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realchemistry · 5 years

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Avengers: Endgame Review

Spoilers inside.

So I was up early to work. Then went to see the movie. Then rushed through a very late lunch and went to work to another school. I’m home now. I’ve had time in all the betweens (bus time, basically) to think the movie through, and here’s the mess that’s come of that:

First of all, the audience were al F - A - N - S so everything that happened got a proper response, so yay for that.

Steve, oh, my Steve. I fucking knew it was gonna go that way. The moment they had him talk about Peggy as the love of his life, and then about how many gizmos they had and how they were just enough to go and return, and whatever. I was sure they’re gonna have Steve not come back at some point. And then, turns out, they had to put the stones back where they belonged. Fantastic.

And Bucky knew too. Of fucking course he did.

“Gonna miss you, buddy.”

“It’s gonna be ok, Buck.”

FUCK ME.

Can we talk about how unfair the whole of it was? Cause, like, hurrah! There’s a gay character who’s played by a Russo interacting with Steve. And Steve used the good ol’ Bucky trick to get Past!Steve to stop. And Stucky hugged and had a First Avenger callback.

Guess what, Marvel? That ain’t enough to fill whatever LGBTQ+ quota you think you’re filling. And I insist: You had a witch fall for a cyborg, but two men we actually know and care about being in love is not at all possible in your universe?

FUCK YOU. Seriously. I’m mad.

I’m mad cause of course they didn’t make Stucky happen. I knew that, they just weren’t going to, not ever, the fuckers.

But they’re also making me feel mad about what Steve got, which in their eyes is a happy ending. And I don’t wanna be mad that Steve got a happy ending, but I am mad that it was all very heteronormative, and there was never going to be any other way. I’m not sure I’m making sense, but like, also, Steve kissed Peggy’s nephew, which ewww. And like, how was Peggy the love of his life? How long did he actually spend with her? Explain. And was it a Peggy from another world or how did that even work? And how did Steve get old? Was that supposed to happen with the serum?

And why in the fucking hell would he choose to live his life without Bucky?

Can someone explain that to me. How come Bucky is the most important thing and then, once it’s not a plot requirement anymore, he becomes an afterthought. Honestly, this was a fucked up thing to do. Like, no, I’m sorry, I can’t celebrate Steve “getting a life” when he left his Bucky behind. The one he fought for in all the other fucking movies we’ve seen them in. That you fucking created, Marvel. FUCK YOU.

Let’s move on, or I’ll never end my rant:

I loved the exploration of the past with the present day characters. Steve’s was obviously the one that stood out the most. The moment he set foot on that elevator, I swear, I was fucking giggling, and the way he bypassed those fuckers... and his beautiful, lil’ ass.

His lil’ worthy ass, and we all fucking knew it.

“On your left.” HELL YES.

There’s gonna be a Marvel series with Bucky and Falcon... This Falcon? Won’t he be Cap? IDGI.

Will Bucky visit old!Steve? How will Buck move on? I--yeah, no, back to the other things:

When the screen read “Five years later” we all freaked the fuck out. It was awesome.

Nat. How the fuck, who do they think, I mean, they just keep killing women, cause there’s so many of them, and all are as important, since they’ve always had them front and center in this universe...

That was just awful.

A guy behind me was sobbing at Tony’s death, and I thought it was funny cause he couldn’t keep it in, and kept trying to not be so noisy anyway. I felt a bit evil, tho I was also tearing up, but mostly cause of Morgan and Pep, since Tony... well, I never liked Tony much.

Is Gamora from the past in the present? Will she be back, since Quill was looking for her?

Loved the small bit where Marvel ladies got to shine. Small because, Marvel being Marvel, went all Girl!Power for a second and then got tired of it and went back to a men’s world.

Even though Carol is clearly the most powerful in all the ‘verse and her being knocked out was ridiculous as fuck.

“It was him or a tree?” I LOLED. Give me Nebula forever. Also, her sorta friendship with Rhodey, yes!

Like Val said, I don’t think I like this weird Bruce Banner/Hulk situation. And I thought he didn’t get to mourn Tony properly.

