DavidNJ

I've been patiently waiting for the 2014 E250CDI in the US. Now the configurator is up in the US and the product descriptions. Missing, the Nightvision option.

This was undoubtedly a low take option. However, with deer running rampant over our hilly, wooded area night driving has a difficult "deer watch" as the main task. Nightvision was something we were looking forward to.

But it is nowhere to be found under the E-class. Audi and BMW both list it for the A6/A7 and 5-series (all models) respectively. Lexus even has it a special order in the GS, although they quote a 5-month wait on special orders.

Does anyone know if this will be a late availability or simply is gone?

Note, Nappa leather interior, a $1000 BMW option, is listed as late availability for the E-class but is not in the configurator.

DCubed

Looks like night vision has been pulled off the table of the 212 refresh, its not even in the order guide. Nappa leather is also not in the order guide (sedan) or even in the netstar operational system, but all designo interior options are there now.

DavidNJ

The brochure and the product description, but not the configuration pages, show the Nappa leather interior. Night vision has disappeared.

Other changes since our last car:

• No headlight washers
• The lower cushion of the fold down rear seat doesn't fold forward. Unlike BMW, which puts a sheild on the back of the front seats, there is now no protection for the front seat backs.
• The keyless go is a pop in insert into the key switch.
• The rear view camera now shows guide lines.
• The grill really sticks out from the front.
• On the 4 cars I saw today, the panel fit of the front bumper/grill assembly was poor...large and uneven gaps.

Net: I'm disappointed. The Q50 has a fold down rear seat and virtually every other feature on the 212 refresh. Infiniti does a good job on interiors...it may be a car to watch.

hyperion667

I see infinity: I shudder

interesting about the NV, I have it on my 2011.......it isn't that handy these days, or the days following
the purchase haha.....
but it still 'wows' people that haven't seen it.....
the camera guidelines are pretty cool, even has a vectoring function which I thought looked cool.....

DavidNJ

The dealer mentioned to me that a several customers had mentioned the Q50. Infiniti does interiors well, the E-class is a bit primitive with lots of exposed plastics. The Q50's only real feature difference will some advanced features in the adaptive cruise control (steering assist, warning of fast approaching cars from behind), direct injection.

Infiniti seems to have gotten a lot right on the Q50, on this link watch dynamic evaluation under videos. Now Vettel was undoubtedly just there for marketing, but what does Hamilton do? It is the Red Bull Infiniti team.

http://infinitinews.com/en-US/infini...-q50-press-kit

I should point out I've been waiting 2 years for an E250CDI...and am more than a little disappointed at not being able to get night vision.

DavidNJ

It seems that MB is providing the diesel for the Q50 in Europe. Its standard engine is the 220CDI (170hp) from the E220CDI. The US E-class gets the stronger E250CDI, the same engine (2.2L) at a higher power level).

YYZ-E55

The truth is that night view assist in MBs other than the S/CL was not well executed. It is not practical to drive around at speed at night staring at the nav screen and not at the road ahead.

I understand the risks of hitting a deer having grown up in a similar region to what you describe, but in my opinion (having used night view assist in S, E and ML) you'd be better off saving the option cost of around $2000 to put toward your insurance deductible if you're unlucky.

Tjdehya

Keyless go has always been a pop in insert.
The Q50 is a C-class and 3-series competitor.
Its a car to watch if you are looking for a C-Class not an E.
The tech in the Q50 will appear in the Q70 but i believe that the name is the only thing that has changed from the 2013 M.

DavidNJ

The deductible isn't that high! But it puts a real burden on nighttime driving. Instead of a relaxing drive home the last 5 miles are very stressful. I thought all of the MB night vision systems were the same.

The Audi system highlights people and presumably deer. This would have been much easier if MB didn't remove the night vision, produce what seems in person to be a rather ugly beak, decontent the fold-down rear seat, and leave the interior looking so primitive (IMHO the 211 has a nicer interior although the nav is in a better place on the 212.

DavidNJ

The Q50 is the size, weight, interior volume, performance, and equipment level of an E-class not a C-class and will probably have a nicer interior than either (interior trim hasn't been a strong point on E- and C-class models).

We like our 211 E320CDI MB...my wife didn't like the E212 loaner...and the revision doesn't seem much better. The Q50 seems a major jump from the G37 (maybe the reason for the new nomenclature)...things are now complicated. Don't forget the A6/A7...the A7 seems very popular in our neighborhood judging from the supermarket parking lot.

DavidNJ

This UK video review includes a section on 212 E-class nightvision. Looks good to me.

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/cartech/merc...sted-49305307/

Tjdehya

So you are saying that the Q50 will compete with the Q70?
Is the Q50 replacing the Q70 and the Q70 expected to grow to compete with the S-class, 7-series etc?

