Damn, I see I am not as clever at all. What gave it away? You nailed it last time too.
I have been in love with Verde Hydra since I saw it on a 6.0 diablo many years ago. It is unfortunately a very difficult color to source as it is an $18k option that no one ever selects.
When the first Urus launched, it reminded me of a modernized Pontiac Aztek and the pitchfork grills to this day, without question, are the worst design language I have ever seen. When the Urus S launched, I was ecstatic that many of the original design flaws were fixed and the front bumper finally did not look like it was out of a transformers movie. I've been incredibly fortunate and blessed to be in such a position to add a new car, I wanted the ultimate SUV. Originally my plan was to custom order the new Urus SE as I have always want to custom spec a Lamborghini. Unfortunately they brought back many of the horrid design flaws and ruined the rear. Actually test drove one a few weeks back and Lamborghini has much work to do to iron out their new hybrid powertrain, was not impressed with the functionality.
This basically left me only a two year window for the production of a Urus S to source what I wanted. My original plan was for a 2025 G63, I cancelled that order after my saga with my current G has no conclusion in sight. Really disappointed with how Mercedes has handled the situation, an ECU harness should not be backordered for 6 months+.
Test drove all the other cars in the class including the Cullinan, DBX and Bentayga and landed on the Urus S. There is something about being cradled in the finest most comfortable italian leather and blasting to 60 in 3 seconds while getting a massage. The sheer force of the power and delivery is unlike anything I have experienced of a vehicle this size and weight - it defies physics.
Fast forward, scrolling through autotrader, I found EXACTLY how I would have spec'd my Urus S (minus night vision) which never happens. Verde Hydra over Terra Asia is an incredibly elusive and hard to find spec. The verde hydra in the sun is one of the best green shades I have ever seen in my life, the metallic and depth is spectacular. Paired against the dark tan hide of Terra Asia it blends well together. Saw it online while I was diving in Australia, called Manhattan Motorcars (they are fantastic) and bought it impulsively next day, sight unseen.
Having had it a few days, should anyone be shopping for one in the future, here are my honest thoughts, mostly in reference to my G which I loved:
Cons:
Backup camera legibility is GARBAGE. Can barely see in reverse during the day and at night the visibility is near zero, unacceptable for a 30k car yet alone 300k.
GARBAGE sound system, this car has the upgraded $8k B&O which is their top tier. I played with the various settings and it is substandard at best. The rising tweeters are a nice party trick but mid 2000 AMs had them.
The paddles are attached to the steering wheel, to get into first you have to touch the paddle from reverse, if you are turning in reverse you have no idea where the paddles are to move forward. Incredibly annoying and poor design.
Not a fan of the seat height, it is somewhere between a normal car and a SUV. I enjoyed the height of my G, this is an awkward inbetween.
The door panel near the window does not extend into the cabin far enough which you can not put you arm to be comfortable while holding the steering wheel. Which is odd as I have long lanky arms. Again wouldn't expect this in a sports car but I would in a daily SUV.
With the odd seat height it is difficult to find a seating position that is comfortable.
The rear 1/4 panel still has its short comings, definitely the weakest part of the car aesthetically. Subjectively, IMO, the G looks much better, I prefer the boxy design.
The haptic touch screen is slow to respond, it takes 30-60 seconds to load the urus profile when you start the car and you can use the screen. Way too long for a modern day car, unacceptable IMO.
Lifting the start button cover is a novelty at first, annoying after that wears off. Also cycling through the modes you can only go in one direction.
Also petty, but I underestimated how absurd insurance costs are. I have a perfect driving record, with no claims at 36 I was paying ~$3k for my G. My insurance company quoted almost $20k (not a typo) for the year. The joys of living in SoCal. I was able to find a provider for about 1/3 of that through my dealer but otherwise that would have been 40k of pretax dollars, mind boggling and something I did not factor in when purchasing the car.
As an analog sports car enthusiast, it feels weird typing this but the cup holders are the smallest I have ever seen, can barely fit a soda can. Again not an issue in a sports car but I would expect more in a SUV. Same thing with the ambient lighting, this is a $3k option that must be 2 or 3 LEDs that make zero impact at night.
PROS:
Power. It is unbelievable how fast and nimble this car is. It shouldn't be this fast, going through the back roads, by the time you look down you are already at triple digits.
Excellent steering that noticeably changes in each mode.
Exhaust sounds great and in strada, car drives like a regular suv.
Shouldn't matter but there is a bit more of exclusivity in BH, typically see 30+ G's a day, which I now see why there are more prevalent than the Urus as a preowned Urus is less than a new G63 w ADM. I realized I prefer being more incognito in a daily.
Verde Hydra is as good as it gets. Leather and craftmanship is top notch, the audi influence doesn't bother me.
Long story short, I am a bit underwhelmed and disappointed with the Urus at this price point. It doesn't do anything exceptionally well, short of the powertrain and does not fill the void I want for a daily SUV. I could justify this if you only had one car that you needed a SUV with a sports car feel but not if you access to multiple cars to fill various voids. Don't see this one lasting, should have trusted my gut instinct and not let my MB service issue deter me away from the 25 G63. Going to give it until February to spend more time with it but I anticipate this to be short lived.