levind

After reviewing my budget, I think I can afford to add one more option to my recently ordered E320CDI. I have no experience with either Keyless Go or Parktronic. Which would you recommend? My salesman didn't rave about either.

My current order includes: leather, lighting, panorama, entertainment, dynamic and ventilated seats, navigation, trunk closer, wood wheel.

RJC

I had "park t" in my 03 and now keyless in the 04...Keyless for sure unless you've got little kids that may be hidding behind your car when reversing

W210

I would go for the lighting package and parktronic.

adam2

Parkatronic everytime..will allow you to park safely and save ur investment in the long run...helps front and rear parking.

Keyless go is flash and is not that flash.....who wants to know u can get in the car without clicking the fob and then pressing the start button...even the new corolla has a start button now..i think other manufacturers will include it as std and the novelty factor will go......but can't replace PTS....well there is the rear view camera from Lexus.....they keep bringing more gadgets...how can the top marques compete when std cars have it as standard.

Apollo

parktronic is great and practical. Keyless go a gimmick.

theitalianjob

parktronic

bmms8

i have both, and we love both, but truly, we use keylessgo a lot more now. after the car for over 1.5 years the use of parktronic doesnt come into play. We have the feel of the car i guess, and even though its a big car, its easy to park with the light steering. keylessgo is a gimmick like other ppl mentioned, but its one of those things where you dont need it, but once you use it, you cant live without it. reminds me of a cell phone. GL with your decision.

DavidNJ

Depends. Some friends of mine have no trouble driving in tight spaces without sonic distance sensors. I have lots of trouble. In a light spot, against a barrier, it lets me go right up to the obstruction without hitting it. I look like a pro.

Keyless go is a nice convenience. If you can afford a new $55k car, and you want an option that adds maybe $100/year to your costs, can't you afford it?

Taurusmerc

Parktronic all the way.

corgiman

Parktronic has kept a lot of scuffs off my bumpers.

MrAMG

I have both parktronic and keyless - If I have LOOSE one, I would rather loose parktronic.

bmms8

i do agree with the other poster who said that you should just get both since you are going to spend around 60 K for a car. GL

imthduke

Have both and after using the car for a while, I find myself frustrated that I need to get the key out to drive my other car. You get used to the convience of the Keyless real soon. Go keyless or don't go at all

Brav

It would be stupid to not get both, for crying out loud. Do yourself the favor.

Both great features for different reasons (protection/fun-factor)

jefrose55

I have both....If i had a choice of only one i would go with the keyless go. The way the parktronic works with visual idicators and last minute beep warning mean you have to keep on looking at the visual display when parking. The parktronic on my BMW just uses audio beeps...better system.

Jeff

04 E55 tectice grey/charcol...all options except for phone and radar cruise

02 BMW M3 steel grey/black
03 Honda element

BMcD-E500

I also have both and if I had to make a choice the parktronic would go. If you can't judge the distance around your car, just avoid trying to squeeze that last few inches out of the parking space. Plus you won't have all those little circles around the front and back bumpers. You can't go wrong either way.

Bruce

scorchie

Get Keyless Go. Parktronic can be retrofitted at a much lower cost than Keyless Go. To retrofit KG later, it would be more cost effective to trade in the car for a new one. Parktronic retrofit, although pricey, is easier to afford.

-s-

GoodyAMG

I don't have it on my E55 but my wife's CLK has Keyless Go. It is so great being able to walk up to the car, especially when your hands are full, and not have to fumble for the keys, just pull the door handle and the locked car unlocks. Then hop into the driver's seat, press the brake and keyless go button and off you go.

Now on the other hand, partronic beeps when you park close to something.

To each his own, but my next MB is going to have keyless go!

northbenz

Don't get either. They are both needless options. I have parktronic on my E and like the others who have posted have found it is rarely used. I don't plan to order it on my next Mercedes. (On the SL I did use it more probably because of more deceptive sight lines from the driver's seat.) Keyless go was a great option when it could be carried in your wallet, but now that you have to have your key with you anyway it is redundant. So many have seemed to have problems with it that it is sometimes referred to as "Keyless no go."

Unfortunately, I doubt that either will add a dollar of resell value when you go to sell your car.

With the money you save get the solar fans that go with the Panorama roof.

levind

I'd love to get the solar panels, but MBUSA won't let me order them!! They have limited the options for 2005.

Thanks everybody for the great input

bmms8

so what did you decide on?

stevenW211

I had bad experience abt the keyless-go,ie : my car didn't recognize my key. Besides, keyless-go is very eletricity-consuming since it stands by all the time.

B.Rgds.,
Steven

scorchie

I don't believe this to be completely true. The door handles have switches on the insides to activate the keyless go antennas when you pull on the handle. Also, to start the car, you must depress a switch. I can't think of any instance where the action isn't first initiated by the user activating some kind of switch.

Agreed that the system must be checking for a switch being activated... which is somewhat using electricity, but not much more than waiting for the key to be inserted in the ignition or the remote key unlock to be used. But it doesn't use as much electricity as an active radio receiver. Since keyless go uses a transponder, it requires both a transmitter and receiver, which would use quite a bit of electricity. By limiting the usage of the transmitter until a point when a switch has been activated, the electrical drain is minimized.

I think the additional drain is negligible.

-s-

W210

Thanks Steven, I suppose you mean having the smartkey to constantly transmit a signal will drain its battery rather quickly?

I have also heard a few reliability issues with keylessgo, and after a long discussion with the service manager, I decided not to go for it.

Otto

northbenz is a honest person . If I lived in Portland, OR. I would get a winter pacakage -- heated seats and steering wheel, which is more practical and useful.