Just Picked Up 2017 e300, early thoughts...
08-10-2016, 09:07 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Just Picked Up 2017 e300, early thoughts...
Just bought our e300 on Sunday. Thoughts:
Pays to shop around. Even on this car, we found a motivated dealer in competitive Orange County that was leaps and bounds better in price AND lease terms than the deal we had struck in San Diego. This discount on our car, with a P2 package, panorama sunroof and a few other goodies, was double what we had been quoted closer to home. Lease terms were sharply lower. Proves on leases, even when residuals are controlled by MB, the money factor can be messed with. We added in MB's 10 multiple security deposits for an even lower money factor. We figure the savings were the equivalent of a 10% return - better than we could get on an investment!
Driving home from the dealer we realized the dynamic seat on the passenger side wasn't working. The car had been picked up by the dealer at the Long Beach Dock. That means the car left the factor with a defective part. C'mon, MB, you're better than that! Getting it checked out this week. (Hope it isn't an omen.) UPDATE: Turns out a hose in the seat was crimped. The dealer, Foothills Mercedes in Orange County, figured it out quickly. Because the car is so new, there were/are no parts numbers. So they took a part out of another car and had me on my way. Bottom Line: The problem occurred when the seat was manufactured, not the car.)
I'm coming out of a BMW 3-series wagon that I have driven for eight years. My wife has a 2009 c350 (35k miles ;-) ). This is a much bigger car than I'm used to and it has taken some getting used to the size and the non-BMW feel of the road. But after a few days I can clearly say that on sports mode, while not what i'm used to, it's really good, especially on the highway. It doesn't feel like a boat, which was a biggest concern. But it doesn't feel the road the way a BMW does, either. I will not miss the pothole explosions of the older BMW sport-suspension 3-series. So why did we buy it? My wife is always the passenger and in the BMW she felt we were flying and for eight years was not a happy passenger. She loves her car. She hated the BMWs we drove. Nixed any SUV, including the Macan. I knew where this was going, so I short-cut it. So far, very few complaints from the co-pilot. I think it's because of the way this car rides.
Tech: Wow, impressive; very cool; somewhat steep learning curve. No idea how the average person will figure this out. I was surprised that on MB's "how to videos" portion of their website there is not yet anything for the 2017 e300. And it's clear the dealers are still getting up-to-speed on it. Among the things I think I've learned: iPhone messages will not appear via bluetooth, only when connected by hard-wire to Car Play. (If I'm wrong, please tell me!) I'm also trying to figure out the fastest way to get to radio pre-sets. I think I've got that figured out. Also - MB's NAV is definitely better looking that Apples, but both are powered by TomTom, so the end-result (where the traffic is) is similar.
MB support: The MB assistance is really great. They answer the most nuanced questions with great patience. I mentioned my seat problem and was told that if the dealer can't quickly figure it out they'll elevate it to regional review, whatever that is. The downside: If you call into Mbrace, and/or hit the "I" in the car, they try to sell you on SOS, which seems steeped in another era. Do I really need to pay to have someone tell me where I can find the next Starbucks?
Signing up for Mercedes Me: Like others here, I had to call in to get my VIN into the system. Might have just been that I tried before I had owned the car for 48 hours.
All in all, growing more pleased by the day. Not the fastest thing on four wheels but a lot of pep - more than my 3-series wagon, that's for sure! A very impressive car.
Pays to shop around. Even on this car, we found a motivated dealer in competitive Orange County that was leaps and bounds better in price AND lease terms than the deal we had struck in San Diego. This discount on our car, with a P2 package, panorama sunroof and a few other goodies, was double what we had been quoted closer to home. Lease terms were sharply lower. Proves on leases, even when residuals are controlled by MB, the money factor can be messed with. We added in MB's 10 multiple security deposits for an even lower money factor. We figure the savings were the equivalent of a 10% return - better than we could get on an investment!
Driving home from the dealer we realized the dynamic seat on the passenger side wasn't working. The car had been picked up by the dealer at the Long Beach Dock. That means the car left the factor with a defective part. C'mon, MB, you're better than that! Getting it checked out this week. (Hope it isn't an omen.) UPDATE: Turns out a hose in the seat was crimped. The dealer, Foothills Mercedes in Orange County, figured it out quickly. Because the car is so new, there were/are no parts numbers. So they took a part out of another car and had me on my way. Bottom Line: The problem occurred when the seat was manufactured, not the car.)
I'm coming out of a BMW 3-series wagon that I have driven for eight years. My wife has a 2009 c350 (35k miles ;-) ). This is a much bigger car than I'm used to and it has taken some getting used to the size and the non-BMW feel of the road. But after a few days I can clearly say that on sports mode, while not what i'm used to, it's really good, especially on the highway. It doesn't feel like a boat, which was a biggest concern. But it doesn't feel the road the way a BMW does, either. I will not miss the pothole explosions of the older BMW sport-suspension 3-series. So why did we buy it? My wife is always the passenger and in the BMW she felt we were flying and for eight years was not a happy passenger. She loves her car. She hated the BMWs we drove. Nixed any SUV, including the Macan. I knew where this was going, so I short-cut it. So far, very few complaints from the co-pilot. I think it's because of the way this car rides.
Tech: Wow, impressive; very cool; somewhat steep learning curve. No idea how the average person will figure this out. I was surprised that on MB's "how to videos" portion of their website there is not yet anything for the 2017 e300. And it's clear the dealers are still getting up-to-speed on it. Among the things I think I've learned: iPhone messages will not appear via bluetooth, only when connected by hard-wire to Car Play. (If I'm wrong, please tell me!) I'm also trying to figure out the fastest way to get to radio pre-sets. I think I've got that figured out. Also - MB's NAV is definitely better looking that Apples, but both are powered by TomTom, so the end-result (where the traffic is) is similar.
MB support: The MB assistance is really great. They answer the most nuanced questions with great patience. I mentioned my seat problem and was told that if the dealer can't quickly figure it out they'll elevate it to regional review, whatever that is. The downside: If you call into Mbrace, and/or hit the "I" in the car, they try to sell you on SOS, which seems steeped in another era. Do I really need to pay to have someone tell me where I can find the next Starbucks?
Signing up for Mercedes Me: Like others here, I had to call in to get my VIN into the system. Might have just been that I tried before I had owned the car for 48 hours.
All in all, growing more pleased by the day. Not the fastest thing on four wheels but a lot of pep - more than my 3-series wagon, that's for sure! A very impressive car.
Last edited by bizinsider; 08-11-2016 at 10:53 PM.
08-10-2016, 10:41 AM
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Corona Del Mar, CA
Posts: 7,041
Received 3,418 Likes
on
1,948 Posts
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
Please tell us which dealer you got your car from. Sounds like Foothill to me, no?
08-10-2016, 11:06 AM
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
08-10-2016, 11:18 AM
#4
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Corona Del Mar, CA
Posts: 7,041
Received 3,418 Likes
on
1,948 Posts
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
08-10-2016, 11:24 AM
#5
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Foothill ownership is a partnership between the GM of MB Laguna Niguel and the owner of MB Laguna Niguel. When Eddie Hwang moved from being a SM at MBLN to being the GM at Foothill, I followed him over there and have not looked back. We have gotten three new cars from them and can't wait to order more. THE best place to buy or lease in So. CA, IMHO.
