T.H.Carrera

For all those who really want to know how he affords all these cars:

1. Lived with parents while going to school (no need to work part time and rent)
2. Parents paid for school ( no loans no need to get job )
3. Got a good job at Dads firm, or with Dad's curent employer
4. Lives at home (not saying its a bad thing) ( so no bills, no rent, no mortgage)

So a person who has everything provided and pretty much has to just pay for car, partying out of a 6 figure income can change cars every 6 months without an issue. I would not be surprised if he also has 200k or more already saved up.

Moral of the story, when you have rich parents everything comes easy.

There mystery solved!!!!

Tjdehya

Wow, I cant believe the attacks on the persons income or vehicle history. That just seems way off topic and disrespectful. Its none of your business!
My only disbelief is the claim that the stalk just broke off from a normal press of the lever with a finger or two. Its obvious that he yanked on it and broke it. It was designed to be operated with a couple pounds of force and not yanked on by The Hulk.

hyperion667

wow, you presume a GREAT deal......you're probably just sitting there waiting for a reply LOL

ImInPA

lol...I hope it all works out for the OP. It sure is tough being a kid today...lol. I can't imagine getting rid of a car because of something like this, and, would let the dealer order the part and install it. Perhaps with a little more maturity, the OP will learn that it is never a good idea to come to a MB W212 forum, and, start a thread with a title that trashes the car, and, then lists an issue that is a totally simple fix as the reason the car should be taken back and exchanged. Exaggeration of an issue just gets under the skin of the overwhelming majority that are satisfied with their vehicles.

petee1997

Now if I had been intelligent enough to write this post it would not have gotten to number 79.

It's certainly a sign of my advancing age that I can amuse myself responding to a kid who really was only reacting to an excess of testosterone. For that, I apologize.

mountainrivera

MB of Brooklyn? I just bought a car there. They seem like a good organization. I had a very positive experience.

JDBKLYN89

I would love to know in what part of the country 24 years old qualifies as a "kid". My mother was already married and raising two children by the time she was 24. I plan on starting a family in the next couple of years and have the means to do so, don't really consider myself a "kid"

JDBKLYN89

Yes, They have had a major improvement since the new ownership took over. The current owner Doug Wells, actually was the salesperson we had been dealing with at Ray Catena. He is a remarkably stand up guy.

fintail

Any news on exactly what part failed here? I haven't heard of this issue elsewhere - sounds like just a freaky random event. I've wondered why MB went with the trucky/old fashioned column shift - it is a polarizing thing, some of my friends who are BMW no-turn signal types who have seen my car are put off by it. Now each time I drive my car, I am paying more attention to the lever.

I own another MB with a column shift - this one broke a linkage a few years ago, but at least the lever didn't fall off:



And I have to chime in, I don't see the reason to hate the OP either - even people who might be lucky enough to have a family business can still work hard. He's reporting a valid issue, let it be. Not like he's a sketchy investor visa holder or drug dealer or FIRE criminal or something.

mikeyle

yea, i dont see the point in hating on this guy either, some people jump right into careers right out of college or even without attending, young realtors for example can make a good amount of money by their mid 20s, not a big deal.

i just dont see the op's point in making it sound like these cars are low quality because of some freak accident, noone on here has ever broken their shifters so obviously it was an isolated incident that may have been a freak accident or he really could have used it a little too hard. ive driven some suvs with column mounted shifters where you actually have to put some force and speed into gear shifts but the E-class takes almost no effort at all to shift

CEB

Nobody is "hating" on this guy. Some of us are merely pointing out some inconsistencies in his posts.

Right now, we're just and waiting for the next story when he returns from the dealer - assuming that he actually went.

Bob338

And do you ever think you will truly learn the 'real' cause of the problem? And, if there is a swap, the 'real' arrangement for that exchange? The internet provides anonymity and you own construction of 'facts' that may or may not be.

It makes no sense that after one 'failure', that a replacement is desired with the same exact arrangement. A repair of the part will return the exact same thing as another car will have and that seems to be the only 'flaw' in that car. I'd rather have a known commodity than a replacement you have to sort out.

