MaineSailor

Just recently took delivery of our CPO 2008 C300 Sport and had a nerve rattling experience yesterday. My wife was driving the car home from the dealer (her first time at the wheel) and was reaching for the turn-signal stalk to signal a left at a sweeping Y intersection. Vehicle speed was about 25-30 MPH. She inadvertantly pulled on the cruise control stalk, and the cruise control engaged and started to accelerate! It was trying to return to whatever the previous speed setting was (as it should). Fortunately, she's a good driver and immediately tapped the brakes, which killed the cruise control - but not until some disturbing acceleration took place. I have to admit, I have touched the cruise control stalk by mistake when reaching for the turn signal stalk - guess I got lucky.

Anybody else experience this? Seems like a really poor design, (stalks too close together) especially for Mercedes, who have a reputation for safety!?

Acapulco Bill

This has happened to many, takes getting used to. I never use the cruise control, but my sons have used it and say it is far easier to use in real life than the ones in their BMW 3 series. Its just the Merc way of doing things.

SuPERSaK

I agree. I always hit the cruise control when trying to hit the turn signal

Poor design I agree

IDK why they don't just make a button on the bottom of the steering wheel. Like the 07-08 TL-S. I believe they have the best interior

Runamuck

Used to do it for the first few days but now I dont.

SCguy08

Just takes some getting used to. After more than a year with mine, getting in BMW's now, their stalks feel massively misplaced.

joshg1001

Coming from toyota/lexus products, it did take me a while to adjust. however, even if you mistook the CC stalk, you would be pushing it down or up anyways, which doesnt activate CC. You have to pull the level towards you in order to have it re accelerate to previous speed.

geraltay

I could def see how that could happen. I have hit that by mistake a few times when meaning to hit the turn signal...

geraltay

poor design

Savage c-300

this happened to me when i first got the car too, but now that i'm used to where it is, it never happens anymore. in fact i use cruise control all the time now.

03'55AMG

How fast does it accelerate? If it floors it then I'm going to try it with CC @120 starting at 30 and hold on! Lol

albert101

Poor design, they should have put the cruise control somewhere else. but for me, I never use the cruise control. it promotes me to not pay as much attention on the road and it makes me more of a road hazard since I'm half driving and half dozing off..

C300Sport

Just because a design is not what you are accustomed to does not automatically make it a poor design.
Once I became accustomed to the layout, it works as an ergonomically sound setup. Of course, when I jump into the Audi, there is usually a little "finger searching" until I get my "motor memory" readjusted.

Sportstick

I agree, as frustrating and frightening as this must have been for the OP and his wife. There is an accommodation period, but having reviewed a variety of speed control switches as an automotive product planner, there is much to recommend the MB approach. But, familiarity is required. I note you said this was her first time driving the car. Had she reviewed the owner's manual, or had a controls location briefing from a knowledgeable driver beforehand? If she was simply given the keys on the premise that cars are fungible, the risk of this and other errors is certainly enhanced. With experience, the OP and his wife will likely find that this control is intuitive and finger-tip easy, without the visual challenge of the Toyota-originated style small stalks under the 4 o'clock position on the steering wheel rim.

MaineSailor

Yes, the owner's manual had been reviewed in advance, and my wife has many years of experience driving European cars (SAAB and BMW - the BMWs had similar cruise control controls by the way - never a problem). We're new to Mercedes, but we're not newbies!

che0x

Poor design with a dash of arrogance, since I understand that it's always been like that.
Can't see any logical reason to have both stalks on the same side and in the positions they're in. I'm surprised that it hasn't been raised as a safety issue and a contributing factor in accidents.

The cruise control is in the most accessible position for me to reach, based on how I hold the steering wheel. Unfortunately I use the turn signal a hell of a lot more then the cruise control, resulting in frequent accidental cruise control activations.

Blazeitup123

The design is correct. The turn signal stalk is perfectly placed at 9 o'clock. I think most people are using the old style ten and two rather than the proper nine and three hand position.

sagar350z

As someone stated before doesn't the cruise control only activate once you pull it towards you rather than up or down? If so, i don't see how the problem could arise.

envyxc350

Umm most Mercedes-Benz have it there so its not poor design but poor driving. Even my 1990 190e has it there and I've never pulled either when signaling. Just different then most jdm/american cars. Takes time to adapt.

joshg1001

on most CC that I have experience (including in a benz), it only pushes hard when you are at speed, say 40mph, and want to resume to 65. If you are below 40, it only gradually brings you back to speed until say 45, and then starts to push hard.

I have had my CC set to 75 or something, then brake to about 30 to pass an electronic toll. By reactivating the CC so that it accelerates automatically to 75 is slow I like said up until 45mph

tanktube67

It happened to me too.

omgitselaine

Also keep in mind if the car was on cruise control and you were going up on an " incline " the car will rev / speed up to maintain the speed indicated.

noka

Took a little getting used to but I have no problem with it now at all, and I don't think it's a bad design.

cjh.

Mercedes-Benz is not perfect. They have their own flaws too. The cruise control stalk placement is just downright stupid and unnecessary. Why not have it on the steering wheel?

boschk

Never, in any of my MBZs have I ever had an issue. I call operator errors.

Sportstick

1) Steering wheel real estate on the face of the spokes is limited, and the buttons now there are more frequent contact points.
2) A behind-rim mini-stalk (a la Toyota and many other Asian brands) must be located below the 9 and 3 o'clock positions so as not to interfere with steering rim access. This means having to move your head to look down, with repeated unnecessary distraction.
3) Due to the multiple functions of a single cruise control switch (more complex than the switches now on the wheel face spoke) the labels should be visible. A lower steering wheel location requires more of a change in focal length for the eye. The stalk position requires the lens of the eye to undergo less change for each refocusing. This also requires less time with eyes off the road and less head movement to look down toward the lap.

The OP informed us that his wife knew the location of the stalk, but somehow touched the wrong stalk and moved it, unlike the up and down of a turn signal, toward her. It is unlikely that, with even minimal attention, she will repeat her first time error.