E300 Body Temperatures in Sun vs Color
 

Several are discussing options for new E series cars they're looking to order, and when I was at the dealer on Tuesday, I took some temperatures. Everyone knows that black cars are hotter inside than white cars, inside, when out in the sun for a while. Some online sources say 130 degrees vs 113 degrees. Mythbusters says 135 vs 126 degrees (sounds like a small difference to me). I know that my first car in South Carolina was a black Olds Cutlass with black vinyl interior, and it was impossible to touch the steering wheel at the end of work.

But - what about red or blue cars? Or silver cars? No one appears to have done a test. Now, I couldn't do a real test on inside temperatures, but where the color of the car affects the inside temperature, the affect has to be basically proportional to the out skin/body temperature. After all, the sun heats it up, and then it convects & radiates to the inside to heat up the inside. Certain other parts of the car, notably the windows and sunroof, are the same regardless of temperature, and no doubt let in a lot of heat there, as well. Anyhow, this is what I found for outer temperatures:

E300 Mercedes, 1PM in bright sun facing NW in a row, skin temperatures of hood:
Polar White: 110-112 degrees F
Iridium Silver Metallic: 118-119 degrees F
designo Cardinal Red Metallic: 149-150 degrees F
Brilliant Blue Metallic: 155-156 degrees F
Black*: 153-154 degrees F

*On the black, I'm not sure if it was plain or metallic black. Also, it was a bit on the dirty side, while the others were shiny clean, so I think that lowered the temperature read some. What really surprised me was how hot the red and blue cars got compared to the white and silver. I guess I expected them to be about halfway between white and black, and silver to be closer to white (although Iridium is a rather dark silver color).

Yesterday I also measured a competitive car I am considering, a BMW 530i:

BMW 530i 12 Noon in bright sun facing SW in a row, skin temperatures of hood:
Alpine White: 123 degrees
Glacier Silver: 130 degrees
Mineral White Metallic: 122 degrees
Black: 160 degrees

I was seriously considering blue or red for my new E300, but with temperatures approaching a black car, I think I'll stick to Silver (as we've had so many white cars in the past).

I know it would be better to check inside temperatures, and that seat color would affect that as well, but this is worth something, I think. If nothing else, it tells you that heat is going to affect darker paint more than lighter.

You may wish to consider the Acoustic Comfort Package option. It blocks IR heat transfer. I'm in Florida and it makes a big difference.

Yeah, it would be nice, but for $1,100 plus $250 as it's now special order only, that makes it quite expensive. The IR glass sounds good, but I believe the car will already be the quietest I have owned.

If you get the E300 (4 cyl) the extra noise suppression will be welcome. That engine is very noisy especially with the sunroof or a window open. A loud clattering noise is from the direct injection making it sound like a diesel engine. The 6 cyl engine is comparatively silent.

So, not getting the noise suppression will pay for $1,350 of the $5,000 V6 engine (2020 pricing)? Hmmmmm

You'll still have the heat if you leave your car in the sunshine. That said, it isn't a bad trade off. The Acoustic Comfort Package is $1,100. There should not be a $250 special order fee. There is no extra cost to order a vehicle with the options you want. The E450 also comes with 4matic standard. In the E300 that feature costs $2,500. That makes the additional V6 engine cost $3,950. Drop the Acoustic Comfort Package to save an additional $1,100.

Issue with inside is the temp will continue to build up for all colors until they hit a maximum which would depend on exterior temps and heat gained from sun.
Color of exterior heating interior would be mainly from roof and doors. Hood not so much nor trunk.
A good test would be to let them both get hot and about same temp...
then start and run AC on some reasonable temp say 73F and see which gets to 73 first.

The white/silver whould cool quicker since heat load into interior is less from the roof and doors.
but main heat load is from sun going thru glass.

Same with color of interior... lighter is better if you live in south.

