When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Howdy all, I wanted to share my experience going from the base model to a GTS. I leased a pre-dealer loaner base model about 10 months back, which I really loved! Around town the base engine and gearing can really make the car scoot. I always felt it was a bit lacking on the freeway, but it's still a perfectly quick car for most people.
At the time, I really wanted to get a GTS, but didn't (trying to keep my costs down) so I also avoided driving one. Having said that, that didn't stop me from looking at dealer inventory online, almost everyday. I was looking for a lightly used GTS with LED headlights and cooled seats in particular.
One popped up at Mercedes in Wilsonville (great people to deal with) who traded their GTS in for a Macan Turbo! ( I guess this level-up thing is real for Macan owners)
This used GTS with 21k miles had an MSRP of $86k, so I took it for a spin and really loved it. They took my base in and I rolled out in the (new to me) GTS. I really love this thing, so much more than the base which is a wonderful car in it's own right.
What do I prefer over the base? Aside from the obvious extra power,
Air suspension is fantastically comfortable, and it parks the car in low mode which looks cool!
20" wheels which my base did not have
The looks of the GTS package on my particular car look great with the contrast (black vs. white)
The sound of the V6 - with the sports exhaust 'on' it sounds very meaty
Handling - somehow it corners even more flat than the base model
Brakes - don't feel overwhelmed like they did in the base, and this was my biggest gripe about that car
Even though I mentioned the 'obvious power' at the beginning, it's amazing how quick this car is in passing at freeway speeds. I genuinely think it must have close to 400hp at the crank vs. the 360hp which it's supposed to have. These things must loosen up with miles.
The base is such an excellent car, and the GTS just takes it to a higher performance level.
Thanks for the comments. I had it in ‘low’ mode when I took the photos and it seems to ‘sleep’ quite low like that. Not sure if it’s Norma or not but I like how it looks!
Do these air suspension models normally drop down when parked if they are in the ‘low’ mode?
Thanks for the comments. I had it in ‘low’ mode when I took the photos and it seems to ‘sleep’ quite low like that. Not sure if it’s Norma or not but I like how it looks!
Do these air suspension models normally drop down when parked if they are in the ‘low’ mode?
The air suspension does a lot of weird self leveling things after the car is parked. I don't think I've seen mine drop that low before though. It would be great if low mode was always that low.
The air suspension does a lot of weird self leveling things after the car is parked. I don't think I've seen mine drop that low before though. It would be great if low mode was always that low.
Thanks for sharing / maybe I’ll get it checked out to make sure it’s workong properly. Looks cool though! 😄
05-27-2018, 11:26 PM
Level up! From base to GTS