Fat Thor... I feel like there were so many wrong things with it, but Thor was amazing regardless cause Chris is fucking fantastic. I loved his moments with Frigga, I was so sad about her death (and I still think the soundtrack had to do with it a lot), so it was good to have her back.

“Eat some salad.” LOL

I loved Scott so much. He was great and hilarious and lovely.

I think the more Marvel tries to get me to care about Clint, the less I do. I don’t even know, I think it’s that awful press junket a few years back that ruined Renner for me, and I just don’t give a single flying fuck about Clint. But I do love Laura cause of ER, so I was glad to see her.

All in all, I did enjoy the movie, and I was completely unspoiled, once more, so I knew nothing, not a single thing, and I loved some of it, liked a lot of it, and hated some of it too.

Music, cinematography, most of the script was on point as per usual.

It had an ending feel to it, for sure, and I don’t know how I’ll feel about what’s to come when there’s no Steve, at least not our Steve, to look forward to.

I’m legit forgetting everything, my head is a mess -- I swear I felt traumatized for real after it was over -- so I’ll keep adding whatever comes to mind, but this is it for now.

Oh, and the “What about Bucky?” chants feel more appropriate than ever.

#Avengers #Avengers: Endgame #Steve Rogers #Bucky Barnes #Stucky #Review #spoilers #a4 spoilers #endgame spoilers #Manu watches

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thehiddenlawyer · 6 years

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I’m Angry and I’m Going to Vent

So bare with me.

I’ve been getting a lot of flack lately from the “fandom”, both here and on twitter, for being permanently excited about anything that Benedict Cumberbatch does. This comes from the fact that the when we figured out he’s actually possibly shaved his head for the Brexit movie and my response was “what?!? He’s playing that POS in a movie?? AND HE SHAVED HIS HEAD? That’s fucking AWESOME!!! He’s such a good actor!!!!!” i’ve been running around screaming the phrase that “Benedict Cumberbatch is living his art” and “I’m so damn proud of him!”

The reaction from fellow fans to my reaction has been exasperated, accusing me of blindly “approving” BC’s projects and blowing smoke up his ass. These are the same people that bitch and moan about people not being fair to each other in the fandom and wanting to create peace and harmony, until you disagree with them. Then all hell breaks loose.

LISTEN THE FUCK UP.

I’m a fan. I’ve been a fan of Benedict Cumberbatch for a long fucking time. That doesn’t mean jack shit but it does make me miss the good ol’ days when I didn’t join the “fandom” and didn’t have to put up with this shit.

For me? Being a fan means being SUPPORTIVE and positive and doing my best to make sure the actor feels supported, whether it’s on social media or whatever.

As a person-- I on’t like putting out negative thoughts or ideas. If I can avoid saying something negative, I will. So if I fail to do that then you KNOW i’m pissed off.

And I’m pissed off right now.

I LOVE that he’s doing the Brexit movie and I love that he’s doing Ironbark and I LOVE THAT HES DOING WHATEVER THE FUCK HE WANTS BECAUSE THAT’S THE KIND OF FAN I AM. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE BUT DONT YOU DARE TELL ME I’M WRONG.

BC’s done plenty of projects, said plenty of things that I don’t like or agree with.

I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate The Last Enemy and The Fifth Estate. His stripper and villain sketches on SNL were horrendous. Sometimes he wears things that make me hide, especially the ginormous sweater thing he was wearing during the Star Trek interviews and press junkets. The movie announced with Gyllenhal is already making me cringe. When they announced him as Doctor Strange, I was SO dubious and didn’t ant BC to join the MCU.

But why the FUCK would i put that out there?????? What the FUCK is the use of me, an idiot behind a laptop, sitting here and telling you how i hate this i hate that why’s he doing this why’s he doing that.

Wouldn’t you rather I sit here and entertain you with how excited I am about what he does? Wouldn’t you rather I just sit here and fill your tumblr and twitter with positive shit??? Like telling you that my post-bar reading list are all the books he’s going to turn into movies???? Telling you how handsome I think he looks????? Quoting the amazing things he says??????