The 2019 E450 4matic does cost $3,950 more than the E300 4matic. However, the 2020 E450 4matic is $5,000 more than the E350 4matic. (Yes, the E350 4matic is also $2,500 more than the E350 2 wheel drive.) While the Acoustic Comfort Package is still $1,100, for 2020 it is offered as a special order option only, which requires a $250 special order fee (possibly total for any or all special orders, which is why it's separate?).

FYI base prices for 2020 are: E350: $54,050. E350 4matic: $56,550. E450 4matic: $61,550. I believe that is $550 more than 2019 for the E300/350, and $1600 more for the E450, but that includes Blind Spot Assist, Keyless-Go, Electronic Trunk Closer and the new Parking Damage Detector as standard in the base price, plus the $850 12.3" Digital Instrument Cluster is now included in the Premium Package, and yet the Premium Package is now $2,800 vs 2019's $3,150, so base price with Premium Package and 12.3" Digital Instrument Cluster actually goes down by $650. About all other option prices are the same, except Head-Up display which is $110 more, but that's still $540 cheaper than the 2019 model for the E350, but $560 /more/ for the E450.

I was looking at the 2019 configurator - E450 vs E300.

I just traded a polar white/black mb Tex interior 13 wagon for a 17 black/black and there is a big difference that I noticed first day. I had a black/black before the white/black and forgot. No measurements but my white/black hardly ever felt hot when I got inside but black/black does however there are very few CPO wagons where I live so I couldn’t pick exterior color. Car is only left outside on weekends when I am off work doing errands and shopping but it definitely is a noticeable difference.

You are correct. This is a correction. In 2019, there is still at $2500 cost for 4matic with the E300. But the E450, which has 4matic as standard, is $3950 more than the E300 with 4matic.

I do not understand:

From the MBUSA website prices for 2019:

1. MSRP E300 $53,500
2. MSRP E300 4Matic 56,000
3. MSRP E450 (includes 4Matic) 59,950

So the difference between the E 300 4Matic and the E450 is $3,950 not $5,000.

Can you clarify? Thanks.

I am VERY sorry. Somehow I got confused about the 2019 prices. I was originally working with 2019 pricing, then only the 2020, /then/ started working with the E450. You are absolutely right about the 2019 prices. Unfortunately, while the E300, standard or 4matic, went up by $550 in 2020, the E450 actually went up by $1600. Now costing $5000 more than the E450 4m, instead of $3950 more as you correctly stated in 2019. Now realizing that, it kind of ticks me off that it the V6 option itself should go up by $1050.

Again, I apologize for my errors. I will go back and correct or delete them, so as not to create confusion in the future.

Is there standard equipment on the 2020 E450 (4Matic) that is optional and extra cost on the E350 4Matic that might mitigate the extra cost? (for 2020 the E300 became the E350)

I keep looking, but no, not really. The only thing I can find is that the 450 comes with the 18" Twin 5-Spoke wheels rather than the standard 18" 5-Spoke Wheels, both of which use 245/45 R18 tires. But that's the same as 2019. I do see that the perforated brake discs with MB lettering included with the AMG package is standard on the E450, and therefore the AMG package on the E450 is $150 less, so that's a small credit. But that also was the same in 2019. So no, I see no reason that the 2020 add for the V6 should be $5000, when it was $3950 in 2019.

Where did you get the pricing and standard equipment on the 2020 E350 vs. E450 4Matic?

Do you have the DOG for 2020? If so could you post. A lot of members would like it as well!

I have the C-Class DOG, which I will attach separately, and a similar E-Series file, not named with DOG (whatever that stands for). The E-Class file exceeded the 5 MB attachment limit here, so I split it in half, the first half applying to non-AMG sedans, and the second half applying to AMG sedans only. They should appear below (I guess - haven't done attachments here before).

And here is the MY20 C-Class DOG file. Sorry, being a newbie here, I had assumed I didn't have anything others had and that they'd been posted here previously, or would have done this sooner.

Thanks for posting the for the E Class.

This is the DOG: "Dealer ordering guide"