I am considering which options to include for my order. For those of you who made the decision either to get or not to get this option, can you share your thoughts and experience on this option? I saw a W212 with a clear plastic shield on the grill (for distronic plus), which in my opinion, takes away the beauty of the grill. Any comments are appreciated.

 

I like it and it works well (particularly when you read the manual to find out where it can be fooled). It's nice to set your maximum speed on a highway and then let the car adjust to the flow. Keeps me from getting tickets on roads that are well patrolled, but unlike regular cruise it does not require constant adjustment.

And, I bought my E550 for its safety features. Distronic+ has already dinged me a couple of times when the traffic speed had dropped significantly and I was not fully focused on the road ahead (checking a mirror in one case). I would have probably been safe each time, but it's nice to have someone looking out my grille for me.

The plastic part of the grill does not bother me at all. (Edit: My plastic is black. Because my car is black?)

 

If you do quite a bit of highway, then distronic can be easily justified. The device works VERY well.

I don't have it, but my boss who does, loves to rub my knows in it. ;-)

 

I have it on a E550 and the blind spot assist is fantastic as it's saved me a couple of times one with a M/C in my blind spot. The lane assist has a vibration you feel in the steering wheel if you get out of your lane once you know what it is you get use to it.
With the distronic even a drunk could get home safely.

 

I'd forgotten that blind spot assist is a part of that package. That by itself makes the package worth the cost, IMO. I now signal EVERY time just to get the feedback.

 

Agreed.
After a month of ownership, I'm relying on the blind spot assist more and more everyday.
It's not just a gimmick.

 

ditto comments that these options are not gimmics. they really work and are really effective. Distronic has made my commute in/out of NYC much easier. Blind spot assist has been flawless. Lane departure is of marginal utility except when driving late at night/getting drowsy....but unlike other cars its not a nuisance (plus it can be deactivated)

 

Does the distronic+ work well in slow moving or stop and go traffic? I have to deal with that everyday. Thanks.

 

Distronic is a God-send in stop and go traffic. Eerily effective.

 

+1. Echo the comments too saying it has saved me. Couple of times had the brakes come on strong while I was adjusting the radio. Like others, probably would have been ok but good to know my car is, if not idiot proof, at least idiot resistant.

In stop and go, all you need to do to restart is flick the cruise stalk or tap the gas pedal. Ive been amazed at how well it works even in very tight crowded conditions.

Just make sure you read the manual to understand it's limitations. For example, it can only use 40pct of braking power, if it thinks you need more you get beeps and a flashing light and you have to help.

 

More from the peanut gallery...

Today I attempted to use the Park Assist to parallel park. (I'm not sure if this is part of the Driver assist package in the US)
Tried to follow the instructions on the dash... FAILED. I ended up parking with my hand over the passenger seat looking backwards as my colleague/passenger laughed.

 

PARKTRONIC with Parking Guidance is a separate stand alone option on the E-Class Sedan in the US. In the US the Driver Assistance Package includes Distronic Plus with Pre-Safe Brake, Blind Spot Assist and Lane Keeping Assist.

I have been fortunate enough to spend some time with a friend's 2010 E550 with Driver Assistance Package and it really is fantastic. Distronic Plus can fully stop the car and is amazing in terrible NYC/NJ traffic. The Blind Spot Assist is also a great feature and should be in every new car imo.

 

This is what I think of the Driver Assist package -

Distronic is good, but it could definitely be better. You still have to keep a close eye on it. For example, if you're following a car, and that car changes lane, Distronic has a difficult time detecting the next car ahead of it. Also, when you're in stop & go traffic, if traffic comes to a full stop, the car won't automatically resume, and you have to tap the gas pedal for it to go again. It's kinda stupid. I don't see why it doesn't automatically resume.

Lane keeping assist is almost useless. It's pretty cool for the wheel to shake every time you go off your lane, but by the time it warns you, you're already about a foot or so off your lane. By that time, if there's a car next to you, you've crashed into it. It would be much much much better if it warned you once you got to about an inch of your lane. That way, it would be a true lane keeper, instead of just warning you after you've already crashed.

Blind Spot Assist is the most reliable of all. It's pretty reliable and does a good job at warning about cars next to you. It only makes an audible warning when you use your turn signal though, so it's kinda useless at saving your life if you're not paying attention. Also, every once in a while, it doesn't work.

They're all ok, but you definitely can't rely on them too much. In fact, I think they're all in "beta" with too many bugs and shortfalls. Maybe in a few years, they'll be ready for prime time.

 

Blind spot assist is totally worth the price alone. Once you have it and then drive another car without it, you really appreciate the feature!

Like others have said about Distronic - it has its advantages and disadvantages. I think it almost slows you down too much when another car changes lanes in front of you, but it is a nice feature when traffic is moving along smoothly.

I have the parallel park assist feature as well, and it has worked flawlessly for me. I am certain that I would have curbed a rim by now without it.

 

I think the system is well thought out and well implemented. One thing that is important is to realize that electronics are dumb and people are dumber. The system has to be designed around these two facts. A feature of the system might seem "stupid" in an isolated scenario, but when you consider other related scenarios it makes sense. The system needs driver input to help it identify the particular scenario it is in.

As noted, the car does not automatically resume when traffic has stopped for more than a couple of seconds. This might seem "stupid" for stop-and-go traffic on a multi-lane highway. But the system does not know you are on a highway. The system also works perfectly well on side streets. On that side street, you and the car in front of you might come to a stop sign. The car in front might see an opening in the traffic and accelerate into the intersection. Do you want your car to ignore the stop sign and dutifully accelerate Toyota-style into that intersection? Of course not. All the car requires is a little driver input to say, "Hey, this is not an intersection. It's safe to go." You might say this is "stupid" because I would put my foot on the brake at a stop sign. Remember, each driver thinks every other driver on the road is an idiot. So the system has to be designed for every other person but you.

Think about what the car needs to know and react accordingly. It's amazing what this system does if you do.

Your experience with lane keeping assist is at odds with mine, and what the manual says. (I do not find much value in this feature, but that's because I don't have much trouble staying in my lane.) After your comment, in fact, I experimented. With NORMAL lane change speeds, the system warns you when the tires are on the line defining the lane. Certainly nowhere near a foot over. The manual says this is what you should expect. I guess that if you jerk the wheel to change lanes, it might take a foot for the system to respond.

This is not a shut-your-eyes-and-drive system.

 

Well, that's what I was expecting.

 

Just as a note, I think you can also pull the cruise control level towards you to get the car moving again after Distronic Plus has stopped the car.

 

I had a chance to drive a a Distronic equipped S-Class on a busy highway today and the system totally ROCKS !

 

Does anyone know if the distronic can be shut off if I prefered to use my radar? I read in a manual online somewhere that you can deactivate it but what I would like to know is if it would continue to mess up the radar detector becasue of the similar frequencies. Optimal would be if you could switch back and forth between radar and distronic at will. Any clues? Would this be possible?

 

Yes, you can turn off the distronic radar manually through the in-dash command settings.

 

huh thats pretty cool if ya ask me, thanks!