FUCK OFF if you don’t like the way I approach Benedict Cumberbatch and want to associate every single syllable of his name and career with something GOOD AND POSSITIVE. Dont agree with it then reassess your fucking values and and if you have something ot say to ME?????????????????? sayyyyyyyyYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

IF I HATE SOMETHING? I’m still going to shut the fuck about it. I’m not going to Tumblr it or tweet about it, i’m going to let my silence do the talking because when I like something? I’M GOING TO SCREAM ABOUT IT LOUD AND FUCKING PROUD every single place i can.

Jesus Christ man, practice what you preach!

#fandom wank #angry ANGRY ANGRY Ish #YOU WOULDN'T LIKE ME WHEN I'M ANGRY

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sandythereadingcafe · 4 years

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COVER REVEAL The Dating Series #1-6 Authors: Heidi McLaughlin & L.P. Dover Genre: Contemporary Romance Cover Design: Shari Ryan, MadHat Studios

#1 A Date for Midnight – Releasing April 28 New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Heidi McLaughlin and L.P. Dover come together for a sexy new series that delivers romance for every season! It's New Year's Eve and Natalie has a rare night off from her shifts at the hospital. Determined to have fun with friends, she stops at a local store for provisions.  There, amongst the craft beer and pork rinds, she comes face to face with her high school boyfriend, Brennan McLean. He's a rockstar. She's a nurse. To say life led them in different directions would be putting it mildly. Still, time hasn't lessened the electric chemistry between them. By the end of the night more was dropping than just the ball.  Convincing herself she could have fun without getting attached, Natalie treats herself to a weekend tangled in the sheets with him. But that lie she told herself pops faster than champagne bubbles.  With media rumors swirling around Brennan, can the pair find a way to make their unlikely relationship work? Or will Natalie's resolution not to get her heart broken meet a painful end? GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52117782-a-date-for-midnight PRE-ORDER LINKS – only 99c! US: https://amzn.to/3cp3R3a UK: https://amzn.to/2RmKHTD CA: https://amzn.to/2JRHkA0 AU: https://amzn.to/3e5QJSm

•••••••••••• #2 A Date with an Admirer – Releasing May 19 New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Heidi McLaughlin and L.P. Dover come together for a sexy new series that delivers romance for every season! February is the month of love, but not for Sophie. One week before Valentine's Day, she learns her boyfriend of two years has been cheating on her with one of his dental hygienists.  As much as she wants to erase any trace of him from her life, she has no choice but to face him and his new squeeze at a huge Valentine's Day bash that has fast become the social event of the season. No way is she going alone. What she needs is a beautiful hunk of arm candy... STAT.  Sophie's best friend, Ellie, proposes the perfect solution to her dilemma. Her brother Tanner, the smokin' hot surfer, just got back into town and is more than happy to help Sophie prove she's over her scumbag ex.  What starts as an act between Sophie and Tanner quickly swells into more. It doesn't take long before Sophie finds herself wanting to ride more than just waves with the toned and tanned hottie. But when passion crashes over the pair, Sophie fears she's putting her friendship with Ellie at risk.  Can Tanner convince her to give their love a chance? Or will the bonds of friendship repel Cupid's arrow? GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52117811-a-date-with-an-admirer PRE-ORDER LINKS – only 99c! US: https://amzn.to/3etGcQY UK: https://amzn.to/2JYMnyt CA: https://amzn.to/3a42NAn AU: https://amzn.to/2V2POe4

•••••••••••• #3 A Date for Good Luck – Releasing June 9 Kiss the Blarney Stone, Hope Dunn is going to need some good ole fashion Irish luck! In the chaos of tax season the Arizona accountant is pulled away to stand in her cousin's wedding. All it takes is one step back in the Big Apple, and she regrets making the trip. True to character, her mother uses their time together to hound Hope about getting married and settling down. Still, Hope fulfills her bridesmaid obligations by joining the bridal party for a shamrock wearing, pint chugging St. Paddy's day blow out. There she runs into best man—and smokin' hot ginger—Kellan Townsend. Far too much green beer later, she finds out exactly what that fine Irish lad keeps under his kilt. Afterwards, Hope wants nothing more than to walk of shame her way into a dark room and nurse her hangover. Unfortunately, wedding demands won't allow it. As if facing Kellan isn't awkward enough, her mother picks that moment to launch into a fresh guilt-trip over her lack of grandbabies. Like a lucky little Leprechaun, Kellan cuts in with a magical offer. A pretend romance to get her mother off her back seems like a wish granted. But Kellan has an agenda all his own. Can he use this opportunity to jig his way straight into Hope's heart? Or will he need a four-leaf clover to get past this workaholic's defenses? GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52117832-a-date-for-good-luck PRE-ORDER LINKS – only 99c! US: https://amzn.to/3afr1Yz UK: https://amzn.to/34sVwJf CA: https://amzn.to/2V3ly2k AU: https://amzn.to/2xoryK3