DavidNJ

The Q50 is an Infiniti that nominally replaces the G37. Infiniti traditionally positioned the G37 against the BMW 3-series/C-class/A4 and its M37/M56 against the E-class/5-series/A6. The M is comatose in sales, the G37 was getting long in tooth. The G37 was always closer to the E-class than C-class in size (188in on a 112 in wheelbase vs 192in on a 113in wheelbase). The replacement Q50 goes further, moving the trim and features right into the E-class range.

While one or two MB 212 features may be ahead of the Q50, many aren't:
Audi's nav integrates Google Maps and Google Search:
I was hearing such good things about the E-class 212 revision I had my hopes high. I expected it to match the competition in nearly all areas and exceed them in other areas. I want the E250CDI drivetrain. I'm just disappointed with what I saw today at the dealer.

K-A

I noticed that as well. Not only does the new front look mismatched and not-thought-out by this crazy crop within the design team, but it actually seems to fit mismatched as well. I don't know WTH is going on.

hyperion667

maybe you should just get an S class because you seem to be needing that NV and the S has the third gen NV in it.......
guess E class isn't the car for you OP.......

don't let the door hit you on the way out

DavidNJ

We have an E-class and are fine...it was leading edge for its time. It seems the revised 212 is a few steps behind.

The S is new for 2014, the C new for 2015. However, the S is too big for my wife, more than we want to spend, and doesn't have day to day features we want like the fold down rear seat. While common on the mid-range German and UK offerings (E-class, A6, 5-Series, XF) the Q50 is the first Japanese luxury model this size to have it.

I was figuring the electronics got a major upgrade. My first concern was when the LCD screen wasn't increased in size. Now the other shoe drops and crashes through the floor. Audi and BMW models will sprout diesels for 2014. Maybe Infiniti will add the MB 250CDI engine to the Q50 for 2015 with a mid-2014 introduction?

DavidNJ

pmb600

The Night Vision in all cars except the S and CL was not that helpful because it appeared on the COMAND screen instead of the digital instrument cluster. Honestly, just get the LED Lighting Package with full adaptive LEDs and you will see more deer with those than any Night Vision system.

DavidNJ

I'll disagree on both points. First, to me at least, it easier to glance at the large, high central display than down at the gauges. The Audi has the navigation window down there, a small little think, and I find it hard it takes too long to figure it out.

BMW probably has the best current night vision system, although it is unclear if it is coming to the US. In addition to displaying on the screen, it displays a warning on the dash and in the heads-up display. For 2014, it recognizes people and large animals; lack of animal recognition is something many complained about. It seems deer are far more likely to jaywalk on a dark windy suburban road. Finally, it converts the foglights to motorized spot lights. When the system recognizes a person or animal in or near the vehicle path, it shines a light on them.


The MB system has an infrared light which the BMW system lacks. It makes things brighter which is shown in the video above.

There are other systems that vary between makes. MB has 130° cameras front and rear. Audi has side cameras front and rear. BMW only has side cameras in the front. BMW is the only one of the three that doesn't have a front camera on their surround view. They also don't display the rear camera and surround view concurrently.

MB land departure and blind spot systems are active. BMW and Audi are passive, at least in the US. Audi and for 2014 BMW have touch pads to enter nav/radio/phone info (similar to Google Gesture). Missing on MB. All three have active cruise control but it is unclear what stop and go means. For example, BMW is adding Traffic Jam Assistant in November that handles stop and go traffic. Does MB have this already?

BMW also has a problem with features on the xDrive units, apparently because it has hydraulic power steering. The Traffic Jam Assistant, the Park Assistant (which MB but no Audi has in the US), and Integral Active Steering (which the magazines pan but most owners rave about) are not available on the a xDrive models.

MB has specifically stated it has steering assist in the US; an active lane departure that keeps the car centered in the lane. BMW's Traffic Assist does that (up to 20mph) and Audi has something similar in Europe.

Audi and BMW have heads-up displays. BMW and MB have a hold feature on the brakes, Audi doesn't, at least in the US. It works better on the BMW. The MB requires the driver to actively engage it each time; the BMW system automatically activates if it is switched on with a console button. In stop and go traffic, I don't want to and will undoubtedly forget at times to apply it with the MB type setup.

All have LED headlights. The MB has the adaptive high beams. The BMW may have the adaptive highbeams, very unclear. The US car has the same option codes as the European cars with it, but it isn't mentioned anywhere in the documentation we have.

The MB diesel and all the BMWs have runflats; Audi is the only company offering a diesel with a spare (at least I think so, I'll have to see it to be sure).

