lig

They got a reliable one.

The major gripes seem to be the same as mine - the feel or lack thereof in the steering/braking/throttle/tranny departments.

http://motortrend.com/roadtests/luxu...ict/index.html

benzboy

I understand the criticism. But as I switch from my W210 to the W211 I'm thinking, yes there's less direct feedback from the steering, etc. but I LOVE THIS CAR!!! I've had several Porsche and BMW rides over the years and The E500 is the best combo of luxury, speed and handling of all. Plus it looks sooo good!! Thanks for posting the review!

jprescott

Well, there it is as described by the "experts". And so many of you get upset when we say bad things about sbc.

Fastbuck

I think they must have fixed it out later in the production run. My brakes are faultless. (Jan 2004 build)

SAguirre

My MB is from March of 2004 and I also think that the brakes are mostly ok. The release of the brakes in light stops is a bit tricky. However, I do believe that all SBC brakes since the E came out are not the same. I think that they have been perfecting them and my 04 is a whole lot more refined.

Steve

cbh2

Yes, our E320 was built in Summer 2004, and the SBC brakes seem great to me. It sounds like it was one of those innovative things that just needed additional testing and calibration in order to work out the bugs.

It's hard for me to tell if the transmission actually has learned and responds to my individual driving style; however, the system has shown unusual signs of intelligence. For example, our previous vehicles (GMC Yukon, Jeep Grand Cherokee) use to fly like a bat out of hell down steep hills even if your feet were off the pedals. The W211 on the other hand maintains its speed unless you give it reason (i.e. step on the gas) to gain more momemtum. Some drivers on this forum have complained of the vehicle rolling backwords when taking their foot of the brakes on a hill, but this is something that I have not really had an opportunity to test.

BudC

I have a March 2004 build E320 and I really hate the brakes. They're almost acceptable until you get into stop and go traffic. I think Motor Trend is right on the mark with their description of the brakes.

My brakes thump at very slow speed when I apply or release them. They also feel like what they are, imitation hydraulic brakes.

Actually, these brakes along with the shift-by-wire transmission will probably cause me to sell the car. I usually keep my Mercedes forever (13 and 17 years) but I would love to dump the W211.

In fact, I've taken the For Sale sign out of the 300E. That 13 years of ownership could continue on for a long time before I sell my Teal beauty.

wobbles

I love the SBC in my July 04 build E200K - the missus loves it as well. Best thing to have happened to her since sliced bread and marrying me (or so she tells me *beam*).

glojo

It is rumoured that following a number of complaints about the SBC braking system Mercedes-Benz are not fitting it on the new S-class?

If this proves to be the case then I find it very sad and a terrible shame. The greatest number of complaints have come from a country that does not have the full SBC system.

It is most unusual for someone to complain about the full SBC package, indeed if you read just this thread the compliments from every country speaks volumes about this brilliant system.

I wondered if it was a cost cutting exercise, but why do this on one of the flagship models?

Regards,
John

Fastbuck

I understand that they are hoping to retain a SBC STOP and SBC HOLD type feature whilst reverting to a full end-to-end hydrolic system.

glojo

Yes, that is how I understood it, weird though that the system has gone into the ultimate Mercedes-Benz... The SLR??

They are also talking about 4Matic and the 400CDI, I am not holding my breath on this issue and will believe it when I see it.

Regards,
John

Double Eagle

I feel sure that their E-500 test car was an early production E-500 as I had the same complaints in my first E-500 about the throttle and brake interactions and transmission operation. However, with my NAV replacement E-500, they have fixed the throttle/brake interface at slow speeds and I no longer have a problem. They also modified the air suspension consdiderably to where you don't notice as much a differenc between the three settings, but as a result, you never get the rough ride on a smooth road that you used to get in Sport Setting three with both lights on. The transmission operation also seems smoother in my replacement when you floor the accelerator for passing

So, overall I've been very pleased with my second E-500 and imagine it's close to what they have produced for the 2004 models. In addition, I can watch DVD's while standing still if I want. The only down side to the new one is that it's a tad slower off the line with ~0.1 to 0.2 seconds longer 0 to 6o acceleration times. My first car would sometimes spin the wheels at start if I held the brakes and powered up with max throttle. This was with ESP on.

lig

I'm sure you're right D-E. Mine was made in late '02 - and probably on monday morning. j/k