chuck.norrisky

Test drove a 2024 E450 Wagon today and was surprised that when the sunroof shade is closed, you can still see the sun. Yes, the shade does block some of the sun, but it is not opaque. In the 2024 S580 (the other car I was looking at) the sunroof shade was opaque and completely blocked the sun.

It was annoying to have the filtered sunlight on my head, but also it created even more reflections on the dash (which does not have the traditional shade around it, just a tablet sitting there).

So, a question for any takers... does the 2025 E450 also have the same non-opaque sunroof shade? Thanks!

L1Wolf

There is no change in the sun shade as far as I know. I've not actually seen a 2025 in person but I don't see that silently changing from 2024 to 2025.

I don't find that with it closed there is any interior glare on any surfaces and I've driven a 2024 E350 for over 6300 miles and during plenty of bright sunny days. I have the super screen which would allow more glare than cars without.

chuck.norrisky

Yes, it may have been unusual circumstances for my test drive... about 3 minutes into the drive, the car broke down (in the turn lane from a 6 lane road/large intersection onto a major highway) and so we sat there for about 40 minutes (with people gesturing to me that I was number one in their book -- that is what one finger means, right?) while the salesperson got the mechanic to come over and rescue us. As I sat there, the 1pm California sun was shining down (through that sheer fabric) onto my head. So, I had plenty of time in the bright sun to assess how well the German engineers/interior designers did. Later, when I got into the S class back at the dealership I noticed that the sunshade was opaque and thought... if you have only one shade then it should be opaque.

Great to hear that it has not been a problem for you. Thanks!

L1Wolf

Unique circumstances indeed! I assume the engine was not running and therefore the AC was not operating which would become an issue to sit in the car and wait 40 minutes regardless of the transparency of the shade. I've sat in the car while stationary with the AC running and the shade closed while in the hot sun at 90° and it was quite comfortable. Even with the sun screen open, it's not bad as long as the AC is running. I only close it if it's too bright and it takes the brightness down enough to be comfortable for me. I prefer it to be slightly transparent rather than opaque. Just like the rear window sun shade that I ordered on the 2025 I am waiting for.

I would be questioning why it took them 40 minutes when you were only 3 minutes away. You could have walked back in half the time. Another sales rep or the sales manager should have immediately jumped in another car to pick you up while your sales rep waited for the mechanic to fix the car. Poor customer service if you ask me.

chuck.norrisky

Agree, it was a fiasco. I was disappointed about how long it took also. The salesperson sitting next to me made many frantic calls during the wait. Finally, he said they should be here in 5 minutes, and I realized that they were just leaving the dealership. I don't know, maybe everyone was on lunch or something. I expected them to be very aggressive in getting us out of the middle of the road and to safety. Wife wanted to get out of the car and walk, but we were in the middle of a busy elevated interchange. And yes, the AC was not on... we were able to roll the windows down, but it was 95F that afternoon. We were sweating, but not as much as the salesperson! Definitely unique circumstance...

pdeacon

My W213 had a Macchiato interior and a light color headliner and sun screen. It was brighter inside but I was never bothered by the sun bearing down through the shade. My W214 has an optional black head liner and a black sunshade. There is a distinct difference between the two. The car is darker inside for sure and the black filters the sun more.

chuck.norrisky

The W214 I was in had a light-colored headliner and shade. I will look into the black headliner option. Thanks!

If I could, I would order one without a sunroof! I know, it is sacrilegious... heck, I was looking at a station wagon, not an SUV, so you already knew I was an outlier... however, I am tall and barely fit (seat adjusted max down and reclined a bit to give me a little headroom) and if that little bump-out around the sunroof wasn't there, that would be great. I noticed that on the German configurator you can specify one without the sunroof (and all kinds of other great combinations not available in North America) but unfortunately, that doesn't help us here in the US.

Editing... okay, just looked at the order guide and see the headliner options are within the seat covering choices, didn't notice them before! I was thinking about the "804 Tonka Brown/ Black Nappa Leather" and see that they have two options: Neva Grey (58U) or Black (51U) for the headliner. Will venture back out to the dealer to check out the black options in person.