BMW is the only one offering dynamic shocks on a diesel in this class. It also offers dynamic anti-roll bars (PDCC on a Porsche). However, the calibrations are for their runflat setups. A change to a spare and regular high performance tires probably means the calibrations would be too soft. We would probably use Bridgestone RE760 'ultra high performance' summer tires and Michelin Pilot Alpine PA4 winter tires on any of these cars. A inflation kit would be in the trunk and a loose space saver spare and tools in bag for longer trips (about $350-400).

The Euro fuel economy rating on the 245hp BMW diesel is about the same as the MB 195hp diesel. That is partially because MB is only selling the diesel with 4Matic, which has a major impact on its fuel efficiency. But then, here in NJ, AWD is nearly mandatory if you want any sort of resale value.

MB appears to have Nappa in all interior colors. BMW is only offering Nappa in ivory white (!!!, are they nuts?) and Mocha. Then only as part of a $2100 package. And they don't offer a grey interior in either their standard or Nappa leathers (new for 2014).

MB offers Drive Dynamic seats for the driver, BMW has a 20 way seat (bolster adjustment added for 2014) on both side but no dynamic adjustment. We have and I like the dynamic adjustment. Audi has just a regular seat; not even a power headrest. All three offer ventilation, but MB has the massage feature on the Drive Dynamic driver's seat. BMW has it as an option in Europe, not in the US. Not cheap either, it is £595 in the UK.

MB used to have a great fold down rear seat. The lower cushion folded forward, the seat back flat. Now it is a simple fold forward back like Audi and BMW. Sad...very sad. In Europe the front passenger seat back used to fold forward and flat. My QX56 has that.

On a individual note, I like the styling inside and out on the BMW best, but could live with any of them. I think the styling on our W211 is better than any of them...by a bit.

Net, there is a lot of technology. It varies between makes. None are perfect. I think most of it is quite useful.

P.S.
The Modern, Luxury, and M-Sport BMW packages only come with 19" wheels with 6-cylinder engines in the US. A look on any BMW forum will show the 245/40 runflat 3.8" sidewalls on the 19" wheels have caused lots of tire and wheel problems. Enough, that BMW has retrofitted some cars with 18", especially under lemon law threats. I don't know why they don't offer 18" wheel options on those models in the US; they have 18" wheels standard in Europe.

pdjv

I was really disappointed with the split folding rear seats on my W212 - not as nice as my W211 where the bottom cushion folded up and the backs folded flat - lots of available space. Much less space, the seat backs don't fold flat, and the damned things push the front seats forward so far that it's a PITA to even use them.

Live Oak

There is a programming fix for that -- afterwards you can move the passenger seat back after folding the rear seat down.

pmb600

Hi DavidNJ, good summary of features among the different competitors. MB also has a spotlight function for the Night View Assist in Europe, but it's not offered in the U.S. due to govt. regs. Sucks, we miss out on a lot of good stuff.

I have a 211 now also with split seats, so I know what everyone is talking about and agree. I've also had a 212, I still prefer the 211 styling more myself. I also live in NJ and am very familiar with where you live (says Warren in your profile) lots of dark windy roads there so I understand your concerns. I will say having driven the 212 with the new LED Lighting Package, they are so incredibly bright, that alone will help spot stuff on the roads. Next to the 211 bi-xenons it makes them look like halogens!

DavidNJ

It remains to be seen of the dynamic spotlight makes it the US. It seems to be part of the new S-class.

On the BMW side if you order it you get a package of the same night vision that comes to the US (6UK), the LED lights (552) and the Automatic High Beams (5AC). Ditto with the headlights. I think we won't know until the cars are delivered.

On the dynamic spot light, we already have moving headlights with curve following Adaptive Lights both Adaptive High Beams. And we have corning lights that are triggered on movement. MB also has an infrared light.

My guess is it will show up on one of them. Night Vision has been expensive (although less so at MB than at BMW or Audi) with a low take rate. Maybe the new version was just too much to retrofit to the E-class. Maybe the new E-class is moved up to a 2016, only 2 years away, and it wasn't worth the cost.

DavidNJ

I should have added the German 2014 E-class info shows no night vision. All the diesels get the urea tank in 2014; I don't think the Europeans will take well to runflats. Two reasons I think the W212 restyle is short lived.

http://www.mercedes-benz.de/content/...s_/safety.html

K-A

Funny how that happens. I find myself being more fond of my W211 (not build quality wise however) in retrospect these days as well. The W212 is bold and dynamic as hell but with all the sharp and altering motions and edges (and now altering angles with the facelift front) it isn't meant to be timeless, therefore I feel the W211 with its classic yet still modern idiom starts to excel as time goes on and both body styles pack on more years.

I love both but I actually start to miss the W211 when I see a nice one on the roads. Incredible for a design to do that when I've since had three much newer, much more advanced Sedans that evolved on the segment the W211 forefronted.