Comments on the e500 mirrors and multi-contour seats
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Good Old New York City
E500 Sport
Comments on the e500 mirrors and multi-contour seats
Hello fellow MB enthusiasts,
Just picked up my fully loaded alabaster white E500 Sport and I am very pleased with the car. That V8 takes some getting used to! And the Panoramic sunroof is worth every penny...
While everything seems to work great, I have to say the the only thing I dont like about the car are the side mirrors. Is it me or are those things way too small for a car of this size? The mirrors on my Audi A4 are 50% bigger!
I could not seem to get a good view from the driver or passenger side and they seem to have giant blind spots. I find myself looking over my shoulder all the time, which makes driving on a highway quite a chore. Not much can be done about mirrors at this point but I hope they change them in future models...
Also, I feel Multi-Contour seats are a useless option. The adjustments are very miniscule and unless you are driving your car in your undergarments, you probably wont feel them...
By the way I want to thank everyone on this forum as your posts have really helped me with selecting the car and getting a good deal!
Just picked up my fully loaded alabaster white E500 Sport and I am very pleased with the car. That V8 takes some getting used to! And the Panoramic sunroof is worth every penny...
While everything seems to work great, I have to say the the only thing I dont like about the car are the side mirrors. Is it me or are those things way too small for a car of this size? The mirrors on my Audi A4 are 50% bigger!
I could not seem to get a good view from the driver or passenger side and they seem to have giant blind spots. I find myself looking over my shoulder all the time, which makes driving on a highway quite a chore. Not much can be done about mirrors at this point but I hope they change them in future models...
Also, I feel Multi-Contour seats are a useless option. The adjustments are very miniscule and unless you are driving your car in your undergarments, you probably wont feel them...
By the way I want to thank everyone on this forum as your posts have really helped me with selecting the car and getting a good deal!
Super Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 962
Likes: 12
From: Saudi Arabia
'18 AMG GTR '16 BMW M3 - '05 Porsche Carrera S
Re: Comments on the e500 mirrors and multi-contour seats
Originally posted by Ed Etkin
Hello fellow MB enthusiasts,
Just picked up my fully loaded alabaster white E500 Sport and I am very pleased with the car. That V8 takes some getting used to! And the Panoramic sunroof is worth every penny...
While everything seems to work great, I have to say the the only thing I dont like about the car are the side mirrors. Is it me or are those things way too small for a car of this size? The mirrors on my Audi A4 are 50% bigger!
I could not seem to get a good view from the driver or passenger side and they seem to have giant blind spots. I find myself looking over my shoulder all the time, which makes driving on a highway quite a chore. Not much can be done about mirrors at this point but I hope they change them in future models...
Also, I feel Multi-Contour seats are a useless option. The adjustments are very miniscule and unless you are driving your car in your undergarments, you probably wont feel them...
By the way I want to thank everyone on this forum as your posts have really helped me with selecting the car and getting a good deal!
Hello fellow MB enthusiasts,
Just picked up my fully loaded alabaster white E500 Sport and I am very pleased with the car. That V8 takes some getting used to! And the Panoramic sunroof is worth every penny...
While everything seems to work great, I have to say the the only thing I dont like about the car are the side mirrors. Is it me or are those things way too small for a car of this size? The mirrors on my Audi A4 are 50% bigger!
I could not seem to get a good view from the driver or passenger side and they seem to have giant blind spots. I find myself looking over my shoulder all the time, which makes driving on a highway quite a chore. Not much can be done about mirrors at this point but I hope they change them in future models...
Also, I feel Multi-Contour seats are a useless option. The adjustments are very miniscule and unless you are driving your car in your undergarments, you probably wont feel them...
By the way I want to thank everyone on this forum as your posts have really helped me with selecting the car and getting a good deal!
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 296
Likes: 0
From: New York
2003 E500
I understand the questions about getting a good position - when I first did my test drives it was something of a problem, but when I took delivery I was able to get a good seating position after a little playing with the controls, running the seat all the way forward, up, down, etc and trying each major variant.
As to the mirrors, I find I have good coverage, though I once wrote in this forum that it did feel like the B pillar was further 'out' from my position than my prior car (maxima). Must have been my seating position.
The one thing I do note these days, after 10 days with the car, is that the rear view mirror has really good edge-to-edge coverage - the entire rear window is spanned by the mirror. My initial impression was that the mirror obstructed my view toward my forward 2 o'clock position, but I guess I've gotten used to it.
