This month, I got to test drive the GLC’s super-powered brother, a 2019 AMG GLC 43, and I will never look at cars the same way again.

The interior was similar to the GLC: luxurious leather and wood with that lovely new car smell, incredible sound system, crystal-clear display with intuitive controls, a panoramic moon roof, and everything else you would expect from a Mercedes-Benz. The difference was the performance. The AMG brand was founded as a manufacturer of racing engines, and their partnership with Mercedes-Benz has resulted in some fantastic cars.

I may or may not have a heavy foot when driving because I’m chronically late to everything (please note that I am admitting nothing), so when I had to get to an appointment in a hurry, I may or may not have “put the pedal to the metal.” WOW! That AMG GLC took off! Fortunately for me, the AMG brand is not only known for its power, it’s known for its handling and stability. Honestly, that trip was the most fun I’ve ever had when going to the dentist!

The next day was Fall Gallery Night, and we took some friends gallery hopping. Five adults were comfortable as we went from location to location, and parking was never a problem. It was a gorgeous night, so we opened the moon roof and sang along with the radio. It was a memorable night, and the AMG GLC added to the charm of the evening. I was quite sad when I had to return Zippy (yes, I name my cars) to Park Place. But I was mollified with the knowledge that I would be back.

The Park Place family is gearing up for the third annual Park Place Luxury and Supercar Showcase, and you are cordially invited. On September 29, the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Las Colinas plays host to DFW’s premier luxury lifestyle event. Everything from new and antique car to haute couture to some of the area’s top restaurants will be on display from 10 am to 4 pm, rain or shine.

Do you have a motorhead in the family? Park Place represents some of the top car makers in the world, and the latest Maserati, Bentley, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Porsche, and of course Mercedes-Benz models will be waiting for you on the New Car Concourse.

If you’re more of an oldie-but-goodie, the Collector’s Concours is a juried showcase of rare cars from private collectors. These include a 1916 Stutz Bearcat, a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 190SL, and a 1983 Ferrari 308 GTS. In addition, local car clubs will be on site to show off their vehicles.

Photo courtesy of Park Place Dealerships

Cars are great, but if you aren’t a gearhead, you will still have a great time. There will be a runway fashion show featuring some of the latest styles from the Highland Park Village. And if you upgrade to the VIP ticket, complimentary bites from Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants including Wild Salsa, and for GA/Showfiled there will be food trucks to keep your stomach satisfied. There will also be live entertainment on the Lexus Live Stage and in the Porsche Luxury Lifestyle Pavilion. There’s also a Kid’s Zone which features the North Texas Diecast Collectors Club’s interactive sixty-foot downhill Hot Wheels track, among other fun activities.

Beyond the cars, the food, the fashion, and the fun, Park Place is giving back to their community. The group has donated a vehicle to be raffled off at the Showcase, and proceeds of the raffle will benefit the Baylor Scott & White Irving Foundation.

Information about the Park Place Luxury and Supercar Showcase is available at www.luxurysupercarshowcase.com/.

After getting to test drive three vehicles from Park Place Motorcars on Bryant Irvin, I am truly spoiled. When I’m next in the market for a car, you can be sure that I’ll be heading to Park Place. The quality of the inventory at every Park Place dealership combined with their people and the service makes Park Place the place to buy your next vehicle.

The post The Drive of a Lifetime first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Whether it’s the thought of keeping your kids from behaving like wild animals while sitting in an uncomfortable waiting room with a television blaring reruns of “The Jerry Springer Show,” or it’s the knowledge that you will be condescended to by the mechanics who might try to pad the invoice with unnecessary charges, getting your car serviced is a chore that most of us would give almost anything to avoid.

I didn’t know what to expect when I pulled up in the service drive of Park Place Motorcars after test-driving a 2019 Mercedes Benz GLC (more on that later). Park Place Motorcars is extremely impressive, from the welcome as you walk in the door to the passion and knowledge of the salespeople, but this was the service department. I was convinced that not even Park Place could make the service experience anything but a necessary evil to be endured.

Boy, was I wrong!

When you arrive at the service department of Park Place Motorcars, you are met by a cheerful valet. If you’ve made an appointment, the valet contacts your service representative. Think of your service representative as your personal cruise director. They guide you and your vehicle through the service experience, making sure you are comfortable and happy. If you don’t have an appointment, don’t worry! You will be assigned a service representative on the spot.

My service representative, Viviana, has worked for Park Place for six years. She jumped into the driver’s seat of the GLC to take me on a tour of the inner workings of the service department.

“Each representative has their own team of certified technicians,” Viviana explained. “I have ‘my’ bay, and ‘my’ technicians and I are in constant contact.”

As we turned into Viviana’s bay, my jaw hit my chest. Instead of the dark, hot, dirty garage of my imagination, this was well-lit, air-conditioned, and spotless. (It was cleaner than my house.) You could eat off the floor. As we turned out of the bay into the back of the Park Place lot, I marveled at how neat and tidy everything was. “We have a lawn crew who comes every week to cut the grass, and leaves are blown away every night,” Viviana said matter-of-factly, as if every dealership has manicured grass where no customer goes.

After a brief turn through the on-site car wash and detailing department (if you purchase a car at any Park Place dealership, you can get it washed for free every Saturday at any Park Place dealership!), we returned to Viviana’s office. She was brimming with enthusiasm for her technicians, saying that they will even go so far as to ride along with you to hear any noises or feel any shimmies that the car is making. All questions, no matter how basic, are answered, and no one talks down or condescends.

