I had a mt e53 moment this morning. Last time I went to Germany I rented an a4 and did some spirited driving on the autobahn. When I got home I was dissapointed by my automatic e46 and missed shifting. This was why I went on the hunt for the mt e53. So I got back from another vaca trip to Europe / Germany last night. I had rented a c class benz to take to Luxembourg and I got it up to 130mph on an unlimited stretch of the autobahn (would have gone faster but it was dark and rainy - if you've ever driven the autobahn you'll know that that the no limit portions are remote and hence unlit). So the moment came this morning when, contrary to the last time, the e53 was fun to drive and still feels tight and smooth even compared to a brand new c class. So hard to believe it is an suv and I greatly prefer the interior feel of it.

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2004 e53 m54 with 6spd manual