desmic89

I'm receiving an E300 for a birthday present, however I can't go whole hog by ordering all the options. Would love to hear your thoughts on spending $2k on either the Acoustic/Comfort package $1100 + heated and ventilated seats $500 + adaptive high-beam assist $300 vs. Air Body Control $2k?

I really want an air suspension. I find them comfortable on the poor roads here in Texas vs. the steel springs in my Acura. However, I'm unsure how good the standard, non-air sport suspension on the E300 is. Furthermore, I don't know how quiet the E300 without the Acoustic/Comfort package is. The ventilated seats and high-beam assist are nice features which I've added to the Acoustic package to total $2k.


Acoustic/Comfort package:
Air Body Control:

justinm001

there's a review on YouTube about the e300 and he says the air suspension is loud and sounds like it's farting when you get out. also it constantly adjusts.

these cars are very quiet, I didn't get either options but got basically everything else. I didn't know how the acoustic package works with tinted windows, but I figured for that $1100 I can get the windows tinted and solar film on windshield but not sure.

justinm001

also ventilated seats require the $1650 leather option. dealer said it wain't worth the $400 cost because they're not actually cooled, just a fan that blows air. seemed definately worth $400 but not $2000 with the leather.

silberrosa

Id recommend leather+ventilated seats. No they are not cooled, but they are great in keeping you cool and dry on a hot day. The steel springs are excellent and the car is already quiet and the lights are already full LED. Ventilated seats you will appreciate every single day...I know I do.

desmic89

I'm definitely getting ventilated seats now. And great to hear about the steel springs. Do you have the Luxury suspension or the Sport?

justinm001

Luxury model requires air suspension. Sport is steel springs.

joshg1001

The ventilated option is great when you use it in conjunction with the heated seats. Really gets the warm air flowing

ADD0514

Just my 2 cents...
The seat - It's summer so I haven't try the heat and ventilation together as mentioned above. On a very warm day, there's not enough air pumped by the fan to help much. The air circulation through the perforations in the Volvo XC90's seat is much more noticeable and feel nicer comparing to the E300. The seats in the older Subaru Outback are softer and more comfortable for me. The E300 sport seats really hug your mid and shoulder sections, so you might want to test drive them first.
Hi-Beam Assist - I tried the option a few times and thought that it was broken in my E300. It turns out that if there's sufficient ambient light or surrounding traffics, the car will not turn on the hi-beam! This option is useful for driving on long stretch of rural roads--Not for metro dwellers. The controlled projection, intensity, and color temperature of the LED lights are so good, I haven't encounter a situation where the hi-beam is required.
Lastly, congratulations - Nice birthday present! I got my wife the E300 and she's getting me a Subaru Outback for my coming up birthday in return. Not quite fair, is it? Actually, despite some rough edges and the use of cheaper materials here and there, the OB rides as quietly as the E300, has most of the modern day amenities that the E300 has, and is a great value at about $40K. I'm happy and impressed with the OB; and will pass it on to my son when he starts to drive in a few years.

desmic89

I appreciate it. I have a generous family who knows I love cars. I test drove the E300 in Sport and Luxury today, and could hardly tell a difference between the two in terms of suspension or comfort. I'm short and skinny so the seats and interior felt roomy. However, I'm definitely getting the air suspension since the steel springs' ride quality weren't what I expected.

And I'm glad you told me about the weak ventilating feature and Hi-Beam assist, saved me $1000.