What options do you or do not wish your ordered?
 

After putting on about 1300 miles on my E450 CAB (don't drive in winter unless it's completely snow free and dry), I'm really happy with all the options I got. Don't have the HUD, because it would have taken too long to get my car.

Only option I didn't get that I regret a little was the massage. Heard it really isn't that effective for the money....still....

Any options you wouldn't have bothered with, or wish you would have gotten?

Probably the tire pressure monitoring option (different from tire pressure warning). I have it on the C class and I use it more often than expected.

Air body control - it's not worth the money, and makes no difference at all

they wireless phone charger would have been nice and maybe the "hands free trunk opening"

what i love the most on my car is the adaptive cruise control - this, in combination with the "auto steering", makes it so effortless to drive

Well, first of all.... you know us guys and our measurements :-)

I've never measured it but I'll bet it's at least 3-4 inches from the lowered position in E, S, S+ to the manually raised upper position. I'll try to measure it today and see what I find. -- the car that is :-)

Ok... embarrassment time..... Again, typical guy.... not even close on the actual vs. perceived measurement. Measured front and back wheels from the bottom of the fender to the top of the circular trim on the AMG wheels.....

Lowered position.... 4.5"
Comfort position.... 4.75"
Manually raised position..... 5.5"

So, there is only a 1.0" difference between the lower-most position and the upper-most, manually raised, position. It sure seemed like a lot more!

1" hmmmmmm
so how much does that option cost per 1/4"

For me it was worth it..... I've saved my front bumper from getting scraped several times. And, I personally, could definitely feel a difference in comfort mode between the spring and the ABC version of the same car (albeit a 2018 version when I test drove them). The ABC felt more "feathery". I like that. Your mileage may vary.

I'm in the mode of enjoying learning stuff in the car. I'm a bit split minded when I think of cars. Part of me enjoys driving them, and part of me enjoys the comfort and tech and ease. Sometimes the tech/design does make it easier, othertimes not. I loved my last car for it's simplicity, knobs, smallness, "driver's car"ness etc. But it also lacked some basic tech things like homelink for my garage door. And a comfortable pothole laden commute ride.

This E450 I've decided to embrace the luxury side. And although it has been frustrating at times with the tech, I need to learn more of it to develop my quickest workflow. This week I'm enjoying the voice tech. I hadn't explored it much because in past cars it was slow and limited and never became a habit. But I'm finding it more rewarding in this car.

So

Features (maybe some are standard) that I LOVE & am glad I got.
(note I have only owned the car in winter so far.)
450- engine and trans are wonderful, but I could see less power might frustrate some in such a big car. The 450 moves with ease and poise.
Rapid heating seats
Heated steering wheel
Passenger seat controls on drivers side.
Center 12.1 screen.
Kick actuated rear gate (estate/wagon) - surprised that I am ALWAYS carrying two grocery bags!
The Designo interior, with the dash in leather and ceiling and pillars in alcantara, open grain wood center- it's simply stunning all over. So many complements when people get in. Makes me feel spoiled and like there were zero compromises.
Acoustic glass- pretty sure it helps, but unclear how much. But it's also one of those things where it's so quite now, that my ears will seek other quieter rattles now. Can't comment on the heat reflectivity yet. I did find the pencil my kid left in the rear passenger door though- so it's all okay now! Everybody can stay calm.

Features I don't need/would not bother ordering:
HUD- would rather not use it, I find it distracting more than helpful.
Distronic- love the safety features, but too much of a control freak to let the car drive.
Lane keep- I guess I don't signal as much as I should! The judder feedback interrupts my "spirited" driving style.
Run Flat Tires- I know they are standard, but were my least liked aspect of the car. (plenty of other threads for this.)
19 inch wheels- happier with my 18 inch snows I have on now. Will reconsider when I put nonRFT on my 19 factory wheels. I think an MB luxury irde is helped by the tire situation immensely.

Still debating:
Luxury vs Sport suspension- sometimes I'm looking for stiffer.
Suprisingly- the panoramic roof. I love the idea, but don't use it. I even close the shade more than open. It is winter now, but suprised- when I open it- I either don't notice, or close it to keep the sun out.

