ScottMcG

Hi,

I've got an '04 E320 wagon, and it's got black gauges with white letters in the instrument cluster. I have had a couple of theories about what cars get silver vs. black, but the images you guys have been posting seem to have shot them down.

So: what's the story here? Is there any logic applied to what cars get a certain color? I know it's not the year, and I've seen both colors on a lot of trims.

Personally, I'm kind of glad to have black - I'm not sure I like the silver. What about the rest of you?

Barry45RPM

The cars come in 2 versions (USA) "Luxury" and "Sport". The Sport version gets the white guages with the Black numbers, with a silver cluster surround. Luxury gets the other one. Sport versions usually also have Black wood trim instead of brown, dual exhaust with visible tips thru the bumper rather than behind the bumper aimed downward, with different, more aggressive plastic bumper (covers) different fog lights, wheel sizes and wheels. In 03 the body side moulding has "Sport" inscribed on it in the section just forward of the front door edge and silver trim rather than wood grained on the plate surrounding the transmission "gear" selector stick... so its NOT random at all.

...as for "what about the rest of you?.. Personally, I feel the white numbering on black face with a silver guage surround (not black) is the most aggressive layout possible and should be on the "Sport" version of the car and the black lettering on white face guage with a silver guage surround version be in the Luxury (standard) cars... but in the grand scheme of things its a small thing, and not worth fretting about...

...but clearly I have spent too much time thinking about this over the years.

sasquatch1976

In Denmark there are three versions offered. Classic, Elegance and Avantgarde. I have only seen the white dials with black numbers on the Avantgarde version. Sport trim is an option to all versions. My own E280 ( not available in the US I think) is an Avantgarde and has the white gauges also. Sport adds nothing ( in DK) regarding interior I think. But does the same as the US versions with the wheels, dual exhaust and such. Ride hight is lowered 15mm also I think.

Regards from Denmark.

JeffyPooh

I find it interesting that the speedometer pointer is (as far as I can see) driven from the outer edge of the dial. The inner end of the pointer appears to be floating.

spinn

Not entirely true, as my car came with the equipment package for Avantgarde vehicles, but none of the Sport-y exhaust or rear bumper w/ exhaust cutouts.

JDM_SXE-10

The Avantgarde probably has some specific features that separate it from the other two versions but it is pretty limited in quantity. For the most part, I will agree with Barry45RPM about the two main versions. I want to also add that the Sport package is supposed to give the car a bit more of an AMG look; therefore it has white gauge faces and black front grilles to resemble the W211 E55s. Once it got it's face lift and changed engines, the E63 got black gauges.

ap10046

I believe the Avantgardes also have stiffer suspension vs. the Elegance variants, apart from a few interior and exterior trimmings - like the chrome strip around the car..

Davel

The other color always looks better if you dont have it, usually on german cars the sport or higher performance models get the silver or lighter colors for the guage face, while i have black on my E my cayman S has silver, i've found that the lighting on the black guages is easier to see at night...