Johnny Mo

So - the wife is giving up her Lexus GX early (lease over mileage) so we did a pre-emptive strike and sold it while the book value is more than our payoff. So my 09 GL450 (Obsidian, P2, Blk Leather, RSES, Appearance Pack etc) is going to her (she wants to stick with an SUV)

So I am now looking at a 2011 E350 (I wanted the 550, but can't justify the price).

Not sure about the MB-Tex or leather - anyone have any thoughts - good or bad experience - buyers remorse on the Tex vs leather decision - either way?

Also looking to go Sport, P2, Split seats, Wheel Pack (twin spoke 5 star - much better than the 6 IMHO), Pano, rear air bags and probably illum door sills) - Still up in the air on color though leaning towards Capri Blue/Ash and Black Wood.

sosh

Leather or tex is a personal choice. I opted for leather as I think it needs to be in a car of this stature. Smells better, looks better in the long run, and is more comfortable. It also ages better. You will never have regrets about opting for leather but you may about tex.

petee1997

My 2010 has MB tex and I don't see the difference with leather except the price. My wife ordered a 2011 E350 4Matic with MB tex. All our previous cars were leather. This stuff feels like leather, looks like leather and wears much better.(does not stretch and is easy to clean) You will find opinions are all over the place.

ash_cpe

+1 but it depends on the color that you are ordering. I like MB-Tex more on black, since black leather wears faster IMHO. What do you have on your GL?

Johnny Mo

I have Black Leather on my GL...I'm not disappointed in it at all, but compared to the leather I've had in multiple Lexus vehicles the MB leather seems almost fake...too similar to the MB-Tex. Which I guess is a good endorsement of how good the tex "looks".

I do have some concerns going with the much lighter colored Ash - but I would've figured both tex and leather to be similar from a durability standpoint. I would prefer to get leather, but in all likliehood I'mn not buying the car out after the lease - so it's more a question of am I going to be okay with it - and I also agree that the leather smells better.

I guess it'll be a gametime (order time) decision, but I think at this pricepoint the E (yes even the 350) should have leather as standard equipment - back in 2000 my Lexus GS400 had leather standard...this is 10 years later and MB is still charging extra for it..bake into the price and charge me anyway...whatever...standard sounds better and would go a long way in marketing perception...I feel the same about Xenon's but I understand the business logic behind it.

cyberjak

Once you compare both the 350 vs 550 the difference in price is much less really as some options are standard on 550 like leather seats which cost $1500, and the wheel package which costs $750. Their are a couple of other difference as well which I can not recall but I am sure someone else might know.

Normally the difference for the engine is about $5-6k if you were to buy all the options that are standard on the E550 that are options on E350. If you do not need or want those options then the difference is much greater and closer to the $10k difference in MSRP but you are getting more than just upgraded engine for that $10k.

Johnny Mo

Yeah - I hear ya on that - I did the analysis and you are right that for the standard 550 items you are getting a decent deal on the engine upgrade...problem is the residual on the 550 is worse - so that 10k difference translates alot worse on my lease payment. If I was certain to buy it out at the end I'd lean towards the 550.

Dema

MBTex isn't so bad, and people who have no clue can confuse it with leather. However leather still has much better look and feel.SO if I couldn't find E350 with leather, I will take 5 series where leather is standard.

LaicepsYdobon

I've only had MB-Tex in all of my Benzes so far (Stone/Ash and Cashmere only). Everyone who sits in my car comments how comfortable and supple this leather feels. They don't really believe me when I tell them it's not real leather. I did drive a demo car that had real leather in it and the difference so so little that I honestly thought I was sitting on MB-Tex. Also leather you have to maintain and moisturize, MB-Tex you can clean with a damp cloth. Perfect if you are lazy like me

K-A

You seem to be spot on with your Options. Anybody have pics of the Twin Spoke 5-Stars coming on the 2011 models? I hated the 6-Spoke AMG's as well, so opted for the "Standard" blade-y looking 5-Spokes, just kind of miss that "AMG" indentation on the wheels, like my old ones had.