Just mine- for whatever insight you see here.

re ABC: that is indeed very handy, but it'san expensive feature if that's the only real advantage!

Re soft close: isn't this someting that is always activated? - maybe i don't Completely understand the system…

All soft close doors do is close the door by itself if you close the door to the fist latch position. In other words, we have ALL gone to close the door on our car and it doesn't quite close and latch. then you have to open and close it again with more force to fully close it. Soft close doors will finish closing for you.

I originally added it to the order because my wife has a GMC Yukon Denali (I call it the Space Shuttle) that parks next to my car in the two-car garage. There is barely enough room to get a bicycle between two cars, even when they are parked as far apart as possible. I was worried, honestly, that my wife (when driving my car) might not quite close the door after she got in and open the door and bump it in to her car. Figured the soft close door would finish closing so the door it didn't have to be re-opened. In reality, it's been a non-issue.

I also kind of wish I hadn't bought the HUD. It's OK.... but I find myself still looking at the progressive display in the left display more. I have to consciously make myself look at the HUD. And forget it if you're wearing sunglasses, it almost disappears.

The only thing that really catches my eye is the blinking speed limit sign in the HUD when I exceed the posted limit, which is freaking easy to do. Last week, I was in rural Virginia and following someone else to a destination. That other person had a lead foot and I didn't feel like getting a ticket (small town speed traps). Eventually I had to catch up. I was in the middle of catching up and looked down and realized I was doing 96mph! I couldn't even feel it -- or really hear the engine going that fast...... Impressive but scary.

My former Escape's engine would have been as noisy as a jet engine going that speed.

I wish I bought the designo leather seats. The plain heated/ventilated leather seats are so hard and uncomfortable after a few minutes that I've had to add seat cushions to keep my bum from getting numb. I love all of the other options on the car.

Hilarious :rolf:

For me, my only regret was that I didn't purchase the full driving assistance package (distronic). It would have only cost me another £900 so it wasn't about the money. At the time I was thinking that I would probably never use it and while that may still be true, I do wish I had ordered it. Especially as I've learnt through other posts on this forum that the system is much improved on the MY19 cars.

One thing I didn't get was the ventilated seats for 2 reasons: One it is a convertible, and two, I hate that perforated seat look. I had it in a previous SLS Caddy and it felt a little creepy and didn't cool any more more than an air conditioner would. Maybe MB is different.

Those that have it, do you feel it worth it?

Glad to hear some of you wouldn't order the HUD again. As I said, I initially wanted it, but it was such a building delay that I passed on it.

The distronic system is absolutely fabulous on the 2019. Very reliable! Almost makes the car totally autonomous and is really nice on long trips...well worth the money IMO.

Just put Hydraulics on the car and you can raise it two feet lol :)... My car is pretty much loaded with the exception of the Air body control and the Air Balance package. I don't regret not having the Air Body control but I wish my car had the air balance package, I miss that, my 2018 AMG Wagon had that as well as my 2015 S550. I have the Heads up Display but rarely use it so could have done without that and the Soft Close doors I probably could have done without too. I do regret not having the heated steering wheel and heated arm rest, those options would have been nice. I reaylly can't regret anything though because I bought a in stock car at the dealer and excepted it the way it was, I did not want to wait for an order and the colors of the car I got were perfect, diamond white and white int and yacht blue top and dash and carpets. The Wagon I got has about 6K less options than the Cabriolet I got, but that's fine it's more of a work car. The Wagon just has the base seats with the MB Tx, Thats ok though as that MB tx is strong as anything and I'll probably never damage it. Less to go wrong in the Wagon too, like no multi contour seats which is probably a good thing as the car is on the road so much, doing 25K per year with the E450 Wagon. The Cabriolet, maybe 6K per year.

I have to say, there isn't anything I regret not getting and there's nothing I regret getting. For me, the way I optioned my car is simply perfect for me. I didn't get (though toyed with getting momentarily) the massaging seats (I got to try them and wasn't wowed) nor air-body suspension. I also didn't get air-balance. We have it in the E400 and it's something I learned I could live without easily. I also didn't get HUD, which is something else I tested and found wasn't great with UV sunglasses (mandatory attire when you live in the Sunshine State). If my car fell off a cliff today and I had to reorder a new E450, I'd get exactly what I have and that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

That's truly wonderful.

