OK I just remembered another one and this one does drive me up the wall. It's the "Manual Mode" of the tranny. You have D1, D2 and D3. One might think that D1 means you are in first gear, D2 means you are in 2nd gear and D3 means you are in third gear. Wrong. D1 means that that car will stay in first gear when this mode is engaged. D2 means that the car will choose between first and second gear and D3 means a choice between first, second or third gear. According to my SA these modes are really helpful when you are sitting in traffic or descending from a hill and don't want to keep your foot on the break. Personally I'd like to be able to choose and keep which gear the car would be in.

 

Biggest complaint is the cupholder, its extremely uncomfortable during long distance trips

 

why are you sitting in the cupholder? hehe

G.

 

LOL.

Actually the cupholders are very good compared to the swing out ones found in a lot of Euro cars (eg, BMW)

My biggest complaint (and I've said it many times) is the sloppy handling. The steering is numb and overboosted. The car also has extreme body roll. These are not 'sports sedans' at all. While not as bad as a Lexus/Camry, they still have a LOT to be desired.

If you doubt this, then try driving a 5 series BMW. And I think MB knows this too, as the W212 will have a whole new chassis with an emphasis on better handling. It's about time.

ps, yesterday I was behind a new S550 on Kanan Dume in my Porsche. We were both driving spiritedly and having a nice run thru the canyon. But I could see the obvious roll on that car, it was tilting left and right. I realize it's a heavy car, but it was so obviously dipping left and right thru the corners. The driver was clearly fighting it and it didn't look like fun for him.

 

1. ) The active carbon filter will automatically switch off each time you de-activate the aircon. You then have to re-select the active carbon filter to have it operational again.
2.) Convenience open feature on key-less go only opens windows half way only and very difficult to activate (using the remote button works easily and it opens windows all the way) .
3.) Power steering very unassisted at low speeds.
4.) Need a "mono or sync" mode in 4-zone climatronic to synchronise all temperatures when driving alone.
5.) No Instantaneous fuel consumption (even old '80s models had a gauge for instantaneous economy!)
6.) No clock in centre area. Passenger cannot see analog clock in instrument cubicle and have to ask for time.
7.) No warning light in instrument console that driving lights are switched on.
8.) SBC pump noise
9.) No radio sound enhancements (e.g. focus, equaliser, music modes) other than bass and tremble.
10.) No scrolling MP3 text. (handy if the text is longer than the screen)
11.) Cannot search an street address in navigator without knowing the suburb.
12.) Rainsensor sensitivity cannot be adjusted in pre-face lift models.
13.) Cabin night mode activitate too soon in low light (dusk) whereby display of climate control cannot be read.
14.) Retaining screws of sunscreen are visible even when not in use! (all other screws are nicely hidden or covered)
15.) Right hand drive version has automatic transmission selector gate indication also mounted on the left side, which is masked by the gear lever.
16.) Cup holder (expandable) is for left hand drive only and encroaches over driver's seat when in use for right hand drive cars.
17.) No sound volume level display (how loud is the music playing or how stressed is the system?)

Fortunately the convenience features still out shine these negative points....

 

Some listed problems were sorted out in later MY. Regarding body roll, even 5ser has significant body roll, so I do not see much difference here.

 

I have a 2008 E350 4Matic Sport with the navigation and 6cd changer. I want to know if there is a setting that will display the radio stations song playing - artist and name of song. I have looked throughout the settings and find nothing! Any help is appreciated. It of course is possible this feature is not featured, but it would be hard to believe as this feature is available on most basic model radios, save for those who drive a neon or something like that.

 

Saw this post and had to resurrect it. I have the most annoying problem that will not go away. I could be driving on the freeway, or slowly cruising through a parking lot, or stopped, when ...A LOUD ALARM GOES OFF IN SURROUND SOUND,(makes me jump) and the dash reads "Park Assist Unavailable". It will stop, then... 30 seconds later it goes off again. Took it into the dealer and they can never pull a code. Took pictures of the dash and emailed it to them. They refuse to fix because "they can't just go around swapping out random parts", so they won't repair. Again and again and again. Now thats irritating.

 

Sometimes if the stations had HD radio, then the artist and name of song will pop up, but unless you have satelite radio, then the odds are very rare.

 

The lack of one touch close for the sunroof. So annoying to have to hold that button while driving.

 

fwiw, I contacted MBUSA about this. Apparently there is a US DOT regulation that was implemented not long ago that prohibits one touch window raising/closing. That's also why you can no longer get the windows and sunroof to automatically close when you hold down the recirculation air button (mine has definitely been deactivated.) In their wisdom they also applied this rule to the sunroof. Hence no one touch.

 

My W212 has one touch, can't remember if my W211 had it.

 

I think they later realized the DOT reg doesn't apply to sunroofs. But they decided to disable everything one touch associated with windows. That's what I meant when I said "in their wisdom."

It could very well be reprogrammed to go to one touch. Not sure what the regs in Europe are about automatic window raising.

 

Complaints: Rattle and cracks related to Pano sunroof; Rattles for headrests when extended; rattles for other odd items not yet identified; raked HVAC vents (for style) that don't direct or blow as well as my 126, but this is a common problem on all modern cars; an audi or honda door has more of a thunk when closing. I have to use effort to close these doors (126 basically closes itself due to weight); no hill hold clutch on 7 speed tranny (126 has this)

Raves?: decent gas mileage on the diesel (if babied). Faster than my 420SEL, not by much tho.

Future decisions? Check out the 335d.

 

Apparently then the W211 was the only car affected by this "regulation" Every single car I've had since my '93 Honda Civic has had one touch close for the sunroof. My other car, a Volvo S80, of course has one touch close and I drive both cars so the other day I was driving behind a truck that put out a huge cloud of dust and I instinctively pressed the close sunroof button of my E550.

It's only when I started seeing dust enter the cabin that I realized, Oh yes, I forgot I was in my car that can't close the sunroof by itself. Thanks a lot MB

 

fwiw, according to the MBUSA person, this auto close rule was just recently (2008?) I had to give them my VIN to get them to answer the question. I have a 2009 and their answer was the recirculation button no longer closes the windows or the sunroof because of the DOT regulations (it used to close them in previous models.) Whether correct or not, I was also told this is why the sunroof doesn't have one touch on my car.

Although the W212 now apparently has one touch, I don't think it has the recirculation button working like it did in older models. Maybe the sunroof one touch is somehow related/connected to that HVAC button in the W211s. Who knows.

Ask Steve at BenzNL. I'm sure he knows the answer (and if the Euro versions are the same way; he may also know a fix.....)

 

I have a 2009 E350 and I have one touch close on my sunroof. I am confused by the complaint.

 

Really? Can you also get the windows and sunroof to close while driving when you hold down the HVAC recirculation button (hold it down for a few seconds.)

What is the build date of your car? According to this salesperson http://www.benzblogger.com/2008/08/m...l-updates.html there was a switch over during the build production. I have a July 2008 build date for my 2009 E63.

"My Biggest Loss –
The US has a new law that requires all window roll UP functions to be controlled by a button that you have to hold in the UP position. So, that means that tunnel mode, where you hold DOWN the recirculate button and all of the windows close, is out."

 

It's not one touch close for 2007 w211s.

 

No. I do not have the "all close" by holding down recirculation button. The separate auto close and open features are all I need.

 

Yeah, I've never come across a post facelift W211 with a one touch close pano, either

 

+ 1

 

+1 prob one of the most annoying things about it.