Mercedes-Benz vs BMW Controls

[st13phil]

I know the two companies compete with eachother, but why on earth can't they agree a standard over something as simple as the location and function of the controls on and around the steering wheel?

I've just spent a week driving a rented BMW 118d in Spain (went to see the Fallas de San Jose in Valencia - a fantastic experience) and the location of the indicator stalk and the cruise control stalk on that car are completely opposite to those in my C-Class, having the cruise control stalk in exactly the position of the indicator stalk on the Merc, and the indicator stalk above it at the 9 o'clock position. In the end I lost count of the number of times I tried to indicate using the cruise control lever or flashed the headlamps while trying to resume cruise. Even the function of the cruise control stalk was different: pull towards you to set or decrease speed; push away from you to set or increase speed; push up or down to disengage cruise; push button on end of stalk in to resume last set speed

Why do they have to be different? Just because they can?

 

[fuzzer]

i do it all the time jumping between my cars , i wouldnt worry about it

 

[stumpy1]

Funnily enough I prefer the indicator on the right like my old skool 124

 

[Londonscottish]

I jump into the wife's Clio, see the winsceen is dirty (always is.....) go to give a quick wash/wipe and sound the horn.

Which sounds like the horn in Noddy's car. Doubly embarrassing.

This after raching under the RHS of the dash to release the parking brake...

 

[RichardM]

When I switched to BMW I did this all the time, I kept knocking the wrong stalk and it did take a while to get used to it.

 

[richard]

Ive got a ML and wife has X5 - so when I drive her car, instead of selecting drive or reverse I put the wipers on !!

Then to annoy me even further, the steeirng wheel buttons for volume up/down are on opposite sides. I think its done on purpose so when you are used to your Merc, if you try and testdrive a BMW its a pain in the bum, so you go and buy a Merc again
(and we would have if there was a 7 seat ML, not a tank size GL, or a R with a mini-width afterthought 7th seat)

R