•••••••••••••• #4 A Date for the Hunt – Releasing June 30 Allison Wood is single and not looking to mingle. Unfortunately, her sister, Erin, doesn't take no for an answer. As the producer of a new reality TV show, that turns a traditional Easter egg hunt into a dating show, Erin believes her sister would be a perfect contestant and secures her a spot.  Instead of cozying up at home and biting the ears off a chocolate bunny, Allison finds herself in Aruba hiding an egg while America watches. She could have been paired up with a slew of other guys. But who does fate match her with? Sexy fireman Hudson Bryant, who happens to be the same guy that made Allison's high school years miserable.  Go on a dating show, they said. It'll be fun, they said.  When viewers learn of their history, the pair instantly become a fan favorite. Everyone is eager to see how their story will unfold. For the good of the show, Allison agrees to play nice with the former jock... for now.  Can Hudson make amends for the past and crack through Allison's hard candy shell to her cream-filled center? Or will her time with him leave a bitter, black jelly bean taste in Allison's mouth? GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52117850-a-date-for-the-hunt PRE-ORDER LINKS – only 99c! US: https://amzn.to/2Kb3Dke UK: https://amzn.to/2JYN0rP CA: https://amzn.to/2XrKKBg AU: https://amzn.to/2VfDmGo

••••••••••••• #5 A Date for the Derby – Releasing July 21 For Brielle Armstrong the pomp and circumstance of the days leading up to the Kentucky Derby are truly the most thrilling time of the year. Press junkets, designer gowns, everyone schmoozing her in hopes of getting in her daddy's good graces. What's not to love? But this year, her heart is racing with anticipation to see Colby Hensley. As a former trainer of her family's champion horses, his rugged sex appeal has always filled Brielle's mind with naughty thoughts of a little barebacked fun. Even though Colby walked away from their farm, her father Butch, would never approve of him. But what daddy doesn't know can't hurt him. If their secret comes out, it could cost Brielle everything. Still, what fun is life if you don't ride it at a gallop? Grab your riding crop, and place your bets. It's Derby Day! GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52117884-a-date-for-the-derby PRE-ORDER LINKS – only 99c! US: https://amzn.to/34IjUGX UK: https://amzn.to/2K0Aybg CA: https://amzn.to/3b39DY7 AU: https://amzn.to/2RqAaXB

••••••••••••• #6 A Date to Play Fore – Releasing August 11 Tee up for the long drive, it's golf season! After winning the U.S. Open, Greyson Jennings couldn't help but take playful jabs at the expense of his prime competition, Bryan Nelson. His snarky claims during the press junction may have burned off like fog on the green, if a week later they hadn't found themselves at the same golf resort. Hungry for a little payback, Bryan challenges Greyson to a grudge match: Grey and his best friend versus Bryan and his sister, Leah. Turns out, Leah is a ringer with a swing—and curves—that turn Grey's thoughts to a hole in one of another kind. Unfortunately, Leah's opinion of him has been formed by the many stories Bryan has shared. That may hurt this golfer's handicap, but he's nowhere near ready to give up. It's game on as Leah agrees to meet Grey on the green and go head to head with the hole as the goal. Can Greyson prove there's more to him than an impressive club and a carefully crafted bad boy persona? Or will the sting of Leah's rejection leave him in need of some alone time and a good ball washer? GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52117907-a-date-to-play-fore PRE-ORDER LINKS – only 99c! US:https://amzn.to/34ErJNK UK: https://amzn.to/2V1LBXX CA: https://amzn.to/3aYsC62 AU: https://amzn.to/3b2Ca03