The 406 multicontour seats, as a number of unhappy customers have noted, are a waste of money, but the heated seats do a great job in the subfreezing weather we've been having around New York.
As to the mirrors, I find I have good coverage, though I once wrote in this forum that it did feel like the B pillar was further 'out' from my position than my prior car (maxima). Must have been my seating position.
The one thing I do note these days, after 10 days with the car, is that the rear view mirror has really good edge-to-edge coverage - the entire rear window is spanned by the mirror. My initial impression was that the mirror obstructed my view toward my forward 2 o'clock position, but I guess I've gotten used to it.
The 406 multicontour seats, as a number of unhappy customers have noted, are a waste of money, but the heated seats do a great job in the subfreezing weather we've been having around New York.
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 550
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio, Texas
04' E500 w/Appear. PKG, Panorama Roof
Mirrors
Anyone use "Autobahn mirrors" ? Look sorta cheezy to me but I see them marketed. I use two big convex stick on mirrors on the outside of my Suburban- As you may imagine it has blind spots. These would really look cruddy on the E.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 3,690
Likes: 2
From: Washington State
E-500
Check this out. I haven't tried the settings they talk about so can't say if it works or not. It makes sense but have to try it to see if it does remove blind spot.
http://www.shedrives.com/scholar.asp...S&scholar=2300
http://www.shedrives.com/scholar.asp...S&scholar=2300
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: OKLAHOMA CITY
2003 E500
I can relate to the too small rearview mirrors!! After 2-1/2 months I am STILL not used to the blind spots. I have driven BMW's for the past 29 years and just came out of a 2000 740i which had huge mirrors. My wife's 1999 CLK Convertible has small mirrors also, but I just thought it was because it was a convertible and the top itself is a blindspot!!! Plus I don't drive it that often anyway. I think they are dangerous, I really feel like I'm missing something every time I'm in the car. Are ALL MB mirrors this small??
Also, thanks for letting me know that the Dynamic Drive seats aren't THAT great. I was having buyers remorse over not ordering them (my dealer thought that the Active Ventilated seats that I ordered came with Multi Contour seatbacks like in the S Class).
Finally, does anyone find that the seats don't provide enough adjustibility to be real confortable?? I can't get enough front tilt to suit me. Again, my BMW 740 provided every possible adjustment.
Also, thanks for letting me know that the Dynamic Drive seats aren't THAT great. I was having buyers remorse over not ordering them (my dealer thought that the Active Ventilated seats that I ordered came with Multi Contour seatbacks like in the S Class).
Finally, does anyone find that the seats don't provide enough adjustibility to be real confortable?? I can't get enough front tilt to suit me. Again, my BMW 740 provided every possible adjustment.
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Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 468
Likes: 0
From: Houston. TX
2013 S550
While the seats are more comfortable than in the 2002 E (to me), they are not really great. I dramatically changed the adjustment I had been using, and now after a couple of weeks I think I like the new one better. I do think that the seat bottom could be deeper, and that might be enough. You may be correct about needing more tilt, though.
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Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
From: CT
2000 audq a6
I agree 100%.
a. The seats need more tilt- and more depth. They become very uncomforatbel after 70 miles.
b. the rearview and sideview mirrors are the exact size of my wifes audi 2001 a4.
The seats and mirror should not be in a 60k car.
unfortunately this is not something that can be fixed or adjusted in mb service.
a. The seats need more tilt- and more depth. They become very uncomforatbel after 70 miles.
b. the rearview and sideview mirrors are the exact size of my wifes audi 2001 a4.
The seats and mirror should not be in a 60k car.
unfortunately this is not something that can be fixed or adjusted in mb service.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: Good Old New York City
E500 Sport
More Mirror Headaches
I have the Harman Kardon audio system in the car and another annoying thing I noticed is that there are two small speakers right where each a-pillar meet the dash. On the passanger side, those speakers obscure a further 25% of the passanger side mirror...
I was hoping I'd get used to this but its damn hard not to have a good field of vision when you are used to it...
I was hoping I'd get used to this but its damn hard not to have a good field of vision when you are used to it...
Super Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 910
Likes: 0
From: North Scottsdale
06 C 350 2014 GLK350
I had the same problem with the mirrors but was able to improve things by buying convex glass for the driver's side mirror. I don't know if your dealer can get the convex replacement since it is a not offered in the US. I bought mine at a dealer in Sindelfingen at the time I picked up an E500 in September. The cost was about 200 Euro.
