Streamliner

Then why don’t all S Class cars have the top line interiors, the best audio system, the most elaborate suspension, heads-up display, night vision, V12 engines, etc.? I believe that the answer is because some buyers want those things and others don’t. Some prefer a $90,000.00 S450, while others want a $150,000.00 S560. My biggest gripe with the Panorama Roof is that it completely changes the look of lighter colored cars. I find my silver S560 to be relatively unattractive and would pay a $10,000.00 special order fee to get the car without the glass roof. If the Pano Roof can be optional on most every other MB model, it should be on the current S Class as well. It is in Germany, Mexico and other countries, but here in the US, it is shoved down our throats, whether we want it or not. Decidedly NOT a luxurious feeling, IMO.

Streamliner

Funny you should ask. It wasn’t supposed to replace the E350 sedan, but my wife seems to be very taken with the car and she just may decide that she wants it. If so, the 2016 will go up for sale.

ccww

To me, something that is noisy, bright, hot, and top-heavy and that I don't enjoy in any way isn't luxury, it is an annoyance. Yet many others love their pano roofs and that's wonderful, I'm glad they get enjoyment from the feature. The true luxury, as Streamliner correctly points out, is having the choice of your preference.

hyperion667

I don't miss having so many cars......the bills always came for something or one of them......registration, taxes, insurance.......
Do you ever grab the wrong keys for the wrong car? I used to do that a lot lol. One of those good problems

Lets have a pic of the fleet Stream! As long as they're clean

cetialpha5

While I enjoy your rant against it, it's basically because MB USA is who determines who gets to buy what in this country. There's a lot more choices in Germany where they have a lot more low end cars. In a high priced market like they US, they just don't want to sell you a cheaper model. Also eliminating options saves money so it could actually be cheaper to put one thing in all cars instead of setting up the production line to service two options. Plus they make more money. What's not to like? For them that is.

There's always a fringe group that custom order cars, most people just buy whatever the dealer ordered on the lot. Just too small of a niche market to cater to just a few people. The sales of an S class is even lower than that of the E.

ccww

This has always been a persistent mystery to me. Maybe the members on forums like this and I are just so different from the general car buyer that I can’t understand the typical consumer’s mindset, but I cannot imagine buying a brand new MB and not custom ordering it to be exactly as I wish. I see that as the only significant reason to pay the new prices when you can easily get beautifully maintained cars with 20-30k miles for 50-70% off MSRP used. Of course used you don’t always have your druthers, unless you’re as lucky as Stream, but that’s part of the deal for the huge savings. And when shopping used it becomes apparent just how few custom order new when sorting through endless lease return specials with Premium Package and nothing else... I just don’t get it.

mickhoog

Very nice , congrats

Seems all of the ‘stars’ aligned for you.
If you don’t want the flowing lines, I’ll have it :-).

Now to just enjoy it
Out of interest i bought the Michelin Primacy 3/4 as MOE run flats and found them to be very comfortable.

2012 merc amg

The Primacy tires are what I ended up putting on my wagon. It had the Goodyear sport tires on it from the factory which I could not take anymore after the first 10k miles. Very harsh tire. The primacy are better but still a very firm ride. What I don’t get is I had a rear wheel drive 2019 e450 cabriolet with same primacy tires which was a low amg line and that car rode like a S class. Very strange. On the wagon over bad roads like on the jersey turnpike the front end sometimes bottoms out. Generally not a problem in Florida though. A number of others have complained about this too. The older e350 212 wagons never did this.

Streamliner

I completely agree. Ordering a car, just the way you want it, to me, is one of the great joys in vehicular life! I find it SUCH FUN to research the various options, deciding on colors, etc. I love using the “Build” websites and “konfiguring” my new car. That said, MBUSA has done such a truly horrible job in building and maintaining their site, it is embarrassing. I’m surprised that the home company doesn’t fire someone in Atlanta! To this day, you cannot configure an E450 Wagon with the Luxury Trim and the Designo interiors. And, compared to the “Build” site in Germany, the MBUSA site is an absolute joke! Compared to sites from several other makes, the MBUSA site is just laughable.

