Hey all - new here and glad to be here! I'll be upgrading from a 2019 C300, and after tons of back and forth of what route to go with my next Mercedes, (C43 vs E450 Coupe) I've landed on treating myself to a new E450 that's going to need to be built to order, due to inventory constraints. There are a few things I need to solidify before sending the specs to order to my dealer, and hope you all can share your insights on what may be worth/not worth it.

The must have options for me that I'll be ordering:

Exterior : Polar White | Interior: Classic Red/Black Leather, Natural Grain Black Ash Wood interior (spent a lot of time going back on white vs graphite grey, this is still a tough choice)

AMG Line w/ Night Package (20-inch AMG multispoke w/ black accents)

Body color rear spoiler

Ventilated front seats

Options on the fence on:

AIR BODY CONTROL (I know the E rides like a dream already, how much can this add to the overall experience of the vehicle? I read that this system costs a lot more to repair years down the line, and may not be worth the hassle and $2k extra. I do love spirited driving from time to time and don't know if this will support driving dynamics when trying to open it up)

Exterior Lighting Package (How much nicer looking is this upgrade)

Multicontour front seats with massage feature (Haven't sat in a Mercedes that's had this feature. I suffer from bad back pain and commute a lot, so this may be something I really leverage heavily - just unsure what to expect from it. The E Sedan seems to offer more features for more money versus the coupe, seems as if coupe only offers 4 massage options without the "hot stone" emulating experience)

Air Balance Package - The purified air system for only $350 seems minor, and maybe the scents down the line will be nice to keep the car fresh and luxurious smelling. Don't know anyone that has this feature, either.

Driver Assistance Package / MBUX Augmented Video for Navigation (I use CarPlay for nav) - Hear that these features can get in the way often though are nifty, I rarely ever use cruise control.

Open to any other build critiques/feedback as well, as this will be my daily driver for at least the next 5-7 years. Cheers!

 

Good luck! Have you found any dealers with available allocations?

 

I should be in a good spot - have a good contact with my local dealer and is working with someone from regional to bump me to the next allocation

 

Again, good luck!

 

I find the adaptive CC really comes in handy in stop and go traffic. Keeps you from constantly having to go from gas to brake. It’s more useful in stop and go than at cruising speed. In my opinion. Also, the HUD is great.

 

I agree with ElvisFan on the adaptive cruise control. It and lane keeping are two tech options I will have on all my vehicles going forward. Great in traffic, great on the road, and a real safety feature should your eye wander from the road.

 

Another vote for adaptive cruise — would never buy another car without it. Non-radar cruise is useless in the SF bay area — radar makes cruise useful on non-empty freeways and makes stop-and-go so much less stressful.

I got air suspension because partly "just because", and partly because I had it on my C300 and found the ability to raise 2" was super useful on dirt roads and steep driveways, and the coupe is already lowered compared to the sedans. Very few people have had the opportunity to test drive air and steel back to back — especially over mixed surfaces that would show off the difference.

Several people have reported that the massage seats are unavailable until november (that's what I was told as well)

My E450 4Matic coupe was ordered with the augmented video (dealer added it to my order without asking me), but delivered without it because of the chip shortage. They'll supposedly add it when the chips become available later this year or early next year.

 

That’s why I don’t understand why ACC is standard on a $30k Toyota and optional on a $80k Mercedes. Same thing for BMW also.

 

"Multicontour front seats with massage feature (Haven't sat in a Mercedes that's had this feature. I suffer from bad back pain and commute a lot, so this may be something I really leverage heavily - just unsure what to expect from it."

I have it in my '17 GLE43.

I use it all the time, but the massage intensity is very weak compared to the same feature in my wife's '17 Volvo S60.

Still,When I placed my order (yellow lighted) for an E 53 coupe,I did include it.

 

Some really good thoughts here, thank you all so far! As I live in Southern California and commute to LA in traffic often, maybe I can spend the extra $ for the Driver Assistance Package, and hope it will make the freeway life a little less stressful. May consider that over the Air suspension

 

in the scheme of things, it’s pretty minor. You won’t be sorry with the driver’s assistance package.

 

AIR BODY CONTROL is pricey but you really feel like you're floating on the road. S-Class comfort in an E-Class so makes the car even more comfortable to drive, especially if you do long trips.

Exterior Lighting Package is worth the extra $900 in my opinion.

Multicontour front seats with massage feature is great but this will most likely delay your build by several months or Mercedes might just remove it all together.

Air Balance Package is worth the extra $350 in my opinion, the car comes with 1 bottle upon delivery and it's a very luxurious scent. This was just a "why not" purchase but glad I did.

Driver Assistance Package is a really great feature but I rarely use it during my daily drive. Again, if you're doing long trips then this will definitely be worth it.

 

I'll say all the options you're on the fence about are good options.. I have the massage seats and rarely use them. the intensity is very weak ... I say get the upgraded lights and air balance package and driver assistance package

 

Agree being great options. Unfortunately, due to the chip shortage the augmented video for navigation and possibly the massage seat options may or may not be available (that is what I heard...)

 

Air Body Control is fantastic.