First impressions of an E450 vs E400
10-28-2018, 04:59 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
First impressions of an E450 vs E400
As I mentioned in an earlier post the local MB dealer misrepresented live traffic availability (in Canada) on my 2018 E400. They made if very easy for me to swap it for a 2019 E450 which has the Mercedes Me goodies including live traffic. I picked the car up a couple of weeks ago and have done about 750 kms on it.
Obviously the two cars are almost identical. I have the some colour (Diamond White metallic) but have the dark ash glossy wood trim on this one which I prefer to the open pore trim on the 2018.
I anticipated that I would feel some gain in "grunt" with the new tuned engine but honestly I don't feel any difference at all. Occasionally I think the pick up from say 90 kms to 110 kms on the highway is a bit snappier but if it is it's marginal at best. It also could be my imagination.
I do like the new steering wheel controls which make use the cruise/adaptive feature easier. I prefer the old steering wheel though which had "honeycomb" inserts above the cross column. The new one is smooth all the way around.
The Mercedes Me stuff is useful and I am grateful to have Live Traffic again.
One negative is that the new car seems to be totally useless at perpendicular parking itself. I drove around a mall parking lot with the search feature on and it never found a suitable parking spot despite driving by several opens spots between two parked vehicles on both sides of the car. My old car seemed to find these spots better although it certainly wasn't perfect. I need to do more testing to see what's going on.
Obviously the two cars are almost identical. I have the some colour (Diamond White metallic) but have the dark ash glossy wood trim on this one which I prefer to the open pore trim on the 2018.
I anticipated that I would feel some gain in "grunt" with the new tuned engine but honestly I don't feel any difference at all. Occasionally I think the pick up from say 90 kms to 110 kms on the highway is a bit snappier but if it is it's marginal at best. It also could be my imagination.
I do like the new steering wheel controls which make use the cruise/adaptive feature easier. I prefer the old steering wheel though which had "honeycomb" inserts above the cross column. The new one is smooth all the way around.
The Mercedes Me stuff is useful and I am grateful to have Live Traffic again.
One negative is that the new car seems to be totally useless at perpendicular parking itself. I drove around a mall parking lot with the search feature on and it never found a suitable parking spot despite driving by several opens spots between two parked vehicles on both sides of the car. My old car seemed to find these spots better although it certainly wasn't perfect. I need to do more testing to see what's going on.
10-28-2018, 06:15 PM
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
I'm glad you're enjoying the 2019! I'll be able to compare the E400 and E450 side by side when I get my E450 either tomorrow or Tuesday, and we already have an E400. I honestly wouldn't expect the bump up of 32 HP to make much difference. On the self-parking feature. I haven't gotten it to work myself, but then I prefer to park my car myself anyway, so it's not a big deal to me. I try not to park between two parked cars anyway.
I hope you continue liking the new ride!
I hope you continue liking the new ride!
10-28-2018, 08:33 PM
#3
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: MA
Posts: 6,128
Received 1,491 Likes
on
1,165 Posts
2008 E350 4Matic, 2011 E350 4matic
Yeah, I always try to part at least 3-4 cars away from the nearest car, but somehow half the time someone will park next to me for no particular reason. The extra walk is good exercise...
10-28-2018, 08:59 PM
#4
Super Member
I couldn’t agree more on the parking. The perpendicular parking on my E450 Cab completely sucks. But, on the other hand I really can’t imagine WHY I need that. Parallel I use all the time.
I have found it only finds a perpendicular parking place 1 time in 5. Also it seems to want a very narrow distance between rows to the left and to the right of the car. In “normal” parking lots, I find if I drive down the middle, the sonar or radar or cameras or whatever sensor is out of range and it just doesn’t see. When it does see space(s), it takes FOREVER to actually park! And way more times than not, it doesn’t calculate the geometry right and either aborts or needs to reposition the car and try again.
I’m gonna get shot in some kind of road rage incident holding up other drivers in a parking lot waiting the MINUTES for my car to try (and try again) to park itself..
I have found it only finds a perpendicular parking place 1 time in 5. Also it seems to want a very narrow distance between rows to the left and to the right of the car. In “normal” parking lots, I find if I drive down the middle, the sonar or radar or cameras or whatever sensor is out of range and it just doesn’t see. When it does see space(s), it takes FOREVER to actually park! And way more times than not, it doesn’t calculate the geometry right and either aborts or needs to reposition the car and try again.
I’m gonna get shot in some kind of road rage incident holding up other drivers in a parking lot waiting the MINUTES for my car to try (and try again) to park itself..