Even if not fully functional, the Intelligent Lighting package, for me, is a must have. I love seeing he dancing led light show when you turn the car on and the lights follow corners as you turn, which provides much better visibility at night.

I like it, but you need to understand what it is (and the limitations) in order not to get frustrated with it.
it is definitely NOT an AC , but merely ventilation.
as such it will suck the air from the back through the seats, which means that if the car has been on the sun for long, the air it sucks through will be warm too.
but still; it will cool the seats faster than without and it keeps your back nice & dry
it's one of those features that you don't notice so much until you switch it off.
but the option is only available with leather seats, so it can become an expensive option!

Living in a very hot climate, ventilated seats are another must, IMHO. True, they aren't air conditioned, but the air they blow is cool enough to really help. I use this feature a LOT. Heated seats on the other hand, in Florida is an option I could easily live without. I can't remember a time when I used heated seats even once.

Ditto. I didn't need the HUD option. It's only useful when I have NAV going since the directions show up there in case I'm playing around with another screen.

I wish I'd gotten rapid heated seats. It's been freezing this winter in NYC and early morning drives to work are not fun for the first 10 minutes. Ditto the heated steering wheel (I opted against this because my last one broke so I figured, how necessary is it? Very, in practice).

And, I wonder if I should have splurged for the scent package. It sounded ridiculous initially, but it's probably a lot more pleasant than the preposterous febreeze I have sticking out of my air vent. And yes, I know it's awful but I train every morning and have to leave my gear in the car. Ugh.

Everything else is perfect, and I have it all except air suspension (already discussed in many other threads). The car rocks with the massive double display, designo, distronic, parking, lighting, etc.

As mentioned earlier, our E400 spritzes cologne at us and my E450 doesn't. The E400 was on the lot and that's the ONLY reason we have it. I don't miss it in my E450 and wouldn't (actually didn't) order the option.

Would have loved the driver's assistance package, but in 2017 that required Premium 3, which was more than I wanted to spend. Now that driver's assistance is a standalone option, will get that on my next one later this year...

For me it's a flip flop. Being in a colder climate, the heated seats and Airscarf are a must! So far, have used them all the time....come summer, of course I wont. Like I said, the ventilated were a 50/50 proposition of getting for me. I didn't primarily because I don't like the perforated look and had them once before and didn't think they were any great shakes...still..

I'm sure if I lived in Florida, with it's heat and humidity I would have probably gotten them.

Absolutely love the heated stearing wheel when driving in cold weather!

I would be flip flop too if I lived in a cold climate. My philosophy on cold and snow is simple. Snow should be looked at, preferably in pictures, but NEVER touched! So we're going to Maine in two weeks. The partner misses cold and snow. I agreed to a winter vacation with one major caveat. It had to include lobster. Ogunquit, ME here we come. I'll deal with some cold for a few days, but I'll also eat my body weight in lobster!!!

Lobster and crab meat! My two biggest indulgences. My wife can't stand these delicacies, but I don't care. I eat them in front of her every time and relish it!

I thought I would have to cover up my CAB in the garage for the remainder of the winter. As it turns out, due to lack of snow and dry streets, I've driven it a lot more this winter than expected (will not subject it to snow and salt). On more than multiple occasions, with the top down with the warmer temperatures and airscarf. Love the looks and comments we get riding around top down in the winter! :rolf:

Isn't that where Stephen King's, "The Stand", started out?

Could be. Many of his books were set in New England.

Martin, Nova Scotia is on my bucket list. We have a restaurant down here called The Palm. They only serve lobsters from Nova Scotia, so I know they are superbly sweet. The colder the water, the sweeter the lobster!

Thanks!

Very interesting thread. Different strokes...

I have the Warmth & Comfort option and never use it, even when it is unusually cold. The temperature rarely falls below freezing, but yesterday morning, for example, it was 25 degrees. I didn't even know how to turn on the heated steering wheel option (end of the steering wheel stalk) when I first got the car. Soft close doors is another option I would pass on. They look cool, but I don't have any problems closing the doors manually.

