Tomzbenz

Mercedes Original Equipment... Tire Rack has a good description of them. Made by a variety of manufacturers, they are intended for limited use deflated, but do not have the full range of a certified RFT. In other words, probably good enough to get you off the interstate, given there is an exit within 20 miles.

Tomzbenz

My bad... Mercedes Original Extended: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=234

rovinrail

Thank you. That's a little disappointing. But definitely good to know. I was anticipating full rfts.not that (hopefully!) it will ever matter.

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Tomzbenz

Per the Headlights, My E320 CDI has standard halogens, and although it was late in the model year when I boutght it, I could not find the Xenons anywhere. Seems MB decided the CDI was a low end car and did not make many with all the options. It was way too late to special order one the summer of 2006, and I definitely wanted the 2006 for its engine. That said, I really haven't missed the Xenons all that much.

I did go with the Lighting package this time however. I share your concern about the risk of complicated machinery. I'd feel better about it if MBUSA still had a policy of performing "Mods" on defective design components. I see very little of that these days, and was burned on several such items on my CDI.

I am gradually talking myself out of the 4Matic, and may opt to purchase the first of the two cars I have on order, due to be delivered soon. I figure for the 2500 uplift price and the marginal mileage advantage from the RWD, I can use the same money to drive the Escalade at the appropriate times instead, perhaps 25K miles or more and break even. I don't take that many trips to "Snow Country". Maxing out the mileage is always a fun exercise and I have routinely pushed my CDI to 40 MPG on long highway stretches. Anxious to see how high I can get the Bluetec to go.

Tomzbenz

My Wife and I both prefer the look of the Luxury trim. Its a choice between Smiles and Growls. I learned to love the star on the hood, which when driving in a city has the effect of revolving sparkles dancing around the rim of the ornament made from the reflections of the streetlights and other attractions. I discovered another valuable attribute of the star on the hood as well. It serves as an early warning indicator for freezing rain!

I recall on one trip from Atlanta to New Orleans, driving down I-20 in southern Alabama, how the ice forming from rain droplets on the star gave me an early warning of the impending hazard. It wasn't more than a mile or two later that I encountered a bridge where several vehicles had spun out on the ice and overturned... Some of which had just passed me because I had already slowed down significantly!

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Long3494Qut

Very nice! I have trouble snapping night pics with the daytime running lights on since they are so bright. Here's a previous pic I had that has some of the ambient on the side. Let me now what's your tank range when you get a chance

ImInPA

Are the above pics supposed to be an E250 Bluetec? I ask, because the redline on the tach is definitely a gas engine.

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rovinrail

And she's here! Finished factory pickup and the first 90 miles back home...

Averaged 61 mph, readout is 42 mpgs.... of course, that's being gentle for the breakin period, didn't go above around 85.

rovinrail

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rovinrail

Odd, though, that there is no 4matic badge on it. I asked, they said it's a change for the new year model.

T.H.Carrera

picture wont open ?

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rovinrail

Okay...how do I do that? (Dumb question, I know)

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Tomzbenz

Ah ha! I thought maybe that was coming... Of all the photos from the Portland Oregon test drives, I could not discern a 4matic badge, although all the vehicles were in fact 4matic.

It would make it a bit busy back there. Its funny what matters to folks and what matters to manufacturers. Lots of examples of quasi-obsolete badging out there on older cars. "Fuel Injected" comes to mind. Makes the badge of distinction less important. Or it could indicate a strategic move toward all E250's having AWD eventually...

rovinrail

I was more thinking of resale value down the line.... plus, they already installed the wrong steering wheel, so I wasn't sure whether to "just trust them" on this.

Tomzbenz

If you mean did the car really get built with 4matic, then the build sheet should say, as well as the window sticker if you have one. Otherwise the VIN should have a code.

If its just a question of whether the badge was omitted by mistake, I'd dig deeper. I could not find ANY deck photos on the internet with a 4matic badge myself...

Tomzbenz

Per the steering wheel, I got some conflicting advice when ordering... I have Luxury trim and wanted the wood and leather. Heated is not an option in that case and I didn;t care, but the style of the wheel was in question.

The E350 configurator on the MBUSA will not allow picking the sport wheel with Luxury trim but I'm not sure that is the same wheel. What did you order and what did you get? I see you have a Sport trim.

I wish the E250 Build option was up on the MBUSA website. Can't understand why it is not! Until it is up, I don't think the third party internet sales applications can publish their specs. I am buying through USAA and still cannot configure and price an E250 even though I ordered on Months ago and had all of the pricing details on the invoice. I need this to apply for a loan from them. Its frustrating.

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