Finally, Viviana lead me to the waiting area. Let’s just say that I could happily spend hours there. The seating is plentiful, varied, and, most importantly, comfortable. There are snacks and drinks available. The Wi-Fi is free. There is a computer for customer use, and there is a dedicated playroom for little ones, stocked with games, books, and toys. If you decide to take advantage of the shuttle service or get a loaner, Viviana told me that you get text updates from your service representative, who is always available to answer questions by phone, text, or email.

A quick word about the certified technicians at Park Place: while few people buy a vehicle with an eye to selling it later, it is worth it to have your service done at the dealership by certified technicians. When you do go to sell or trade in your car, you will get more for it if you can prove all service was done by certified technicians.

So, let’s turn from the service department to the car. The GLC is Park Place’s number one seller, and I now understand why! It’s smaller than the GLE I test-drove previously, but it is as just as comfortable and just as safe.

As he had previously, Zane helped me guided me through the technology of the car before I left the lot. He explained that because the GLC is a smaller SUV, it appeals to both young people who don’t need a third row and empty nesters who no longer need to haul around teenagers and their stuff. (When you go to Park Place, ask for Zane. He’s the best!)

I have to say that I absolutely loved the GLC. My older daughter and I needed to run some errands before we left to go on our annual Grandparent Trip, and we thoroughly enjoyed running around town with the panoramic sunroof open and singing our hearts out to our playlist blaring over Apple CarPlay. The kids report that the back seat is comfortable and roomy, and my younger daughter was thrilled that she could see out the back windows (she’s rather petite). My husband, who is six feet, 2 inches tall, was able to have ample leg room in the passenger’s seat while leaving more than enough room in the backseat for my teenager. The technology is unobtrusive but useful. All in all, the 2019 GLC is a great car!

So now I’ve experienced the sales department and the service department of Park Place Motorcars, and I have nothing but good things to say about both. The employees truly want to give you the best experience possible, be it buying a car or having that car serviced. I can’t wait to find out what my next assignment from Park Place will be, so stay tuned!

The post The Best Service Experience Possible: Park Place Motorcars first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

While the technical specifications of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE are impressive, I must admit that, like many of you, I really have only two questions.

1. Is it safe for my children?
2. Is it fun to drive?

The answer to both questions is an unqualified and enthusiastic “Yes!”

Last weekend, I got to test drive the new 2020 GLE from Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth on Bryant Irvin, and I have to say, the whole experience was wonderful. Upon entering, you are met with that wonderful new car smell. (Other than that wonderful new baby smell and that wonderful new book smell, there are few smells I like more in this world!) The staff was incredibly friendly, and I was taken care of immediately. Nolan, one of the sales managers, introduced me to Zane. Zane seems to be the resident GLE expert, and his love of and enthusiasm for the new 2020 model is infectious.

Having done my research, I knew that the 2020 GLE is a complete redesign, so I asked Zane to give me the lowdown on the differences. I will admit that silenced him for a minute, until he said that he was trying to narrow down the differences to the most important ones. “From the ground up, it’s a totally different vehicle,” according to Zane.

The first thing Zane mentioned is the size. The 2020 GLE is 3.5 inches longer than the 2019 model. I know 3.5 inches doesn’t sound like a lot, but the difference it makes is astonishing. Those little 3.5 inches allow for an option third-row seat in the 2020. Let’s face it, having the option of a third-row seat is important. My blended family has five children in it, and it would be nice to have a third-row seat instead of having to take two vehicles everywhere.

Zane then moved to the touchscreen display. All 2020 GLEs come standard with a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia display. You can control everything in the car from it – navigation, audio, climate controls, interior lighting (including a really cool, changeable colored lighting system that my children loved) – with either the touch screen, the track pad on the console, or through what Mercedes is calling the “Mercedes-Benz User Experience” (MBUX). All you do is say, “Hey, Mercedes,” and the Intelligent Voice Control is activated. I was able to plot a route home, change the radio stations, and lower the air conditioning, all without taking my eyes from the road.

It goes without saying that Mercedes-Benz vehicles are safe. The 2020 GLE is full of safety features like airbags, antilock brakes, blind spot assist, rear child safety locks, and side impact beams. As great as these features are, I was most impressed with the PRE-SAFE system that comes with every 2020 GLE. The PRE-SAFE system senses an accident before it happens and helps prepare the vehicle for a collision. When a network of sensors around the car detect conditions that suggest a collision is about to happen, the seatbelts tighten, the brakes lock, the front head restraints adjust, and open windows roll up. In addition, the PRE-SAFE system emits what is called a “pink noise,” a harmless noise that can protect your ears from the noise and pressure of an accident.

So the 2020 GLE is safe. It is also ridiculously fun to drive. The ride is smooth as silk, and that turbo engine has great pickup. My children and I had a ball running around town! Park Place Motorcars also offers their Preferred Benefits program that gives you access to an incredible variety of exclusive offers from local retail and service partners. Restaurant deals, tickets to sporting events, discounts on shopping – they’re all part of the Preferred Benefits program.

As fun as it was driving the new 2020 GLE for the weekend (and if it can make running errands fun, it’s a great car!), what made the whole experience great was the service from Park Place. I am not TechnoMom, and Zane took his time to make sure that I knew how to navigate my way around the controls. He made sure that I felt secure in the car and didn’t laugh when I asked technomoronic questions. He genuinely loves his job, and his enthusiasm made my experience that much better. And when I came back on Monday morning to reluctantly give the GLE back? The lovely people of Park Place had washed and vacuumed my little MomMobile. The whole experience was simply amazing. When I first arrived, Nolan said, “We like to talk about the Park Place family. To us, you aren’t customers or clients. You’re our family.”

It shows, Nolan. It surely shows.

The post A Great Family Ride from Your Park Place Family first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.