You didn't have "All wheel drive station wagon" listed, but I vote for that anyway. :roll: I am probably the only storm chaser in America that has a Mercedes for a chase vehicle.
![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
My 1990 Mercedes Benz 300TE wagon is a great vehicle. It has the 4MATIC AWD, gets about 16-21 mpg (not as good as I had hoped but it's a Mercedes for crying out loud, they were purchased by rich people to whom gas prices were not a major concern, especially 16 years ago) but it has a 19 gallon tank so it has about a 350 mile range driving reasonably.
It actually has seating for seven, the third row seat is hidden under a panel in the cargo floor, you just open the panel, flip up the bottom, slide on the back and voila! You have rearward facing accomodations with C-pillar mounted seatbelts for two. Then when you're done with it it disappears back into the cargo floor by reversing the three steps you took to assemble it. It's a nice touch, most definetely. It has great cargo room with the second row seats up, but when you fold them flat, you have about a seven foot long by two and a half feet wide flat surface area, perfect for a sleeping bag or two.
The only thing that bugs me about it is it has a central locking system that can only be enabled from OUTSIDE the vehicle; there are NO interior door lock switches. On one hand, it prevents you from ever locking your keys out of the car,
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
but on the other it leaves you quite vulnerable if you were to camp out for the night. :? I'll probably have to roll down the window a crack, have someone else lock it, pass me the keys through the window, roll up the window (or leave it cracked depending on how hot/humid it is and the risk of nocturnal convection) and then when I wake up just pull the lock on one of the rear passenger doors to get out. Since I am a 16 year old on a limited budget, I'm going to be spending a lot of nights in the back of the Benz. It should be interesting. :wink: Oh well, I love it anyway.
I can't wait for chase season to start so I can take
Das Panzervagen (the name I have bestowed upon it) out in the field and break it in; I am currently suffering from a prolonged bout of SAPSDS (Severe and Proufound Storm Deprivation Syndrome) which began after the last good round of severe storms back on the 14th of September. :lol:
I'll post a pic of it at a later date when Photobucket isn't being such a pain in the a** to upload photos to; happens when you use a dial up connection (DSL and wireless internet are one of the nice perks you miss out on when you live way out in the boondocks like me).