On the other hand, I probably would have ordered the HUD option, but see that it gets mixed reviews here. Also, I like the fragrance option. When set to low it is very subtle. Lastly, I would not own another car without Intelligent Lighting or equivalent. I had bi-xenon on a 2010 W212, and could never go back to halogen only.

That is the one option that really is a head scratcher. How does heating an armrest and a console really add to the comfort level during the winter? I tried it at the dealership, and could barely feel it. You can only rest one arm on either/or while driving (not both), unless you drive really low on the steering wheel, and could you really feel that much warmer if you do? Whereas the heated steering wheel is the bomb, and I wouldn't be without!

I have the intelligent lighting package and my lights do this.

They don't so much curve (that was old tech used with xenons), but additional areas light up on the road towards the side you are turning. I experienced it on a very dark country road and was quite impressed by how well it worked.

@rustybear3 , that is why I didn't get the warmth and comfort option. I only wanted the rapid heat, not the armrest warmer. Meh.

I'll tell you what really makes a difference is the Airscarf on my neck during the cold weather. It not only warms up my neck and back rapidly, it's almost like having a heat massager. Once you have it, you'll never go back. Unfortunately it's only available on the CAB models. They should make this an option on all Mercedes IMO.

It so effective, that we drive with the top down even in 50 and 60 degree weather.

Make sure to visit Peggy's Cove and enjoy the lobster and mussels at Sou-Wester. Then for your next meal go to Ryer Lobsters.

Am assuming these aren't in Ogunquit or near there, but are in Nova Scotia? I'm afraid we may be the "only" visitors in Ogunquit in February. Most of the lobster houses are closed for the season....... :tear:

Peggy's Cove is in Nova Scotia. I was in Old Orchard Beach, Maine in September and everything was closed for the season. It was very cold.

I'm sure there must be some lobster houses open year round. At least I hope so, or Rod's going to be one unhappy camper.

Rod, you could always head further north towards Portland and find some good lobster Restuarants. I went to College @ USM in Portland. The Waterfront Area there is really nice. Demillos might be a good Restaurant to check out, it's actually a old Cargo ship, it was there 40 years ago when I was in College.

Thanks! We're flying into Portland and it's only about a half hour from Ogunquit, so that's what we figured if there aren't any closer lobster places open in Ogunquit.

Just checked out their website and it appears they are open year round!

I definitely would not remove any of current options, but on other hand I would add:
- Acoustic Package
- DAB radio receiver
- Distronic, would have to think twice for Lane assist
- KeylessGo
- 3rd zone/Rear seats climate control

Doubting about:
- Air suspension (is it that good?!, I know is not as good on the S class)
- Blind spot monitoring (I adjust my mirrors in that perfect position so that cars in blind spot are visible, so is it worth it)
- Contour or Massaged seats (would have to try them before ordering, I like the idea of " hugging" bolsters)

I'm definitely happy that I went with sunroof and not pano, and miss night camera option that is now only reserved for the S class.

Also Multibeam headlights or Lighting package how they are called in USA/Canada are must have (in Croatia they come as standard option), since there is no night camera they come in handy on very dark roads because they have all cool and neat features (like shown in the video).

I always wondered why in the world keyless GO isn't standard on all Mercedes? It's optional on every model I believe. So you manually have to take out your keyfob to lock and unlock your car every time? The trunk as well? It's about the only luxury car where they soak you to automatically open your doors; standard on most luxury cars and non luxury cars. Heck, my wife's Honda Civic has it on her car.

As for the blind spot monitoring...even with your mirrors adjusted, once you have it you'll never be without it again. Extremely handy on rainy days as well.

Rusty, that's question I often ask myself. Looks like they are trying to get extra profit on all those little extras.

I agree, especially when the screens are turned off, interior look so simple and clean.

I've had my coupe less than a month, and I'm still learning things about it. I did not order soft-close doors because the coupe I test drove had them, and it felt harder to semi-close the doors than to fully close them. It struck me as a feature better suited to S-Class sedans. But twice now when I have live-parked while my wife ran into a store, she has left the passenger door not quite closed. Forward placement of the interior door grips makes it awkward to reach across the passenger seat and get enough leverage to pull the door tight. We'll see how often this happens going forward, but soft-close might be a feature I'd consider next time.

