2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG: Ancient Nav
September 18, 2014
The navigation system in our long-term 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG is nearly 10 years old. If you count the development time, it's probably even older. In technology terms, this is ancient history.
To put this in perspective, here's some of the tech from a decade ago. In 2005 Windows XP was going strong on PC, iPod video was all the rage, and I was proudly sporting a matte black Motorola RAZR phone.
So it wasn't a surprise to me to see how outdated the CL65's navigation system has become, but it is interesting to see how tech has changed over the years.
2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG: Not Cool, Man.
September 15, 2014
The seats in our long-term 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG do it all. They have three memory profiles, tons of adjustment options, a massage function and heated and cooled seat backs.
It's the cooled seats I'm taking issue with. They're just not cool.
2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG: Girlfriends Just Don't Understand
April 22, 2014
The girl who lives in my house doesn't quite understand our 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG or why I love it.
2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG: The CD Player Changed My Mind
March 26, 2014
In the past I've been doubtful about our long-term 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG. I've wondered why James Riswick and Mike Magrath were so excited to get one. I've thought, "It's a big, old, silver Mercedes. What's appealing or unique about that? Can't we just get another NSX?" And when I have had the chance to drive our CL65, it has been on short commutes tarnished by the soul-crushing rush-hour traffic in West Los Angeles.
It's not an ideal environment for a fair evaluation, but on a seemingly mundane Tuesday evening, my mind was completely changed about this car, all because of the CD player.
2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG: Installing Bluetooth
February 17, 2014
One of the problems that used-car shoppers face is that a car designed and built several years ago was never intended to co-exist with today's portable technology. Two of the features that have become commonplace are iPod/iPhone music connections and Bluetooth phone connectivity. The latter is, for all intents and purposes, legally mandated in most states.
So, what happens if you're buying a used car that doesn't have these features?
2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG: Mystery Instrument Panel Buzz
January 20, 2014
Our long-term 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG is fantastic on the highway. Its super-quiet cabin probably makes it a fantastic trip for long road trips. On a recent freeway journey though, the CL65 revealed what would appear to be our first issue.
2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG: Grand Canyon Road Trip
January 8, 2014
It's become an annual tradition that my wife and I take a post-Christmas road trip. Two years ago it was the long-term Mustang GT to Atascadero, Calif., and last year it was the long-term VW Beetle Turbo to Hearst Castle. This year we went way bigger on all fronts: Grand Canyon via Las Vegas in our new/old 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG.