What do you think is pretty useless / could be improved upon?
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skoda octavia MkII 2.0
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Tampa, FL
2019 E450 4Matic & 2018 E400 4Matic
same here! i always been used to have a lever on the right side for the windshield wipers and having now a gear lever at the same position is really awkward. there is currently a real mess with manufacturers trying to figure out new ways to place the gear sifter since with auto transmissions and the electronic stuff there is no need to have the sifter placed on the central column, so they are moving to steering wheel column levers, buttons on central column, dial buttons, etc. this actually has been cause of deaths because one needs to not have to think where to get the reverse or drive positions in stressful situations and the implementations are usually not intuitive. I wish MB had kept the sifter on the central column like a manual one, as BMW done with the new M5
Thread Starter
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From: Melbourne, Australia
W213 Night Edition 220d. (ML250 SLK350AMG)
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2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe
It is redundant, but it gives another little touch of class to the interior. It also has a delightful easter egg in that when you cross to a different time zone, the analog clock adjusts itself automatically, and the dials move at an impressive speed to get to the new correct time. In my Infiniti G35 Coupe there was a nice analog clock and the digital clock from the retractable navigation screen. The digital one was GPS-synced, but the analog one wasn't. It's cool to have all clocks GPS-synced in the Mercedes.
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 180
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From: California
E300
3 things to improve in E class
1. The seat and mirror adjustments aren’t programmed to the car keys. You have to press the appropriate adjustment button and hold it in. My wife drives with the seat far forward so when I use the car, I have to stand outside pushing the button, in rain or shine, hot or freezing weather. Dumb.
2. There is no way to preview a navigation route—no navigation list view. You have no idea how the navigation is taking you to your destination. It’s the only navigation system I’ve seen without this feature. My $80 Tom Tom has it. Dumb.
3. The navigation system notifies you of a freeway exit or a turn 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile in advance. This cannot be adjusted by the user. If you are driving 60-70mph in the left lane of a mulit lane freeway, the exit warning is about 30-45 seconds in advance. It can be impossible (or dangerous) to cut over to the right lane in time to exit or turn. . Dumb.
I do like the gas mileage, comfort, ride and several other things. If only they would fix the above design problems.
2. There is no way to preview a navigation route—no navigation list view. You have no idea how the navigation is taking you to your destination. It’s the only navigation system I’ve seen without this feature. My $80 Tom Tom has it. Dumb.
3. The navigation system notifies you of a freeway exit or a turn 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile in advance. This cannot be adjusted by the user. If you are driving 60-70mph in the left lane of a mulit lane freeway, the exit warning is about 30-45 seconds in advance. It can be impossible (or dangerous) to cut over to the right lane in time to exit or turn. . Dumb.
I do like the gas mileage, comfort, ride and several other things. If only they would fix the above design problems.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2017
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From: Hermosa Beach, California
2018 E400 Coupe
I tend to agree with you regarding your issues #2 & #3 (#1 not a problem for me as I'm the only driver of the car). My 2008 Cadillac CTS's NAV system was far superior on both counts, and there's no valid excuse for MB's poor execution of what has become a nearly essential feature of modern cars more than 10 years later.
However, with respect to #2 one workaround is to zoom out map, which is easy enough with the large knob on the center console. That's sufficient for me to get around the greater Los Angeles and Orange County area as I'm familiar enough with the freeway system to know then the computer has its head up its tailpipe. I also ignore 99% of the system's suggestions for alternate routes, which often would route me though very sketchy areas and crowded surface streets.
Given these very obvious problems, I have very little faith in other computer-based systems in newer cars. Most are simply not ready for prime time, IMHO,
However, with respect to #2 one workaround is to zoom out map, which is easy enough with the large knob on the center console. That's sufficient for me to get around the greater Los Angeles and Orange County area as I'm familiar enough with the freeway system to know then the computer has its head up its tailpipe. I also ignore 99% of the system's suggestions for alternate routes, which often would route me though very sketchy areas and crowded surface streets.
Given these very obvious problems, I have very little faith in other computer-based systems in newer cars. Most are simply not ready for prime time, IMHO,
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 180
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From: California
E300
Mercedes used to program the seats to each key. I think they stopped doing it for legal reasons—someone in the drivers seat getting squeezed when a key was pressed. It’s like McDonalds deciding to serve luke warm coffee to keep customers from burning themselves—make thousands of customers unhappy to avoid a possible legal problem. I’m an attorney but attorneys shouldn’t be in charge of such decisions.
