And the most unsung feature of the W212 is ...

[Drgolf131]

My vote goes to the cup holders. Better than what I had on my Escalade, and that is saying a lot. And far superior to the other cars I tested (Audi A6, BMW 535, Lexus G350 F Sport). On my recent trip to Louisiana and back, I had everything from a 20 oz. Coke Zero to a 32 oz. fountain drink ... And my wife could have her drink in the adjacent holder. I'll guarantee that none of the other cars could have done that. Bottom line ... I believe that attention to such a small detail as cup holders reflects the attention paid to more important areas.

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[hofb99]

Couldn't agree w/ you more about "attention to detail"... The little things REALLY DO add up! And there's a lot of little things the designers incorporated w/ the E350! Let's see...there's so many things that I like, but the one that stands out in my mind right @ this moment, is the ambient lighting around the inside trim of the interior...I LOVE IT!!! So classy and mood-setting...like dining in a swank, upscale, "reservations only" dinner lounge. Think the Cadillac CTS also offers this same feature (really don't know how many other cars do), but it really adds a "soothing" touch! Almost therapeutic! Kinda like how an aquariam helps dial down one's stress levels...

EDIT: OH, and forgot to mention that you can even adjust the level of output! Awesome...lol

[hoshi]

I never truly had much of a chance to appreciate my car as I just got mine a couple of weeks ago, barely drove it, got rear ended and now it's sitting in a junk yard. With that said, I was really impressed with the flip down grocery hooks in the trunk that are easy to miss. Such a simple feature but very useful! The auto-park when shutting off the engine is a nice feature too as I'm used to having gear selection controls on the center console.

[BM2BZ]

like hobb99 said, i like the ambient lights a lot, too. very classy looking.
i have that little hook in the trunk for years from my other cars before and get used to it but still very useful nonetheless .
i use the cupholders for my wallet, does it count ?
i have to say the gear selector is pretty weird for starters but love it after a little while.

[BenzV12]

I think my vote would be for the auto headrests that I find that feature very smart yet safety . Because I have learnt that when you move your seat toward front , the car thinks you should be a smaller person therefore it adjusts headrests

This is a nice idea indeed

I am glad you found cup holders better than others do because I like 5 Series as well .

[hyperion667]

the ambient lighting in the cls is even better, with three color choices!

[jdhoang]

Attention to detail is what impresses me about Mercedes. Here are two items that have amazed me:

• Never had to turn defrost on. Car seem to sense and adjust automatically.
• Turning on lights for other passengers doesn't appear to affect driver's view!

My current Benz is old and I am hoping to upgrade soon so I am sure I will be further amazed.

[jvc300]

My car was rear ended a couple of months back. I would have to say the Neck-pro head rests would an unsung hero.

[K-A]

I could give the littlest damn about cup holders, but great Thread topic and thanks for sharing. I just don't use them too much and find that cup holders have become such a big stink amongst the buying public (some people can't even multitask drinking something while driving, as unfortunate as that sounds), that they've ruined the center area of the CLS's new interior in the U.S. In Europe, the CLS has an E-Class type of "door" that covers it, and for whatever reason, M-B left the eye sore cup holders totally exposed at all times on the CLS for the U.S market (caved into the American buying public).

On the E however, I will agree, best cup holder situation I've ever seen. Logically planted right into the bottom of the console, so they aren't flimsy nor can they break, and they are a good size and great location for easy and functional grabbing. Also, we have a WOOD DOOR TO CLOSE ON TOP OF THOSE UGLY THINGS!

Unfortunately, however, the doors sliding functionality is bad as it tends to get "caught" sometimes, forcing me to help it the rest of the way.

Originally Posted by hofb99

Couldn't agree w/ you more about "attention to detail"... The little things REALLY DO add up! And there's a lot of little things the designers incorporated w/ the E350! Let's see...there's so many things that I like, but the one that stands out in my mind right @ this moment, is the ambient lighting around the inside trim of the interior...I LOVE IT!!! So classy and mood-setting...like dining in a swank, upscale, "reservations only" dinner lounge. Think the Cadillac CTS also offers this same feature (really don't know how many other cars do), but it really adds a "soothing" touch! Almost therapeutic! Kinda like how an aquariam helps dial down one's stress levels...

EDIT: OH, and forgot to mention that you can even adjust the level of output! Awesome...lol

Agreed and good assessment on the ambient lighting! I feel the same way, and in fact M-B's press material on the W212 called the ambient lighting and interior to be designed to incorporate a "solid secure environment with lots of strong, straight horizontal shapes to get that point across" (design), and "A feeling meant to convey that of a high end Ultra Lounge" (ambient lighting).

