Black or silver gauges?
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
'04 E320 Wagon
Black or silver gauges?
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?
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?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,017
Likes: 16
From: Ft. Lauderdale Area, USA
2015 ML 350
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?
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?
...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.
Last edited by Barry45RPM; Sep 8, 2011 at 03:17 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
From: Denmark
'08 E-280 S211
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.
Regards from Denmark.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 396
Likes: 1
From: SF Bay Area
2004 E500
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.
Last edited by spinn; Sep 8, 2011 at 06:26 PM.
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 615
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From: South CA (LA, 818) & North CA (SJ, 408)
2003 E500
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.
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Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 308
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From: Maryland
03 Eclass, 03 BMW 06 Porsche Cayman S, 03 Harley Davidson "bored & stroked"
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...
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