Kev04C320

Just got off the phone with the sales manager and he told me that in his Netstar screen the following options are no longer available on MY06 E500-4MATIC:
1. Tire Pressure Monitoring System
2. DRIVE DYNAMIC SEATS

I can understand trimming the TPMS, but I can't understand why MBUSA would trim off the Drive Dynamic Seats, which is a good selling point for the E.

Can somebody check and see if the Drive Dynamic Seats now come standard on the E500 or if they're no longer available!? Thanks

Also, the new option code 626 Premium Package with Panorama Sunroof includes the following:
1. Active Ventilated Seats
2. DVD Navigation
3. Harman Kardon Logic 7
4. Panorama Sunroof
5. Power rear window sunshade

DWP

The MBUSA web site shows Drive Dynamic Seats as a $1180 option on the 2005 E500 4Matic. The MBUSA web site often lags changes in M-B product offerings, though.

MBUSA previously deleted "Distronic Adaptive Cruise Control" as an E-Class option, perhaps to maintain the exclusivity of the S-Class, so it wouldn't be surprising if they were deleting other E-Class options.

Kev04C320

I understand that too, but the Drive Dynamic Seats are offered on the MY06 E350. It would make MBUSA look stupid (it's not like they're not stupid enough concerning their decisions to trim down options on the E) to have Drive Dynamic Seats on the MY06 E350 but not the supposedly "higher grade" E500.

Fastbuck

Perhaps TPMS has been dropped as an option as it is a becoming a standard feature. I thought all new cars in the USA must be fitted with TPMS by January 2007???

Kev04C320

Hopefully it's gonna be, else I would have to spend some pretty dollar to retrofit that.

DWP

By Jove, that's it!
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site...e=PressRelease

MB Fanatic

There is a new US Law that requires all car makers to make some sort of Tire Pressure Monitoring System standard in all vehicles by 2007 I think, or maybe even 2006. A lot of new vehicles coming out later this year are getting this as standard equipment now.

If they get rid of Drive Dynmaic seats then that surely will make MBUSA look stupid since its a great feature and makes a great talking point when others are in your car and what not.

ATS

Mercedes didn't delete it, MB USA did. It is still an option here in Canada and in the rest of the world.

e350

I ordered my MY06 E350 as soon as one could and picked it up from the factory on 1 March, which is about as soon as anyone could. When I took it to my local dealer for them to have a look-see (they'd not seen one yet) they told me that I am lucky because they are no longer offering the drive dynamic seats as an option on the E-class. I don't know about the TMPS, which I also got. So...I guess I am one of the lucky MY06 owners that got the cool seats. My BMW friends are jealous of this great feature.

DWP

Solly. As a proud Canadian-American, I should think more globally. That raises the question of why MBUSA decided that Americans were no longer worthy of the Distronic option. Maybe not enough people were buying it here. To me, Distronic ranks right up there with the Infiniti lane-departure warning system as an answer to a question that nobody asked. But then, like 95% of drivers, I think of myself as a better-than-average driver.

Addendum: I just reviewed the Distronic section of my '03 owner's manual. The 15 Warning! notices in the Distronic section, including six consecutive Warning! notices at the start of the section, suggest why MBUSA may have deleted the Distronic option. I don't happen to share BudC's loathing of products liability litigation, but I can see how MBUSA might decide that the risks of offering Distronic in the E-Class outweighed the benefits. It's standard in the S-Class, so the deletion equation might be different there.

MB-JIM

If DD Seats are NLA, those of us with 06 E350's with DD Seats and Seat Ventilation might be able to sell our cars at a premium. I want to check with my salesman next week to see if his information confirms the deletion. I got tthe DD Seats since they were part of the Premium Package but personally I wouild be just as happy with the standard seats.

konigstiger

Been looking into the e350 & CLS500 sources report all seating variances/options have been discontinued for the e350 except heating. Brilliant Silver has been discontinued and replaced with Iridium Silver for the e class. However, Active Ventilated Seats are still available on the CLS500 (326 premium package).

BTW, touched base with your man and will revisit once all offers have been received for a final go around.

alewifebp

I think that the Distronic options was dropped because it was too damn expensive compared to what it did. So I'm sure the sales of it, especially on the E, were dismal. Most of the high end Japanese manufacturers offer it as standard equipment on the upper models, or as part of a larger option package.

SUNILP

I have a set of charcoal AMG e55 Drive Dynamic seats with heated feature for sale if anyone needs. drsunilpatel@mac.com

Kev04C320

sunman,

You're DA MAN. How the hell did you get a set of those? Are they plug and play?

vraa

Canceled Distronic? And the new 3-Series will have it?!

Kev04C320

It was deleted in MY05 vehicles already (except for 55)

SUNILP

the seats themselves are plug and play. All motor / heating features will work fine. TO make the dynamic seat function, you will need a pump, harness, air tank, and version coding.

silberrosa

DD seats are deleted as of June production. Only available on the E55. I am guessing these are very slow sellers as they are very expensive and, IMHO, offer little benefit.

DavidNJ

Drive Dynamic seats are the only way to get a decent lumbar adjustment. The drive dynamic part is rather silly IMHO. It is problem prone, with strange pulsing (see my posts).

It is strange, as the competiton keeps adding features, with ventilated seats available on several competitors, as are muliple adjustable seats.

It is a shame that as MB finally gets the styling and powertrain right the f-up the options.

xraymd

Do you think deleting the drive dynamic seats is a cost issue or is MB trying to improve reliability? I know the seats have had their share of problems. My car is only a month old and I think the driver's seat is acting up. If they just dumped the seats, it might help the initial quality survey. Of course this assumes that the seats are ordered fairly often.

avb777

DD seats are part of premium package so anybody who ordered this package got it for 05 models, so to answer your question a lot of people got it and use.
I am ordering 06 e500 and It look like I will not get DD .
It is nice because I go on long trips like 10 hour drive to vegas and in about 4 hours your back really starts to hurt, DD has that option of massaging this point of your back that hurts and I will not be able to get that .. sucks
I have e430 2000 right now and really miss DD.
Also myh friend has 2005 E500 with DD and as a passanger with DD turned on it kinda scares you first couple of time at truns so it is nice for scare as well

-Andrei