I looked at Leather cars, and honestly, the Leather on the W212 SUCKS, it feels pebbly, grainy, and like plastic, not much better at all than the Tex (I actually like the design of the Tex better than the 80's throwback look of the Leather personally).

I have no problem going Leather, if it looks, smells, and feels rich, but if it's gonna feel like Vinyl, I'll go Vinyl, which BTW is much more durable, and will wear more flawlessly than Leather. Many people have decade + old cars with M-B Tex that have been given nothing more than damp-rag wipe-downs in maintenance, and still look like new.

Anyway, congrats.

sosh

[I] have had leather in every Benz in recent years. I do not like sitting on plastic. The last tex car I had was in 1972, a 450SL and never again. The tex in the new cars is essentially the same as the 74. Yes it looks good but is not supple and does not become softer with age but harder and more brittle. Ever seen a saddle made of plastic?? Even airlines use leather (or fabric) but never plastic and their seats take much more of a beating then the MB seats and they usually last 7 to 10 years. As far as cleaning, I have never done more than a damp cloth on any of the MB's and thats all that is needed. It smells good, looks good and is without question more comfortable. Its a natural substance and not made from petro chemicals. Even in aircraft when the pass seats are cloth the crew seats are leather. My take is that those people that do not have it just do not want to spend the cash to get when they can have a fake for free.

ocellaris

I've got a 2010 E350. It's my first mercedes. I went from a passat v6 4motion wagon to the mercedes. OF COURSE, I assumed I would get a mercedes with leather. It would be crazy not to, right?!

I had test driven quite a few BMW's (3 and 5 series) as well as Audi's (A4, A6). To be honest, the leather in the BMW's wasn't any better than in my passat. In fact, I thought my passat seats were actually a bit nicer. There was a coarseness to the BMW leather and sloppiness to the fit that I didn't like.

When I looked at mbtex vs leather in the e350, I sat in them, I smelled them, I felt them, etc. At least in the back seat, the mercedes leather wasn't any nicer than in my passat. The front seats were nicer. But the back seat definitely wasn't. What I found especially odd about the leather option was that the front seats and back seat seemed to be different quality and designs. That bothered me.

The difference in price wasn't an issue for me. For a car at this price point, $1500 is noise. Maybe one should lament that the leather at this price point isn't better. It's so processed and the mbtex is so good that, in my opinion, they're basically the same thing. For me, it came down to the interior design. I liked the consistency of the mbtex interior and the slightly more tailored look. It's now gotten hot in my area and I don't find the mbtex to be any different than the leather in my passat. And the AC in the e350 is so superior that it's far more comfortable than my passat ever was (and I have black on black on black).

Now, if it were between mbtex and the softer "napa" leather, then I'd give the nod to the napa leather. but those weren't the options available to me in the e350.

In the end, go with what makes you happy. If there's too much cognitive dissonance in purchasing mbtex at this price point, then that will always eat at you. On the other hand, if it doesn't bother you and you like the looks of the mbtex version more, then go with that. The $$ difference are minimal on a monthly basis, so don't base it on that.

One final note: I think a bit too much is made out of the leather vs synthetic difference these days. It was certainly true in the 70's. But synthetic can be excellent now. In fact, some lines (e.g., Audi) charge more for synthetics like Alcantera.

Good luck! the current E series is fantastic. I've had no buyers remorse whatsoever.

LaicepsYdobon

Without turning this into a pissing contest I'll give you a real world example. I had my M5 for three years and when I sold it the drivers seat had to be reupholstered because the leather was worn out in the hip area as I was getting in and out of the car and the bottom part, where you sit, was all stretched out. I've never had that with MB-Tex.

When it comes to MB the difference between leather and MB Tex is not that significant for me and since I lease the MBs I really don't care because MB has the best leatherette in the business period. On the other hand all my BMWs had leather because I can not stand the BMW leatherette. Now; does having MB Tex in an E-Class make it cheap ? That's up to you to decide. For the amount of money you are paying for the car the option for leather seats is peanuts so it should never boil down to the money factor; it's all about personal preference.

K-A

Exactly.

