Waiting for my E Class

[mbenz76]

Time is going so slow waiting for my E Class. Placed the order early December and I am like a kid waiting for Christmas now! Got to wait until 1st March though before I can play with my new toy! Booked the day off work though to make the most of it

It's my first MB so I am looking forward to it even more.

I went for the E350 CDI Sport in metallic black with black leather interior - options I ordered are Memory Pack, Comfort Vented Seats, Leather, Heated Steering Wheel, Luxury Climate, Night View, TPMS, Command, Reverse Camera, DAB, Garage Door Opener, Powered Boot Closer, Driving Assistance Package (only wanted Distronic but had to get the package with lane and blind spot assist as well), Phone Pre Wiring.

Spent a while debating whether to get the Dynamic Multi Contour Seats but the more I searched the more my initial view that they would probably break at some point seemed to be proved right.

Also couldn't make my mind up whether to get black interior or chestnut, but decided black would be best looking.

I was disappointed to find I couldn't have it keyless in the UK but in the whole scheme of things I guess that's not too much of a problem.

I'l be sure to post a good few photos when I finally get it - once I have finished playing that is

 

[johny5_uk]

Wow, congrats on the order, that certainly does sound like a fully specced e class!
I take it this is the Saloon?

Youve had most of the other gadgets installed (if not all of them! ), ie comfort vented seats so why would you think that the multi contour seats would probably break at some point? (are these the ones with electric air pockets?)
If memory serves I didnt think that you could order the multi contour seats when you had leather/or vented seats? (thought it was one of them).

I dont know how your gonna last all that time

 

[HumberMart]

Yeah, makes my standard SE look very inadequate!!

Still I'm totally impressed with mine, so that one will be unbeatable, no wonder you can't wait!!

 

[petermansell]

Sounds good. I am surprised how few people take the distonic option and for me its a deal breaker becuase its just so useful on long journeys.

 

[Diesel Benz]

Sounds good. I am surprised how few people take the distonic option and for me its a deal breaker becuase its just so useful on long journeys.

What did you have to take with the Distronic (Plus) option? I would have wanted to have it but for us it was part of a package that had some expensive stuff that I did not want to have. A bit unfortunate that MB moved towards the US style option packages with the 212.

 

[splang]

I believe you need Comand (or audio 50) and the driver assistance pack (which contains distronic plus) - oh, and you need the auto box too if not standar

 

[mbenz76]

Wow, congrats on the order, that certainly does sound like a fully specced e class!
I take it this is the Saloon?

Youve had most of the other gadgets installed (if not all of them! ), ie comfort vented seats so why would you think that the multi contour seats would probably break at some point? (are these the ones with electric air pockets?)

If memory serves I didnt think that you could order the multi contour seats when you had leather/or vented seats? (thought it was one of them).

I dont know how your gonna last all that time

It is the salon yes, I did very much like the looks of the coupe but needed more practicality.

The dynamic seats are the ones with the air chambers which inflate/deflate as you corner etc. to hold you in. I read a lot of things about the air chambers leaking and the seat going 'flat' until they were repaired. I can live with a gadget not working for a while it if breaks (although I expect better with MB) but if the seat shape is altered until that particular part is fixed it could make it very uncomfortable.

I did wonder if the dynamic seats would be available with the vented option but didn't ask the dealer as I had already decided I didn't want them.

Sounds good. I am surprised how few people take the distonic option and for me its a deal breaker becuase its just so useful on long journeys.

Absolutely, I couldn't be without the cruise on my current car. I know the E comes with basic cruise as standard but distronic was the next step for me.

What did you have to take with the Distronic (Plus) option? I would have wanted to have it but for us it was part of a package that had some expensive stuff that I did not want to have. A bit unfortunate that MB moved towards the US style option packages with the 212.

It was part of the Driving Assistance package, which has distronic, lane assist and blind spot assist - package was about £1500 IIRC. The demo car I drove had it installed and to be honest the lane and blind spot assist are just expensive things I will never use, but I wanted the distronic so had to have them. Will help if the wife ever drives it though

The dealer checked with MB to see if you could have it on it's own but the answer was a not unsurprising no!

 

[Diesel Benz]

It was part of the Driving Assistance package, which has distronic, lane assist and blind spot assist - package was about £1500 IIRC. The demo car I drove had it installed and to be honest the lane and blind spot assist are just expensive things I will never use, but I wanted the distronic so had to have them. Will help if the wife ever drives it though

The dealer checked with MB to see if you could have it on it's own but the answer was a not unsurprising no!

£1500 would have been fine for me even if it was Distronic alone. I would have had to add about €8000 to get Distronic (partly from the package but also Comand which I thought I'd retrofit once the parts get well available, that is at lower cost too). On the other hand, I have Distronic Plus in the 221 if I need it desperately).

 

[splang]

I believe you need Comand (or audio 50) and the driver assistance pack (which contains distronic plus) - oh, and you need the auto box too if not standar

The dealer checked with MB to see if you could have it on it's own but the answer was a not unsurprising no!

Indeed - as above.

 

[mbenz76]

Do you actually need Command for Distronic? If you include the cost of Command as well at about £2200 then it starts to get more expensive. That said, I wanted Command anyway so not an 'extra' cost as such for me.

As Diesel Benz has said, if they had asked for £1500 for the distronic alone I would probably still have said yes so no complaints really.

The Lane Assist and Blind Spot Assist which are part of the package were installed on the demo car I drove. I found Blind Spot Assist quite annoying TBH as I often start to indicate as a car is alongside me and then pull in behind it - with BSA this triggers the alert as it wants you to know there is a car there - I already know there is a car there! At least these can be turned off if they do annoy me.

 

[mbenz76]

Just realised that when I have been talking about Distronic above what I actually meant was Distronic Plus with Pre Safe Brake (as the brochure calls is)!

Gettting used to the car braking to a standstill on it's own might take some time and I think I will have my foot at the ready over the brake for the first few times!

 

[splang]

you need comand or audio 50 I believe...

 

[ckember]

why are MB options still well over priced compared to other makes? and sometimes they either don't work as well or have fewer functions?

 

[mbenz76]

My build date is next Wednesday

Shame they don't have webcams in the factory so you can watch them build it.

Just out of interest, the freeze date for my order was in January, but the buidl date is not until next week, and then the delivery to port almost 2 weeks later. What is going on in all that time? Do they actually build the car in full during the build day and then it just sits there until it is shipped to port?

 

[stumpy1]

Does it have airmatic?

 

[mbenz76]

Does it have airmatic?

No, decided against it as I didn't think it would be worth the money. Faily easy decision for me really.

The only things I excluded and spent time wondering if I had done the right thing were the dynamic seats and the surround sound. Too late now though, so I hope my instinct was right

 

[st4]

Might have gone for the surround sound, active seats sound a bit gymicy.

 

[mbenz76]

I have never been much of an audio-fanatic, so sound quality is not that important to me as long as it sound OK and I can hear it over the road etc., then I am happy. Couldn't help but wonder how good/poor the built in speakers were, but on reflection I'm sure they are fine for my use.

 

[st4]

I have never been much of an audio-fanatic, so sound quality is not that important to me as long as it sound OK and I can hear it over the road etc., then I am happy. Couldn't help but wonder how good/poor the built in speakers were, but on reflection I'm sure they are fine for my use.

The standard one in the 211 is fab. Got a sub in the parcel shelf, the 212 forgoes this which is a pity, but your car has heaps on it as is.

 

[mbenz76]

If I hadn't gone for the Night View I might have gone for the seats just for the hell of it, but the Night View was my token gimick