•••••••••• AUTHOR BIOS & LINKS Heidi McLaughlin Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers. Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs. In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl. When writing isn't occupying her time, you can find her sitting courtside at either of her daughters' basketball games. Heidi's first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHeidiMcLaughlin Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeidiJoVT Website: http://www.heidimclaughlin.com Newsletter: http://bit.ly/HeidiNews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidimclaughlinauthor Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6568302.Heidi_McLaughlin Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Heidi-McLaughlin/e/B00AV872O8 L.P. Dover New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Everything's sweeter in the South has always been her mantra and she lives by it, whether it's with her writing or in her everyday life. Maybe that's why she's seriously addicted to chocolate. Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children's book with her daughter. Her favorite to write is romantic suspense, but she's also found a passion in romantic comedy. She loves to make people laugh which is why you'll never see her without a smile on her face. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lpdover Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/2hlE3vs Website: http://www.lpdover.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/LPDover Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6526309.L_P_Dover Amazon: http://amzn.to/1onBUPK Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/LPDover Email: [email protected] Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/EbduX Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2eXg0o2 GIVEAWAY There is a giveaway for a $100 Amazon gift card Direct Link: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/eef4ee4b1791

#books #cover reveals #The Dating Series #Heidi McLaughlin #LP Dover

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eddiejpoplar · 5 years

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First Drive: 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE Class

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Brands like Automobile cater to enthusiasts like you, but enthusiasts have families, and those people need to drive, too. Chances are they care less about cornering grip or steering feel than you do; they just want something roomy and comfortable and reliable. But you care.

So we have some good news for you, loyal readers: The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE is a crossover that you and your family can live with.

The new GLE is about as complex as the Talmud, and there are close to a billion things we need to tell you about it, but here’s the CliffsNotes version first: As mid-size luxury SUVs go, this is about as good as it gets. The GLE is roomy and comfortable, chic and upscale, and reasonably rewarding to drive. It’s a techno-geek’s dream, with options ranging from an active suspension that can bounce the GLE free if it gets stuck to a voice assistant that will explain naughty sex terms (more on that in a tick). And while pricing hadn’t been announced at the time of our early test drive, we expect it won’t be too expensive if you lay off the options, and there’s good reason to do just that.

So let’s dive right in: The GLE is all-new for 2020, with updated styling inside and out, new powertrains, and a host of new technology. The sheetmetal has been updated to look more like the bigger GLS, though it retains the sharp-looking body-color C-pillar from the old-shape GLE. The new version looks bigger because it is bigger, with a 3.1-inch wheelbase stretch to provide more back seat room. We’re very happy with the styling changes; the old GLE looked a bit milquetoast, the new one has some much-needed presence.

The changes to the interior are even more radical. The instrument and infotainment panel setup, versions of which Mercedes has been rolling out to newer models like the E- and A -Class, comprises of two side-by-side widescreen displays that are designed to look like a stand-alone panel. But the integration into the GLE’s dashboard is much smoother and its styling is markedly different—and better, if you ask us. Materials quality is top-notch; there’s no cost-cutting here. Everything you touch feels expensive.

Open a back door and you’ll be struck by the amount of rear-seat legroom. Unfortunately, it’s something of an illusion. Mercedes has cut the rear-seat cushion short, which makes the back seat look more spacious than it actually is. Back-seat legroom is good—not spectacular, just good—but we’d happily trade the appearance of space for more thigh support. The GLE now offers an optional third-row seat, and while we didn’t get a chance to sample it, from the space allotted we guess it’s a kids-only affair. Configured as a five-seater, though, the GLE has a lot of cargo space as befits a family truckster.

We sampled both of the new-to-the-GLE engines. The GLE 350 gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged four that produces 255 horsepower. One of the things we expect from an upscale SUV is strong acceleration, and the 2.0T makes the cut, but just barely. If the GLE weighed say 250 pounds more, the engine would be overtaxed. The GLE 450’s turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six, with 362 hp on tap and a 48-volt “mild hybrid” system that adds a short 21-horsepower boost, delivers a more suitable pace, though it’s hardly an adrenaline-generator. (We’ll wait on the inevitable AMG versions to provide that.) Both engines utilize a new nine-speed automatic transmission, and 4Matic all-wheel-drive is standard with the six-cylinder powertrains and optional with the four. Beware, Rust Belters: Base-model GLE 350s are rear-wheel drive.

