Hey Everyone,

Sort of fell in love with a Lunar Blue/Machiatto Beige E450 in the showroom while we were picking up a GLC (our first MB purchase) for my wife. Sales guy must have been thrilled. .

Had a few questions:

1. Machiatto beige leather - how bad of an idea is this?
2. Salesman really talked up the MBUX system in the GLC, which the 2020 E450 does not have. Is this MBUX system worth waiting for? I am not interested in another super buggy system (I have Ford's 2016 SYNC system which is lousy with glitches and connectivity issues). Do people have any major recurring issues with COMAND?
3. Is the air suspension important? I live in North Dallas where the roads are garbage and my number one reason for switching out of my F150 is the stiff ride over potholes and narrow lanes. But sometimes features like that sound cool but ultimately don't make a difference.
4. I read elsewhere on here that some people had seat comfort issues. Is this a common occurrence with this model? No issues on the test drive for me but it was relatively short.
5. Anything that is common knowledge among the enthusiasts on here that I should know?

Thanks in advance for any answers you all can provide. Seems like a super helpful community.

 

1. Mine's black which may help to hide wears, but beige definitely handles sunscreens (and the sun) better. Some previous experience with beige cars has been mostly troublefree.

2. Main benefits of MBUX as perceived by a long time COMAND user/sufferer: the UI is quicker, the AR navigation seems fun, touch screen provides easier map manipulation and text inputs, the touchpad looks (subjectively) neater, connectivity opens possibility for easy future expansion/update (hopefully). To its credit, COMAND is very rarely buggy, and navigating the system is pretty straightforward once you get the intuitions behind the design and layout.

3. In terms of ride comfort/compliance, IMO air suspension is not as important as good tyres (Michelin or Pirelli comfort-oriented lines) and thick side walls: think 245/45R18 & 275/40R18 versus 245/35R20 & 275/30R20 on mine that leave much room for improvement, especially when it comes to coarse surfaces. Air suspension on mine is particularly useful when 1) lowered during long-distance drives on the motorway to save fuel, or 2) raised for known tricky terrain that threatens the front bumper. Mine is still scraped twice underneath: the AMG line front bumper looks to be a bit lower than the others despite the same ride height. Also note that unlike with some other applications (Porsche for instance), the air suspension on the W213 doesn't stick to one setting: if you want it always lowered, you will have to change the drive modes upon ignition, every time. And if you want it always raised, it will automatically revert to the middle height once over 80km/h.

4. The seats as comfy as the ones on the S-class. But I suppose it depends on individual's physique. Mine's fine even though it's neither multicontour nor comfort seats (, just the usual AMG line seats with nappa leather).

5. Most notably:
i) build quality (rattles & creakings) that can be quite bad for some (i.e. mine), but rock solid for others (i.e. a made-in-China E300 that I took a ride in). For me they are primarily (most of) the front door panels, centre console, the main trim on the dash, and the two seatbacks.
ii) Occasional issues with the technology: specifically, sudden emergency breaking when there's no obvious cause for concern for the driver or computer. At least I figured out mine so haven't experienced that since the three instances in the first 6 months.
iii) The 9 cog gearbox sometimes give you a very unpleasant change between 1st and 2nd when under light throttle: it shudders the whole car like a bad manual change. This only happens under light acceleration and only intermittently. Could be specific to my diesel engine though.

 

1. Beige no issue. You can also use leather cleaner from time to time if needed
2. I’d wait for MBUX. Also it will be touch screen (not a big deal for me). The e class mid life update is being launched on 5 March at Geneva. I’ve had no issues with COMAND - I like it
3. Cant comment on airmatic. I find the standard agility suspension very comfortable
4. S class seats are more comfy but e class are ergonomic for me and for when I do a stint of 6 hour driving
5. I think a lot of the rattle issues will be fixed in the update. Won’t hurt you to wait. You might like the new or old styling. Then take your pick

 

Airmatic suspension repairs out of warranty can be very expensive - more than $2k per wheel.

 

Ok great, this is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

 

Thanks - didn't know the update was going to be unveiled so soon. Definitely going to wait and either I'll get a better deal on the old model or get the new one. Really hate rattles and squeaks.

 

If you and your wife ever drive each other's car it would be nice if both were MBUX

 

i can only comment on 2 & 3

my lease is up in august,but i will extend it for a few months in order to be able to order the new E
i know myself and would be very "jealous" when after a few months of having my new lease i'd see the "new E" coming out
and maybe the change is minimal, but the mbux seems to be worth the wait

do not get ABC, i have it and it's no better than the standard suspension.
the only advantage is that yo can raise the car with a few centimeters, but is that worth the 3.000 eur yo pay for it ? I say no.
i don't even feel much difference between the comfort & sport setting...
Even my dealer says he can not feel the difference on ANY Mb model

and there you have my 2 cents.. don't spend it all at once!

 

so when would it then be ready to order you think ?

i have to figure out for how many months to extend my lease with ends august

 

From all the articles I've read the car will be introduced at the Geneva auto show 3 March.

 

1. Does your wife/spouse/partner/anyone else wear any type of tanning products or self tanners? I have to scrub stuff off my black seats all the time because of my wife’s self tanners. Just something to think about.
Good luck.

 

maybe august here in Australia. I suppose if you’re in America it will be available quicker

my guess is the rear and front is going to be like a CLS and since they have now axed the X class and the B class they will announce the end of the CLS next. Sadly.

 

I would be jealous too

 

so will this mean that from march it's orderable ?(is that even a real word lol)

 

When is the lease up on your wife/spouse/partner/yadda yadda?

Beige interior is beautiful, and unlike black, doesn't show any dust...

 

1. I have white, with Yacht Blue & Machiatto Beige Nappa leather on my E450 Wagon, and love it. I've had beige leather on cars for almost 20 years, and have not had a problem. This is a little lighter beige, so may require cleaning a bit more often.
2. I was concerned with COMAND, and was leaning toward a BMW 540i for its touch screen, but have gotten used to COMAND and find that the steering wheel controls allow very convenient use. I actually prefer it to the touch system on my previous GTI and the wife's new Kia.
3. My wagon has air suspension on the rear only. I think air is a crapshoot, as some love it, some say it's not necessary. I decided to save the money.
4. I cannot imagine my seats being more comfortable that they are. I sat in an S-Class to try out the massage seating, and did not find it better, for me.
5. Only that even an $80k car is not perfect. Several small features operation, of lack of features, annoy me on this car, but it's still a great car.