DavidNJ

Poll plus comments...we are can't make up our minds.

The grey interior may be cooler in the summer. The white exterior looks nice against the chrome, however the black can look sleek at night. The white may be easier to keep clean and look better dirty. And the charcoal interior may hold up better (however our last two cars had light grey interiors.

Thanks,

David

Brunelleschi

Hey cool..my vote counts for 100% so far.

Something about the white with the black interior just looks really really classy!

HELL ONA HARLEY

C-mon man.... Are you serious????
Are you really going to get the color I think is best???? Its your car, buy what you want not what I or anyone else thinks.

nyca

there is some board member here who just got an E in that new Granite Grey color, I wish he would post some pics.

I like Tectite Grey, but its gone for 2005.

MarcusBenz

I completely agree with Brunelleschi's comment. In fact, the CLK that I have on order is Alabaster White/Charcoal. I had Silver on my last CLK and really like the low maintanence of that, but you see it everywhere you go! I was seriously considering the Obsidian Black, but after driving the C320 Sport I have now, Black is no longer in the running. On another note, the more I see Pewter/Charcoal on the CLK, the more I like it! I have until the 24th of this month to finalize my decision!

northbenz

David - can't tell where you live, but if it is in the south to include California and Florida I'd say go with white and grey interior. The black or charcoal interior just absorbs too much heat unless you get the Panorama roof with the solar fan option. If not a hot area then the black interior since up north you will be faced with melting snow and mud.

Nevada Jack

Pewter/Ash is a great combination and order Charcoal mats. The entire package blends beautifully.

Go to: http://members.***.net/benze320/index.html

Some exterior and interiors of my 2003.

MB-JIM

Interior color choices shouldn't be based on ambient temperatures. If, for example, the interior ambient temperature is 150 degrees, the interior fabrics will all reach 150 regardless of color. The only place where charcoal will get hotter then is where the sun directly hits but even this isn't as great as most people think. White definitely absorbs less heat than black but once you start adding colors to the interior the differences are minor. Charcoal makes an elegant interior and doesn't show minor blemishes. I live in Arizona and have had Black in nearly all of my MB's.

lig

Black/Stone is what I chose.

After a year - if I could go back I'd chose Black/Charcoal.

Heat is not a problem here in Seattle.

theitalianjob

I'd get Brilliant Silver/Charcoal or Platinum Blue/Ash...

IluvS500

Obs Black over Stone or Black/Obs Black over Charcoal

DavidNJ

Why would you change? Was the Stone hard to maintain? Why not Ash?

Thanks,

David

moa4r

i'd check out the jade black, its an awsome color, rare as well; looks kind of like a dark green in the sun and basically black in other lighting, works with any interior; gl

DavidNJ

Is the reason the charcoal interior appears to be a favorite easy of maintenance, appearence, or something else?

Does the charcoal interior seem dark at night? My S2000 has a charcoal interior, and at night, it is harder to find items at night.

And when the car is sitting in the sun all day (most parking lots in NJ are open), the interior is very hot to the touch. They light/medium grey in the BMW and the tan in the Supra TT and Suburban are both cooler. Has this also been the case with the MB charcoal?

Note: The MB charcoal is a shade or two lighter than other brands black interior, and seems to have more character.

moa4r

the black interior on the e-class is awsome, especially w/the black birdseye maple of the sports package; you really can't go wrong with any of the interior colors, try comparing youre choices in real life, look at several e's next to each other at the dealership, then make your final decision.
GL

DavidNJ

We did...and they all look good. Depending on the light and time of day sometimes the black looks better, sometimes the white. Sometimes the Charcoal, sometimes the Ash. The Stone looks great but there are reports that it is hard to maintain.

When you grab the door handle at night, the white car with the chrome accents on the door handle and rub strip is truely stunning. White also looks good with color contrasts of red taillights or amber markers.

Black gets a deep, rich look when is is polished without swirl marks. When it is dirty or the paint has swirl marks or is damaged (nicks, stone chips, etc) it loses some of its magic. But when it has it...

Personally, I like the dark liquid greys and a strong medium blue. Unfortuately my wife doesn't like grey or silver and MB doesn't offer a nice medium blue (like BMW's Estoril Blue or Topaz Blue). Of course BMW is now making a car that looks like an traditional 5-series assembled by aliens from Chevy and Hyundai. Like a Star Trek episode.

alewifebp

Don't forget about the Pacific Blue interior. I recently saw it in person and it was real nice. If I had seen it before hand, I would have ordered it.

Personally, I like the rarer colors rather than the standard colors. In hotter climates, I would try to get a car that is a little lighter on the outside.

I also have seen Granite Grey and I thought it was awesome, and truly a rare color. Even my Platinum Blue which is a relatively rare color, I have seen many more on the road from when I first got it.

lig

Hi David -

The area around the doorsill being carpet gets dirty in a hurry. It actually wipes fairly clean with a microfiber towel and water - but it is a PITA nonetheless. The leather has been very easy to maintain - no problems there... just a little Meguiars Gold Class foam cleaner/protectant and it's good to go.

Nothing wrong with Ash - I just hadn't had the black/tan interior combo since 1990 when I ordered the 300ZX in Diamondpearl Black/tan interior. I thought it was a nice combination.

This is going to sound goofy - but I view M-B sedans as looking rather stylishly formal - like a designer tuxedo.

Now that I've lived with the car for a while - the light interior does make the car more "airy" but I think the charcoal interior works better with the black exterior.

HTH

theitalianjob

Oops, didn't realize that I need to choose from the colors above...

In that case, I'd get Midnight Blue/Stone. According to MBUSA.com, the Midnight Blue/Stone combo will not have the surcharge of $1150, only the Midnight Blue/Ash combo will have an additional $1150 because of the fact that it is a special order.

Midnight Blue/Stone is really a nice contrast and if I were you, I'd get it over the others.

JimPurdy

I have heard that MB is painting a few of the cars in colors other than 744 - Brilliant Silver Actually, pewter,granite, or tectite each have a different appeal to me. I have one white car and have had black and obsidian in the past that all were almost impossible to keep looking clean. I had the ash interior in my last car and really liked the appearance when it was clean but the charcoal interior is much easier to maintain and doesn't look that bad. We do use reflective panels inside the windshield to keep the Texas sun off of the dash which does help keep the interior cooler in the summer so the dark color isn't a drawback here. Your $$$ so buy what looks best to you

Mercedesfan

If you are interested in seeing the Platinum blue exterior with the Pacific Blue interior referenced above check out photos posted on following thread:

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...=blue+interior

Platinum Blue Exterior:

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...r&pagenumber=3

Blue Interior - Rear seats:

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jay...m=13210016.jpg

And another of Blue Interior front seating and door:

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jay...m=22740015.jpg

NateDogg

You talkin bout me? Ill try to post some pics later on tonight.

CynCarvin32

I have a Granite Grey E500 and a Pewter Silver E55k

I have a nice photo of the two cars next to each other. I will send you a copy if you would like.

theitalianjob

CynCarvin32, please check your PM, thanks.

Brav

Just dont get stone..