10-29-2018, 02:15 AM
#5
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Venice Florida
Posts: 4,496
Received 660 Likes
on
518 Posts
2018 S560 and 2019 E450 Wagon.
One worry I have now after reading that worst car post is about the GPS based Distronic. I'm hoping that as the poster said in that post that it does not do crazy things on the highway like try to turn when going straight and that sort of thing. My 2018 E63 AMG seems fairly accurate in that way, I recently drove the car back to Florida for the winter from Rhode Island and the only really fault I could find when on adaptive cruise is that sometimes the radars spots an exit off the highway and makes a bee line for it and you have to intervene, other than that it is most helpful. I was hoping the Distronic would be even more improved with the 2019 models as this technology seems to still be progressing. I hope the guy in the other post is wrong, I really was counting on the Distronic being even better. I'm also hoping maybe the sound system is better than in my AMG, although I suspect it's probably the same, It seems to look the same. I'm just not real thrilled with the sound quality in my 2018 E63 AMG, I mean it's not horrible bad or anything but the system in my 2015 S550 which is a HK sounds a lot better and much more musical and less electronic. I'll be doing a direct comparison of both cars fairly soon as I will have both wagons in my garage. Obviously I know the AMG will be a lot faster but perhaps the E450 wagon will be a better daily driver and I'm sure it will ride better over bumps, the AMG is a very taunt suspension as that car is mainly all about performance. I also know the gas mileage will be substantially better with the E450 Wagon, my AMG on the trip to Florida was averaging around 23 mpg on the highway, that was around 70 mph. I suspect under the same conditions the E450 wagon would be closer to 30 mpg. The range on the E450 should be great, meaning on a drive from up north to Florida I could probably do in only a couple of fuel stops. The AMG was 3. Definately going to miss my 2015 mercedes S550, it is probably about the smoothest most comfortable car ever built. I just really need a wagon for the travels I do.
10-29-2018, 03:50 AM
#6
MBWorld Fanatic!
I'm getting my first E450 CAB this week. About the Distronic. Is this some sort of a radar adjustment that can be done at the dealer? Those that have it, how well does it do in parked garages or a parallel parking situation? It would **** me off to have paid for an option that doesn't work.
Trending Topics
10-29-2018, 08:22 AM
#8
Super Member
Distronic works very well on my E450 Cab. I use it along with the lane keeping all the time. It works so well that I keep getting warnings that I’m not giving input to the wheel 😬
One thing i notice is after I slightly nudge the wheel so the computer sees that I’m still actively driving, the car tends to ping pong just a little bit inside the lane to find the center. Little bit of puckering when it does that and there’s a car next to me.
Only confusion i notice is with the lane departure warning. I tend to get the stick-shaker more than I think I should. I’ve even received the stick-shaker when I’ve had the turn signal on and there’s no one in my blind spot. But it’s very few and far between.
I did did have to turn off the auto speed adjustment, though. It was working as designed but driving me nuts. Speed limit was 65, so I set cruise at 70. The next time it saw a speed limit sign at 65, it would BRAKE the car down to 65. Pissed-off drivers behind me as it appeared to them I was slamming on my brakes to force them to slow down or back off
One thing i notice is after I slightly nudge the wheel so the computer sees that I’m still actively driving, the car tends to ping pong just a little bit inside the lane to find the center. Little bit of puckering when it does that and there’s a car next to me.
Only confusion i notice is with the lane departure warning. I tend to get the stick-shaker more than I think I should. I’ve even received the stick-shaker when I’ve had the turn signal on and there’s no one in my blind spot. But it’s very few and far between.
I did did have to turn off the auto speed adjustment, though. It was working as designed but driving me nuts. Speed limit was 65, so I set cruise at 70. The next time it saw a speed limit sign at 65, it would BRAKE the car down to 65. Pissed-off drivers behind me as it appeared to them I was slamming on my brakes to force them to slow down or back off
Last edited by sackboydad; 10-29-2018 at 08:26 AM.
10-29-2018, 08:44 AM
#9
MBWorld Fanatic!
I'm getting my first E450 CAB this week. About the Distronic. Is this some sort of a radar adjustment that can be done at the dealer? Those that have it, how well does it do in parked garages or a parallel parking situation? It would **** me off to have paid for an option that doesn't work.
10-29-2018, 08:53 AM
#10
MBWorld Fanatic!
Unless one is severely parking challenged, the parking assist package is not worth the price. That said, I have it on my E300. I use the 360° camera a lot, but I don't let the car park itself.
10-29-2018, 09:17 AM
#12
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 2,013
Received 575 Likes
on
434 Posts
2019 E 450, 2016 E350 4matic (retired), 2018 Ford Edge Sport, 2008 Porsche Boxster
The parking assist gives you audible warnings when you are parking. If you do not have parking assist you will not have an audible warnings. I do not need (or want) my car to park itself. But I definitely want the audible alarms. My prior BMM's had it, it is standard on my wife's Ford Edge Sport, it is not on my present 2016 E350 and I really miss it, and I wanted it (audible alarms) on my new E450: Hence I ordered the parking assist package.
10-29-2018, 09:27 AM
#13
Super Member
I like parking assistance for both the warnings and the cameras. With the extra-low height of the Cab, I turn on the front and top camera when parking to make sure the bumper doesn’t hit the parking pylons
The following users liked this post:
SSPAtlanta (02-15-2022)
10-29-2018, 09:30 AM
#14
MBWorld Fanatic!
I'm so looking forward to the surround view camera system on my [hopefully showing up at the dealership today] E450!! I like the audible warning beeps one gets parking with the car itself, but being able to see in front will be a bumper saver for sure!
10-29-2018, 09:58 AM
#15
MBWorld Fanatic!
One feature I really like about the overhead 360° view is the black band around the car. It is approximately 2½ (¾ meter) wide which is perfect for parking close to an obstacle such as a curb.
10-29-2018, 11:13 AM
#16
MBWorld Fanatic!
I agree. The most important function is the audible alarms ( had this on my Cadillac). What I'm really looking forward to is the 360 degree camera...always hard to gauge how far forward to park. Never had this on a car before. The parking function (parallel) would be helpful for my wife, who is dreadful at that.