I'd love to see a photo of the 'failed' part.

CEB

I guess we won't hear anything today. Maybe talking to the dealer wasn't that important after all.

2006_C350

CEB-I see you love to post on this forum to maintain that MBworld Fanatic status...LOL I'm sure the OP worked something out and is out driving his CLS!

2nice4me

What year is her car? I would prefer console shifter as well but believe all the 2010 and newer have the steering wheel shifter?

K-A

Lol, that would be me.

Most people who saw mine in my E who commented on it felt that it made the car appear and seem "old people-ish (geriatric)". Namely my Girlfriend in her mid 20's who always gave me grief for it.

I liked it in the E, it's old-school, very "full on luxury car"-ish. But it's not sexy, and I'm surprised M-B uses it so prevalently as it does something they try so desperately to move away from, i.e gives it an "old timey", lazy-boy vibe. The new lever being used is far uglier and cheaper looking (looks like something a School Bus would use) than the one the W212 uses which came from the W221 S.

Logically, it does make sense, as you get lots of real-estate space. But real estate space isn't "sexy". Many people still find a cool central gear lever more aesthetically pleasing, tactile-y-pleasing, and more alluring in impression.

CEB

I'm not sure why you say that. Status doesn't go away and is immaterial anyway. We post here to help others and to learn from others.

CEB

BMW received similar critisism when they went to their funky shifter too - but they left the thing on the console. Now that everything is electronic, it doesn't really matter where you put it.

K-A

Yeah, the placement of it now is literally all about perception and playing with mentalities (it's probably more marketing than actual engineering), case in point even M-B keep it on the console for their AMG models and maybe a Coupe or two. The console shifter is an inherently "sportier/sexier" placement, which is why you have certain people who see M-B's column way and get immediately turned off, i.e "Grandpa style". Then you have people who feel the placement of a modern electronic shifter is purely superfluous anyway as we touch it once then go, and don't care either way, or maybe even prefer the extra real estate from the column shifter.

BMW's shifter is a pain in the ***. Put someone who's never driven one in there and they'll look at the thing like it's an Alien Spacecraft (same with M-B's though for that matter, as they won't know where the shifter is or what to do with it, if they've never driven a column shifter car before.... as they pretty much stopped appearing in most cars after the 80's and even 90's in some Trucks). They won't know what to do with it. What bugs me the most of the parking button. So stupid. I've literally accidentally pressed it too early and heard my car clicking and screeching horrendously because the wheels were still spinning when it went into "park". BMW's operation is more complex for the sake of complexity sometimes, M-B keep things more simple.

As far as perceptions go, I can't deny it feels much "cooler" and more lively to have that shifter in the middle console. Perception is a powerful thing (ask the marketing guys).

hyperion667

the shifter could be in the glove department and I could care less

DC-IT

Boy am I grateful for the column mounted shifter!
Since July 1st, I broke my right wrist (NO not from shifting the gears!).
The column shifter allows me to drive effortlessly even though my right arm is still in a cast!

2006_C350

I'm just saying sometimes you post just for the sake of posting. Some of your comments aren't productive. Shall I run through your history like you did with the OP for proof? LOL no hard feelings

fintail

I kind of looked at the column shift as a heritage thing - as many MB of the 50s and early 60s had it - like the Ponton that spawned the rear fender lines. After the fintail, I can't think of a MB with a column shift until some later model SUVs.

I like the empty console look, it is different and opens things up. I am not shifting with it unless I am stopped anyway. I do agree the 2014 shift lever doesn't look as premium as the earlier version.

Exactly, a floor/console shift is the pretense of sport, and some want to think they have a sports car, even if it is a heavy V6 sedan with a mandatory automatic. Definitely a marketing thing. I will say I liked to shift with the floor/console mounted tiptronic like in my E55 than with flappy paddles, which I haven't really warmed up to yet (but in a diesel, what's the point, it's not a sports car).

neverlose

+1 on being a big fan of having the shifter on the column. It frees up all that space should someone need to lean over from the passenger side for any reason

AuTEC

...This thread is still going?