ngerstman

So many have been covered. But some of mine are:1)An improved airmatic suspension that has more travel so as not to jar you when hitting a pot hole and better over rough roads. 2)more comfortable seats. Not enough cushioning for me and my bony ***. 3)a volume control readout for the stereo. I have never had a car before without one. I need to monitor my hearing loss more quantitatively! 4)a one notch upgrade to the stereo would be nice. It's not terrible but not great either. As others have said, needs better subs with volume control.No ***** in the bass!!!5)an option for a factory remote starter, especially one with an iphone app to start remotely from a distance. Get that heat or air conditioning going before I leave work to go home at night. I tried an after market product from a company called Drone and Mercedes could not get it to work. 6)better NAV system. That's all for now. I've gone over the limit anyway. Regards. Ned.

SolidGranite

I second the remote start application for iphone/droid. It really pisses me off when I see commercials touting that feature on cars for a 1/3 of the cost of the E.

threeMBs

I'm late to the party, but anyway:

1. Shifter were it is suppose to be - on the console. Will eliminate that annoing delay everyone complains about when making a 3-point U-turn with traffic around.

2. Standard Xenon. Halogen lights are a joke in these cars. (Love my quads too much to give them up).

3. Longer seats cushion (it is shorter than in W211 or C207). Do not know how tall people here (or those with long legs) do not complain more often.

3a. Some plastics are too cheap, specifically the area on the center console facing rear seats were rear heat/AC vents are.

K-A

Also, I hate how the stereo ALWAYS go back to a certain level of volume when you get back in the car. Always too jarringly loud as an entry setting to me. It should be the opposite, if anything, more soothing upon entry, maybe floating upwards, or allowing you to do so. Doesn't feel very "luxurious" the way they have it set up now.

listerone

Yup.

mnje350

I agree my '00 Audi always reset to a low standard volume whenever the car was restarted.

ngerstman

Good point about the tranny lag. I do really like the shifter on the steering column, however. Great idea. Frees up a lot of space on the center console. Regards. Ned.

ngerstman

One last point(well maybe not the last, there will never be a last point!!). Recently I have been observing how Mercedes managed to make the REAL wood trim in the interior look and feel more like plastic. Even when you tap on it, it sounds like plastic!!! I'm assuming that there is real wood buried somewhere deep inside there but given the amount of finish above the wood it doesn't seem that different from the "real plastic" in my wife's Acura MDX. I guess what I'm saying is that I want more wood, less acrylic!!!! Regards. Ned.

BM2BZ

i was talking to another w212 owner last night who owned a w211 before. she told me the thing she hates the most is the driver's seat. her w211's seat moved backward a bit so she had more room to exit but not anymore in the w212. i didn't own any w211 so i don't know. any of you have the same issue?

SolidGranite

Yer right about the airmatic. I know I've disagreed with you in the past, but that was in comparison to my 2009 which in my opinion had a much better airmatic setup than the W212. The W211 had 3 settings while the W212 only has 2 and I think the "comfort" setting in the W212 is still way too stiff. Doesn't travel well at all on the uneven surfaces in Chicago. Have you compared to a non-airmatic 2012 yet?

ngerstman

I haven't and don't intend to. I wouldn't want to test drive the 2012 e550 for fear of becoming less satisfied with my 2011!! What would happen if I really liked the new engine versus ours and preferred the non airmatic suspension? Way too soon to want a new car for me considering that I normally keep my cars a long time. Regards. Ned.

SolidGranite

I drove a 2012 but it was smooth suburban roads only unfortunately. The engine is sweet but it sounds weird and for now I prefer the 2011. PLENTY of power in my opinion and available at all ranges.

hyperion667

I tested a cls550(2012) with the new engine and couldn't tell anything that was different
except for the cls part

PHML

I wish my E came with these things....

- LEDs lights vs. regular bulbs.
- Factory tints
- Nicer wheels with lip action

stemags

Hype are you saying the cls isnt all that? I mean I look at it and knowing the price tag,I say why to myself.Especially if the ride and all is not superior? I dont see many of them out there so I guess Im not alone.

K-A

They're basically the same car. The CLS has a smaller, less functional interior, a sweepier exterior (that somehow is less aerodynamic than the E), but the interior layout is the same. The CLS has some softer touch and fancier materials, which may in turn wear faster if not cared for than the E's harder plastics.

When you get a CLS, you're basically paying for less function and a higher price tag, because the lack of function makes the styling more unique, and with an inflated price tag (much higher profit margins than an E-Class, considering they're basically the same car, save for the aesthetic stuff), you buy exclusivity over a cheaper car (in this case, E-Class).

hyperion667

no, it's very nice, I just meant I could not tell much difference in engine qualities.....

El Cid

1. Much better reliability and longer warranties
2. Improved ride. Even the Luxury version with comfort suspension rides rougher than should.
3. Ability to turn on headlights, DRL's and fog lights at same time. This is those with four round lights, which I think are no longer made. BTW, I much prefer the four round lights to the "sticks."
Leave the shifter on the column. Only reason to have a shifter in floor is if you have a manual transmission. Paddle shifters have eliminated need for floor mounted automatic transmissions.
Would never purchase a car with run flat tires.

telemakhos

I have two child seats in the back which force the headrests to sit a little high and block my view rearward somewhat. When the child seats are out of the car the headrest sit reasonably low enough.

stemags

Could not agree more,,in fact got it straight from a trusted salesman who confides some MB news when no one is looking. I just know that if I was in the bracket,,I would like the SL,,but bang for buck,,the E is hard to beat.

Hype,the car (cls) is stylish for sure,being tall I always look to the back seat comfort,,none too big. The salesman told me its a cl with added doors,,added weight,and lowered roofline when they first offered it. I even work with a dude who bought a 2009 AMG version,,,oh momma talk about a waste of cash.

El Cid

Someone mentioned that Recirc disengages whenever you stop the car. Actually, this could be a problem. The instructions in the Operator's Manual state that Recirc should be engaged if using an automatic car wash. I do for my other vehicles, but not for E - yet.
Problem is that when I park and turn off the car so the attendant can vacum it or even just move it, it is then started again and driven to end of conveyor. This means that Recirc is no longer engaged. I can tell the attendant 100 times to push the button, but if he understands me (doubtful), he won't.
M-B engineers should have thought of this. Apparently water pressure from auto car washes can damage the cabin filter system.

dfordham

Good observation.

I wonder if turning the system off would accomplish the same. Surely that closes off outside air as well.

Regards,
Don