the car responds well. Through ordinary corners, it follows the road smoothly without needing extra steering input, which feels great.

3) Engine

The engine is a practical one, with more than enough power at any speed. It doesn’t offer the same pleasure of revving it out as a Porsche. And despite having a 5.0-liter V8 up front, it doesn’t feel reluctant to turn into corners.

4) High-Speed Stability

It feels very stable at high speeds.

5) Brakes

The brakes feel soft. Compared with a Porsche, they’re unnerving.

6) Driving Character

The Porsche driving experience is like Ippudo’s firm, al dente ramen noodles. The SL is more like delicious Sanuki udon—chewy, with a satisfying bite.

7) Automatic Transmission

The automatic transmission is smooth, making it easy to drive around town, even with frequent stops and starts. It might even be easier to drive than PDK. We’re also going to restore it gradually, bringing it closer to its original, new-car condition, so our impressions may change by then.

That’s what he says. For reference, fuel economy is apparently around 5–6 km/L.

The SL is a two-seater, so I won’t be able to ride in it unless we arrange childcare for the kids. It’ll probably be a while before I get behind the wheel, but when the weather warms up, I’d love to take it out with the top down. (By the way, lowering the roof is a manual job for two people! lol)

Those are my husband’s impressions of the Mercedes-Benz SL500 he brought home.