One option I'm liking even more than anticipated is Magic Vision Control. I've hated windshield washers on previous cars when I've needed to use them at speed, and the spray goes up over the sunroof. And don't get me started on the morons who wash their windows in heavy traffic letting their spray land all over my newly cleaned car. Magic Vision Control works ingeniously. With the rainy winter we've had in Southern California, it has come in handy a few times already. It's a small thing, but it makes me grateful.

HUD wasn't available in my build cycle, but I'll definitely order it next time. As everyone who drives these cars understands, the ride is so smooth that speed can get away from you. I use the Progressive instrument display with a big digital mph readout smack in the middle. That helps. But I've driven cars with HUD, and much prefer being able to see my speed without looking down.

Also, have the dealership check your door latches. On my E300, my passenger door was harder to close than my driver side doors and Mercedes was able to adjust something (I think the latches).

You know, that's the one thing I vacillated back and forth in getting. Having a convertible, I don't envision driving in the rain unless I got caught. So, I decided against it because of the possible infrequent usage. Now, I kinda wish I sprung for it,

Turns out the passenger door latch is fine. My wife just didn't want to "slam" it, so she was closing it too softly.

One other option I'm coming to really appreciate: massage seats. On long drives when I don't want to make a stop, the massage effectively relaxes my back and I arrive stress-free.

Also, the kick-to-open trunk was a feature, not an option, but it has proven extremely useful for all the times I approach the car with a bag of groceries in each hand. (Or more frequently, groceries in one hand and wine in the other.)

If there's one thing about the car that bugs me a bit -- and I apologize for straying off topic, because this is not about options -- it's the A/C port behind the right side of the steering wheel. It chills my hand and the whole right side of the steering wheel, even when pointed down and away. I find myself closing it often.

I wish I optioned distronic

I got the AMG line which came well specced, and I added the premium pack which added the cameras, COMAND online, Multibeam, Nappa leather and memory seats and wireless charging.

The parking cameras and Multibeam are a surprise, really impressed with them. Multibeam seems to be the best compared to Audi's Matrix and the BMW Icon lights, their sensors are excellent, and I haven't got flashed anytime the past few winter months. Wireless charging is good, got an iPhone XR the other days and it works very well, but not really needed as I use Apple Car Play most days and thus have the phone hooked up by cable.

Regrets? Not getting the Burmester system. The standard sound system is OK, but it's not great is it. I mainly listen to Podcasts, so it's not too bad, but when listening to music, it's weak, but is pricey and would have added about €60 a month to monthly lease payments. I would have liked the Pano roof too.

I don't regret not adding any adaptive cruise etc, the car is so easy to drive that I don't need it. And I don't regret not getting metallic paint. I stuck with plain black.

Hi all,

Very interesting thread! This has given us a lot of food for thought.

As mentioned in another thread, we are considering a E300 Cab with Premium Plus Pack, Driving Assistant Pack and upgrade leather (not Nappa / Comfort Pack). I think these would cover most of the more desirable options including intelligent light, interior light package, adaptive cruise control (DISTRONIC Plus?), lane assist, wireless phone charger, Keyless-Go, Burmester sound system, COMAND with upgraded centre screen, driver digital screen, etc... Things will not be included are the likes of HUD, perfume for cabin and massage chair (Comfort Pack).

It seems that the Premium Plus Pack already includes most of the options and there were only 2 to 3 others to choose from. We've decided against Night Pack and Comfort Pack, but is there anything else we should consider?

Also, what's the difference between AGILITY Control (standard) and AIR BODY Control?

Thank you very much!

Some features become so appreciated after a few weeks of use that they would be severely missed if not there. These features include (especially) adaptive cruise control, HUD, and (in cold climates) heated seats and steering wheel.

Thanks Helmar! I completely agree once you've had certain options, it becomes "essential". It would have been nice to have a choice on heated steering wheel and heated windscreen but neither are available on the E300 Cab. I've not tried HUD but will certainly consider.

