How nice the E is
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 351
Likes: 4
From: Christchurch, New Zealand
17 E220D, 11 E350 CDI(sold), 06 CLS320 CDI (sold), 05 Cadillac DeVille (gone), 04 E320 CDI (sold)
How nice the E is
I am on holiday, here on the Gold Coast of Australia. Great weather, beaches, beautiful people, boats and restaurants (dining al fresco!). BUT
I have hired a Holden Commodore, which is a local GM full size sedan, with a 3.8 V6.
Everything about it reinforces the idea that it is worth paying a bit (alright, a lot) more to get an E Class. Every now and then I wonder if I should have just bought something more basic and saved the money, and then I drive one!
It is not too bad if you drive it gently, but hoof it away from the lights, and by 60km/h it is roaring and screaming and not at all happy. By contrast, my CDI will hoon away with no drama at all.
It has a whole variety of unergonomic features, although they are fairly hi-tech. Sort of what you would expect if you let a bunch of primitives loose with an advanced tool kit. For example, the only ways to open the boot (trunk), are to use the remote control, push a button inside the glove compartment on the passenger side, or be inside the boot and use the emergency release. So every time I walk to the boot, then have to go back to the drivers door and get the keys out.....
It has the most insane seatbelt reminder system but only on the driver's seat.
There is no detent on the D position on the transmission, so I am often driving around in '3' or on one noisy occasion '2'.
All in all, I do not like it. I can't wait to get back to NZ and my Merc.
I have hired a Holden Commodore, which is a local GM full size sedan, with a 3.8 V6.
Everything about it reinforces the idea that it is worth paying a bit (alright, a lot) more to get an E Class. Every now and then I wonder if I should have just bought something more basic and saved the money, and then I drive one!
It is not too bad if you drive it gently, but hoof it away from the lights, and by 60km/h it is roaring and screaming and not at all happy. By contrast, my CDI will hoon away with no drama at all.
It has a whole variety of unergonomic features, although they are fairly hi-tech. Sort of what you would expect if you let a bunch of primitives loose with an advanced tool kit. For example, the only ways to open the boot (trunk), are to use the remote control, push a button inside the glove compartment on the passenger side, or be inside the boot and use the emergency release. So every time I walk to the boot, then have to go back to the drivers door and get the keys out.....
It has the most insane seatbelt reminder system but only on the driver's seat.
There is no detent on the D position on the transmission, so I am often driving around in '3' or on one noisy occasion '2'.
All in all, I do not like it. I can't wait to get back to NZ and my Merc.
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 550
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio, Texas
04' E500 w/Appear. PKG, Panorama Roof
This may sem unimportant but it is along the same lines- Recently I had to tak a long (500 mile) road trip in the car in bad weather. This car is built for 80mph in the rain! Notice how the side mirrors and rear window never become messy such smooth airlflow. Vision is never obscurred. Seems idiotically simple yet almost every car I have driven extensively one or both get obscurred.
