EMan

I've noticed this on my 2000 E320 and my father's 2002 C320: Siting in the drivers seat both hands on the steering wheel 9'oclock and 3'oclock the left side of the steering wheel is 1/2 inch further in than the right side???

In other words to get the mercedes logo on the steering wheel to point directly at me I would have to shift off-center to the left towards the door.

Does anyone know if this is as designed? If not do you think it is adjustable? Does anyone else find this on theirs?

Silver_Lana

I belive this is something the dealer can adjust for you.
Just take it in and they can center the steering wheel for you.
Cheers!

tony

My E420 is like that also. I've had four BMWs since '92 which also are like that. I don't think that it is adjustable.

Darkmann

I have been meaning to ask that same queation but always forget about it. On my '01E430, it's the same thing. I have concluded that it's a safety feature designed either to minimize injury during front impact or to allow for better airbag deployment or for both.

techbike

That's because E drivers are cool and to be cool, the driver has to lean a little to the left and elbow onto the window sill; which puts your left hand slightly forward of the right. Now if the cool driver decides to lean on his right elbow on the center console armrest, the coolest posture is to do this with the left arm straight out, thumb hanging onto the corner of the center hub and the wheel; again, putting the left side of the steering wheel at exactly the right spot for this mode. the ergonometric engineers at MB had this all figured out, you see.

phungpho

Eman,
I guess the car is normal but may be you're not. Your left hand may be is longer than your rigth hand
Just kidding.... Anyway, interesting. I didn't notice that. I'll check it out. Thanks

karl k

Great MB aerobics -

to stay alert on long trips!

techbike

He he, they even give us THREE memory buttons for the seats now. I wish the motors were quicker...for that extra jolt!

AJChenMPH

This "problem" -- really a quirk -- seems endemic in German cars. My 2000 VW Passat has this, in addition to my mom's 2001 E430 having this. Don't think they can do anything with this, you'll have to learn to live with this.

karl k

No, Japanese cars as well have it. The Acura Integra had the steering wheel 1" over to the left. the new RSX's steering wheel seems to be centered.

EMan

Well, I finally took my off centered pointing to the left steering wheel into the dealer to examine....Their assesment was that it is not an adjustable piece and that most mercedes are like this...

Can anyone else confirm this? Or remember to ask when you and your E are at the shop, please...thanks.

zmirza

It is called Offset steering. For better handling and better feel of the road. Comes in handy at high speeds

Richard / E320

While I don’t know the technical reasons behind it, most steering columns go through the firewall at an angle.

When you have both hands on the steering wheel your arms are not extended the same distance.

techbike

According to my MB dealer, drivers are more inclined to drive straight when their "center of balance " is subtly focused towards the center of the car. If you can visualize sitting and driving towards the center of the hood, it feels more comfortable than driving focused towards the left fender. You'd want to continually steer to the right to find the center of the car. It would feel like there was a huge mass weighing down your right side. This positioning fools you into thinking you're more towards the middle of the car than on the left.
It kinda makes sense. If you notice, most drivers will have a tendency to lean their shoulders slightly to the left against the door, and facing towards the car's center. It feels more stable as well; but requires a slightly longer reach for the right arm than the left.

karl k

Seriously, I thought I had an anatomical defect, but - all or most steering wheels and/or seats are adjusted to psyche you into more centered driving.

I just started to notice this steering wheel offset last year in the Integra, (after decades of driving) which was very pronounced.

In the MB cars it's less noticeable, less pronounced.

Perhaps the offset is a more recent phenomenon. In my previous years, I noticed many more side swiped damaged cars as compared to more recent body damage.

A very perceptive and enjoyable discussion. tnx

Darkmann

This is all good theory. So why doesn't my ML have the off centered steering but my E430 does? I don't get it. So they want me to "feel the road" in the E and feel the "dirt" in the ML? is that it. Anyway, i'll write MBUSA and hope they can give a definitive response to this question.