I would love try the Adaptive Cruise Control as I can imagine it's a good feature. I remembered when I first used Cruise Control and it took me some time to get used to it. Now I can live without it, especially when driving through a stretch of roads with average speed cameras!

Actually, the active cruise control is a completely different animal from non-active cruise control.

With non-active, you must always be continuously aware of the traffic in front of you.

With active, if your attention should wander momentarily, and the car in front of you slows, you will slow down as well.

While it may sound like this encourages inattention, I find that it just allows for more relaxing travel....

HBH

I really do wish I had the multi contour seats in my wagon like my cabriolet has, they are more comfortable. Right after I got my wagon the dealer I go the cabriolet though had a white wagon with the multi contour seat option and the adaptive cruise. I was very tempted to ask them if they could do a trade off my wagon with the regular standard seats, I'd had my wagon about 2 weeks at that point. I didn't even ask as I knew I'd take a real haircut doing that as my car was then a used a car and more than likely I woulda lost like 5 or 10 grand or something like that. So I live with the standard seats in m wagon.

Took delivery last week and it was a car someone had ordered and walked from. 2019 E63S wagon diamond white on nut brown. The numbers on my trade made sense and I drove home with it. So far I’m loving this beast and haven’t had a chance to think of all the options fitted.

This is is not our first Mercedes, we’ve had a GLK, currently own a GLE and now this car. My goodness this interior is excellent. I always thought the ambient lights were “meh” and over marketed but they add to one heck of a feeling when you’re driving at night. I have wood inlays and am happy with that. Not a massive carbon fiber fan.

Here are are some of my thoughts on the other options:

1. Multicontour seats. Love them!! I had had comfort seats in my ‘17 Audi with massage function which was very disappointing. Little more than tiny air bladders inflating and deflating in your back in that car. I’m pleased to say Mercedes clearly does massaging seats a heck of a lot better. Plus, the dynamic bolsters that hug you in place when you accelerate and corner are flipping cool!

2. Warmth and comfort package. A must for us people living north of the wall (read: Minnesota). The seat is warm in 2 minutes with rapid heating front seats. The heated arm rests are so nice and add to the luxurious cuccoon feeing.

3. Heated rear seats. Also a must. Either myself or my wife always rides in the back with the little kid so we use regularly. Why it’s not included with the warmth and comfort package above I don’t know. My GLE was CPO and does not have that option and we miss it when driving that car.

4. Heated steering wheel. Also required in cold regions. Of note, this is another area where I noticed Mercedes is superior to Audi. When that wheel heat knob is turned on, the wheel becomes adequately hot. This is in contrast to Audi’s wheel that barely becomes warm. Someone on audizine wrote a couple of years ago that someone had complained to Audi that their heated steering wheels were “too hot” so they turned the temps down?!! And there’s a way to hack the car through OBD to increase the preset limit for the heated steering wheel.

5. Increased cabin insulation with acoustic membrane. I’m kind of torn on this. It’s not cheap at $1,100 and I’m not sure I’d equip it if it were my build. Besides it filters a lot of that V8 sound in the cabin. The flip side is, when I have a sleeping baby in the back there’s nothing to disturb him as the cabin is unbelievably quiet.

6. Adaptive cruise with parktronic. I’m a little meh about it. We live in a smaller town. I drive less than 10 minutes to work. And on the GLE it’s fairly intrusive yanking you into what it thinks is the lane, decelerating aggressively on the freeway when traffic ahead is just a little slower...etc. I’ve heard the newer system is much improved but I haven’t tried it since I’m still in break in.

7. Soft close doors. Should be really included in a $120k car. Only advantage I see is when baby is asleep you don’t have to slam doors. I’d save my money.

8. AMG performance exhaust. A must for an E63 if you ask me and relatively inexpensive at $1,200.

9. Head up display. Love it and used to it on several of my other cars. This is very individual though. I find it handy for track use as well.

A couple of mandatory regrets I suppose:

1. I wish Mercedes offered the designo interiors on the E63 cars. Those look really sharp.

2. I wish there was an extended leather option to cover the lower dash and glove compartment and lower doors, a la my GLE63S. It was included for free oddly enough on the SUV but not the W213.

And thats it! Love this thing and can’t wait to put more miles on it. Cheers everybody.