Citation Driver

There's not room enough to list all the things I love about my C250, but there are a few items that MB needs to improve to get me to purchase another one. Maybe you can add a list of your own. I'm sure I missed some. Here goes:

1. Get rid of the dumb foot operated parking brake.

2. Provide HID headlights as standard. I've bought cheaper cars 12 years ago that had them standard.

3. Nav display info is inferior to most cars I've driven. Poor detail and why isn't the local speed limit displayed? An old, cheap Garmin I own even displays the limit.

4. Instrument cluster is neither 'sporty' for our Sport models nor easy to read. Group the tach and speedometer side by side and make equal size. Silver needle against silver speedometer scale makes it difficult to read the speed. I'm forced to use the digital display most the time (takes me back to the days of my S2000s). Give us black dials with crisp, white markings and contrasting needle, maybe red?

5. The button on the side of the console is not easy to find w/o searching for it. If I need to retrieve my Derringer in a hurry I don't want to waste time trying to locate the secret button to open the console storage area.

6. Provide a button on the console to select audio media (iPod) without scrolling through a radio menu.

Thanks for considering my rant, MB USA, and keep building these great cars.

aamirani

For number 6 you can just hit the disc button..

Citation Driver

Thanks! Great shortcut and by pushing it repeatedly I can get a CD, SD etc. BTW, I used to live in Derby.

aamirani

Cool! Also on number 5 have you tried just reaching around the console and hitting the button on the passenger side? That works alot easier for me for some reason.

C300Sport

That's the only one I have ever used...

global33

I like the foot parking brake. Electric ones are prone to fail and the middle handle setup is annoying and takes up valuable console space.

I would add that there needs to be a recall on the taillight wire harness on the older W204s. Way too many are overheating at the ground wire and causing the plastic to melt. Clearly a design flaw.

Also, there should be a must-read memo to MB techs and SAs to drain the dang torque converters on transmission fluid services. Dropping the pan only drains half the fluid.

MDMercedesGuy

What other cars are you comparing it to? It's vastly superior to anything used in a Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus, VW/Audi and is on par with the latest BMW iDrive setup.
Silver or white faces have always been regarded as sportier in the design world. Other than around dusk when the backlights come on but it is still bright out it's not too hard to see - at least for me. White on Black looks so downmarket and/or dated to me... ugh.

dolvio

Agreed:

Also, for left hand drive cars I find it annoying to have the volume control on the left hand side of the steering wheel... We probably all drive with our left hand a lot of the time. I also like to see what volume level I am at.

I have a 2010... Ipod/Aux in the glove compartment?? Should be stadard to have a Ipod/Aux/Usb/12V in the console.

HID's should be standard. They come on a Mazda 3 GT!!

Having to point the Smartkey right at the door to drop all the windows on a hot day. The smart key should also unlock driver door on one click, and all on a second.

There were a few other things that pissed me off but I have forgot them for this post...

Adam

LandSeaAir

I find that hard to believe

aamirani

Your last point is possible about unlocking the doors seperately. You just program your key. Just search it and you will find it. I've seen it on here numerous times.

bringtherain

number 1 won't be changed. Its been that way for a while now. I had this topic with my dad a few years back and he said it was because its safer since you're using the strength of your leg to apply the brakes instead of your arm.

I personally am fine with it, but then again 90% of the cars I've driven uses that system so I'm used to it. Leaves more room at the arm rest too, just wish we had sunglass holders instead of TWO cup holders.

guido3

Foot parking brake doesn't bother me, but since recently buying my 2013 W204 to replace my 04 W203, I have to admit that it's nice to have an oil dip stick again. Also, glad to see someone at M-B figured out that covering the fabric-covered seal at the door opening with a plastic scuff plate on the sill is a big improvement. This area was a magnet for shoe dirt, especially grease from mechanics' boots that were always rubbed over the fabric sill.

On the other hand, agreeably, the W203 has a more readable speedo and brighter xenons, by the way. I could mention many other improvements of the W204 over the W203, but I'd say overall there has been a good model-to-model upgrade with little to complain about.

TexFinn

I'd also like to know which car/cars OP is referring to.

Citation Driver

Believe it- my 2002 S2000 had standard xenons at least for low beams, can't recall about the hi beams.

LILBENZ230

Why? As Citation Driver said, his S2000 in 2002 had them. In fact, the S2000 had low beam HID from day 1.

Also:

Beginning in 1999 the Acura TL and RL had standard low-beam HID.
The 2002-2003 Maxima had standard low-beam HID.
The Acura TSX uses standard HID beginning with 2004 intro to USDM.
The Acura TL got standard bi-xenon projectors starting in 2004.
The 2000 Infiniti QX4 had standard low beam HID.

The Japanese automakers really were on it. Acura was the first line to use exclusively HID, if I'm not mistaken. After the RSX was dropped.

LandSeaAir

Gotta give the Japanese automakers credit,

Both the 2000 Mercedes S-Class and 2000 BMW 7-Series came with halogens as standard.

My father had an 05 S430 with halogens and I believe the 911 Carrera came with Halogens all way up to 08 (possibly 07).

So in Germany not not having Xenons standard on an entry-level Benz is not a surprise, I guess I'm one to talk though as I have OEM xenons on my C.

Citation Driver

Regarding the Nav display, the other car in my garage, my wife's 2012 Volvo S60 has a more detailed display and shows the speed limits. But it is a bit harder to program than the MB.

6-speed

How about making the crappy audio/navi scroll control a recall since they all seem to be Breaking after about 4 years.

Or using **** vinyl/fake leather for seats in a luxury car. Just sayin

And don't forget the mention all this to MB CANADA too.

droll

for #1 - i think the new mercs (A class, CLA, B class, etc) are now on electronic parking brake. correct me if I'm wrong.

for #6 - if can also press 1-4 (depending on what you have in the headunit as a music source) while in the "Audio" screen to switch input sources.

MDMercedesGuy

MBTex is known for durability. BMW puts leatherette in the 1 and 3 as well.

Plenty of us chose MBTex over leather for the ease of maintenance and durability. 9 out of 10 people wouldn't even be able to pick up that it is not real leather unless they knew the telltale detail differences between the two.

Sportstick

+1

The real way to think about this is that some so-called luxury brands can't or won't devote engineering resources to create a superior man-made seat material which looks and feels good, requires essentially no maintenance, and lasts a long time without cracking or fading. So, they substitute skins from dead cows to save costs on advanced material development. And they call themselves "luxury"!?!?! So 20th century!

aamirani

6-speed

I wish I could agree. But cracked and splitting at 80000km (50000 miles-ish?) to me is not the definition of durability. My gti seats lasted over double that. I guess I can thank winter for this issue and not having a year long summer. Winter is a bunch of bull*****!! Yes I'm bitter. Lol

Citation Driver

Foot operated parking brake is still my #1 gripe. I've owned lots of cars with a handbrake lever mounted by the console and they still had arm rests. Consider this: if the driver becomes incapacitated (stroke, heart attack etc) there is no way for a passenger to get to any foot brake. With a brake handle at the console area, any passenger in the car could put the car in Neutral and apply the hand brake. Seems like a safer way to go to me.

dmm_c250

3. Nav display info is inferior to most cars I've driven. Poor detail and why isn't the local speed limit displayed? An old, cheap Garmin I own even displays the limit.

+1