I have used the map zooming workaround. But navigation should be most useful when you are completely unfamiliar with the area and you shouldn’t have to resort to workarounds in a car like this. I’ve owned seven Mercedes with several different navigation systems and not one of them was as good as the after market Garmin and Tom Tom systems which cost a fraction of the price. Mercedes needs to rethink who is running this aspect of their car design. Despite my past loyalty, I won’t buy another Mercedes unless they improve their electronics.
I have used the map zooming workaround. But navigation should be most useful when you are completely unfamiliar with the area and you shouldn’t have to resort to workarounds in a car like this. I’ve owned seven Mercedes with several different navigation systems and not one of them was as good as the after market Garmin and Tom Tom systems which cost a fraction of the price. Mercedes needs to rethink who is running this aspect of their car design. Despite my past loyalty, I won’t buy another Mercedes unless they improve their electronics.
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Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 480
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skoda octavia MkII 2.0
if that was the reason it seems dumb. there are standard solutions to this, including already in use by MB. just have sensors detecting if there is someone there and if they are being squeeze. in (some) MB coupes when someone goes to the back seat and the front seat is automatically set to the front passenger and moves back and hits the legs of the back passenger it immediately stops. like it should with soft-close doors (and not whip-off fingers like it has happened in BMW) or with electronic side windows. just standard and well tested tecs that work if manufactures don't cut costs in building these components.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Tampa, FL
2019 E450 4Matic & 2018 E400 4Matic
Every car has it's quirks, so there's nothing perfect out there. Overall, I'm very happy with my E400. If there was one thing I would change, it would be the QI Charging mat and the location of the USB to power AppleCar Play. For one thing, the charging mat is TOO small. I don't even have a plus sized phone as I have an iPhone X, but in it's very slim case, it's not easy to lay it flat on the charging mat to get it to charge. Plugged for AppleCar Play, it's not possible for it lay down flat. And I'm planning on getting the new iPhone X Plus when it rolls out in a few weeks, which will render the charging mat to be useless. The other issue is where the USB port is located for AppleCar Play. It interferes with things you may keep in the cup holders. The execution of both the mat the USB weren't done very well IMHO. I know.......first world problems, right? LOL
Member
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 195
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From: US
2018 E400S
Mercedes used to program the seats to each key. I think they stopped doing it for legal reasons—someone in the drivers seat getting squeezed when a key was pressed. It’s like McDonalds deciding to serve luke warm coffee to keep customers from burning themselves—make thousands of customers unhappy to avoid a possible legal problem. I’m an attorney but attorneys shouldn’t be in charge of such decisions.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 322
Likes: 26
From: Northern Virginia
E400
lights in cup holders?
We just finished a drive from VA to MA. My wife put a iPhone in one of the cup holders during the trip. As we removed the phone, red lights were shining . are there really lights in the cup holders?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,447
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From: Tampa, FL
2019 E450 4Matic & 2018 E400 4Matic
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 677
Likes: 126
From: South Carolina
2020 MB E450 Estate, 2019 Kia Niro Touring
1. The seat and mirror adjustments aren’t programmed to the car keys. You have to press the appropriate adjustment button and hold it in. My wife drives with the seat far forward so when I use the car, I have to stand outside pushing the button, in rain or shine, hot or freezing weather. Dumb.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,278
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From: San Jose area
'19 E63S sedan
That's disappointing to hear. I've had automatic remote driver position when opening keyless since 2006, and it's one of many things I would have expected on this car, which I have yet to order. So many simple little things, standard on much less expensive cars 15 years ago, yet not available here.
I was also told you had to hold the memory button while the seat moved to prevent people from getting squashed. I was pleasantly surprised that they fixed that. On my '19, a single tap and release is all it takes.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2019
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From: South Carolina
2020 MB E450 Estate, 2019 Kia Niro Touring
Another feature they did away with because people are morons was the motorized rear view mirror. In my S55 all three mirrors were on memory. But people didn't know how it worked and forced the rear view mirror into position by hand, stripping the mechanism. MB got tired of replacing them and did away with the feature.
Did I understand from a previous post that the seat /will/ move to the position indicated on the remote if you press or hold a button on the remote, rather than just opening the door?
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 102
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2020 MB GLE 350
Parking Pilot. I have used it quite a few times, but it appears to struggle to locate open parking spaces as I pass them. At times, I've passed multiple open parking spaces and the car will just not recognize them. I even circled around just to see if the car would recognize them on a subsequent pass and it would not.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 669
Likes: 142
From: Hermosa Beach, California
2018 E400 Coupe
Parking Pilot. I have used it quite a few times, but it appears to struggle to locate open parking spaces as I pass them. At times, I've passed multiple open parking spaces and the car will just not recognize them. I even circled around just to see if the car would recognize them on a subsequent pass and it would not.
