SouthBayMB

Long time lurker; first time poster here.

My wife and I are proud owners of a 2005 E320. The only upgrades that came with the vehicle were hotseats, side / rear sunshade and the 6 disc changer. I really do enjoy the car, but I have this gnawing feeling that I'm not getting the most out of what was a fairly substantial investment.

So to that end, I'm trying to figure out how to enhance my E320 with some after market upgrades and enhancements. I'd also like to add a few touches to add a little sportiness to what is clearly an elegant vehicle. I have listed my thoughts below and would love to hear any comments / guidance on these thoughts. Any other add ons would be appreciated too.

* Window tint: I'm thinking of a 35% tint on the rear and side windows. With the ash interior, will 35% be good enough? I don't want the car to look too pimped out. Any recommendations for tinting in the San Jose area?

* Navigation: Do I need to purchase the navigation install through the dealer, or can I go outside the dealer network? If so, any recommendations for someone in the San Jose area?

* Hands free phone: I have a Treo 650. I've searched the forums to see what my options are for either hands free or (ideally) bluetooth integration. Is it possible to integrate the Treo via bluetooth the e320? If so, who can I see about this?

* Any other cosmetic / performance suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your input. You guys (and gals) clearly know MB very well and I value your perspective on this!! Ciao.

lig

The biggest improvement for the E320 is upgrading the wheels/tires.

The stock 16" setup made my car seem rather Camryesque.

Kar don

put on some 03 E500 wheels or appearance pkg wheels. Also if you don't want it to be "pimped" out go with 50% or 35%. Another thing you should look at is getting Bi-xenon headlights from MBenzNL (user on this forum) or scorchie (he is in the bay area). MBenzNL also does navigation installs on the E-class... I would go this route rather than the dealer or aftermarket (he uses original mercedes parts). Good luck with the Treo phone, I do not think integration is possible with this phone.

steph280

If you want to save a few bucks, the nav can be installed very easily.

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w211/100143-oem-navigation-retrofit-w-pics.html

scorchie

I looked at those instructions again... you are using the wrong fibre. I mean it works and all, but anyone familiar with Mercedes (like a dealership) would look at it and say "whoa, this is the wrong fibre" and might disallow any warranty claim on any part of the audio/telematics system (and also blacklist your car).

If you're out of warranty, no problems then.

-s-

steph280

Scorchie,

No disrepect to you, but what makes you think it's the wrong part? The part number was obtained from a Star Bulletin similar to this one, except for 2005 model. And I had it verified by parts dept of local MB dealer. These star bulletins are the exact documents used by dealers to install the nav. Are you sure you're not looking at a 2004?

SouthBayMB

Thanks to all for your quick input. I'll look forward to any more thoughts and suggestions on this topic!!

Brav

I can give you a vote for Steve (MBenzNL). Much cheaper than the dealer, and just as knowledgable if not more. He did my Euro COMAND install, as well as wood wheel and euro bumper strips.

Tint - I have 35%. Personally, I wish I went with 20%. Don't waste your time wth 50%. You would probably be happy with 35% - its not too dark, you can see in most all the time. Sometimes, It looks very light. I'd go with 20% maybe in the back window.

Not much choice for BlueTooth - Steve is a good source. I think there may be a kit, but the intergration and phone choices are limited.

DWP

Steve, a/k/a MBenzNL, is based in the Netherlands but makes regular trips to parts of the US with high concentrations of Benz vehicles, like the Bay Area, SoCal and the New York/NJ area. He takes appointments to do retrofits of almost anything that be had on an '05 model, and even some things that M-B hasn't gotten around to offering yet. If I wanted navigation in my '03, to take one example, he would be the person to contact.
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w211/99111-steve-mbenznl-march-2005-trip.html

Scorchie knows more about M-Bs than, I would say, everyone else in this forum combined, but I don't know that he's in the retrofit business.

scorchie

No disrespect taken! My mistake, I know you said it was a 2005, but you kept listing parts (in your parts list) for 2004 vehicles as well as saying that it was "completely prewired" which is also a 2004 trait (not 2005). So I got it into my head that your car was a 2004. Your addition of the fibre shows it isn't prewired, so that's where my confusion originated.

-s-

scorchie

Hahaha, but I really would like a 510 again.

-s-

mbfan67

Steve and Scorchie are your best source for any upgrades you do to your car. Wonder if they are related? Because they sure know a lot more than most MB dealers sales or service in the Bay Area. Oh, if you need to upgrade to appreance package, contact me. i got the body kit and the wheels if you want.