One other note: I wanted to order a new wagon, but by the time I found out that the Luxury trim would no longer be imported in 2021, it was too late to order a 2020. This, of course, is yet another ridiculous move by MBUSA. That said, I feel that the facelift Luxury model, as shown on the German site, is not that good looking anyway. Here’s a photo. The grill looks to be just an insert that fits into the same cavity as the AMG version. It doesn’t look as nice as the current car, but I still would have ordered one, if MBUSA had made it available here. Oh well, “Big Brother” knows what’s best for us!

wagonsrock

All cars are built on the same line. Each build gets tagged at the start of production indicating what options to install, even down to left hand and right hand drive. Its all computer controlled inventory management, with the assembly line workers pulling parts from bins as the car moves down the line. Every thing is scanned, including parts being removed from bins, so during the build there is built in verification starting from a bare chassis. I've been to Sindelfingen and its amazing to see the line working.

The irony is most cars sold in US are pretty basic, with limited options installed, so you almost have to custom order. I'm one of the "fringe group that custom order cars", because whatever the dealer has on the lot is usually black, or less commonly white, with a black interior, and a couple of useless vanity options like projector lamps in the doors, but without drive pilot, digital cockpit etc.[/QUOTE]

ua549

In over 60 years of purchasing new cars frequently, I've never bought a car "off the lot". I factory order all the cars I buy - German, Japanese and Korean cars.

hyperion667

I'll never forget the time I was shopping Honda's and the guy looked at me like I was crazy when I asked about configuring my own options.....he said no, you just pick off the lot.......so I got one for my wife off the lot

fleuger99

Congrats!! Your wagon is lovely! I am also looking for a luxury model with only Prem, Lighting and Parking Assistance packages and 3-zone climate control in either Designo Red, Iridium Silver or Selenite Gray. I'm open to any interior colour but also do not want a pano roof. There are so few luxury 2020's available and then finding one with 3-zone climate seems near impossible. The hunt continues.

cetialpha5

The one time I ever bought a new car, I had to buy it off the lot. My previous car had died on me (blown head gasket, fine one day, gone the next) and I was just paying for a rental when I needed it so I didn't have too much time to wait around for one to be built. I've mostly just bought used cars. My boss keeps thinking about getting a new car and he's just going to buy one off the lot. I keep telling him that if he's thinking about it, he could just order one now and it'll be there in a couple months, but he says he can't do that, if he's ready to spend money, he just wants to pick one up off the lot. It's why dealers end up ordering whatever is on their lot and they only order what they think will sell. I guess if they get it with too many options, no one wants to pay that kind of price so maybe a loaded one will really sit for a while and they just want to move the metal.

2012 merc amg

Ya, I really find it best to buy 2 or 3 year old cars like I did with my S550. The sticker on the car was 118K and I got the car 3 years old with 16.2K miles on it like new for 60 grand, that is quite the discount over new. My wagon I did buy new but had the dealer find me one with the options I wanted from another dealer. The only car I special ordered was my 2018 E63 AMG wagon and it was a long wait like 4 months or 5 months and there was issues with not being able to get certain things so probably never again.

2012 merc amg

Thats gonna be nearly impossible with the cardinal red and no Pano roof, maybe in the other colors, I wouldn't think finding the 3 zone climate control will be too hard. My car has that. For me I almost really don't even need it as there almost never anybody in the back seat.

abqhudson

Really beautiful.

Great Find.

apocalypse

I love the W213 sedan but the wagon is just phenomenal looking car. One of the best designs of Mercedes ever. The lines are so good that the factory didn't dare to touch it much at all in 2021 facelift. Wise decision.

Beautiful wagon man, enjoy!

places

Have you seen the all-terrain wagon ( https://www.mbusa.com/en/vehicles/mo...s/wagon/e450s4 )? This is the only non AMG wagon offered in the USA. Reminds me of a Subaru.

Streamliner

They took this away from us:




To give us this:



Brilliant move…………NOT!

Holson

Congrats! I’m also looking for an e400/e450 with the classic / luxury line front end I’m ok with pano roof but tex seats are a must and just like you classic walnut burlwood would be nice 😊

There’s actually a 2017 in the Bay Area about 2.5hrs away with 75k miles.. but that’s just a lot of miles for a 4-5yr. Old car

nycebo

In fairness after mostly agreeing with you guys on the new All Terrain, the visual cuts are barely different in practice.

And the 2021 AT drives miles better FWIW, which is to say smoother, more linear, more direct and mbux is vastly superior to comand.

​​​​​​​Changes happens. Worst case, the older model is still a terrific wagon so enjoy it as long as you can.