Arrived back in the UK last night after a 600 mile drive home from Stuttgart in my new Tectite grey E320CDI. I would wholeheartedly recommend factory collection as they put on a good show.

My flight from the UK was delayed due to snow, but otherwise the whole trip went really well. I arrived at the Sindelfingen plant at 8am and spent about 20 minutes going through the paperwork. The tour of the factory started at 8.30 with a short film explaining the history of Mercedes Benz. After this we boarded a shuttle bus for the first part of the tour - the body assembly plant. We saw C class vehicles being welded using the latest robotic assembly techniques. It was the first time I have seen large scale industrial robots at work, and was amazed by the speed and precision. Following this we proceeded to the final assembly of the new E class; here most of the operations are by hand. Complete body shells arrive at one end and wind their way back and forwards across the assembly area. We saw the wiring being installed, dashboards being fitted (automated by robots) and windscreen installation (also robots) plus various other assembly stages. For the final assembly you are on foot, so you can look as closely as you like, and ask questions. The guide was very knowledgable. Finally we saw completed E-Classes rolling of the end of the line, where they are driven over a special cobbled street to check for any rattles or squeeks - Final QA Check!!

After the tour (which takes about an hour) you are introduced to your new car. The technician spends as much time as you need explaining the driving controls and ensuring that you are happy. Once complete, you are handed the keys and free to go.

Now's when the real fun starts!. I needed to be back in the UK on the same day so did not have much chance to explore, so headed straight for the autobahn. Despite the recent heavy snow, the roads across Germany and France we clear, so my trip to Calais was uneventful. The scenary on route is beautiful and I intend to dirve back through this part of France in the summer. My route took me from Stuttgart, through Pforzheim past Baden-Baden and over the Rhein. When in France I headed towards Metz, then Reims ann finally North to Calais where I took the Eurotunnel back to the UK.

Driving the car is a dream - on the motorways road noise/wind is minimal and the performance of the 3.2 diesel fantastic. My car is now with the UK dealer being cleaned, checked and registered.

Overall, I had a great day - well worth it!

 

Thanks for sharing. It is always of interest to hear the various experiences associated with European Delivery. It was informative to learn that the factory tour now includes seeing portions of both C Class and E Class assembly as well as getting to watch the finished product roll off the line. We only got to see the robotic assembly of the C Class on our tour two years ago and there was no tour on our most recent European Delivery due to the holidays. Your return travel route through what you describe as beautiful French countryside sounds like a drive worth imitating. The car itself sounds like a great ride. I believe that is the diesel that we are looking forward to seeing here in the US later this year.