Frank Wiesmann

My friend keeps saying he can tell the model year of the W211 be looking inside or out and recognizing features or lack of features because they added or reduced them from year to year. Waht are these features? To me, all Es look very similar.

Baby Jocko

A person who has followed the W211 year by year can easily spot the differences among model years. In some cases the differences are subtle. However, the differences are distinct.

Here are just a few of many for US versions:

2003 - Unless the car is a Nav Replacement (which are more like 2004 models), a sans Nav model has a small console screen. The Sport Pkg flaunted a "Sport" badge on the side and decals in interior console.

2004 - An E500 w/o Appearance Pkg changed stock wheels from 2003 (like 2005), may have Nav (unlike 2003), may have Solar Panels (unlike 2005)

2005 - Current models now have a different center armrest, MB sticker on windshield has changed, no REST feature, will not have Solar Panels.

There's plenty more. But, you just have to know. It may be too difficult to realize if you don't know already.

ATS

I can tell, although some of these changes overlap into the next year..

DWP

Did COMAND become standard equipment somewhere between MY 03 and MY 05? My '03 doesn't have it and the brochure specifies it as optional, but the MBUSA web site lists COMAND as standard equipment on the '05. If so, does that mean that all '05 models, with and w/o nav, have the large center display? The W211 interior pix on the MBUSA web site date from MY 03.

sl561

FYI -- my new 2005 has the new MB sticker but the old center armrest, so these distinctions are not full proof.

Brian_I.

Is there a difference between "COMAND" and "navigation"? I always thought they were one in the same.

midi-guy

COMAND is just the head unit - i.e., the LCD screen in the front center console.
The "navigation" (NAV) option requires that the car have COMAND. Basically this option, (NAV), consists of a DVD reader that goes in the trunk.

IIRC, COMAND is "standard" on the E500, but not the E320.
Most W211's you'll find on the dealer lot will not have the NAV option, even if they had COMAND.

Both COMAND and NAV can be retrofitted into all W211s.
However, the retrofit is easier done with MY04 and later W211s, as they already have all of the required wiring.

Additionally, the EURO spec COMAND has a DVD reader instead of a CD reader.
Lastly, starting with MY05 W211s, the US spec COMAND now comes with the DVD reader instead of the CD reader.

Otto

everyone can do it -- look the 10th character of vin then you know the year of car right away. (all features can be added or changed but vin.)

3 for 2003
4 for 2004
5 for 2005

this is true for ALL cars after 2001. (show your friend you can do it, too.)

10th character- Identifies the model year. For example: 1988(J), 1989(K), 1990(L), 1991(M), 1992(N), 1993(P), 1994(R), 1995(S), 1996(T),
1997(V), 1998(W), 1999(X), 2000(Y)------2001(1), 2002(2), 2003(3)

DWP

The MBUSA web site describes COMAND as standard equipment on '05 W211s, including the E320:

http://www.mbusa.com/brand/container...20W&class=05_E

... and doesn't refer to COMAND as standard equipment in my '03 E500:

http://www.mbusa.com/brand/container...ubNav=overview

The brochure for my '03 refers to COMAND solely in connection with Navigation, as in a tiny footnote that says "Availability of COMAND is delayed. See your dealer." (Indeed it was. "Look, Jane, see your nav replacement car.") So, somewhere between MY 03 and MY 05, did COMAND (in MBUSA-speak) go from being a synonym for "navigation" to a fancy label for the standard head unit, with or without navigation? The MBUSA popup that describes the '05 "DVD COMAND Navigation" option:

http://www.mbusa.com/byo/pop_opt_pac...=o&model=E500W

... seems to still refer to COMAND as a synonym for navigation, but the text is obviously out of date, since it also says that COMAND/navigation deletes the standard cassette player. Anyone with a non-nav '05 have a cassette player? Didn't think so.

So, my question is, what does a non-nav '05 with COMAND have, that an '03 supposedly without COMAND does not have? A larger screen, in lieu of a cassette player? Or is just a matter of MBUSA playing terminology games and not keeping their web site current?

glojo

Once again this thread has highlighted another difference in different countries specifications. I can only comment on UK imported versions but would be surprised if European vehicles are different.

COMAND only comes with Navigation and is an option on ALL E-class including the AMG (If you want it you've gotta pay for it). Mind you the AMG comes with a 200mph speedometer????

Regards,
John
From a Sunny cool day in Torquay

Brian_I.

Thank you for this post. I was beginning to think I was going crazy. Looks like MBUSA is trying to play games with their terminology to confuse us all. Back in the old days (prior to MY05 release), COMAND always meant navigation. Now it seems that that is no longer the case but I wonder how many guys are going to buy it thinking they are getting navi only to find out that the "NAV" button doesn't work on their "COMAND" headunit.

midi-guy

Not exactly the case with me, but close. When I started looking into getting my W211, I assumed that all cars with COMAND came with NAV. I was suprised to find quite a few brand new 04's with COMAND but without NAV. However, I noticed that this was more common with E320 than E500. The ones with the Audio 10 (?) were all E320s.

Remember that the dealer has to order these stock cars from MB, and they were more likely to order a car that would provide less of 'sticker shock'. So, these cars with just the audio 10(?) were usually ~$4K less than cars with COMAND/NAV.

Obviously, the W211 has gone thru a lot of changes WRT standard vs. optional equipment.

The original 03 W211s did not even come with NAV/COMAND, and cars ordered with the option were shipped to buyers without it.
I've read here that apparently, the NAV function 'reader' was supposed to be in the COMAND unit itself. MB had thought that it could be retrofitted, but it couldn't and they had to give the buyers replacement 03/04s with the split COMAND/NAV setup.

Before purchasing, looking up the MY04 info on the MBUSA site, it was clear to me that COMAND and NAV were two separate things. There were two separate lineitems when configuring options in the BYO area of the site.

When I eventually bought, I chose one with COMAND but without NAV because I realized that the NAV could be easily be added later. Based on my research, there was little or no price difference in doing it that way.

I've eventually added the NAV option to the car though. Parts + labor from MB dealer(s) was $50 less than the option would have been if the car had the NAV already.

Brian_I.

Why do they, in the BYO section, list one Comand w/navi under "Options" for $1220 and then again under "Accessories" for $1445? Has me even more confused...

Barry45RPM

Maybe the accessories section includes dealer installation labor?