I am sure this conversation has occurred elsewhere, but I didn’t see it in this specific sub-forum. How do folks feel about the placement of the MBUX screen, which is below the vents? I hadn’t considered this before buying the car, but my old 2020 C43 had the screen above the vents and directly in my line of sight of driving (i.e., right next to the road). I did a 400 mile road trip in my 2025 CLE 53 yesterday and found it taxing on my eyes to look across and then down to monitor the navigation. I also find the bigger screen to be “too big”, so I need to look even further down to find the car on the map. I get why it’s designed this way - the screen is easier to touch if it’s more central in the dash and closer to the dash. The downside is the screen is further away from the driver’s line-of-sight to the road.

The experience just felt unsafe relative to my old C class, which was a superior interior experience. For all the innovation in the last 5 years, Mercedes interiors took a step backwards in my view.

There are things I like - car is very responsive when passing trucks, handled really well, brakes are responsive. Just don’t love this screen

For me I prefer the screen to be below the dashboard so it does not obstruct the view out the windshield. The extra 4-6 inches I need to sweep my eyes downward does not take me more than a fraction of a second.

I have never liked the iPad-stuck-to-the-dashboard look that extends the screen above the dashboard and into the field of view out the windshield. It looks like lazy engineering to me. My wife’s 2020 Audi A7 has three screens integrated into the front dash and center console and this is the design approach that suits me. The CLE center screen, though not integrated, is acceptable but truly integrated would be preferred by me.

I had a 23 C43 which has the exact same interior as the CLE 53 and I had a HUD for navigation and you can also change the display in your gauge cluster to navigation so you can just glance there while driving. I just got used to the placement of the screen otherwise. Also had a C400 so I had the same interior you were used to in the C class but I think the new interior is way better as that screen looked like they bolted an iPad on the dash. Someone actually asked me once if I got an aftermarket screen because it looked so out of place.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the nav in the gauge cluster is helpful, but I can’t help but think the UI is worse than the 2020/21 C Class digital gauge cluster:speedometer in the left circle, nav instructions in the center, map in the right circle. It was so clean.

I get people didn’t like the iPad slapped on top of the dash, but it grew on me. I just can’t help but think everything about this interior is a grade below the 2020/21 vintage. It’s a great car and I am nit-picking, but I suppose that’s okay with an enthusiast forum!

I have a Mercedes s580 and a CLE 53 and I agree with you. Mercedes is changing their design philosophy though.

On their newer cars, they have a new hyper screen design which starts above your steering wheel, flows into the center area (above where we have our screens) and there's a extra third screen on the right for your passengers to use, which you can't see.

This looks like it would help the problem. Look at an E-Class with a hyper screen so you can see what I'm talking about.