mhh

I drove a new 2010 E550 today (or E500 as they are called in Australia). The car was very nice and highly competent, if a little soulless, but one real disappointment was the pano roof 's electric interior blind. It barely cuts out the light and would be nearly useless on a hot, bright day. My S65 has a completely opaque interior blind on the pano roof and I assumed the E would too. The plasticy roof lining in the new E generally looks and feels cheap after my 04 E500's mouse fur.

I'm guessing the new E63 will have an alantara roof lining and maybe a better blind. Anyone know if this is the case?

BTW, a non-pano sunroof car in the showroom had a much better blind that will keep the heat and glare out just fine - but I do love the pano.

lukemcv

Are you sure you cannot option the Alcantara roof lining into the E ???

Also what price was the E 500 in Aus? Apparently in QLD they aren't allowed to advertise the price on the website anymore because some law about drive away price.

Just out of interest of course, I live in EU now.

stanatl

Hmmm. I just ordered my E550 sport with the Pano roof. Even though I drove the inventory cars several times (all with Pano roof), I didn't drive them on a very sunny day as we've had almost daily rain/clouds here in Atlanta for the past few weeks.

Anyone else out there with a Pano roof have any input on the subject? With most of the interior of the Sport model being black, having sun come through interior blinds can't be a good thing. Also, any input from anyone regarding cabin noise with the Pano roof vs. the standard sunroof?

Thanks!

petee1997

I don't agree. The screen blocks out most of the light and all the heat. As far as noise is concerned, this car is extremely quiet. This E with Pano sets a new standard in noise suppression. Take my word,you will not be disappointed. I have had mine six weeks now and it only gets better.

stanatl

Thanks for the reply and that is good to hear. The only thing about the Pano roof I wish was different is that I would have liked to be able to control the front and rear blinds separately. A small point though.

Really looking forward to getting the car. I'm now starting to "notice" little things in my 550i that never particularly bothered me before. I guess I'm starting to get the MB itch.

220S

fwiw, the blind on the W211 E63s is opaque. I'm assuming the same will be on the W212 E63, but I haven't seen one yet (although I'm doing a MBUSA/AMG test drive invite at the track in November.)

I had a E350 loaner last week that was w/o pano and the grill slits in the sunroof blind allowed sunlight in at an angle during certain times of the day that was really irritating.

A fully opaque blind is needed, imho. Esp here in 97% sun drenched SoCal. Sounds like the W212 will let too much light in. Maybe they'll change it? I hope it's not the same on the W212 E63....

btw, the pano will creak eventually. The design is the same as in the older models. At first it's silent but after putting on miles, you'll get some noise. It's inevitable due to the design, weight (it weighs a lot!), and structural stability of the roof (small amount of steel, lots of glass.) The roof needs to bend a bit and flex (or the glass might break under the load.)

So, you WILL get creaking eventually (esp when the car is twisting a bit, eg, over uneven terrain like a driveway, etc..) BUT: it's really no big deal, if you like the pano. And it won't make noise on the freeway or in most driving conditions (again, it's mainly when the car doesn't have all fours on a relatively even pavement.)

ps, that said, I wouldn't order a pano again, but only because I'd want the weight reduction.

mhh

Not in the car I drove. I could see the trees above through the blind as I drove along. Maybe it is a different spec to yours.

I agree - it is the quietest car I've driven.

mhh

Intermarket comparison are difficult because of different spec levels but the (generously specced) Australian E500 is about $A178K from memory. The E63 will be around $A225K I've been told.

You'll remember that we pay a lot of tax.

chokaay

I don't have a W212, but from my experience with panorama roofs:

W203 C240 = NO pano roof, only sun/moonroof, only lets some direct light through the slitted "vents" in at a certain angle on bright sunny days (very annoying when it happens). No tint, light gray interior, heat was a problem most of the time.
W203 C230K Coupe = Fully opaque, black in color, lets NO light through at all. No tint, black interior, heat wasn't a problem most of the time (I don't know why).
W211 E350 = 85% opaque, gray in color, lets some light through on bright sunny days (but does not bother me that much). Heat was a problem until I got my cars tinted with Huper Optik. In general, heat is little more than similar non-pano roof vehicles (when comparing non-tinted vehicles).
W204 C300/C350 = 70% opaque, black in color, lets a bit more light through on bright sunny days (is very noticeable and bothered me a lot on certain days and from certain angles). Heat is even more than the W211 and the aluminum trim can burn you pretty bad.

Based on these results, I'd imagine the W212 panorama roof shade will let in noticeably more light than the W211 one does... maybe a similar ratio to the W204's (70% maybe?). This is why i tinted my sunroofs with Huper Optik (as well as the rest of my windows)... for as much heat rejection as possible. Why they decided to make the panorama roof shades less than 100% opaque after the early 2000's baffles me...


