2007 E320CDI - is panaromaic sunroof really a good feature or not?

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Stocho

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At last I seem to have found a fully-loaded car (though almost all are described as such on autotrader)...in fact more loaded than I would like ... it has a sunroof, in fact a double sunroof - a panoramic one.
I am hesitant about having a car with a sunroof because of:
1. Safety - suspect that they are more dangerous in accidents
2. Safety - if they break easily if apple / chestnut / tree branch (even not a huge one that would not do much damage otherwise) etc falls on them
3. Cost - repairing them if they leak/malfunction.
Some brands (KIA) are especially bad:
Our Kia Sportage panoramic sunroof imploded less than two years into ownership | This is Money

What are the views here, does anyone else here shares the same concerns or are card with them (W211 MB, not KIA) viewed just as safe as cars without them? Do they just cut holes in the body and insert sunroofs or do they reinforce the rest of the roof considerably to take into account that they cut out much of the roof?
Would you like this feature if you were buying a 8 year old E320CDI that you planned to keep for the next 7-10 years until disposal?
 
At last I seem to have found a fully-loaded car (though almost all are described as such on autotrader)...in fact more loaded than I would like ... it has a sunroof, in fact a double sunroof - a panoramic one.
I am hesitant about having a car with a sunroof because of:
1. Safety - suspect that they are more dangerous in accidents
2. Safety - if they break easily if apple / chestnut / tree branch (even not a huge one that would not do much damage otherwise) etc falls on them
3. Cost - repairing them if they leak/malfunction.
Some brands (KIA) are especially bad:
Our Kia Sportage panoramic sunroof imploded less than two years into ownership | This is Money

What are the views here, does anyone else here shares the same concerns or are card with them (W211 MB, not KIA) viewed just as safe as cars without them? Do they just cut holes in the body and insert sunroofs or do they reinforce the rest of the roof considerably to take into account that they cut out much of the roof?
Would you like this feature if you were buying a 8 year old E320CDI that you planned to keep for the next 7-10 years until disposal?


I personally think they're a great addition to any car.

Glass is mindblowingly strong now-a-days and toughened & laminated glass stays in tact even if broken (just like your windscreen.)

Your concern regarding falling trees, if the tree is big enough, it'll damage most cars and sometime its occupants, sunroof or not. The days of aftermarket sunroofs seem to have gone (cutting a hole into a standard car roof. Yikes!) and the car has to pass stress tests either with or without sunroof.

Regarding cost of repair. Yes. It wouldn't be cheep. But that's the gamble on any used car, on all the goodies.

If you've found an 8 year old car that you really like, don't loose it because of sunroof concerns.

Ant
 
What you do not have, cannot go wrong!
Steer clear.

Regards
John

Tbh you could say the same about electric windows, central locking, sat Nav, Etc.

I'm guessing you've had sunroof issues in the past to make such a post?

Ant
 
A panoramic roof on a silver W211 is stunning, well worth any perceived risky future cost.

I owned two W211's with panoramic roofs and they are a completely different car than without.
 
Glass roof is stronger than a steel roof.

Don't believe me? Stand on the glass roof, then stand on the steel roof.
 
My 212 has a pan roof, it makes the interior lighter which I like and you can vent air quietly with it tilted, or get huge amounts of fresh air with it fully open.

It's not a must-have but it's high on the list.
 
My E Coupe was an ex demonstrator which came with the Pano Roof , I love it and have it open every chance i get . I purchased some special grease and clean and lubricate the rails regularly . If i stay with MB the next car would have to have the Pano Roof , :thumb:
 
Go for it :)

IMHO it adds an extra touch of class to your car and makes it a bit special.
Your rear seat passengers will love it, I am sure.
As for the argument "what you don't have does not break", that can be applied to anything that makes our lives more comfortable: sunroofs, cars in general, boilers, relationships...
 
I have never liked Sun Roofs,they are a invention for the British market,you hardly see a car in the USA with one ,I suspect it started as a joke that has got out of hand,hey lads have a sun roof for the two sunny days you get when you are out in the car,and when you do use them you get sunburn on the left side of your face,I only had one car with one and never took the cover of it all the time I used that car.
 
Unfortunately, the panoramic roof is a no-no for the CLS due to the slope of the roof, so I am left with a standard sunroof. Would I be without it? Not a chance...

I have the roof open at every opportunity, as others do on this forum. Short of having an open top car, this is the next best thing.

As for things going wrong, you could buy a ten year old car that runs perfectly, or a three year old car that has everything failing. It is simply luck of the draw.

My advice. Go for it. You'll appreciate just how much more airy and light the cabin feels.
 
I've been looking at w211's recently to use as my daily runner and I'd say that it looks better and opens the cabin up much more. Hopefully I'll get a nice high spec e500 with one on.
 
I have an E class coupe with the pano roof. This is the first car of the many I have owned that has glass above my head. I love it. Don't think of it as a sun roof as you will mostly be disappointed living in Britain. Just sliding back the screen from the glass gives the car a more roomy feel and as previous posters have mentioned the fresh air into the car is much nicer when its not being forced through the vents.
If you are worried about the strength of the glass should a tree fall on it, don't park or drive near trees.
 
I have never liked Sun Roofs,they are a invention for the British market,you hardly see a car in the USA with one ,I suspect it started as a joke that has got out of hand,hey lads have a sun roof for the two sunny days you get when you are out in the car,and when you do use them you get sunburn on the left side of your face,I only had one car with one and never took the cover of it all the time I used that car.


I'm assuming you have never liked drop tops on the same basis? :dk:

Ant
 
Hi,
Our ML63 has the panoramic roof - as did the Tiguan that it replaced.
Even living in a hot country (Abu Dhabi, UAE) - we really like the panoramic roof and luckily most cars sold in this market have a sunroof, as standard.
Bearing in mind the wide temperature variations we see here - below zero in the mountains during the winter to 50 degrees C shade temperature (surface probably above 80 deg C) in the summer - we don't see instances of exploding sunroofs!
Cheers
Steve
 

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