[dfordham]

I like that nothing happens abruptly inside the cabin. Have you noticed that when interior lights are turned on and off they change state slowly rather than go abruptly on/off? The same for the radio when the car is turned off. The sound lowers slowly rather than abruptly turning off.

Again, small details that either consciously or subconsciously add to the total experience.

Regards,
Don

[RobbieRob]

Originally Posted by hyperion667

the ambient lighting in the cls is even better, with three color choices!

Thanks for rubbing it in Hype....

[EmE247]

I remember back when I had my W210, the cup holder was an inspector gadget kinda thing. Open the lid, press a button and it would pop up and then swing out to open. Pretty flimsy and was made for one.

[hyperion667]

Originally Posted by RobbieRob

Thanks for rubbing it in Hype....

lol, sorry cousin.....haha.....I think the S class have the tri-colors too

[RobbieRob]

Originally Posted by hyperion667

lol, sorry cousin.....haha.....I think the S class have the tri-colors too

Yep, and the CL.. I think thats a pretty cool feature.

On this topic, Yeah I think the cup holders are awesome in our cars and I love the fact that we can cover them up to clean up the center console when not in use. Thats the benefit of having the gear selector on the column.

[hyperion667]

I do like how the cup holder can be removed too.....not all Americans are constantly drinking BIG gulps LOL.......

[hofb99]

Originally Posted by hyperion667

the ambient lighting in the cls is even better, with three color choices!

GET OUT!!! Too much! What are the colors?

[BM2BZ]

Originally Posted by hofb99

GET OUT!!! Too much! What are the colors?

dim, bright and off .

[Drgolf131]

Okay ... So I said cup holders were my choice for unsung features, I will have to say that those who picked the ambient lighting are making a good point. In fact, it really was the ambient lighting that stood out in my mind when I brought the car home for an overnight test drive. When I looked at the other competing choices, my mind kept flashing back to how the interior looked at night ... It even beat the red lighting on the 535i. Oh ... And thanks for pointing out that the lights can be adjusted ... I did that this evening ... Totally fly!

[hyperion667]

polar, white and amber......the polar is the coolest, (no pun) but needs to be really dark......I rarely even drive at night time LOL........never get to enjoy them......or my side mirrors haha........more so in winter months

[Pntblnk]

Mine is probably the sound of the door closing. The solidness and security of that "thunk" just make me feel good every time I get out of the car. Not to mention that the slightest push is enough to close it tight. I don't think about it getting into the car, but it hits me every time I get out or open the rear door to put something in.

Silly little thing but I love that sound. I've never had a car that did this before....GM products for years. Recall my first car, a 77 Camero that I had to lift the door up over the sill to get it to close properly. PITA for sure.

[ImInPA]

For me, the feature that is almost never discussed that I personally use all the time is the amazingly tight turning radius. The BMW 5 will not make a U-Turn on my street. The A6 is just slightly better than the 5. My Volvo S80 could U-Turn in my street. My E whips right around. I am always amazed at the maneuverability of my E.

[RNBRAD]

My fav feature is the tempature SPIKES system or Solar Powered Interior Kooling Exchange System. Definitely keeps the interior cooler on hot sunny days.

[BenzV12]

Originally Posted by ImInPA

For me, the feature that is almost never discussed that I personally use all the time is the amazingly tight turning radius. The BMW 5 will not make a U-Turn on my street. The A6 is just slightly better than the 5. My Volvo S80 could U-Turn in my street. My E whips right around. I am always amazed at the maneuverability of my E.

I looked at the W212 specs and I was amazed how well turning radius was set for W212 , it was better or equal to the cars in compact class .
Thanks for your testimony

[hofb99]

Originally Posted by dfordham

I like that nothing happens abruptly inside the cabin. Have you noticed that when interior lights are turned on and off they change state slowly rather than go abruptly on/off? The same for the radio when the car is turned off. The sound lowers slowly rather than abruptly turning off.

Again, small details that either consciously or subconsciously add to the total experience.

Regards,
Don

Yes, YES!!! I love that too!!! I like to call it the "fade-to-black" feature!

[hofb99]

Originally Posted by RNBRAD

My fav feature is the tempature SPIKES system or Solar Powered Interior Kooling Exchange System. Definitely keeps the interior cooler on hot sunny days.

Is this standard for the E (P1) or is it part of a P2 or premium package (optional feature)?