As for road noise, I've been told that non-pano cars are a little quieter than pano cars, but I don't have two identical cars (one pano, one non-pano) to do an accurate comparison...

lukemcv

So about double what they pay here and tripple of the USA. LOL

What was the pricing on an 350 coupe? 100k ??

Just asking cause I might want to come back one day.....

but not if I can't affort to drive something decent.

bobcpa

I have the E350 coupe....not to worry...the screen blocks out the light and heat more than adequately

petee1997

In any event in the US you have choice of regular sunroof with the solid panel or the more attractive Pano roof. In Canada we have no choice. The Pano roof is standard equipment. I would imagine it is optional in Australia also, due to their extraordinary pricing. It's certainly one way to keep imports out.

silberrosa

From what I have seen, the shade in the Pano roof E-sedan is opaque but perhaps in direct sunlight there is some light which comes through. The E-coupe is a different story as it is a mesh type that does allow a certain amount of light to come through. As for me, I am not a Pano guy since you cannot vent the sunroof without opening the shade fully which lets a bit too much light in for me.

K-A

To note, someone in the AMG section did a test drive in an E63 and seemed surprised to say that the 212 E63 didn't have an alcantra roof?

I'd personally avoid pano, mainly due to rigidity sacrifices, what I believe are most probably safety sacrifices, and creaking/noise in due time. The 212 is built with tons of high strength steel, but like 220s said, it's just a matter of time....

Then again, I'm not all so gaga about seeing outside from the roof of my car or getting sun-blasted, so the trade-off is worth it if you're into that.

I agree about the roof-lining in the 212, same as the 204 C-Class, hard and cheap feeling, woulda been nice if they kept the nice fur material.

mallard

With the sport interior the headliner is black as is the shade on the pano roof. While it does let in some light when closed I do not find it annoying nor have I noticed substantial heat coming through. I actually like that you can see through it a little bit when it is closed. As for noise damping, I don't notice any difference between open and closed positions. I've had the car for 6 weeks and during the 1st two weeks it was still very hot and sunny here, I had no issues with the shade and its blocking of sun and heat. For the last month it has been cooler and rainy so I've had it open since then as I like the light. I suppose if it becomes a serious issue (which I doubt) I will have the roof glass tinted but for now I have no plans to do that.

mhh

Looks like Alcantara is available at least as an option on E63. From the press release...




The AMG Exclusive package provides a luxurious touch in the interior. It includes:

Nappa leather appointments for the seats, top section of the dashboard, the beltlines, the door armrests as well as the centre console and door centre panels


Roof liner as well as A, B and C-pillars and sun visors in Alcantara®


AMG floor mats



Edit: From various other sites, it seems all E-classes can theoretically be factory ordered with this package. This entitlement probably varies from market to market.

K-A

Ah, yeah that makes sense. I wasn't sure but had read a review of an E63 right before this, which stated it didn't have it.

Was it even standard on the 211 AMG's? If I'm not mistaken it was. MSRP on the '10 is a few grand cheaper though.

vettdvr

Well Dah! I would prefer a solid roof.

Merc-IN-the-Dez

Guys, I took delivery of my C350 during the middle of summer and here in the dez it can get quite hot. I could immediately feel the sun creeping through the thin fabric cover for the roof and on my noggin. Soooo I went down to my local car tinting shop and had the guy tint the interior glass with one way mirror tint (both front and rear panels) and voila !! no more heat and way reduced light coming in. Even when you look at the roof from the outside, you don't see the mirrored tint. Now my head is thanking me for it.

Hope this helps.

220S

+1

Unfortunately, I couldn't find an E63 available w/o pano. I'd much prefer the weight reduction, structural stability, and especially having it less top heavy (a lower center of gravity.) It's exactly why the M3 coupe comes with a carbon fiber roof and why Porsche Targas don't make for very good track cars.

Boraxo

Great suggestion, thanks!

Just took delivery of my C300 and I hate the moonroof, the cheap screen is so thin I can see (and feel) the sun when it is overhead. Completely mediocre compared to my GLS 450 and even my 10-year old BMW

I gather tint is the best work-around solution, hopefully this mod is okay with my lessor, MB Finance.

tresean1

I assume you have a BMW X5 with pano roof and GLS with pano roof? If not, then you are comparing apples to oranges ("cheap screen" vs. actual metal/plastic sunshade).

I agree, the screen in MBs are disappointingly/surprisingly mediorcre compared to, say, Lincoln's pano roof sunscreen. The tint would not affect the terms of the lease, as it is completely removable and doesn't alter the mechanics of the vehicle.

mellonc

just another data point. Down in Los Angeles, the screen does not block out most of the light and let's in all the heat (I can feel it with my head). As far as noise is concerned, this car is quite noisy. This E with Pano is no different than other cars with Pano roof. Mine also makes popping sounds when turning the car (it was corrected by the dealer but coming back again after 2 months).