Nappa is a whole different story. Whatever M-B uses in the E as the Leather Option (and even the W212 E63), is just pretty upsetting. As well, with most all Leather cars nowadays, they have such thick "protective" (probably plastic) layers on top of the actual Leather, to keep them durable, etc. that it really is drawing closer. I was looking into what products to use to condition the Leather on my old S500, and through a lot of research, I found many people saying that you can't get to the Leathers pores anyway, due to the protective coating, so using a Conditioner could be rather pointless.

Also, I agree about BMW, their Leatherette sucks, Leather is a must on those. M-B Tex is in a different league.

Different strokes. I wish it was like the W211 (pre face-lift) days, where no matter what, the part you sat on in the front seats was real Leather. Best of both worlds. However, the material on my W212's seats doesn't feel any worse, it never feels to me like it's not Leather (great mind-trick).

Again, comparing to an S-Class (Nappa) is a different story. However I'm using the E's Leather as a comparison here.

220S

Nappa is definitely nice. I love it! And it doesn't have that 'coated' and coarse grained look. It should be an available option on all MBs. http://www.ukhide.co.uk/nappa.html

fwiw, some of the finest leather I ever sat in (for an 'affordable' car) was the natural Atacama leather in Volvo's R performance series cars (they don't make them anymore.) The leather was the color and feel of a high quality super soft baseball glove.

ash_cpe

1+, I liked the style more with the MB-Tex. I also found MB-Tex seats have leather inserts in the middle and vinyl towards the edges. Also it's perforated leather....

K-A

Agreed, but are you sure about the Leather inserts? I'm pretty positive (in the U.S at least), they stopped with genuine Leather inserts when the Face-Lifted W211's rolled around.

ash_cpe

Well, that's according to the dealer and If you check that middle piece, it feels smoother and it has a different pattern than the sides... But I am not sure though...

petee1997

The only difference that I can see on the seating surface is that it is perforated and can breathe. The leather surface on the E is not perforated. I have owned many MBs over the years and this is the first that is not leather and I honestly don't see the difference. One OP mentioned this stuff was around thirty years ago. I highly doubt that. No one except MB comes close to producing a synthetic that can pass as the real thing. That probably explains why it is so popular. In Canada it is called "Artico Leather" not MB Tex. That would not pass muster in a highly litigious USA. In any event, the majority of people can't tell the difference either in appearance or in the comfort.

K-A

"Artico Leather", lol. Sounds fancy, I'll use it.

luxoriant

I've read some posts where the quality of the BMW leatherette was deemed inferior to MB-Tex. I was recently looking at a 2010 e-350 and the sales guy was an ex-BMW salesperson. In discussing the MB-Tex he volunteered the fact that BMW purchases its leatherette from MB, so there should not be any difference. Perhaps the different texture, or color, makes it look inferior in the Bimmer?

LaicepsYdobon

Whatever a car salesman says take with a grain of salt. There is a big difference in the quality of the materials that the two company uses. You have to experience it for yourself to be able to form an opinion for yourself. MB-Tex could pass for leather for the untrained eye. BMW leatherette you know is leatherette just by looking at it.

K-A

No way are they the same. M-B Tex indeed is real leather feeling worthy, and Leatherette is just garbage IMO.

petee1997

I agree. A friend of mine had a BMW with leatherette and it was terrible stuff. There is no comparison with MB Tex.

Johnny Mo

So I made a few changes in my selection...decided against the Capri Blue - couldn't get past the fact that it looks purple in some light...would've been happier if it was more like my old Lexus - Blue Onyx Pearl - which flip-flopped between blue/black.
Went with Palladium Silver - there are at least 4 Iridium silver E's in my town that I know of and several other model MB's in Iridium - so trying to get something a bit more unique.
Went with black leather, P2, Pano, black wood, rear airbags, split seats, rear spoiler, illuminated sills, and wheel package.

I'm a little confused about the 2011 wheel rumors first heard that split 5 spokes for all 2011, but now hearing that it is only coupes...which would suck since I really wanted the split 5 spoke, but looking at my invoice in NavStar shows 6 spoke 18" AMG wheels. Oh well - red status now - no changes...scheduled for production 7/29 so hopefully have it a month or so after that.