The GLE can be had with three suspensions. The first GLE 350 we sampled had good ol’ steel springs, which provide a nice balance: The ride is firmer than we expected (a nod, we assume, to BMW drivers who find traditional Mercedes SUVs too softly sprung) but nowhere near punishing. Grip was impressive and likely aided by the wider tires fitted to our test cars. In the curves, the steel-sprung GLE 350 we drove felt more responsive and eager than Mercedes SUVs of yore, though calling it fun-to-drive might be stretching the truth.

Next, we drove a GLE 450 with the Airmatic suspension, which reminded us of why we’re so fond of air springs. The ride is glass-smooth with excellent body control in the curves. It’s the perfect setup that should please enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike.

New for the 2020 GLE is the E-Active air suspension, which has a bunch of cool tricks up its sleeve. Mercedes showed off E-Active with a demonstration of a GLE dancing to a techno-beat. There’s a mode that allows you to individually raise and lower each corner using the center touchscreen, and the response is surprisingly quick. If the GLE gets stuck in deep snow or sand—maybe you made a wrong turn at the golf course and wound up in a sand trap—E-Active can literally bounce the car up and down to get it free. (If you’re thinking of the last low rider show you attended, yep, it works like that.) And then there’s Curve mode: Turn it on, and rather than keep the body flat, the GLE can actually lean into curves like a motorcycle.

That said, for all the things E-Active can do, we’re not sure it’s worth the upcharge (which, though not announced, is sure to be steep), especially considering how well plain ol’ Airmatic works. Of course, we drove the GLE on fairly smooth pavement outside of San Antonio. Driving a GLE on the curvy roads north of Los Angeles or the lunar surface of Detroit might change our minds.

Also new is a voice-response system similar to Siri or Alexa with “Hey Mercedes” as the wake-word. (Discussing the merits of the car caused it to continually interrupt our conversations.) The system is connected to the internet, which is a mixed blessing. Ask it to find the closest sushi joint or post office, and it will. But, as several of our colleagues attending the press preview with us discovered, if you ask it to describe, say, a particular sexual position, it will eagerly provide a detailed and stunningly accurate explanation. (No, it wasn’t us who tried this, and frankly we’re a little ashamed we didn’t think of it first.) We imagine Mercedes reviewed the list of searches that evening, because the feature was mysteriously disabled on all of the cars the next day. Parents of small children might want to consider doing the same.

The vehicles we drove had traffic-sign recognition, with an adaptive cruise control system that automatically adjusts to posted speed limits. If you’re adaptively cruising along on a 55 mph road and pass a sign that says 45 mph, the GLE slows down. We can’t decide if this is awesome or annoying. It’s annoying if you like to drive 5 or 8 mph above the limit, but awesome if you’re on a two-laner and don’t notice that the speed limit has suddenly dropped from 55 to 25—the GLE might save you from a speeding ticket.

Our day-and-a-half test drive (rather long by press-junket standards) meant we were able to try out a lot of the GLE’s new tech—but we also gained enough familiarity to breed a little contempt. Some examples of the annoyances: The GLE’s optional full-color head-up display, which Mercedes happily touts as the industry’s largest, is so big that it gets distracting. The rectangular instrument panel displays are so big and so rectangular that information at the corners is blocked by the steering wheel. And in the 32-year history of this magazine, we can’t recall testing a vehicle in which it was more difficult to adjust seat lumbar. (The adjustment is buried in the touchscreen menu system. Why not just put a button on the seat?)

None of this precludes a recommendation to buy the GLE. While it may not be quite as sporty as the BMW X5 or as user-friendly as the Audi Q5, it’s a fantastic vehicle nonetheless, one that is luxurious, spacious, and well-engineered. We’d recommend forgoing some of the higher-end high-tech gadgets; they’re fun for showing off but complicate life with the car, which may please you but is bound to grind on the nerves of your significant other. Pick your GLE carefully, and we suspect everyone in the family will be very happy with it.

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#IFTTT #Performance Junk Blogger 6

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jesusvasser · 5 years

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First Drive: 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE Class

So we have some good news for you, loyal readers: The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE is a crossover that you and your family can live with.

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#IFTTT #Performance Junk WP Feed 4

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